The rain had finally stopped.
But the night around the Valentino estate still felt heavy, like the air itself was holding secrets.
Ares stood near the tall glass window of his study, staring into the darkness outside. His expression was calm, but inside his mind everything was moving fast.
Someone had breached his system.
Not just once.
Twice.
And that meant only one thing.
This enemy wasn't ordinary.
Behind him, the large screen on the wall suddenly flickered.
A message appeared.
UNKNOWN ACCESS POINT DETECTED
Ares' eyes narrowed.
"Interesting," he murmured.
"Very interesting."
He tapped a few keys on the keyboard, tracing the signal.
The code moved fast across the screen.
Encrypted pathways.
Masked IP addresses.
Military-grade security.
Whoever this person was… they were extremely skilled.
Then suddenly—
The screen changed.
A single symbol appeared.
A black serpent forming a circle.
Ares froze for half a second.
He recognized that symbol.
It belonged to a group that was supposed to be gone.
Destroyed.
Years ago.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"The Serpent Circle…"
Across the city, inside a dimly lit room, a man sat in front of multiple monitors.
He watched Ares through hacked security cameras.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"So you remember us," he said softly.
On one of the screens, Ares' face appeared again.
Calm.
Dangerous.
The man leaned back in his chair.
"Good," he whispered.
"Because this time…"
"We're not coming for your empire."
His eyes darkened.
"We're coming for your life."
Back inside the estate, the lights suddenly shut off.
Complete darkness.
For a moment the entire mansion fell silent.
Then—
Emergency lights turned on.
Red.
Flashing.
Security alarms echoed through the halls.
Ares grabbed his jacket and stepped into the corridor.
Guards were already running.
"What happened?" one of them asked.
Ares' voice was cold.
"We have an intruder."
The guard's face tightened.
"Inside the estate?"
Ares didn't answer.
Because at that exact moment—
The main security door slowly opened by itself.
And footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Slow.
Confident.
Someone had just entered the most secure place in the city.
And they weren't afraid at all.
Ares' eyes sharpened.
A dangerous smile appeared on his lips.
"Perfect," he said quietly.
"Let's see who you really are."
But deep in the shadows…
A pair of eyes was already watching him.
Waiting.
Planning.
And the real game…
Had only just begun.