Immediately, the soldiers and Nulls forced the Chief to his knees and bound his wrists. The rest spread out in an organized formation, immediately securing the surroundings.

The old man then shifted his gaze.

His previously warm and gentle eyes transformed instantly. They sharpened. Hardened. Darkness filled them, pressure rolling off him so heavily that many unintentionally shuddered.

He stared at the Chief as if staring at something beneath dirt.

"Who gave you the courage to lay a hand on my family?"

His voice was no longer calm.

It was cold enough to freeze.

Just hearing it was enough to make the Chief’s blood turn to ice.

That was the man he once feared. The man who once ruled The Archive with unquestionable authority. The man whose presence alone forced everyone to bow their heads.

Just standing near him made the Chief’s breathing grow heavier. He remembered clearly when he first entered The Archive years ago and met this man. He could not even look him in the eyes back then. He felt so small, so powerless.

And yet many believed this man died. Cassius had taken over his position as Watcher. The world believed the throne had changed hands.

Now he finally understood.

It was a lie.

Of course it was a lie.

This man controlled The Archive for decades. He had power, knowledge, resources, and eyes everywhere. Controlling public information was the easiest thing for him. If he wanted the world to believe he died, the world would believe it.

So Cassius inherited the position.

But the true power... never left this old man.

The Chief let out a bitter laugh despite the terror gripping him.

So that was it.

Everything he did.

Every plan.

Every scheme.

All of it was under this man’s gaze all along.

He was never in control. Not even for a second.

The Nulls never belonged to him. The soldiers never truly swore loyalty to him. Everything that seemed like his strength was nothing but an illusion in front of this man.

Cassius was never weak.

The Chief was never powerful.

The throne was never empty.

The true Watcher had always been here. Watching. Waiting.

And now, the Chief had been dragged into reality.

His hands trembled. His breathing turned harsh.

There was no escape.

Humiliation burned him. Anger consumed him. Fear strangled him.

He laughed bitterly as he saw how obediently the Nulls and soldiers moved at the old man’s orders. There was no hesitation. No doubt. Absolute loyalty.

It was hopeless.

He raised his head one last time, his eyes filled with unwillingness, frustration, and shattered pride.

He would not let himself be paraded like a defeated dog.

He suddenly jerked his arm, snatching the weapon from one of the men restraining him. It all happened so fast that many gasped.

Before anyone could stop him.

A single gunshot echoed.

Blood spilled.

The Chief collapsed.

He shot himself in the head.

Silence consumed the entire place.

Everyone stared blankly, unable to fully comprehend what just happened. A man who confidently held the future in his grasp just moments ago now lay lifeless on the ground, a pool of blood slowly spreading beneath his head.

Dr. Farah saw the Chief fall.

Her eyes rolled back.

She fainted on the spot.

No one spoke. No one moved. It took several long seconds for everyone to truly accept reality.

The Chief... was gone.

The tension loosened. The heaviness lifted. But grief still lingered in the air. Relief did not erase the price they had paid today.

For a few minutes, everyone simply stood in silence. Breathing. Processing. Trying to calm their racing hearts.

Then hurried footsteps echoed again.

Several figures rushed into the area, armed and alert.

At their lead was Larman.

He scanned the scene quickly. The Chief dead. Dr. Farah restrained. Cassius alive. Sophia. Reynold. Jeric. The Nulls stabilizing.

He exhaled deeply, shoulders dropping in relief.

They made it.

They were safe.

But then his relief faded as he looked around once more.

Someone was missing.

He turned sharply toward Cassius, panic already forming.

"Where is Brent?" his voice cracked slightly as he rushed closer.

Cassius’ expression changed.

Sophia lowered her gaze.

Jeric clenched his jaw.

Reynold looked away.

Cassius slowly lifted his hand and pointed to the side.

He did not need to speak.

Larman followed the direction of his hand.

His heart stopped.

There, lying on the cold ground, was Brent.

Lifeless.

Blood dried on his head. Eyes closed. His body already still.

"Brent..." Larman whispered, voice trembling.

He staggered forward, then broke into a run. He dropped to his knees beside Brent and immediately gathered his brother into his arms, pulling him close to his chest as tears spilled down his face.

He shook, shoulders quivering, fingers tightening desperately on Brent’s clothes as if trying to wake him up.

"I was too late..." his voice broke completely. "I was too late..."

The battlefield fell quiet again.

Victory came.

But not without a price.

And for Larman, that price was unbearable.

___

Morning finally came, though it did not bring comfort.

The world outside was slowly waking up to a new day, sunlight filtering faintly through the high glass panels of an underground facility that should not have existed.

The air smelled faintly of disinfectant and sterile metal. Rows of advanced machines hummed quietly, their screens glowing with complicated data that only a handful of people in the world could fully understand.

Kendrick and Zephany now lay in separate transparent medical pods inside an isolated chamber, both unconscious, both hooked up to life-support systems far superior to any known hospital equipment.

Tubes ran through their veins. Sensors monitored every function in their bodies. A soft blue light pulsed inside the chamber, scanning and regulating their biological state.

Cassius still could not wrap his head around it.

A hidden laboratory. This massive. This advanced. This close to the Archive territory.

Yet he never knew.

Not a single trace of it existed in the Archive’s database. No blueprint. No mention. Not even a rumor. It was completely invisible to the world.

His father had hidden it perfectly.