"The deepest scars are left by those we once called family."
Zane Vale stood at the edge of the crystal lake, dressed in a black suit. His sharp eyes, once full of dreams, were now tired. The cool night breeze moved across the water. Behind him, the great mansion of the Vale family glowed with golden lights. Inside, a celebration was happening—a fake one, Zane knew.
It was supposed to be a party for him. A "thank you" for his work building ValeTech into one of the top tech companies of the world. But Zane wasn't smiling.
His hands shook slightly. Not from fear. From truth.
They were going to kill him tonight.
He had overheard the conversation by mistake. A private meeting between his adoptive brother, Lucan Vale, and the board members—people Zane had once trusted.
"He's too powerful," Lucan had said. "He knows too much. If we want full control, Zane must disappear."
And now, they were inside… raising glasses in his honor.
Zane looked at his reflection in the lake. A tall man in his early 30s. Short dark hair, neat beard, deep eyes. He had given them everything. His intelligence. His inventions. His loyalty.
And they were about to repay him with poison.
Inside the mansion, the hall was full of music and false laughter. People clinked glasses, fake-smiling at Zane's portrait on the wall.
Lucan Vale stood near the head table. He wore a white suit and had a cold, confident face. He was Zane's adoptive brother—but also his biggest enemy now.
"Everything ready?" he whispered to a servant.
"Yes, sir," the servant replied. "The wine has been treated. He'll drink it during the final toast."
Lucan smirked. "Good. Say goodbye to Zane Vale. By morning, ValeTech will be mine."
Zane walked back into the hall slowly. Everyone turned and clapped.
"There he is!" said a man from the board. "The genius who made us all rich!"
Zane smiled faintly, but inside, he was burning. He played along, shaking hands, giving nods. They handed him a glass of red wine.
The one meant to kill him.
Lucan raised his glass. "To Zane. The mind behind the future!"
Everyone repeated, "To Zane!"
Zane looked around one last time. The faces of people who had used him. Lied to him. Betrayed him.
He lifted his glass—but didn't drink.
"Strange," he said out loud. "You all toast me as if I'm already dead."
The room froze.
Lucan narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, brother?"
Zane's voice turned cold. "I built ValeTech from the ground up. I trusted you. I gave you my life. And this is how you repay me?"
Gasps filled the hall.
Lucan tried to keep calm. "You're being paranoid."
"I heard everything," Zane said. He raised the glass and poured the wine on the floor. "Let the ground drink what was meant to end me."
Suddenly, guards stepped forward. "Zane Vale, you are under arrest for stealing company secrets," one of them announced.
It was all part of the plan.
Zane looked at Lucan. "Framing me? Coward."
Lucan's smile returned. "Enjoy your last night."
They locked Zane in the lower chamber of the mansion. A room with no windows and only silence.
He sat on the cold floor, head bowed.
"I should have seen it coming," he whispered. "But I was blind."
As he closed his eyes, something began to glow on the wall. A symbol—ancient, shining with blue light. A circle with a spiral at its center.
Zane stood up, shocked. "What... is that?"
The symbol pulsed, and the room around him began to shake. Energy filled the air. The ground split beneath his feet.
Zane fell—into a glowing tunnel of light.
He didn't scream. He didn't fight it. He simply let go.
Because deep inside, something had awakened.
To be continued...