The silence in the square was heavy, broken only by the crackling of fires from the ruined palace and the distant sirens of the city. Putin's jaw was set tight, his eyes reflecting the violet glow of Ethan's gaze. He was a man who had built an empire on strength and fear, but for the first time in his life, he was staring into a bottomless abyss.
He knew Boris was his best operative—the one sent to do the work that couldn't be traced. The mission into Scavenger territory had been critical: securing a shipment of "raw materials" for the secret research labs of Olympus. But things had gone wrong. Boris had been intercepted by Ethan, a battle had erupted, and the interference of a high-tier spirit beast had sent Boris fleeing back to Moscow, broken and bleeding.
Now, that failure had brought a god to his doorstep.
"Fine," Putin hissed, the word tasting like ash. "Boris! Come out!"
