Ethan leaned back in his chair, letting out a deep breath of relief. The speech was done, the staff was energized, and the buzz of Nova Tech’s launch was in full swing. For once, he allowed himself a moment to soak in the calm.

  The door creaked open, and Jordan walked in with his usual grin. He dropped onto the couch across from Ethan and stretched out as if he owned the place.

  “Well, well, well,” Jordan started, clapping his hands slowly. "Where's that Ethan just now? Finally decided to show up and be a leader today, huh?"

  Ethan raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t help but laugh at Jordan's antics. “Is that a compliment or an insult?”

  Jordan leaned forward and said, “Both. I mean, who was that guy up there? The smooth speech, the confident delivery, the ‘vision we’re building together’—seriously, where have you been hiding him?”

  Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re impossible.”

  Jordan pointed at him, his grin widening. "No, you’re impossible. Do you know how hard it was to not laugh when you said, ‘We’re not here to follow trends; we’re here to set them’? I almost got up to give you a standing ovation."

  Ethan rolled his eyes but couldn’t help laughing. “You’re exaggerating.”

  “Am I, though?” Jordan countered, leaning back dramatically. “I’ve known you for years, Ethan. Years! And not once did I think you had that kind of charisma in you. I mean, sure, you’re smart, hardworking, all that, but this?” He gestured broadly toward Ethan. "This was an entirely new experience."

  Ethan leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. “Are you saying I’ve been boring until now?”

  Jordan pretended to be shocked and put a hand on his chest. “Boring? No. Predictable? Absolutely.”

  Ethan laughed again and shook his head. “You really don’t know when to stop.”

  Jordan grinned, clearly enjoying himself. “Never. But seriously, man, that was impressive. You had everyone hooked."

  Ethan shook his head, his laughter fading into a small smile. “Thanks, Jordan. That means a lot.”

  Jordan leaned forward again, his expression softening slightly. “You’re doing good, Ethan. Real good. Just don’t let it go to your head, okay? I wouldn’t want to see you acting like you own the place.”

  Ethan chuckled. “Jordan, I do own the place.”

  Jordan threw his hands up in mock surrender. “Fair point, fair point. I forgot about that. I guess I’ll just have to keep you grounded.”

  The door opened abruptly, cutting their banter short. Yamal stepped inside, his face heavy with concern. His usually steady demeanor was tinged with something Ethan couldn’t quite place—urgency, maybe even worry.

  Jordan glanced between Ethan and Yamal, immediately picking up on the shift in tone. “That’s my cue,” he said, standing up. “Catch you later, boss.”

  Ethan nodded, watching as Jordan left the room. The door clicked shut, and the air grew noticeably heavier.

  “What’s going on, Yamal?” Ethan asked, his tone serious.

  Yamal placed a small device on the desk and tapped it, a holographic screen flickering to life.

  “I need to show you this,” Yamal said, his voice heavy.

  Ethan’s brow furrowed. “What is it?”

  Yamal didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he gestured toward the screen. “This is a recording from Mark and Maya. They went on a mission. I need you to watch.”

  "Mission?" Mark did not update Ethan about it.

  The holographic video began to play. Ethan leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as the footage unfolded. At first, it was silent—a quiet infiltration mission.

  From the recording, he saw Maya in her high-tech suit, moving seamlessly through a dimly lit facility. He knew that this must be a recording from Mark's camera.

  Then, he saw how easily the two of them got inside a facility. Crates with biohazard symbols, researchers in lab coats, and vials of a shimmering liquid filled the screen.

  “What is this?” Ethan asked, his tone sharp with curiosity.

  Yamal remained silent, his expression urging Ethan to keep watching.

  Ethan’s attention shifted back to the screen. The video showed rows of chambers glowing faintly, each containing a human figure suspended in a liquid. The sight sent a chill down his spine.

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  “What kind of experiment is this?” Ethan muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

  Finally, Yamal spoke, his tone low and grave. “This is one of the LaRues’ secret labs. They’re creating artificial Ascendants. Their project is 75% complete.”

  Ethan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Artificial Ascendants? Sounds like this will spell disaster, but... what’s their purpose?”

  “We don’t know for sure,” Yamal admitted, “but from what we’ve gathered, they’re trying to force Ascension. They needed Mark’s blood essence to complete the experiment.”

  Ethan sat back in his chair, his mind racing. “Mark’s blood essence? What's that supposed to mean…” He trailed off, his thoughts a tangle of confusion and alarm.

  Yamal’s jaw tightened. “That’s not the part I wanted you to see.”

  And then Alexander LaRue appeared.

  “Who’s that?” Ethan asked, his voice low.

  “Alexander LaRue,” Yamal said, his tone clipped. “One of the most powerful Ascendants in the LaRue family. He’s not someone you take lightly.”

  Ethan’s breath hitched as the man entered the frame, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos around him.

  Mark stood in the center of a chaotic scene, surrounded by cloaked figures with glowing weapons.

  “Who are they?” Ethan asked, pointing at the cloaked figures.

  “The said Artificial Ascendants,” Yamal replied. “These are the results of their experiments. They’re strong, but they’re not perfect. Mark was holding his own against them.”

  Even though he was seeing everything from Mark's point of view, he could see that flames erupted around him as he fought with unmatched precision, his movements a blur of power and control.

  "Is this what Ascendant is capable of?" Ethan asked but without hoping it would be answered.

  Ethan’s gaze remained fixed on the screen as the battle continued. The intensity of Mark’s attacks, the controlled chaos of his flames—it was unlike anything Ethan had ever seen. His stomach churned as he realized the scale of what was happening.

  Alexander’s crimson flames lit up the space; his attacks were ferocious yet calculated.

  Ethan’s eyes followed the movements on the screen, the clash between Mark and Alexander captivating and terrifying. Flames collided with explosive force, lighting up the screen in bursts of orange and red.

  The cloaked figures joined the fray, their weapons adding another layer of danger to the already brutal fight.

  “Mark…” Ethan’s voice trailed off as he watched the battle unfold. It was clear that Mark was being pushed to his limits. His attacks were precise, his defense unwavering, but the sheer number of enemies—combined with Alexander’s overwhelming power—was too much.

  The recording cut off abruptly, leaving the room in silence.

  Ethan leaned back, his jaw tight. “He was on the losing ground.”

  Yamal nodded. “Before the connection was severed, it was clear Mark was struggling. He was holding them off, but the numbers… they were too much.”

  Ethan exhaled slowly, his mind reeling. “What happened after that?”

  “That’s what we want to know,” Yamal said. “We lost all communication with him. The last thing we saw was that.”

  Ethan’s hands gripped the edge of his desk. “And Maya?”

  Yamal hesitated before answering. “She escaped. Mark ordered her to leave, and she obeyed. But now… she’s not handling it well.”

  “What do you mean?” Ethan pressed.

  “She wants to go back for him,” Yamal explained. “But it’s too dangerous. Ezra had to detain her. He’s keeping her under control for now, but she’s determined to go back.”

  Ethan let out a sharp breath, his gaze hardening. “This is insane. Mark is out there, Maya’s barely holding it together, and we’re sitting here trying to figure out what the LaRues are even doing.”

  Yamal leaned forward, his voice firm. “This is bigger than any of us, Ethan. The LaRues are playing a long and big game, and they’re not afraid to sacrifice lives to win. Mark knew what he was walking into. He made his choice to protect us.”

  Ethan’s jaw clenched, his emotions warring between frustration and determination. “Then what should we do?"

  Yamal leaned back slightly, his usually sharp gaze softening as he let out a deep sigh. “Give me a few days, Ethan,” he said, his voice quiet but heavy with resolve. “I need to get Maya back to herself before we can proceed.”

  Ethan frowned, his brows knitting together in confusion. “And Mark?” he asked, his tone sharper than he intended. “What happens to him while we wait?”

  Yamal hesitated. For a moment, he didn’t meet Ethan’s eyes. Instead, he looked at the holographic screen still flickering faintly on the desk, its dim light casting shadows on his face. When he finally spoke, his voice carried the weight of something unspoken.

  “We’re thinking about that, too,” Yamal said simply, his words measured. “All of us are. But…”

  “But what?” Ethan pressed, leaning forward, his palms flat on the desk. His voice dropped, no longer the steady tone of the young CEO but the raw voice of someone trying to piece together a solution. “There has to be something we can do. We can’t just—just sit here and do nothing.”

  Yamal looked up then, meeting Ethan’s intense gaze. “Do you think I don’t want to storm in there and bring Mark back myself?” he asked, his voice tinged with a rare edge of frustration. “Do you think Maya doesn’t? Or Ezra? Or Steve? We all do, Ethan. But it’s not that simple.”

  Ethan recoiled slightly, surprised by Yamal’s rare show of emotion. “Then why—?”

  Yamal’s eyes darkened, the tension in the room thickening. “Because it’s a trap,” he said, his voice calm but carrying a sharp edge. “By capturing Mark and letting Maya go, the LaRues are baiting us. They’re counting on us to come for him.”

  Ethan stared at him, his thoughts racing. “You think they want all of you?”

  Yamal nodded slowly. “If they capture all of us—the Five Ghosts of Nemesis—it would be a game-changer for them. They’d have everything they need to perfect their experiment.”

  Ethan’s heart sank at the weight of Yamal’s words. “And if they succeed?”

  Yamal’s expression was grim, his jaw tightening as if even speaking the possibility made it too real. “If they succeed, Ethan… not just us, but the entire city—no, the entire world as we know it—could change. Artificial Ascendants under the LaRues’ control would be unstoppable. It wouldn’t matter how many real Ascendants stood against them; they’d have the numbers, the weapons, and the leverage to dictate everything.”

  Ethan leaned back in his chair, the enormity of the situation hitting him like a wave. He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

  Ethan’s voice was low but firm when he finally spoke. “So what do we do next?”

  Yamal straightened, his expression resolute. “We get ready. This isn’t something we can rush into. If we go in half-prepared, we’ll be walking straight into their trap.”

  Ethan frowned. “And how exactly do I get ready for something like this? I don’t even fully understand what we’re dealing with.”

  Yamal’s gaze softened slightly. He could see the frustration in Ethan’s eyes, the weight of the responsibility that had been thrust upon him. “That’s why you need to come with me in a few days.”

  Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Where?”

  “To Nemesis’s headquarters,” Yamal said simply.

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