Lucien stood frozen, his hands clenched into tight fists. His eyes burned with rage, his breathing sharp and controlled. Evelyn was taken. Someone had dared to take her from him. His mind raced, but there was only one conclusion.
He needed help. Now.
Without hesitation, Lucien turned on his heel and sprinted toward Red Fang's hideout. He didn't care that the organization was a sworn enemy of Vermilion Oath. Right now, none of that mattered.
The only thing that mattered was getting Evelyn back.
---
A Deal with Darius
The doors to Red Fang's command room burst open as Lucien stormed inside. Every soldier in the room tensed, but the one who mattered most remained calm—Darius Falkner.
Darius studied Lucien carefully, noticing the unrestrained fury in his son's eyes. "You're back sooner than I expected," he remarked, his voice unreadable.
"I need your help," Lucien stated flatly. His tone was cold, direct. "Evelyn's been kidnapped."
Darius leaned forward slightly. "And you suspect who?"
Lucien's gaze hardened. "That's what I need you to find out."
Darius nodded, signaling to his lead hacker. Within moments, screens flashed to life, rapidly scanning data from various sources. Lucien stood still, watching as information poured in.
Then, the answer appeared on the screen.
Vermilion Oath.
Lucien's body tensed, his rage boiling over. His own former organization had taken Evelyn.
His hand curled into a fist, nails digging into his palm. "So that's how it is…" he muttered under his breath.
Darius turned to him, watching his son process the revelation. "Now you understand why I've been fighting them all these years."
Lucien exhaled sharply. He had made his decision. His voice was low but resolute.
"I'll be the one to take them down."
Darius smirked, as if he had been waiting for those words. Without hesitation, he gestured to his men. "Get him everything he needs."
---
Lucien stood in front of the Red Fang armory, watching as soldiers brought out high-grade equipment.
One of the men held out a customized tactical suit, lightweight yet resistant enough for high-speed combat. Lucien slipped into it with practiced ease.
His eyes then fell on the weapons laid before him. Without a second thought, he grabbed his katana—the blade that had never failed him. Beside it, he picked up a silenced Desert Eagle, its weight familiar in his grasp.
Finally, Darius approached him, placing a Red Fang mask in his hands. "You're one of us now," he said simply.
Lucien took a deep breath and slid the mask over his face. The time for hesitation was over.
---
Meanwhile at Vermilion Oath's Headquarters
Viktor Echelon sat in his command center, watching the live feed of the bunker's defenses. A small smirk played on his lips.
"They're coming," one of his men reported.
Viktor nodded. "Let them. We've prepared everything."
On the screen, his forces stood ready—a battalion of over a thousand soldiers, enhanced with the very same Perfect Human experiment that Lucien had once been part of.
This wasn't just a battle.
This was a war.
---
Lucien and Darius moved through the night, their figures blending into the darkness. The Vermilion Oath stronghold loomed in the distance, its defenses waiting.
No words were needed.
This was it.
The moment everything would be decided.
End of Chapter 60