Seele ran until she was far from the shelter, her heart pounding. She had no idea why she had just hugged him. She took a deep breath and walked into the abandoned warehouse that served as Wildfire's base. Oleg saw her and smiled. "Child, you're here."
She walked right up to him and handed him the flyer. "Mr. Oleg," she said, her eyes firm. "I want to join Wildfire!"
He looked at the small but determined girl and smiled with approval. "Very good, Seele. Welcome. From this day on, you are a member of Wildfire."
...
Time passed. Life in Boulder Town was still hard, but with Wildfire, a semblance of order was returning. Oleg and his people patrolled the town, drove back monsters, and helped the residents.
Natasha's clinic also became a fixture in the town, her skill and kindness earning her the trust of many.
One afternoon, a figure walked into her quiet clinic. Natasha looked up, and her pupils contracted.
The black-haired boy. Jiang Mo. He was here. Her heart sank.
She forced a smile. "Jiang Mo? What brings you here?"
"Just came to visit Sister Natasha," he said, his smile childish but his eyes unnervingly mature. "And to see how business is going."
She didn't want to beat around the bush. "What do you want?" she asked directly.
His smile faded. "Sister Natasha, do you remember our promise? You said you'd help me with anything. Does that still count?"
Her fingers trembled. "What if I say it doesn't?" she tested.
He raised an eyebrow. "The kind-hearted Dr. Natasha is going back on her word?"
She felt a tightness in her chest. "First, tell me what you want."
He leaned forward. "Do you know about Wildfire?"
She feigned ignorance. "Wildfire? I've heard a little. Some new militia, right? What about it?"
He just smiled, a smile that seemed to see through everything. "Dr. Natasha, you're a terrible liar."
Her heart skipped a beat.
He just stared at her, his gaze penetrating. After a moment of silence that felt like an eternity, he spoke, his quiet voice hitting her like a bombshell. "Oleg is just the public face. Sister Natasha, you are the true leader of Wildfire… You two were in contact long ago and founded it together. Am I wrong?"
Natasha was utterly shocked. How does he know so much?! Only Oleg and I knew… No, could it be Oleg?
As if reading her mind, he said, "It wasn't Oleg. As for how I know, heh, you can guess."
She looked at him, a small child radiating an oppressive aura that sent chills down her spine. He was like a mastermind hidden in the shadows, seeing everything.
"So what?" she asked, trying to remain calm. "What are you planning to do?"
He leaned forward, his dark eyes boring into hers. "Me? It's simple…" A smirk played on his lips, a smile that terrified her. "I just want to be the behind-the-scenes leader of Wildfire."
The behind-the-scenes leader?! The idea was so absurd, so outrageous, she felt a strong sense of resistance. "No, you're just a child, how can you—"
"This isn't a request, it's an order," he interrupted coldly. "Have you forgotten our promise?"
Her mind raced. The promise existed. But to let a child run Wildfire? It was insane. Wildfire carried the hopes of too many people. Even if it meant breaking her promise, she couldn't agree. "No, I refuse. Ask for something else."
He raised an eyebrow, his expression amused. "This is my only request."
"I'm sorry, I can't."
His smile vanished, replaced by a cold threat. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell people about you secretly trading Fragmentum monster parts?"
A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, but she quickly recovered. "Who would you tell? Who would care? Don't forget, there are no Silvermane Guards in the Underworld anymore."
He laughed. "Sister Natasha, you're playing dirty now."
"Say what you will." She was determined. Anything but leadership of Wildfire.
"Fine…" he said, as if he had expected this. "Let's do this. I have a piece of information you want. How about we trade for it?"
"Nothing you say will change my mind," she said flatly. "And I'm not interested."
But his next words were a sharp dagger that pierced all her defenses. He looked at her and said clearly:
"It's about your brother."
Natasha's body went rigid. Brother?!
"Actually, he's not dead," Jiang Mo said.
Her mind went blank. Brother… Vache?
Natasha was an orphan from the Underworld, adopted by a doctor's family in the Overworld. She was deeply attached to her adopted brother, Vache. He was obsessed with developing a medicine to resist the Eternal Freeze, an obsession that led him to conduct dangerous, forbidden experiments. When he was discovered, Oleg, then a captain of the guards, exiled him to the snowplains outside the city. She had never heard from him since and had always assumed he was dead, a deep scar of guilt on her heart.
But what was Jiang Mo saying? He's not dead?
"Wh-what did you say?" she breathed. "How do you know about my brother? Is he really not dead?!"
Seeing her lose her composure, he knew he had her. "You don't need to know how I know. The point is, your brother is not dead. And… I know where he is."
She was completely stunned. The years of guilt, self-blame, and longing erupted all at once. An overwhelming urge to see her brother, at any cost, consumed her.
As her resolve crumbled, his voice came again. "Let me take control, be the behind-the-scenes leader of Wildfire, giving you the orders… and I will let you see your brother."
The words were like a magic spell, hitting every one of her weak spots. Her mind was in chaos, her rationality dissolving. Vache… Brother… See him…
"...Alright," the word escaped her lips, a decision made by her heart, not her head.
He looked at her, his dark eyes filled with triumph. He had won again.
He, Jiang Mo, a nine-year-old child, was about to become the shadow leader of the Underworld's largest organization.
Natasha stood trembling, a mist clouding her eyes.
"Then, it's a pleasure doing business with you, Sister Natasha."
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