They didn't say it out loud.
Not in the halls. Not in meetings. Not even in the Midnight Council.
But across campus, across corporate inboxes, across encrypted FBI terminals — one name kept surfacing.
Damon Black.
FBI Special Task Force — Manhattan Division
Agent Kellan Dorsey stood in front of a high-level briefing screen.
Photos. Crypto trails. Real estate flips. Shell corporations tied to cartel money. Philanthropy reports that didn't quite match.
"Gentlemen," Dorsey said, voice cold, clipped. "We've found our next target."
He tapped a file labeled:
BLACK, DAMON — GLOBAL THREAT POTENTIAL: EMERGING.
"Pull surveillance. Get inside that university. I want everything from street whispers to heartbeat fluctuations. If he's the next Ghost, we're shutting him down before he builds the empire."
Back at St. Monarch — Damon's War Room
System Alert:
Federal Eyes Detected: Level 2 Monitoring – Passive Tracking in Progress
Would you like to engage Defensive Protocols?
Activate Cloak Protocol I – "Silk Veil"
– Erases system traces.
– Creates alternate online identities.
– Leaks fake targets and soft fronts.
Damon activated it without blinking.
Zeke's screen lit up. "Yo. They're trying to trace your bank flows."
Damon: "Let them. I'll hand them a script — while we rewrite the next chapter."
New Arrival — St. Monarch Main Gate
She stepped out of a matte-black SUV wearing a blood-red blazer over all black. Eyes cold. Lips unreadable. Luggage minimal.
Her name hit the registry.
Nova Cross — Legacy Transfer, South District Alliance
– Noted: Underground singer. Weapons dealer's daughter.
– Academic Records: Sealed.
– Relationship to Damon Black: Unknown
– Alert Level: "Emotional Disruption Possible"
Romance Flag Activated: "History in Flames"
Category: Ex-Crush. Bitter Departure. Now a Weaponized Woman.
Later That Night — Music Lounge, North Wing
Damon stepped in, drawn by instinct more than curiosity.
There she was.
On stage. Voice like smoke. Eyes locked on him before the first note hit.
She didn't stop singing.
Didn't smile.
But the words?
They were aimed at him.
"You left me in the fire…
But I built a throne from ash…"
System Alert: Emotional Entanglement Detected
Nova Cross has entered your zone of influence.
Warning: Reconnecting may unlock suppressed memories, emotional backlash, or rival alliances.
Kai: "Who the hell is she?"
Damon: "My past."
Zeke: "And now?"
Damon: "A test."