The rain fell in rhythmic taps against the windowpane, each drop echoing through the quiet apartment like a warning.
Isabella stood motionless in the entryway, the small slip of paper still clutched in her hand. She had read the message five times already, but the words didn't change.
"You took down a king. Now the real monsters are watching."
No signature. No sender. Just bold, slanted handwriting deliberate and haunting.
Behind her, Alexander walked in shirtless, a towel over his shoulder, hair damp from the shower. He stopped mid-step when he saw her face.
"What is it?"
She handed him the note without a word. He read it, his jaw tightening.
"Someone knows," he muttered. "More than just Mercer's allies."
She nodded slowly, her mind already racing. "This isn't a threat. It's a signal."
Alexander's eyes darkened. "A warning."
The Underground Stirs
Later that day, the two of them met with Claire and Damian at a quiet corner bar downtown one of the few places untouched by Mercer's network.
Isabella laid the note on the table. Claire picked it up, her brows furrowing.
"This handwriting… I've seen it before," she murmured. "During a case overseas. Berlin. The syndicate there what they call the Circle left a similar message after they dismantled an entire agency cell."
Damian let out a low whistle. "If this is the Circle… they're not just criminals. They're the architects. The ones who build kings like Mercer and tear them down when they outlive their usefulness."
Alexander leaned back in his chair. "So, Mercer wasn't the top of the food chain. Just a pawn."
Claire nodded grimly. "And we just made ourselves very visible."
A Monster Wakes
Far across the ocean, in a dark, glass-towered office, a man watched the news footage of Mercer's fall.
He didn't blink. Didn't flinch. Just stared, cold and still.
"They were supposed to stay in the shadows," he said quietly. "And now they've exposed us."
Behind him, a woman in a crimson suit stepped forward. "What should we do?"
He turned slowly. A slight smile curled his lips.
"Send a message."