Thursday afternoon…
Owen lay awake on his bed in his quiet room. The empty white ceiling was the only thing he had seen for hours. He had said his goodbyes to Sahara and returned ho yesterday. The wound on his arm was neatly bandaged, and his internal injuries had mostly subsided thanks to Sahara's potion, but the "price" he had to pay for his covenant remained.
His world was still silent and devoid of sensation…
It was a form of torture he had never imagined. He was like a spirit floating within his own body. Eating the exquisite als Clara cooked had beco rely the act of chewing tasteless matter to survive. Showering, he couldn't feel the warmth of the water washing away his fatigue, only the image of droplets gliding over his numb body. Walking was like floating in a void, every step weightless.
Everything was bland… colorless… and empty. He felt as if he had lost a part of himself. The small joys he once derived from his senses were completely gone. It made him realize just how precious the things he had traded for power truly were.
As he was sinking into that feeling of emptiness…
…a whisper…
…a sound?
…whirr…
It ca again… faint at first, before it began to roar in his once-deadened ears!
WHIRRR~!
The hum of the AC, once silent, now thundered like a jet engine! The faint, musty sll of his bedroom, which he had never paid attention to, assaulted his nose with overwhelming force! The coarse feel of the bedsheets against his skin returned with a shocking suddenness!
His world was back!
Owen closed his eyes, taking a deep breath… He could sll the faint dust in the air, hear his own heart beating in his chest, feel the pressure of his own body on the mattress… Every sensation that had been taken from him ca rushing back all at once like a bursting dam. It was intense… overwhelming… and more wonderful than he had ever felt before.
He shot up from the bed, walked straight to the window, and threw it wide open.
The afternoon breeze hit his face with force. It was no longer just the image of a fluttering curtain, but a real, cool sensation! The clamor of cars and people from the street below filled the room. It was the sound of life he had longed for over the past day.
The widest smile appeared on Owen's face. It was a smile of pure happiness. He now understood to his very core… that the "price" for power wasn't just physical pain… it was the loss of the very things that gave his life aning… and he would never take them for granted again.
…..
After spending nearly a full hour indulging in the complete return of his senses, Owen didn't let the happiness waste any more of his ti. He felt reborn. The body that had been so heavy was now filled with energy and determination. He grabbed his SUV keys and the aluminum cara case that had been sitting quietly in the corner as if waiting for this mont, and headed straight for the city's central mall. He had an important mission to settle… and a masterpiece of "art" to deliver.
"Jace's Tech Den" was unchanged. It was the treasure cave of a true technology-obsessed genius. The mont Owen pushed the door open, its unique scent hit him. The faint sll of ozone from the constantly running electronics, the hot tal of soldering irons, and the sweet fizz of an open energy drink, combined with the soft electronic music and the hum of dozens of computer cooling fans.
Jace was hunched over the counter, wearing a special magnifying headset that made his eyes look abnormally large. He was using the tip of a soldering iron on a tiny circuit board with the utmost concentration. When he heard the bell on the door, he looked up, annoyed at having his sacred work interrupted. But when he saw it was Owen, his expression imdiately changed to one of hopeful curiosity.
"What's up, my friend! You look brighter. Like sothing good happened," Jace greeted him, taking off the headset. "But… what about the mission I sent you on? Was it a success?" His voice was casual, but the glint in his eyes couldn't hide his excitent.
Owen didn't waste words. He gave a smirk like soone holding a winning hand and placed the aluminum cara case on the counter with a loud "thud." Its weight made the counter vibrate slightly.
"A gift for you… it's all in here."
Those words were like a magic spell. Jace's eyes lit up like a child who had just seen the biggest Christmas present of his life under the tree. He took the case back as if it were a priceless treasure before quickly taking the mory card and plugging it into the high-spec computer behind him.
The large, curved monitor flared to life, displaying hundreds of neatly organized image files. Jace swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly as he moved the mouse to double-click the first file.
A second later… on the 4K high-resolution screen, the masterpiece of "art" appeared…
Sahara's perfectly rounded buttocks, from an upward angle, filled every pixel of the screen. The light and shadow on her honey-colored skin were as beautiful as a Caravaggio painting. Every curve, every taut muscle was rendered with a sharpness so clear you could almost feel it.
Jace's entire world stopped spinning…
His jaw dropped, his eyes widening until they nearly popped out of their sockets. Silence fell for a mont before he took a deep breath… and burst out laughing like a madman!
"Hahahaha! My god! It's… it's perfect! The composition! The golden ratio! This is art! True art!"
He jumped and danced around the shop, ignoring the other custors who were staring at him strangely. He rushed over, grabbed Owen by the shoulders, and shook him violently. "Thank you! Thank you so much, my friend! You are a god! A true artist! You understand the essence of beauty!"
After calming his frantic excitent, Jace slipped back into his genius inventor mode. He took out a luxurious, pitch-black velvet box from under the counter and handed it to Owen with eyes full of the deepest respect and admiration.
"And this is your reward… for a great artist."
Owen opened the box. Inside, nestled on black satin, lay a high-tech wristwatch. Its case was made of a light-absorbing, matte black tal alloy. Its face was a seamless, black sapphire crystal, with no hands or numbers. It was the completed "Specter Scanner."
"You can pay
later, my friend... even two months is fine!" Jace said, more generous than the ocean.
"One month is enough," Owen insisted firmly. He didn't want to be indebted to anyone for too long. He took the watch and put it on. It felt cool and fit perfectly. The mont his skin touched the case, the once-black face lit up, displaying the ti and a faint mana energy graph before going dark again.
"It activates when you want it to. Just think," Jace explained simply.
He walked around the counter and slapped Owen on the shoulder with a loud "smack," before declaring in the most serious voice Owen had ever heard.
"From now on... you're not just a custor, you're my true friend! If you ever have a problem that technology can solve... just give
a call!"
Owen could only give a dry smile at his serious deanor. He guessed that Jace's affection score had probably shot up to 60-70, just from a few pictures of Sahara's ass... It clearly showed that this man didn't just admire, but truly "worshipped" Sahara as a masterpiece of art. And by bringing him that masterpiece, Owen had beco the greatest patron of the arts in his eyes.
…..
After returning ho in the evening, Owen collapsed onto his bed, exhausted. The soft light from the bedside lamp shone on the new watch on his wrist. It looked sleek and powerful, but he knew that beneath its simplicity lay a complex and dangerous technology. The success of Jace's mission should have made him feel good, but his heart was still heavy with unresolved issues.
Bzzzt… Bzzzt…
Suddenly, the phone on his bedside table vibrated, breaking the silence. The screen lit up, showing a na that made Owen let out a soft sigh… Alexander Ashford.
Owen took a deep breath to prepare himself before answering. "What's up, Alex…"
"You did very well this ti, Owen... impressively so. I wasn't wrong about you," Alex's deep, good-humored, and powerful voice ca through, followed by a soft chuckle. "My investnt in you seems to be paying off more than expected. Do you know what the main topic of conversation at my dinner table has been almost every day?"
"Uh… I don't know. I don't even have a guess…" Owen answered truthfully, confused as to why Alex was asking about his family matters. How would an outsider like him know?
"Hahaha, it's you, Owen!" Alex replied with amusent. "Victoria ca ho in a mood fouler than I've ever seen. She hasn't stopped grumbling about a 'mysterious, ill-mannered young man' who dared to challenge her dignity at the golf course."
Alex paused for a mont, as if enjoying the ntal image. "She demanded I use all my power to hunt you down and punish you… Well done. Your plan to get her attention seems to have worked better than expected."
Owen could only manage a dry smile. "Glad to hear it."
"Alright, let's get to the important part... I'm calling today because I have the news you've been waiting for." The amusent in Alex's voice vanished, instantly replaced by a serious, cold tone. Owen could feel the pressure through the phone.
"I've identified Cole's 'boss'... and I have to say, he's much closer to you than you think."
That sentence made Owen shoot up in bed. His exhaustion vanished, replaced by the highest state of alert. "Who is he?"
Alex was quiet for a mont, as if letting the tension build, before saying the na clearly…
"Victor Draemond."
The na hung in the silence. Owen frowned, unfamiliar with it. It wasn't a na he had heard in criminal circles, not the na of any kingpin or mafioso.
"He's the CEO of 'IgnisCore Corporation,' this city's energy giant..." Alex paused again, letting Owen process, before dropping the final bombshell that made Owen's world shake. "...and the one who sued Damian's company into bankruptcy."
That sentence was like a sledgehamr to Owen's heart!
His entire world stopped for a mont... The unexpected connection made all the puzzle pieces in his head snap together into a terrifying picture... Cole, Jessica's hypnosis, Damian's massive debt, Clara's despair... This entire web of tragedy... all originated from the single spider at its center... a man nad Victor Draemond.
"Victor has a rather dangerous dark side," Alex continued, pulling Owen from his trance. "The only reason he stopped at destroying Damian's company, and didn't go after Damian directly which would have been easier is because he still has so respect for
as Damian's old friend. My influence only protects Damian himself... I know that Victor's business isn't clean. He has a number of Awakened who do his dirty work, like his own private army."
Alex sighed softly. "This is all I can warn you about, Owen... Don't do anything rash that 'crosses' Victor. Even I might not be able to help you much. As long as you don't interfere with his main interests, he probably won't dare to 'kill' soone who works for . But sending soone to 'teach you a lesson' until you're seriously injured... that's always a possibility. Be careful."
Alex paused for a mont before concluding in a softer tone. "That's all the information you need. That's all. I still have a lot of work to do. See you later, Owen…"
"Thanks, Alex... I'll be careful," Owen replied, his voice firr than before, just as Alex hung up.
Click…
The call ended, leaving Owen sitting on his bed in the silence of his room. The soft, warm light now seed cold and nacing. A terrifying chill ran down his spine. The stress hit him so hard he could barely breathe.
His true enemy wasn't so street thug like Cole, but one of the city's most powerful figures... the man who had destroyed his friend's life and almost destroyed the life of the woman he loved.
Owen clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. His eyes blazed with a fire of vengeance he had never felt before. This was no longer just a mission... It was a target he would have to deal with in the future…
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