Kael crouched on the ledge of a high-rise, his hoodie clinging to his body, soaked from the downpour.
His sharp, angular features were set in stone, his short black hair matted against his forehead.
And after the kill he had been waiting for so long to achieve was done, he was so excited that he wanted it to end with some spoils too.
"You're in."
Juno's voice crackled in her earpiece,
"Security rotation is at 60 seconds. I'll guide you through—don't screw this up."
Kael immediately made a ten-foot leap across the gap between rooftops as he rolled with a soft landing.
He crouched by the glass balcony doors of the luxury penthouse.
Kael reached into his pocket and pulled out a black hacking device. He placed it against the biometric panel beside the door.
"Fingers scanned...Retinal lock engaged... Pressure sensors active."
"You got 15 seconds before it resets." Juno reminded him.
The device's LED flickered green.
Click.
The lock disengaged, Kael slipped inside.
Inside the penthouse had expensive rugs, black furniture, shelves lined with gold-plated trinkets and golden chandeliers.
Kael stalked forward, avoiding the pressure-sensitive floor panels.
Then a security drone drifted past him, scanning the room.
Kael froze, waiting. Counting. The moment the drone turned away, he moved.
The item he was looking for was hidden behind an abstract oil painting—thick brush strokes disguising a biometric vault.
Kael tilted his head, studying it. His father used to say: The richer they are, the more paranoid they become.
He reached into his belt, pulling out a thin adhesive film.
As he pressed, it scanned it immediately and the safe's biometric scanner blinked red, rejecting him.
Kael didn't react, Instead, he pulled out a small vial of powder and sprinkled it over the scanner.
A faint heat signature appeared—a trace of the owner's last fingerprint.
Kael pressed the film against it.
*Beep!*
The safe clicked open.
Inside, resting on a velvet-lined platform, was a glowing data cube.
Kael reached for it and then there was a quiet sound.
*Beep!*
A second later, the alarms screamed.
"Kael, you tripped something. Get out. NOW." Juno's voice was sharp, but Kael was already moving.
Footsteps pounded in the hallways.
Gunfire erupted.
"Damn!" Kael said as he flipped, dodged, vaulted over furniture, as he dove in-between bullets that were coming from parallel sides.
He grabbed a nearby marble sculpture, hurling it at the guards. It shattered on impact, sending shards flying.
"Rooftop. That's your best exit." Kael kicked open the emergency door and bolted up the stairwell.
Rain hit his face as he burst onto the rooftop—And then he stopped.
Because someone was already there.
A figure, standing beneath the flashing city lights.
Cloaked in black tactical armor, the exact same man he thought he had killed the mirror masked man.
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
"No...It isn't possible." Kael found it had to believe.
His hands clenched into fists, the masked man tilted his head,
"You can't steal from a thief and get away with" he said he a cold, mocking voice.
"I watched you die," Kael growled
"And yet, here I stand. Let's just say I go by many faces" The masked man took a slow step forward.
"Your father thought he could escape the system."
As he took Another step. "You thought you could break it." Kael's breath came sharp, fast
The masked man stopped just inches away. Kael could see his own reflection in the mask.
"But the truth is… you were always going to die."
A gloved hand shot out—And before Kael could react, he was grabbed by the collar and yanked toward the ledge.
The city stretched below them, Hundreds of feet down.
"Don't drop me!" Kael struggled, tried to twist free, but the masked man's grip was like iron.
The rain blurred in his eyes.
"You should have died the same night your father did," the masked man whispered.
Then—He let him fall.
"Ahhhhhhhhhj!" The world tilted as Kael screamed as the city lights spun.
He was falling fast as the cold air rushed past him, whipping against his skin, his clothes.
The sound of the storm, the sirens, the city—everything melted into a dull roar. He reached out, but there was nothing to grab.
Nothing to stop him.....Nothing to save him.
Juno's voice screamed in his earpiece.
"KAEL! KAEL—ANSWER ME!"
But he couldn't his body flipped midair, spinning toward the pavement far below.
His fingers twitched the coin, still in his hand, but he didn't let go. Due to the intense grip blood smeared across the metal. His father's voice echoed in his mind.
"Survive!" Kael's fingers clenched, a slow smile curled on his bloodied lips.
Kael whispered. "If I die tonight..." His fingers tightened around the coin.
"THEN I DIE A MAN." The wind roared past him, but his voice was steady.
"I DIE FIGHTING. NOT RUNNING."
"NOT BEGGING..."
"NOT AFRAID..." His blood smeared across the coin's surface.
Kael's eyes burned. "AND WHEN THE COIN FLIPS AGAIN..."
"I'LL BE THE ONE HOLDING IT." the coin immediately burned. A shockwave erupted from his body.
The air warped around him as time slowed.
[System Initialization Complete]
[Welcome, Holder of CoreCoin.]
[Synchronizing Soul Signature…]
[Access Level: Alpha Root.]
His bones stopped breaking his wounds began to seal rapidly.
The coin melted into his palm, leaving a glowing insignia.