Victor stared at Marianne, his mind spinning. Her words felt like a punch in the gut. "My daughter?" He repeated, the disbelief still thick in his voice."Yes," Marianne said, her voice low but steady. "I didn’t tell you because... I didn’t want to ruin your life. But now... it’s about Ariane’s life."Victor paced the room, his fists clenched. He didn’t trust her. She had lied before, manipulated situations. Why should this be any different?"Why should I believe you now?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "After all this time, you just show up and drop this bomb on me? You think I’m stupid?"Marianne stood, desperate now. "I’m not lying, Victor! I can take a paternity test if that’s what you want. But we don’t have time for that. Ariane’s getting worse, and the doctors say her only hope is a transfusion."Victor shook his head. "This is all too convenient. Why now, Marianne? Why not tell me years ago?""I was scared," she admitted, her voice shaking. "I didn’t know how to handle it. But
Stephen bent further forward, his eyes narrowing in an attempt to better study Enoch. The poor light within the room hid much of the expression on Enoch's face in deep shadow, feeding off the tension. Stephen had had much said to him over the years in his line of work, but this? It was too much for even him."So what you're saying," Stephen continued after a moment, his voice low, controlled, "is that the system can't be unplugged or shut down?"Enoch sat back in his chair, crossing his arms, staring at Stephen with that impenetrable expression again. He was silent for a while, then finally spoke."Yes," Enoch said, his voice grave. "Once you're connected, it's with you until death. And even then, it doesn't disappear. It's transferred to another host."Stephen rubbed at his temples, frustration brewing inside him. He had been through enough, but this-this was a whole new level of madness. "That's insane. Who designs something like this? Who decides one person's fate is supposed to be
Stephen leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied Enoch. The dim light of the room cast deep shadows across Enoch's face, highlighting the tension between them. Stephen had heard a lot of things in his line of work, but this? It was too much, even for him."So what you're saying," Stephen began, his voice low, controlled, "is that the system can't be disconnected or deactivated?"Enoch sat back in his chair, arms crossed, staring at Stephen with that same impenetrable expression. His silence dragged on for a moment before he finally answered."Yes," Enoch replied, his tone grim. "Once you're connected, it's with you until death. And even then, it doesn’t disappear. It’s transferred to another host."Stephen rubbed his temples, frustration simmering beneath the surface. He had been through enough already, but this—this was a whole new level of madness. "That’s insane. Who designed something like this? Who decides that one person’s fate is tied to a system they didn’t ask for?"E
Enoch leaned back in his chair, releasing a deep sigh as the glow of the television danced across his weary face. The news anchor's voice was like drones speaking to a room filled with grim tidings from the crashing world markets. His eyes followed the red numbers ticking down across the screen: stock prices plummeting, economies teetering on the edge of collapse.He hunched forward, placing his elbows on his knees, and rubbed his temples. It wasn't the crash in and of itself that bothered him, but what it meant for him: the gold his empire produced was losing value. Everything he had worked for, all the power he had built seemed to slip right through his fingers. He could not afford to lose control now. Not with the system in play. Not with Stephen unraveling.The jingle of a commercial break tore him from the reverie. Enoch clicked off the television, and in an instant, the room fell silent. He stood and strode across to the window, staring out onto the city skyline. The lights twin
Enoch sat back in his chair, exhaling deeply as the glow from the television flickered across his tired face. The news anchor’s voice droned on, filling the room with grim updates about the recent global market crash. His eyes followed the red numbers ticking downward across the screen—stock prices plummeting, economies teetering on the edge of collapse.He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, rubbing his temples. It wasn’t just the crash itself that bothered him; it was what it meant for him. The gold his empire produced was losing value. Everything he had worked for, all the power he had built, seemed to be slipping through his fingers. He couldn’t afford to lose control now. Not with the system in play. Not with Stephen unraveling.The sound of a commercial break snapped him out of his thoughts. Enoch turned the TV off with a sharp click, plunging the room into silence. He stood up and moved to the window, staring out into the city skyline. The lights twinkled below, bu
Stephen sat cross-legged on a soft mat, his eyes closed to focus on the calm voice of the guru. The air around him was scented with burning incense; a low hum of chanting echoed softly from the walls. He had called in the guru in a last-ditch effort to clear his mind, escape the relentless pull of the system. It had started to devour him, bit by bit, till it was all he could think of, all he could perceive.He was losing his grip, and he knew it.The guru's voice came, calm: "Breathe in. breathe out. let your thoughts flow like water. Do not cling to them."Stephen sucked in an enormous breath, then let it slowly out again, as if to expel everything at the same time: the market crash, the system, the deals that went right past him. The tension between him and Enoch was endless. He'd gotten pulled into something so much bigger than he was that he couldn't possibly control it himself, and however hard Stephen fought his way free of it, he felt ensnared.Then, though, as his breathing st
Standing beside Ariane's bed, his mind was spinning as he stared down at the screen of the system on his phone. His fingers trembling, he hit the icon for healing skills. He muttered under his breath, "Why can't this work on her? Why can't I save her?The system kept mum-no explanation, no solution. The shallow breathing of his daughter echoed in the room; every weak breath made him helpless. Stephen swallowed hard as his throat went dry. He could fix deals, he could manipulate numbers, but here in this hospital room, he was powerless.The door creaked open, and Stephen turned to see Enoch step in. Gone was Enoch's usual smug expression, replaced with a concerned frown. "What are you doing here?" Stephen's voice was low, edged with suspicion.Enoch shrugged, glancing over at Ariane. "Heard she was sick, so I decided to come by. How's she doing?"Stephen stared at him for a long moment, unsure of how to reply. His mind flashed back to his earlier doubts. Ariane wasn't his daughter, at
Two months later, Victor stared at the address on his phone, then at the small, run-down building in front of him. It didn’t look like a place Stephen would be living. The paint was peeling off the walls, and the grass in front was overgrown. This was far from the sleek, modern apartment Stephen used to own.Victor killed the engine, stepped out of his car, and walked toward the house. It was a self-contained unit—cheap, cramped, and barely enough for one person. He checked the address again. Room number 9. It matched. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.When he reached room 9, he knocked hard. The wood felt thin under his knuckles, like the door could break if he wasn’t careful. He knocked again, louder this time.After a moment, the door creaked open. Victor’s eyebrows shot up. Standing in front of him was Stephen, but he was almost unrecognizable. His hair was longer, his face covered with a scruffy beard, and he’d gained weight—his old sharp features now s