The First Knight, clad in a black leather jacket and obsidian mask, did not hesitate. He took a single step forward and performed a deep, formal bow—a gesture his family had maintained for a century and a half.
He straightened, voice clear and resolute.
"I am the current First Knight, Aarav Dharak. I have been tasked with escorting you to a temporary resting place. All preparations are complete. We await your order."
A flicker of recognition passed through the man on the sofa. He sat up slowly, his gaze moving from the masked figure to the name. Dharak… Dhruv… Memories from a century and a half ago—of a loyal friend and a promise—rose to the surface.
"So you are his descendant," the man said, voice low and knowing. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. The one who had first served him now stood before him once more. "Let's go," he added, the command deceptively casual. "I need to take a nap."
His quiet authority filled the room, the final word on a plan that had been decades in motion. He pushed off the sofa, movements smooth and effortless despite the long slumber.
Without a word, Aarav Dharak moved to open the door, mask impassive. They walked in silence. The sterile, white corridors of the Dragon's Lair felt like echoes from the founder's past. The hum of hidden machinery, the subtle nods of researchers, and the quiet efficiency of the facility contrasted sharply with the chaotic world the man had once known—a world he had helped shape. He was a living relic observing the evolution of his own legacy.
After passing a series of automated checkpoints verifying Aarav's credentials, they entered a private garage. A sleek, obsidian-black vehicle with tinted windows waited. Aarav opened the back door. The man stepped inside, the door closing with a soft click as the engine hummed quietly to life.
The car glided through a hidden tunnel leading into the city's underbelly. Outside, the world was a blur of neon and light—a society transformed beyond recognition. The First Knight sat rigidly in the passenger seat, silent and vigilant, ready for threats that might never come. The man leaned back, letting the gentle motion of the car soothe him, the passing lights reflecting off the dark windows like a mirror of a world he now had to navigate.