Author Note: To everyone who read the story chapter by chapter until they reached chapter 20 and enjoyed it but didn't leave a comment or review, my dream is to buy a gaming PC and I want your help in supporting me to purchase it. I wish everyone who reads this note success in their lives and I hope you will support me. The support link is on my profile.
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The warehouse in Heukseong was vast. Shadows stretched between the cargo containers. The air smelled of salt and oil.
Dante walked through the main entrance. His boots echoed on the concrete floor. Behind him, the crew fanned out. Kisuke took the left flank. He twirled a knife casually. But his eyes were sharp. Eikichi took the right. He was a statue. Silent. Ready. Isaac and Lisa stayed near the entrance. They covered the exit. They moved like a single organism. Trained. Precise.
In the center of the open space, Edward stood. He was not hiding. He was not running. He wore a simple gray suit. No tie. His hands were in his pockets. He looked tired. But his eyes were clear. He watched Dante approach. He did not look at the crew. He only looked at Dante.
"You took longer than I expected," Edward said. His voice echoed in the empty space.
Dante stopped ten meters away. He did not draw his weapon.
"Where is she," Dante asked.
Edward smiled. It was a small smile. Sad. "Sophie is not here."
"Where."
"Safe. For now."
Edward took a step forward. The crew tensed. Weapons shifted. Edward ignored them.
"Do you know how long I waited," Edward asked.
Dante did not answer.
"Years," Edward said. "I waited for you to see it."
"See what."
"The gap between us."
Edward stopped walking. He was close now. Close enough to strike. Close enough to talk.
"I hired the assassin," Edward said.
The crew froze. Kisuke's hand tightened on his knife.
"I know," Dante said.
"I did it because she chose you."
Edward's voice was steady. It was not theatrical. There was no madness in it. Only pain.
"When she chose you," Edward continued, "she left me alone. In a way I could not survive."
Dante watched him. He saw the truth in the man's face.
"It was not about love," Edward said. "Do not pretend it was." He looked down at his hands. "It was about the shadow."
(Kairo): "He is confessing. But it is a trap."
(Mūn): "No. He believes this. This is his truth."
(Dante): "Listen."
"I spent my life standing next to you," Edward said. "In school. In the streets. In the organization." He looked up. His eyes were green. Bright with unshed tears. "Whenever people looked at us… they saw you first."
Edward took a breath. It shuddered in his chest. "I was the friend. I was the brother. But you… you were the force."
Dante remained silent. He remembered those days. He remembered Edward laughing. He had not seen the shadow then.
"I could not stop standing in it," Edward said. "No matter how hard I tried. No matter how much I achieved." He gestured to the warehouse. To the men hidden in the shadows above. "This… all of this… it was just an attempt to step into the light."
Edward's voice dropped. "But you were always there. Blocking the sun."
Dante felt a weight in his chest. It was not guilt. It was recognition.
"I did not ask for that," Dante said.
"I know." Edward laughed softly. It was a dry sound. "That is the worst part. You did not even try to be better than me. You just… were."
He took a step back. "So I decided to remove the light." Edward's hand moved slightly. The crew raised their weapons.
"Stop," Dante said. The crew held fire. Edward lowered his hand.
"I failed," Edward said. "The assassin failed. The fire failed. The tracking failed." He looked at Dante. "But I made you look at me. Finally."
Dante stepped forward. "It is over, Edward."
"Is it." Edward tilted his head. "You still do not see the whole board, Dante. You never did."
(Kairo): "He is stalling."
(Mūn): "He is waiting for something."
(Dante): "What."
Dante scanned the room. The rafters. The containers. The exits. Nothing.
"What board," Dante asked.
"The one where you are not the player," Edward said. "You are the piece." He smiled again. This time, it was colder. "I hired the assassin to kill Sophie. But you… you protected her."
Edward paused. "Did you tell her yet?"
Dante's eyes narrowed. "Tell her what."
"That you are the one who was supposed to pull the trigger."
The air in the warehouse shifted. The crew turned to look at Dante. Dante did not flinch.
"I stopped it," Dante said.
"But you were the weapon," Edward said. "And weapons do not choose. They are used."
Edward turned away. He began to walk toward the back of the warehouse. "Think about it, Dante. Who made you?" He stopped at the shadow of a container. "I know the answer. Do you?"
Dante took a step forward. "Edward. Stop."
Edward turned back. His face was half in shadow. "I am not your enemy, Dante. I am your mirror." He stepped into the darkness. "When you find out who built you… come find me."
"Wait," Dante said.
"It is too late for waiting."
Edward vanished into the shadows. The crew moved instantly. Kisuke rushed the spot where Edward had stood. "Gone," Kisuke said. "Hidden exit."
Dante stood still. The words echoed in his mind. Who made you?
(Kairo): "He knows about Ogata."
(Mūn): "He knows more than he said."
(Dante): "Yes."
Dante looked at the empty space where Edward had stood. The confrontation was over. But the war had just changed. It was no longer about Sophie. It was about Dante's origin. And Edward held the key.
Dante turned to the crew. "Secure the building," he said.
"Find the exit," Isaac ordered.
Dante walked back toward the entrance. His mind was racing. Edward was right about one thing. Dante did not know who made him. But he would find out. Even if he had to burn the world down to do it.
He stepped out into the night. The air was cold. Somewhere, Edward was watching. Somewhere, Sophie was waiting. And Dante was walking into the dark. Alone. But not for long.
Author Note: Thank you for reading Chapter 20! The motive is deeper than jealousy it's about identity. Edward knows Dante's origin. What will Dante do next? Drop your theories in the comments! Don't forget to add Shadow Contract to your library and vote with power stones. See you in Chapter 21!