Molly froze.Max went rigid.The server displays distorted, lines of code scrambling, their secure systems being overridden in real-time.Max’s blood went cold. Specter wasn’t just watching. He was already inside.“Max,” Molly whispered. “He knows.”The realization hit hard.Specter had let them think they were playing him.But they were the ones walking into the trap.Max reached for his gun just as the power cut out. Total blackout.A single emergency light flickered red.“Molly, MOVE—”The door exploded inward.Smoke. Silence.A figure moved through the chaos like a ghost.Then—pain.Max barely registered the impact before he crashed to the ground, vision flashing white as a sharp, precise strike caught him behind the ribs.Specter.Max rolled, gun raised, but the room was empty.Molly was gone.The Message That Changed EverythingMax forced himself to stand, heart pounding, scanning the wreckage of the safehouse. Specter hadn’t killed him.That meant he wanted something else.Then

Max’s stomach twisted. He forced himself to speak, his voice eerily calm.“Tell me this is a mistake.”Molly swallowed. “It’s not.”The Architects’ new leader. The one who had replaced Max before he even had a chance to destroy them.His grandfather.Silence fell over the room.Elliot let out a low curse. “Damn.”Red Fang ran a hand through his hair. “Didn’t see that coming.”Max clenched his jaw, his breath slow, controlled. This wasn’t just betrayal. This was war.His grandfather—the man who had disappeared from his life years ago. The man he had barely thought about beyond the occasional whispers of a family legacy he never wanted.And now?That man was leading The Architects.Elliot leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Alright. Let’s break this down. Your grandfather is now running the most dangerous organization in the world. And none of us saw it coming.”Molly tapped at her screen, pulling up historical files. “It makes sense, though. Your grandfather had old money, influenc

Max exhaled sharply. “Built it?” His voice was laced with bitter disbelief. “You’ve manipulated the world from the shadows. You’ve rewritten history to suit your own interests.”His grandfather turned to face him. “And what do you think I was doing it for?”Max’s jaw tightened.His grandfather smiled, just slightly. “For you.”The words struck harder than any bullet.Max barely kept his expression controlled. “Don’t insult me.”His grandfather tilted his head. “Why do you think you were allowed to get this far?”The implication was clear.Max’s blood ran cold. “You’re saying I was a pawn?”His grandfather took a slow step forward. “I’m saying you were a test.”Max’s stomach twisted.It had never been about stopping The Architects.It had been about shaping him into something else.“You played the game well,” his grandfather continued. “I was watching. Waiting to see if you could survive.”Max shook his head, his voice quiet, dangerous. “Survive what?”His grandfather’s smile faded. “T

The world had been reset.For the first time in centuries, The Architects were gone.Their hidden empire had collapsed. Their leaders were dead. The global order they had spent generations carefully constructing now lay in ashes.But power never disappeared.It only changed hands.And now, it belonged to Max Montgomery.Max stood in the wreckage of what had once been his grandfather’s private estate—the true heart of The Architects. Smoke still curled from the shattered walls, the distant glow of fires still burning in the remains of a world that had operated in secret for too long.The war was over.But victory tasted bitter.Behind him, Elliot leaned against a cracked marble column, flipping a combat knife between his fingers. His eyes never left Max.“So, Max… what now?”Max didn’t answer.Because deep down, he knew the truth.He had spent months fighting for freedom, dismantling the hidden forces that had controlled history from the shadows.But now?Now, he was standing at the to

The world was already unraveling.Phase 1 of the Omega Initiative had been executed flawlessly, and now, the consequences were unfolding in real time.Cities were burning.Economies had collapsed overnight, entire financial markets crashing with precision so absolute that no government could stabilize them. Banks were failing, currencies becoming worthless, and global supply chains were disintegrating.Riots had begun in New York, London, Hong Kong, Berlin—anywhere where power and wealth once stood firm.The world was on the edge of total collapse.And Max Montgomery had 72 hours to stop it.Inside the safehouse, the glow of computer screens flickered against Molly’s tense face. She barely blinked as she flipped through data feeds, news reports, and hacked security footage.Red Fang, standing by the window, watched the city skyline in the distance, where plumes of smoke were already rising.Elliot sat at the table, a gun half-disassembled in front of him, his usual sarcasm replaced by