Ren remained there, leaning against the cold stone pillar, watching Rena's silhouette until the shadows of the district swallowed her whole.
Who would have thought? Aside from his own mother, Luna—and Riko, too—they had all been serves as unwilling sacrifices to the rot of the Marble Kingdom. Now, the path was clear. Ren could finally hunt. He would exterminate the vermin nesting behind the palace walls, the ones who had bled his mother dry.
But he had to move with surgical precision. The puzzle was fracturing; he was certain this blood-soaked trail led directly to the disappearance of the King and Queen on the night the terror began. A grand secret, buried under the scorched rubble of a fallen empire.
As Ren waded through the dark current of his thoughts, his senses flared. An anomaly. A minute shift in weight, a breath held too tight behind the garden wall to his left. The spy was still there, lurking in the silence.
Without shifting his relaxed posture, Ren flicked the toe of his boot. He caught a small pebble, launching it with lethal velocity and terrifying accuracy. The stone cut through the air like a bullet, shrieking toward the gap in the wall.
CRACK!
The impact against the concrete sounded like a gunshot, spiderwebbing the stone just inches from the intruder's head.
"Come out," Ren said. His voice was flat, devoid of heat, yet it carried an authority that turned the blood to ice.
Nadia stepped out from the shadows, her body taut with lingering shock. Her breath came in ragged hitches—the pebble had missed her ear by a hair—but her eyes remained defiant, burning with a frantic hostility. She crossed her arms, staring at Ren as if trying to skin his secrets alive.
Ren turned slowly, leaning back against the pillar, his expression unreadable.
"As a concerned friend, you should really break the habit of eavesdropping, Miss," Ren said calmly.
Nadia hissed, taking a step forward to challenge his suffocating aura. "I don't give a damn about etiquette when Rena's safety is on the line. Who are you? How do you know about her mother?!"
Ren didn't take the bait. He offered a ghost of a smile—a thin, jagged thing that didn't reach his eyes. It was the kind of look that made Nadia realize the man before her wasn't a fragile patient; he was a predator hiding his fangs behind a clean shirt.
"The quarantine zone is beyond my reach," Ren paused, his eyes catching a glint of amber in the morning light. "That is why her safety in there is your responsibility. Isn't that right, Miss Nadia?"
"Don't you dare order me around!" Nadia growled, her fists clenching. Ren's cold politeness cut deeper than an insult. It was like shouting at a wall of reinforced steel.
"Watch over her," Ren said one last time before turning his back.
He walked away without a backward glance, leaving Nadia frozen, the prickle of raw dread crawling up the back of her neck.
PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE | ARENA DISTRICT | JUNE 2324
The marble floors of Daniel's estate reflected the crystal chandeliers with a clinical clarity. In a dining hall designed for fifteen, only two men sat at opposite ends of the long table. The silence between them was a living thing—a predator measuring its prey.
The only rhythm was the clinical click of silver against fine porcelain. Daniel, the Prime Minister, sliced into his steak with methodical precision.
"Zero, I hear your final studies are nearing completion," Daniel said without looking up. His voice was heavy, a natural weight that seemed to thin the oxygen in the room.
Zero dabbed the corner of his mouth with a white linen napkin. Every movement was effortless, flawless. "There are no complications, Father. Everything is on schedule. Academia is merely an administrative hurdle to be cleared."
Daniel gave a curt nod. "Good. Because I'm far more interested in your extracurriculars. Specifically, CLOVER."
Zero set his fork down. The pleasantries were over. "The survival idol phase is operational. Thirteen candidates were moved back into quarantine a week ago. The Loyalist Faction has given their full commitment. They want a fresh, controllable face to pacify the masses in Rich City. I'm going to give them exactly that."
Daniel swirled his red wine, his eyes narrowing at the dark liquid. "The Loyalists are hungry for influence. But Baron Frey's death left a gaping hole at our table. Those empty chairs are dangerous if they aren't filled immediately."
"The hole is already closed," Zero countered, his voice a steady hum of confidence. He leaned in slightly, his eyes flashing under the lights. "I've already recruited the replacements. Three empty seats, filled by men who hold the city's pulse in their hands."
Zero paused, letting the tension hang. "Judge Raquin to secure the legal channels; Senator Washington to ensure the legislature stays corporate-friendly; and one more from the House of the Duke."
Daniel's brow arched. "The Duke?"
"His eldest son, Moses. He's just taken the mantle of head of house," Zero continued. "Moses is young, ambitious, and most importantly, he understands that the future of the nobility depends on the stability CLOVER provides. With them at my side, the Loyalists aren't just supporters anymore—they are components of a machine I control."
Zero had ultimately handed the final seat to Moses, a spot he had originally intended for the Santino Mafia.
Daniel set his glass down. This time, he truly looked at his son. A spark of genuine interest replaced his usual dismissive gaze. "You're moving faster than I anticipated, Zero. Uniting the law, the politicians, and the blue bloods at one table is no small feat."
"That's just the opening act, Father." Zero took a sharp breath, laying his ace on the table. "There's one more thing. In yesterday's private asset auction, I secured ownership of AEGIS."
Daniel's hand froze. The name carried weight. AEGIS was the high-level encryption security system that was once the heart of Baron Frey's intelligence network—a defense protocol designed for the next era of Rich City.
"Frey's asset?" Daniel clarified, his voice dropping an octave.
"Precisely. I'm currently integrating AEGIS into the CLOVER infrastructure. I am building an absolute digital fortress. No data leaks, no spies, no interference. Nothing enters or leaves the quarantine without my clearance." Zero clenched his fist on the table, a stark gesture of dominance. "CLOVER won't just be an entertainment company. It will be a bastion. The foundation that holds Rich City beneath our feet."
Daniel was silent for a long moment, staring at his son as if seeing him for the first time. The hollow praise he had prepared evaporated, replaced by genuine respect—and perhaps a sliver of caution. His son was no longer just a gifted boy; Zero was architecting a new empire, efficient and deadly.
"You're serious about this," Daniel murmured, a thin, knowing smile tugging at his lips. "Build your walls then, Zero. Make sure not even a rat can find its way in."
Zero met that smile with an unwavering, icy stare. In his mind, he could already see the AEGIS grid expanding, trapping Rena and the other candidates in a stage entirely of his design.
For Zero, Rich City was a chessboard. And tonight, he had just ensured that every move his enemies made—including the shadows trying to sabotage him from the outside—would be under his thumb.