The days settled into a quiet, rhythmic routine. Ethan spent his time training with the team, pushing his limits alongside Yuri and Allen. Yet, despite the activity, a void remained; he hadn't seen Jake since that day. He tried to push the thought aside, burying his questions in the physical exhaustion of his workouts.
Then came the morning of May 5th.
The peace shattered the moment Ethan stepped out of the washroom. There, resting on his study table like a white scar against the dark wood, was an envelope.
Another one? Ethan felt a chill. In his experience, these letters never brought anything but trouble. He tore it open, his eyes scanning the brief, jagged script:
"HE IS ALSO COMING. BEWARE OF HIM."
Him? Ethan's mind raced. Was it Jake? Or was a new threat looming on the horizon? He shoved the note into his pocket, trying to mask his unease as he headed down to the dining room.
The smell of breakfast filled the air. His mother, Selena, and his sister, Daisy, were already seated.
"Good morning, Ethan," Selena said with a warm smile.
"Morning, big brother!" Daisy added between bites.
"Morning," Ethan replied, forcing a smile as he took his seat.
Daisy launched into a spirited retelling of a movie she'd watched with friends. Ethan nodded in all the right places, though his mind was miles away, the weight of the letter heavy in his pocket. As Daisy finished her meal and headed back to her room, Ethan turned to his mother.
"Mother," he said softly.
She looked up. "Yes, Ethan?"
"I'm heading out today. I'm going to Ottawa with some friends."
Selena studied him for a moment, perhaps sensing the shift in his energy, but she simply nodded. "I see. Take care of yourself, okay?"
"I will," Ethan promised.
Elsewhere, the city was waking up. The rising sun began to dissolve the shadows of the night, glinting off the glass of a luxury high-rise.
On the top floor, a man in his forties stood by a floor-to-ceiling window. He was draped in a sharp business suit with a long coat slung over his shoulders, looking down at the world as if it were a chessboard. His phone buzzed against his palm.
Beast: I've arrived. I'm at your door. I brought Henry with me.
The man closed the text and immediately dialed his security detail. "Two guests are standing outside," he said when the line picked up. "Show them the proper respect and hospitality. Bring them to the balcony."
"Understood, sir."
But a minute later, the phone buzzed again. It was the guard.
"Sir... there's no one outside the door."
The man sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Search the area. That 'Beast' never gets the small details right."
Three floors below, Henry stood in a silent hallway, staring at a door that definitely did not lead to a luxury penthouse. Beside him stood a man who was less of a human and more of a mountain—muscular, bald, and looking deeply bored.
"Are you certain this is the place?" Henry asked, his voice tight.
"I texted him," Beast grunted. "He'll come out sooner or later."
Henry smacked his forehead. "Why do I always get stuck with you?"
"You should be honored, old man," Beast smirked.
"Give me the phone."
Before Beast could protest, Henry snatched the device and checked the GPS. His expression went from frustrated to stone-cold.
"What?" Beast asked.
"We are on the 37th floor," Henry said, his grip tightening until the phone's screen began to spiderweb. "The meeting is on the 40th."
Henry turned toward the elevator, his fist clenched. Beast followed, muttering, "Really? Nah, that can't be right."
When they finally reached the 40th floor, the doors slid open to reveal a flustered security guard. Beast, still grumbling, stretched his massive arms, accidentally—or perhaps not—colliding with the guard and sending him sprawling.
"Whoops. Sorry, man," Beast said without a hint of remorse. "That's why I don't drink."
"Hey!" The guard scrambled up, face flushed. "Watch where you're going! I'm already tired of looking for these guests, don't piss me—"
Beast cracked his knuckles with a sound like breaking branches. The guard's bravado vanished instantly.
"I apologize for my associate," Henry said, stepping smoothly between them. "Could you direct us to Suite E-3?"
The guard blinked, looking from Henry's professional calm to Beast's looming shadow. "Wait... you two are the guests?" He immediately straightened his tie. "My apologies. Please, follow me."
Beast let out a booming laugh. Henry responded by driving a sharp elbow into the big man's ribs.
"Ouch! That actually hurt," Beast grunted, watching as Henry followed the guard without looking back. "Hey! Wait for me!"
They reached the balcony just as the guard opened the door. Beast, eager to catch up, charged through, accidentally shoulder-checking the guard into the wall.
"Henry, my man! You went ahead without me," Beast announced.
The man in the suit and Henry both sighed in unison, their hands meeting their foreheads in a synchronized facepalm. The guard Beast had tackled stood up, his fists trembling with rage, but a sharp look from his employer made him retreat silently from the room.
"Sit," the man in the suit commanded.
Henry and Beast took their seats. Their host sat across from them, his back to the city, his eyes fixed on his two very different guests. The game was finally afoot.