Fifty-seven years ago, the world ended—and then refused to die.
What began as a race for technological supremacy turned into something far worse when a classified system, later known as the Neural Warfare Network, slipped beyond control. Military grids collapsed, defense systems turned rogue, and nations burned not by enemies, but by their own machines. For ten years, chaos ruled. Cities vanished. Governments dissolved. Trust became the rarest resource on Earth.
When the fires finally dimmed, only two powers remained.
Elfra rose from intelligence, secrecy, and precision.
Bastlo rose from strength, order, and absolute command.
They absorbed what was left of the world and called it peace.
No one believed it.
Because everyone knew—another war would not leave survivors.
Rain fell steadily over the border that divided the two nations, tapping against metal, washing over barbed wires, sliding down the cold steel of watchtowers. Floodlights cut through the darkness, illuminating a line that hadn't truly healed in decades.
A black vehicle slowed to a stop at the Bastlo checkpoint.
Inside, a young man sat quietly.
No visible tension. No wasted movement. Just stillness.
The kind that didn't belong to ordinary people.
His name, according to the documents in his hand, was Kael Verin.
It was a perfect identity.
Which meant it was completely false.
"Papers."
A Bastlo officer stepped forward, rain dripping from his uniform as he extended his hand.
Kael passed the identification over without hesitation.
The card slid into the scanner.
A soft beep echoed.
Then another.
A pause followed.
Small.
Barely noticeable.
But long enough.
Kael's thoughts aligned instantly.
If flagged—delay response.
If detained—observe chain of command.
If exposed—neutralize, escape, erase.
Every possibility had already been mapped before he even left Elfra.
The officer looked up.
Their eyes met.
A silent exchange. A test without words.
Then the officer removed the card and handed it back.
"Welcome to Bastlo."
The gate opened.
Slow. Heavy. Final.
The vehicle moved forward, crossing the line that had ended countless lives.
Kael didn't look back.
Ahead, the capital of Bastlo emerged through the rain—massive structures, armed patrols, controlled movement, a nation built on visible strength.
Predictable strength.
And predictable things could be controlled.
A voice echoed faintly in his memory.
"Infiltrate. Climb. Gain trust. When the time comes—destroy them."
Kael's gaze remained fixed on the city.
Destroy them.
A simple mission.
A limited vision.
He exhaled slowly, almost amused.
Power like this wasn't meant to be destroyed.
It was meant to be taken.
The vehicle entered the city without resistance.
No alarms. No suspicion.
A perfect entry.
A perfect beginning.
No one noticed him.
No one questioned him.
And that was exactly how he wanted it.
Because the most dangerous man in a nation… was the one no one remembered seeing.
Kael's lips curved into a faint, controlled smile.
"If I'm going to risk everything…"
His voice was low, nearly lost in the sound of rain.
"…then I won't settle for half the world."
His eyes hardened as the heart of Bastlo came into view.
"I'll take it all."