Night slowly descended over the Carter estate.
The sky turned deep blue, and the estate lights illuminated the massive property like a quiet fortress in the darkness.
Inside the mansion, everything appeared normal.
Dinner had finished.
Richard was in his office reviewing business reports.
Victoria was working on a late conference call.
Isabella was sketching new designs.
Scarlett was training in the private gym.
Sophia was reading medical research papers.
And Luna…
Luna stood quietly on the second-floor balcony, staring at the night sky.
Her silver hair moved slightly with the wind.
But her mind wasn't peaceful.
She had been thinking about Bruce all day.
Something about her younger brother felt… different.
His behaviour.
His confidence.
His calmness.
It didn't match the frightened orphan they had adopted months ago.
Luna crossed her arms.
"You're hiding something…"
She whispered.
But what exactly?
She couldn't figure it out yet.
Inside his bedroom, Bruce Carter sat near the window again.
The small drones he had deployed earlier were still hovering high above the hill where the Black Serpent agents were stationed.
Through their cameras, Bruce watched the situation carefully.
The EMP pulse had damaged most of their electronic equipment.
Their communication devices were useless.
Their surveillance tools were offline.
But they hadn't left.
Bruce studied them carefully.
"They're patient."
The team leader stood outside one of the vehicles, studying the Carter estate through a pair of binoculars.
The other agents were reorganising their gear.
Bruce noticed something interesting.
They had stopped using technology.
Now they were preparing for a manual infiltration.
Bruce leaned back slightly.
"So you adapted."
Not bad.
But still predictable.
Bruce's mind began analysing the terrain.
The hill.
The trees.
The estate walls.
The security patrol routes.
Then his eyes shifted toward the drones' scanning interface.
A new idea appeared in his mind.
Bruce smiled faintly.
"You want to sneak in?"
"Let's make things difficult."
He activated another system function.
The black ring on his finger glowed softly.
Inside the space world, a small device materialised.
A compact sonic disturbance generator.
Non-lethal.
But extremely annoying.
Bruce returned to the real world.
The device appeared in his hand.
He activated it quietly.
Invisible sound waves spread across the hill.
The Black Serpent agents immediately reacted.
One of them rubbed his ear.
"What is that noise?"
Another agent frowned.
"I hear it too."
The sound was barely audible.
But it was constant.
High-frequency vibrations.
Uncomfortable.
Distracting.
The leader remained calm.
"Focus."
But even he couldn't ignore the irritation.
The noise made concentration difficult.
The agents began adjusting positions, trying to locate the source.
Bruce watched the chaos through the drone cameras.
"Good."
The device wouldn't harm them.
But it would prevent them from focusing properly.
And tired enemies made mistakes.
Back inside the mansion.
Bruce suddenly heard a soft knock on his door.
He immediately turned off the drone feed.
The device on the desk deactivated silently.
"Come in," Bruce said calmly.
The door opened.
Luna stepped inside.
She closed the door quietly behind her.
Bruce leaned back in his chair.
"Late-night visit?"
Luna walked slowly toward the centre of the room.
Her silver eyes studied him carefully.
"I couldn't sleep."
Bruce shrugged.
"That happens."
Luna glanced toward the window.
"You like sitting here at night."
Bruce nodded.
"Fresh air."
Luna looked outside for a moment.
Then she suddenly asked something unexpected.
"Bruce, do you believe people can change overnight?"
Bruce tilted his head slightly.
"Depends."
"On what?"
"On the reason."
Luna crossed her arms.
"And what reason would make someone change completely?"
Bruce smiled faintly.
"Survival."
The room became quiet.
Luna stared at him.
Her instincts told her that the answer wasn't normal for a ten-year-old boy.
But she couldn't prove anything.
After a moment, she sighed.
"You're strange."
Bruce chuckled softly.
"You noticed that late."
Luna walked toward the door again.
But before leaving, she paused.
"You know something?"
Bruce waited.
"If someone tried to hurt this family…"
Her voice became colder.
"They wouldn't live long."
Bruce nodded slowly.
"I believe you."
Luna looked at him for a moment longer.
Then she left the room.
The door closed quietly behind her.
Bruce leaned back in his chair.
His expression became serious again.
"She's getting closer."
Luna's instincts were extremely dangerous.
If she continued investigating, she might eventually discover the truth.
Bruce looked toward the window again.
Through the drone cameras, the Black Serpent agents were still struggling with the sonic disturbance.
Their patience was wearing thin.
Bruce smiled slightly.
"You're hunters."
"But tonight…"
He whispered.
"I'm the one hunting."
On the hill, the Black Serpent team leader finally lowered his binoculars.
"This is wrong."
One of the agents asked,
"What do you mean?"
The leader looked toward the Carter estate again.
"Someone knows we're here."
The other men looked surprised.
"Who?"
The leader shook his head.
"I don't know."
But his instincts were clear.
Something inside that mansion was watching them.
And slowly dismantling their operation.
He looked at his men.
"New plan."
"What?"
The leader's eyes turned cold.
"We stop observing."
He raised his rifle.
"We move tonight."
Inside his bedroom, Bruce suddenly noticed the agents moving.
His drones captured every detail.
The weapons.
The approach route.
The timing.
Bruce's expression turned calm.
"So the game finally begins."
The first real confrontation of his second life was about to start.
And this time…
Bruce Carter was ready.