In an isolated and high-alert zone of Thailand, there existed a place that appeared only as a blur on satellite maps — a place known simply as "The Core."Its existence was nothing more than a myth to most, but those few who had actually stepped inside knew the truth: time itself seemed to stop here.
From the outside, it looked like a structure made of nothing but concrete and glass — cold, minimalistic, and silent.But on the inside, behind every wall, something was hidden.The surveillance was so advanced that even a breath was recorded.This place didn't fall under the jurisdiction of any country's law.There was only one law here — Aric's law.
Inside the meeting room, dim lights cast long shadows, revealing more than they concealed — emotions, fears, intentions.At the center of the table, a holographic blueprint of the mission rotated slowly, each layer unfolding critical information.
Aric and Alex were fully immersed — a focused silence surrounding them.
Alex, in his calm yet commanding tone, explained every detail of the mission — backup units, escape routes, tech access points — each point drilled in without pause.This was a team that couldn't afford mistakes. Ever.
And then — a knock.
The silence cracked.
A guard entered quietly and said,"Sir, Jack is here to see you."
Instantly, the air changed.
Aric didn't flinch — not even a flicker of emotion. He remained just as composed as ever, offering only a cold,"Send him in."
Then, with a single gesture, he dismissed everyone — except Alex.
Alex's face tensed immediately.
Aric had summoned Jack without warning.And that alone made something stir inside Alex — a silent tension, a protective flicker.His brother… here?Now?
He couldn't shake the thought —"What could Aric possibly want with Jack?"
The door opened.
Jack walked in.But his steps felt heavy, as if weighed down by wet cement.
Time slowed.His eyes went straight to Aric.
And there he was — sitting in his black leather chair with the same poised authority as always.Calm. Cold. Commanding.
His posture was relaxed, but those eyes...
Eyes that could see through pain, lies, and intentions alike.
Jack had never truly understood Aric.No one had.Not really.
And the worst part?Aric's anger was completely unpredictable.
You never knew what would set him off — what he'd respond to with silence, and what might ignite an explosion.
No one had the depth or intuition sharp enough to predict him.
Jack's throat was dry, his heart racing.But his face?Stone.Because showing weakness in front of Aric… was the same as signing away your existence.
The silence in the room was no ordinary quiet.
It was heavy.Crushing.Every second felt like a question hanging in the air:
"What is Aric going to do today?"
Then Aric looked at Jack.
Not just looked — he saw him.
It felt like he scanned through every layer of him in a heartbeat — every thought, every memory, every secret.
Alex stood by silently — alert, still, ready.
Jack knew this wasn't just a meeting.This was the beginning of something.Something whose end he would not be able to control.
Jack could feel the tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
He tried to wipe them away quickly with the back of his hand,but no matter how hard he tried,he couldn't hide his nervousness from Aric.And Jack knew this well —nothing escaped Aric's eyes.
("How has my brother lived with a man like him for so many years…?")The thought circled in his mind again and again —but the answer had never come.
Now, he stood across the table from Aric —That table.
The same desk from where Aric controlled the entire underworld pulse of Thailand.Not just a city, not just a gang — the entire nation bent to his will.
He wasn't just powerful —he was power.
From mafia networks to military connections…Aric Ravensworth.(A name that echoed like the wings of a raven — death and mystery.)
People didn't need explanations when they heard his name.They already knew —crossing him meant signing your own destruction.
Small-time gangs?Wiped out long ago.Whoever remained, worked under him —and those who didn't?They simply didn't exist anymore.
And now Jack —stood face-to-face with a manwho had committed his first murder at the age of eleven.
A man whose body count was no longer countable.No files.No records.Just whispered legends in back alleys.
Jack couldn't tear his eyes away from Aric's cold, unblinking stare.
It pierced through him like a blade made of silence.
His heart thudded violently inside his chest —as if trying to escape the situation even if he couldn't.
Aric said nothing.
He didn't need to.
That look — calm, detached, and terrifyingly neutral —was more punishing than a thousand screams.
Jack wasn't just standing in front of a man.He was standing in front of a storm that had learned to control its thunder.
And the silence between them?Wasn't empty.It was loaded.Like a bomb just waiting for a trigger.
Aric's voice cut through the air — low, calm, but heavy.
"I know you've said it before — that Finn never spoke to your friend about his brother Zavier's dealings.That he's unaware of all of it.But I want to hear about it again — from you, directly."
Jack swallowed hard.
"Yes… just like I said earlier," he replied, clearing his throat nervously,"he doesn't know anything about it."
But his voice wavered.Because deep down, he knew —he hadn't completed the task the way Aric expected.
Aric had given him an order — a very specific one.And Jack had failed to deliver perfectly.He didn't want Aric to sense it.Because facing his wrath?
That wasn't something Jack had the courage — or capacity — to endure.
The words had started drying up in his mouth.A strange silence pressed down on his chest.
Aric's gaze was razor-sharp.Like he could slice through truth and lies with a single glance.And Jack?He knew better than to lie — not just for himself, but for Zayn's safety.
He couldn't afford to gamble with either of their lives.
Aric leaned back slightly in his chair, his expression unreadable.
"What kind of boy is he?"
The investigation wasn't over — not even close.This was just the next layer being peeled back.
Jack hesitated, trying to choose his words carefully.
"If I'm being honest…" he began slowly,"he's… strange.Really hard to understand."
A flicker of interest flashed through Aric's eyes.
"Strange people are always the most interesting."
He said it with a subtle smile, lighting a cigarette with an antique silver lighter — the tiny click echoing in the heavy silence of the room.
That simple motion, that casual tone…it made Jack's shoulders drop just slightly.Because it meant — for now — Aric was in a good mood.
And when Aric was in a good mood,people didn't disappear.People didn't scream.
Jack let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.A soft sigh of survival.
"He's… the kind of boy who's always lost in his own head," Jack continued, cautiously."It's hard to connect with him.Even harder to become friends with him.Sometimes, I wonder if… he's sick."
Aric's eyes narrowed just slightly, the smoke curling between them like a question mark made of fire.
"Sick…?"
His voice wasn't loud — it was curious.Too curious.And that was somehow more dangerous.
The air in the room thickened again.
The word hung there like a fragile thread."Sick."