Darkness.
That was the first thing Luna felt.
Not the soft darkness of night, but the heavy kind that wrapped around her mind like a thick fog.
Slowly, her senses began to return.
The faint sound of waves crashing somewhere nearby.
The quiet hum of a generator.
And the smell of salt in the air.
Luna opened her eyes.
The room was dimly lit by a single hanging lamp.
Concrete walls.
A metal chair.
A table across from her.
Her wrists weren't tied.
That alone told her something.
Adrian didn't think she would run.
Or maybe…
He didn't think she could.
Luna slowly sat up.
Her head still hurt slightly from the rough capture, but she ignored it.
She scanned the room quickly.
One door.
No windows.
Two cameras in the corners.
Adrian was watching.
Of course he was.
The door opened.
Luna didn't move.
Heavy footsteps entered the room.
And then—
Adrian Kross stepped inside.
He looked exactly the same as she remembered.
Tall.
Calm.
Perfectly composed.
His dark coat hung neatly over his shoulders, and his expression was unreadable.
For a long moment—
Neither of them spoke.
Five years of silence sat between them.
Finally, Adrian broke it.
"You're alive."
Luna's voice was cold.
"That disappoints you?"
Adrian shook his head slightly.
"No."
He pulled out a chair and sat across from her.
"I expected it."
Luna leaned back slightly.
"You always did overestimate me."
Adrian studied her carefully.
"No."
"I never underestimated you."
His eyes softened for just a second.
"If anything… I made you too strong."
Luna looked away.
"Don't flatter yourself."
Adrian ignored the comment.
"You look different."
"So do you."
Adrian smiled faintly.
"Do I?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"You look… worse."
Adrian chuckled quietly.
"That happens when someone steals five years of your life."
Luna's eyes narrowed.
"You chose your path."
"And you destroyed it."
The tension between them thickened instantly.
Adrian leaned forward slightly.
"Why did you take the list?"
Luna didn't answer.
Adrian repeated the question.
"Why?"
"You already know."
"I want to hear you say it."
Luna met his gaze.
"Because you became a monster."
Adrian didn't react.
Instead, he asked quietly,
"And what are you?"
Luna didn't answer.
Adrian continued.
"I trained you."
"Yes."
"I protected you."
"Yes."
"I trusted you."
Luna's voice hardened.
"And then you sold your soul to the Valen Syndicate."
Adrian's eyes darkened slightly.
"You never understood the bigger picture."
"Oh, I understood perfectly."
Adrian stood up slowly.
"You ran away instead of standing beside me."
Luna laughed bitterly.
"Beside you?"
She shook her head.
"You wanted me under you."
Adrian stopped walking.
"You were always dramatic."
"And you were always controlling."
Silence filled the room again.
Adrian studied her carefully.
"You're working with Brevis now."
Luna's voice stayed calm.
"I'm not working for him."
"Then what?"
She hesitated.
Adrian noticed.
"That's what I thought."
Luna frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Adrian leaned against the table.
"It means you don't understand Brevis Draven."
Luna's voice sharpened.
"And you do?"
Adrian smiled slightly.
"Yes."
"How?"
"Because men like him are predictable."
Luna crossed her arms.
"And what exactly is he?"
Adrian's answer came instantly.
"A king."
Luna frowned slightly.
"That's ironic coming from you."
Adrian shook his head.
"No."
He pointed toward her.
"You're the queen."
Luna felt a chill run through her.
Adrian's eyes softened slightly.
"You always were."
Luna looked away again.
"You kidnapped me just to talk about chess?"
Adrian chuckled.
"No."
"Then why?"
Adrian's expression changed.
More serious now.
"Because the game is about to end."
Luna's stomach tightened.
"What game?"
Adrian leaned closer.
"The one you started when you stole the list."
Luna frowned.
"That list destroyed the Syndicate."
Adrian shook his head slowly.
"No."
Her heart skipped.
"What?"
Adrian's voice dropped lower.
"You only saw one piece of the board."
Luna stared at him.
"What are you talking about?"
Adrian walked toward the door.
Then he stopped and looked back at her.
"You thought the list exposed the Valen Syndicate."
"Yes."
Adrian's eyes darkened slightly.
"But it didn't."
Luna felt a cold wave of realization hit her.
"What do you mean?"
Adrian's voice became quiet.
"It exposed something much bigger."
Luna stood up slowly.
"Adrian…"
"What?"
"You're lying."
Adrian shook his head.
"No."
Her heart pounded.
"Then what did the list really contain?"
Adrian's answer came like a blade.
"The names of the people who actually run this city."
Luna's breath caught.
"That's impossible."
Adrian smiled slightly.
"Is it?"
Luna's mind raced.
If what Adrian was saying was true…
Then the list hadn't destroyed the Syndicate.
It had exposed something far worse.
Something hidden above it.
Adrian watched her reaction carefully.
"Now you understand."
Luna whispered,
"That's why you wanted it back."
"Yes."
"But not to protect the Syndicate."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"To control it."
Luna stared at him.
"You planned everything."
Adrian didn't deny it.
"Yes."
The room fell silent again.
Then Adrian said something that made Luna's heart stop.
"And Brevis Draven…"
Luna looked up sharply.
"What about him?"
Adrian's voice was calm.
"He's already part of the game."
Luna felt a sudden wave of dread.
"What did you do?"
Adrian didn't answer directly.
Instead, he said quietly,
"You should worry about him."
"Why?"
Adrian smiled slightly.
"Because right now…"
He paused.
"…Brevis is walking straight into a trap."