Kade sat on the cold concrete floor of the abandoned safe house, his mind still reeling from the revelation. His father, Nathaniel Ronin, was the true mastermind behind the Syndicate.
Lyra stood nearby, arms crossed, watching him carefully. The room was dimly lit, the flickering light casting long shadows against the cracked walls.
"So" she said, breaking the silence. "I take it you didn't see that coming"
Kade let out a hollow laugh. "Not in a million years" He ran a hand through his messy hair, exhaling sharply. "I spent my whole life fighting the Syndicate, swearing to take them down. And all this time it was him"
Lyra sat down across from him, resting her elbows on her knees. "You need to know how it all started. The Syndicate didn't just appear overnight"
Kade's fists clenched. "Then tell me"
She took a deep breath before speaking. "Decades ago, your father was a respected military strategist. He believed the world was falling apart, that governments were too weak to protect their people. He thought order had to be forced, that chaos had to be eliminated. And that's how the Syndicate began, a group of elites who wanted absolute control"
Kade's stomach twisted. "And he led them"
"Not at first" Lyra said. "He was just an advisor, but his influence grew. The more powerful he became, the more ruthless his methods got. He saw rebellion as a disease, something to be crushed before it could spread. And when people started fighting back, the Syndicate turned into a full-scale war machine"
Kade shook his head in disbelief. "So he justified everything, the killings, the enslavement, the corruption, all in the name of control"
Lyra nodded. "He called it saving humanity. But really, it was about power. He erased anyone who stood in his way. Your mother, your entire family. He even made sure you grew up thinking he was dead"
Kade's chest tightened. His entire life, he had blamed the Syndicate for his pain. Now, it all led back to the one person he never thought to suspect.
Lyra leaned forward, her voice firm. "Kade, this isn't just about revenge anymore. If your father is still in control, he won't stop until he owns everything"
Kade swallowed hard, his jaw tightening. "Then we end it"
Lyra studied him for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. But we're going to need more than just a fight"
Kade stood up, his eyes burning with determination. "Then let's start a war"
Silence settled between them, thick with unspoken emotions. For the first time, Kade truly felt the weight of what he was about to do. His whole life had been a battle, but now it was more than that. This wasn't just about him. It was about everyone the Syndicate had crushed, every family torn apart, every life ruined.
Lyra stood too, her expression unreadable. "We need allies. The Syndicate has an army, and we're just two people. If we charge in blindly, we're dead before we get close to Nathaniel"
Kade glanced at her, a bitter smile forming. "You got a plan"
She hesitated before answering. "There's someone we can talk to. A leader of the underground resistance. He hates the Syndicate more than anyone, and he has resources. But he won't help us for free"
"Then we convince him" Kade said without hesitation. "Where do we find him"
Lyra sighed. "Sector Nine. But it won't be easy. That place is crawling with Syndicate patrols"
Kade cracked his knuckles, a fire burning in his chest. "Then let's give them a reason to be afraid"
Lyra smirked. "Now you're talking"
As they stepped out of the safe house, the cold night air hit them like a warning. The city stretched before them, dark and unforgiving. The war had already begun. And this time, Kade wasn't running from it.
He was heading straight into the fire.