Author's Note: Unedited Chapter
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"However, boss... There have been sightings of powerful forces present in the sector."
Zenith's interest peaked almost imdiately.
"That could be trouble. Keep a close watch; I don't want any surprises. I'll be leaving soon to broker the deal with the Calrissian delegates. It's delicate and needs my personal touch."
As he concluded his directives, instructing one of his underlings to assemble a team with specific capabilities for an upcoming secretive operation, the tranquility of the eting was shattered by a sudden, resounding crash.
Bang!
The tal doors at the far end of the warehouse burst inward, revealing a group of five.
They appeared to be humanoid in physique. All except for one in a Triton guard uniform.
"Secure the exits!" Zenith barked, as his well-trained crew scrambled into defensive positions, pulling tech weapons from concealed holsters and activating defensive shields.
But before the skirmish could escalate, Gustav himself appeared from a side entrance, moving with such unexpected swiftness that he seed to materialize out of thin air. He bypassed the chaotic lee and headed straight for Zenith who was trying to flee.
"Going sowhere?" Gustav's voice bood through the warehouse as he grabbed the cri lord, his grip iron-tight.
Zenith struggled, his strength considerable, but incomparable to that of Gustav's.
"Let go! You don't know what you're ddling with!"
Gustav tightened his grip, pulling Zenith closer. "I know exactly what I'm ssing with."
As Zenith's lieutenants watched their boss being subdued, a brief hesitation fell among them; their leader, the linchpin of their operations, was compromised.
"Restraints! Don't let any get away!" Endric stated.
Aildris opened his eyes and colorful, glowing strings wrapped around every single one of them, Zenith included.
The warehouse had beco a scene of total control by Gustav. Ria moved efficiently, disarming the lieutenants while Falco kept an eye on the periter, ensuring no reinforcents could surprise them.
Zenith, now caught and restrained, glared at Gustav.
"What do you think you're doing? Do you know who I am?" he barked at Gustav, trying to regain so semblance of control over the situation. His voice carried a mix of arrogance and a thinly veiled anxiety.
Gustav, unfazed by the bravado, replied coolly, "I know exactly who you are, Zenith. And I know what you're capable of. But right now, you're the one in restraints, not ."
Zenith scoffed, his worry creeping deeper as he recognized the calm confidence in Gustav's posture—a clear indicator that he was no ordinary foe.
"I have an army at my disposal. You think you can just walk in here, restrain , and there won't be consequences?"
Gustav leaned in, his voice steady.
"I only want two things, Zenith. Karis and the Rion."
Zenith let out a hollow laugh, his earlier confidence waning as he processed the implications.
"Karis? That makes two of us then," he said, his tone laced with sarcasm.
His words were proof that he was aware of Karis's possession of the Rion.
Gustav's brow furrowed in confusion.
"You're supposed to be working with her. If that's the case, hand them both over."
Zenith shook his head, a genuine chuckle escaping him despite his predicant. "I don't have them. You're barking up the wrong tree."
"Explain," Gustav demanded, his patience thinning. "You're supposed to be in cahoots with her. How do you not have what I'm looking for?"
Zenith sighed, realizing that there was no point in withholding the truth any longer since he had been captured.
"Karis and I... we were partners, yes, but that was years ago. Our last heist together didn't end well—for her. I thought she'd co to with the Rion, looking to cash in so we could split the profits. Seems she learned from the past, too."
Gustav crossed his arms, intrigued despite himself.
"What happened in the past?"
Zenith's eyes drifted to a spot on the dusty floor, his mind replaying the events. "I betrayed her. During our last big score, I let the authorities have her. Thought I could wipe out the competition. She was arrested and spent years being transferred from one maximum security vessel to another. Triton vessels, mostly."
Gustav listened, his understanding of the situation deepening. Zenith's revelation had added a layer of complexity to Karis's motives and slightly explained her current movents.
"If she's avoiding you, then she's likely working alone or with soone else. Soone who isn't you," Gustav mused aloud, piecing together the scattered information into a clearer picture.
Zenith nodded, a bitter smile twisting his features.
"Exactly. And knowing Karis, she won't stop until she's played her hand. If she hasn't co to with the Rion, she's planning to use it for sothing... bigger."
Gustav turned back to his group, signaling them to keep searching the area for any more clues.
"We need to find her before she strikes. Any idea where she might head?"
Zenith laughed weakly, the irony of the situation not lost on him.
"If I knew that, I'd be chasing her myself. But Karis is a ghost—she doesn't want to be found, especially not by ."
Gustav nodded, processing the information.
"But you're her best bet at selling the Rion, and if she had gone to another person, you'd be aware because you have eyes everywhere, right?" Gustav's tone was pointed, cutting through the stagnant air with its sharpness.
Zenith nodded reluctantly, a trace of unease flickering across his features.
The ntion jolted Zenith, his eyes widening as he processed the implications. After a mont of intense reflection, he conceded, "You might be right. It never crossed my mind, but considering our past... it's possible."
At that mont, Gustav's deanor changed as he activated an ability.
"Yes, that's correct. My network is extensive."
Gustav, sensing a shift in the undercurrents of the conversation, leaned in closer. "Did you ever consider the fact that Karis might be after your life?"
The ntion jolted Zenith, his eyes widening as he processed the implications. After a mont of intense reflection, he conceded, "You might be right. It never crossed my mind, but considering our past... it's possible."
At that mont, Gustav's deanor changed as he activated an ability.
[ God Eyes Have Been Activated ]
His irises swirled into a srizing blend of gold, crimson, and green glows, casting an eerie light in the dimly lit room.
The room fell silent as Gustav's eyes began their scan. The operatives watched in awe and confusion as his gaze swept across the warehouse. With the power of God Eyes, nothing could escape Gustav's sight.
His gaze moved thodically, sweeping through the cluttered spaces of the warehouse, past the superficial layers, and into the core of its structure.
As his supernatural vision pierced through a seemingly innocuous corner of the premises, he caught a glimpse of a feminine figure cleverly camouflaged within the shadows.
The figure seed to be using an ability that was hidden from perception, which was why none of them had been aware of her presence the entire ti.
The figure, sensing detection, made a swift move to flee, her movents a blur to the ordinary eye but clear as day to Gustav.
Gustav vanished from his position, reappearing almost instantaneously beside the fleeing figure.
With a swift motion, he grasped her arm, halting her escape, and dragged her into the light, to the center of the warehouse. The sudden appearance of the two caused a collective gasp among the group.
Gustav's grip was firm as he addressed the captive, "Karis, I presu?"
The woman, now unable to hide her identity, t Gustav's gaze defiantly. Her appearance was striking.
Her skin was a pale, iridescent color that caught the light with a subtle shimr, reminiscent of a pearl.
Her eyes were the most captivating aspect of her visage. Larger than human eyes, they glead with a vibrant teal color, speckled with tiny flecks of gold that sparkled under direct light. The pupils were vertically slit, hinting at her alien lineage, and they dilated or contracted with a precision that seed almost chanical, adapting instantaneously to changes in light.
Karis's hair flowed down her back in a cascade of soft waves, the color a deep blue that at tis appeared almost black. The tips of her hair occasionally emitted a faint glow, particularly when she was agitated or excited.
She had an angular facial structure with high cheekbones and a slender jawline that gave her a regal and authoritative appearance. Her ears were slightly pointed, more pronounced than a human's, and from the tips hung delicate, bioluminescent earrings that complented her natural glow.
Her hands were slender, with elongated fingers tipped with nails that resembled smooth, polished opal.
"Yes, I'm Karis. Seems my luck has finally run out," she said, her voice steady despite the precarious situation.
Zenith, witnessing the unfolding scene, felt a mix of shock and betrayal.
"Karis... here to kill , after all these years?"
The air in the dimly lit warehouse was heavy with tension and unspoken grievances as Karis faced Vlaid Zenith, her expression a mixture of scorn and profound hurt.
"You realize what you did by betraying , Vlaid?" Karis's voice was low, almost a whisper, but it carried through the space with chilling clarity.
Zenith, still reeling from the shock of her sudden appearance and capture, looked at her, confusion and realization dawning in his eyes.
"Karis, I— You should have seen it coming. I taught you the ways of this world is full of blood and treachery so—"
"Did you even know?" Karis cut him off, stepping closer, her presence imposing despite her physical restraints. "When you turned in, did you know I was carrying your child?"
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