The Carter estate returned to its usual rhythm over the next two days.
Security remained tight, but the panic from the night of the infiltration had slowly faded.
Guards continued their patrols.
New surveillance cameras had been installed around the property.
But outwardly, the mansion looked peaceful again.
Inside the mansion library, Bruce Carter sat quietly by the large window.
A thick book lay open in front of him.
To anyone passing by, he looked like a calm ten-year-old enjoying a quiet afternoon.
But Bruce's mind was somewhere else entirely.
Inside the space world.
The endless farmland stretched beneath a bright sky.
Golden crops moved gently with the wind, and the glowing river continued flowing quietly across the land.
Bruce walked through the castle corridor toward the archive room.
Since the Black Serpent attack, he had begun monitoring their movements more closely.
The holographic world map appeared as soon as he entered.
Several glowing markers represented major underground organisations.
Bruce zoomed in on the Black Serpent network.
New data appeared.
Logistics routes.
Financial movements.
Encrypted communications.
Bruce studied the information carefully.
Then something unusual appeared.
A red marker.
Destination: New York.
Bruce frowned.
"That's unexpected."
He opened the file connected to the marker.
Victor Hale.
Bruce leaned against the console slowly.
"So you're coming personally."
That meant the situation had escalated.
Victor Hale wasn't the type of man who personally investigated small failures.
If he was moving, it meant he had become genuinely interested.
Bruce crossed his arms.
"That's dangerous."
Victor Hale was extremely intelligent.
Cold.
Patient.
The type of enemy who studied his opponent carefully before making a move.
Bruce closed the archive display.
For the first time since his rebirth, he felt something close to excitement.
"Good."
"A real opponent."
Back in the real world, Bruce slowly opened his eyes.
The library was still quiet.
But someone else had entered.
Luna Carter stood beside one of the bookshelves.
She pretended to browse the titles.
But her attention wasn't on the books.
She was watching Bruce again.
Bruce sighed internally.
"She really doesn't give up."
Luna finally walked over and sat in the chair across from him.
"You like this room."
Bruce shrugged.
"It's quiet."
Luna tilted her head slightly.
"You spend a lot of time sitting still."
Bruce looked at her.
"Meditation."
Luna smiled faintly.
"That again."
Bruce returned to his book.
Luna rested her chin on her hand.
"You know something?"
Bruce waited.
"I checked the security footage from the night of the attack."
Bruce didn't react.
Luna continued calmly.
"You appear in three different places that night."
Bruce turned a page in the book.
"I live here."
Luna laughed softly.
"True."
But her eyes remained sharp.
"Still… you move surprisingly quietly."
Bruce closed the book slowly.
"Are you interrogating me?"
Luna shrugged.
"Just curious."
Bruce looked at her calmly.
"What conclusion did you reach?"
Luna leaned back slightly.
"That you're strange."
Bruce smiled faintly.
"That's not new."
Luna studied him for several seconds.
Then she suddenly said something unexpected.
"If you're hiding something…"
She paused.
"…I hope it's something that protects the family."
Bruce looked at her quietly.
For the first time, Luna's tone wasn't suspicious.
It was almost supportive.
Bruce closed the book and stood up.
"Then we have the same goal."
Luna watched him walk toward the door.
Her curiosity only grew stronger.
Later that night.
Bruce stood once again at the window of his bedroom.
The sky was dark and clear.
The estate lights glowed softly below.
Bruce activated the drone network inside the space system.
Several small drones flew high above the surrounding area.
Everything looked normal.
But Bruce's instincts still felt something approaching.
Far away.
Very far away.
But moving closer is.
Bruce leaned against the window frame.
"Victor Hale…"
"If you're coming…"
His eyes became colder.
"…I'll be ready."
Thousands of kilometres away.
A private jet cut through the night sky.
Inside the aircraft cabin, Victor Hale sat calmly in a leather chair.
A tablet displayed several files.
Photos.
Security footage.
Reports.
At the centre of the screen was one image.
Bruce Carter.
Victor studied the photo quietly.
"Ten years old."
He replayed a short video clip from the Carter estate security system.
The footage showed Scarlett confronting the intruders.
But Victor paused the video at one moment.
Bruce stood calmly behind her.
Watching.
Observing.
Victor leaned forward slightly.
"Your eyes…"
He whispered.
"…aren't the eyes of a child."
The jet engines roared softly as the plane continued crossing the ocean.
Victor closed the tablet slowly.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I'm curious about you, Bruce Carter."
Back inside the Carter mansion.
Bruce suddenly opened his eyes.
His instincts flared again.
Someone powerful was approaching.
Not physically.
But strategically.
Bruce slowly sat down on the edge of his bed.
His voice was quiet.
"Good."
"The game just became interesting."