The city at night was a different world — neon lights bleeding into puddles, strangers moving like ghosts through the mist.
Elias sat on the hood of the black van, arms crossed, watching the horizon as if something terrible was approaching.
And maybe it was.
Sophia sat beside him, sipping a bottle of cheap soda, swinging her legs off the edge like a kid.
"You're quieter than usual," she said.
"I'm thinking," Elias replied.
She grinned. "Dangerous habit."
-
Seraphine approached them, a plain white envelope in her hand.
No name. No address.
Just a red wax seal, pressed with an intricate mark — a phoenix rising from flames.
Elias took it, his fingers trembling slightly.
Callum whistled low under his breath.
"You know what that means, right?"
Elias nodded.
He'd seen that mark before.
Long ago.
In the hidden files his mother thought he would never find.
The Phoenix Society.
A secret organization that once controlled massive industries — medicine, defense, even politics.
And somehow...
his family had been connected to them.
---
Elias remembered his mother's voice — soft, musical.
"Promise me you'll never search for them, Eli."
"They bring only ruin."
"The watch will protect you until you're ready. But the Phoenix... they will come for you someday."
He hadn't understood then.
He did now.
---
Opening the Letter
Sophia leaned closer, peering over his shoulder.
The letter inside was handwritten — sharp, elegant script.
> "The sins of your bloodline have not been forgotten."
"Prepare yourself. Trials are coming."
"—A Friend"
No name. No signature.
Only those chilling words.
Sophia swore under her breath.
Callum looked dead serious for once.
Seraphine said nothing, only watching Elias with unreadable eyes.
---
The Choice
"You don't have to go after them," Sophia said softly.
"You can run. Hide. We'll help you."
Elias smiled a little.
Bittersweet.
"I'm tired of running."
He slid the letter into his jacket.
"I want answers."
---
Later That Night
The Watch buzzed against his wrist, but differently this time — not like a task.
A message.
> [New Path Unlocked: "Bloodlines and Betrayals."]
> Warning: This path cannot be undone.
> Rewards and Risks will escalate dramatically.
> Proceed? [Yes] / [No]
Elias stared at the pulsing screen.
His heart hammered against his ribs.
This wasn't just another task.
This was war.
And once he stepped into it —
there was no turning back.
He pressed [Yes].
The Watch pulsed warm against his skin, almost like it approved.
---
Elias Navarro (Age 18, former high school student, now survivalist-in-training): Brown hair, sharp hazel eyes, tanned skin from days outdoors. Quick-witted, stubborn, prone to sarcasm. Deep loyalty issues after being abandoned by family.
Sophia Chen (Age 18, studying mechanical engineering): Half-Chinese, half-Italian. Pale skin, black bob haircut, wide almond-shaped green eyes. Funny, fiercely loyal, impulsive. Fear of losing people.
Callum Reed (Age 22, field agent, informant): Blond, tall, lean with a devil-may-care grin. Blue eyes, permanent stubble, a disheveled look. Cynical but hides a heart of gold.
Seraphine Lark (Age 30, covert operations leader): Dark-skinned, striking gray eyes, always in pressed suits. Cold, brilliant, merciless when necessary. Haunted by an old betrayal.
---