Rain fell fine against the windows, erasing the city lights like poorly wiped memories.
In the silence of the manor, Mark leafed through documents found in a locked drawer of the east wing. The paper smelled of dust and betrayal.
Bank statements. Board letters.
And, in the middle of the stack, a file stamped in red: "Dumar Capital – Guardianship Procedure."
"Following the collapse of the BlueRise Investments subsidiary, Marcus Dumar is held solely responsible for the losses. All participations belonging to him will be liquidated within 90 days."
Mark clenched his fists. Even without clear memories of this life, he understood: the Marcus he inhabited had been set up. The numbers, the schemes, the signatures — everything reeked of manipulation.
Someone had toppled him. And that someone likely still sat inside the house.
---
The SYSTEM reactivated suddenly, projecting a bluish glow into the dim.
---
[SYSTEM: Secondary Mission Unlocked]
Title: First Rule
Objective: Identify the primary enemy.
Clue: "The serpent never strikes without an audience."
Reward: Behavioral Analysis (Level 1)
---
Mark frowned. A mission, a clue, a reward… the mechanism felt both rational and cruel.
"Very well," he murmured. "Let's play."
He stood, grabbed Marcus's jacket, and went down the stairs. The smell of cold coffee filled the hall. In the main sitting room, a few family members had breakfast beneath the glare of news screens.
"Ah, the miracle man!" mocked a voice.
It was Paul Dumar, his cousin — thirtyish, perfectly tailored suit, a venomous smile.
"Sleep well? The ghosts of your shareholders didn't bother you too much?"
Mark sat across from him, unflinching.
"Not more than your conscience, I suppose."
A brutal silence fell. Two servants froze, worried. Paul forced a laugh.
"The Marcus I knew would never have dared speak like that."
"Maybe that's why he lost," Mark replied.
Behind him, his mother's cold voice sounded:
"Paul, enough. Marcus, remember the journalists are outside. One wrong word, and they will devour whatever remains of us."
Mark nodded, obedient. But in his mind, the puzzle pieces were assembling.
The serpent had a face.
---
Later, he went to the library — an immense room paneled in leather. An old man waited there, bent on a cane: Henry Delmas, former family adviser.
"You are not Marcus," he said without looking up.
Mark felt a chill.
"Pardon?"
"Marcus was impulsive, arrogant, unable to keep quiet. You, you observe. You listen. You calculate."
The old man finally raised his head; his gray iris shone with a lucid gleam.
"Whatever you are… I advise one thing: do not seek the truth too quickly. Here, it kills faster than poison."
He handed him a silver key.
"The BlueRise safe. You will find the beginning of the fall there."
Before Mark could reply, Henry walked away, disappearing down the corridor.
The SYSTEM confirmed:
---
[Secondary Mission Completed]
Reward obtained: Behavioral Analysis (Level 1)
New parameter: "Intuitive reading of micro-expressions."
---
Mark felt the change immediately. Faces, gestures, breaths around him seemed clearer. Every lie now had a color.
---
Night fell; he opened the safe.
Inside: USB keys, an investment contract, and a series of photographs.
In one, Paul Dumar shook hands with a foreign man in front of a company logo: Helix International Holdings.
A rival subsidiary.
A traitor.
The SYSTEM lit up again:
"[New Mission: Rule #1 — 'Observe before striking.']
Deadline: 7 days
Objective: Confirm the betrayal without being detected.
Penalty on failure: loss of Marcus's memory (10%)."
Mark put the documents back, closed the safe. His gaze drifted to the window, where the rain intensified.
He now understood the first rule of this deadly game:
Never react. Observe, understand, strike when everything is already set.
The countdown continued, silent.
And somewhere, behind the shadow of financial towers, a new round had begun.