Ethan's private elevator hummed quietly as he descended through the layers of the Dragon Chamber skyscraper. Each floor was a world unto itself data centers humming with silent intelligence, financial analysts whose faces never left the screens, and operatives whose eyes were always scanning for anomalies. But he didn't stop to greet anyone. Not tonight. His mind was already elsewhere on the Mitchells, on their crumbling empire, and on the unseen eyes that had just glimpsed him from across the city.
By the time he reached the underground command floor, the air was thick with tension. Lights flickered along the edges of holographic maps, highlighting the locations of key assets, stock holdings, and Mitchell Group subsidiaries. Every line, every node, every blinking dot represented power he could move, crush, or control. He didn't feel joy. Not yet. He felt the familiar pulse the calm certainty of a predator preparing for the hunt.
"Master Ethan," Miller said, stepping lightly behind him. His scarred face was pale under the flickering lights. "Reports indicate several suspicious movements around the Mitchell estate. Someone has been watching the compound for weeks."
Ethan didn't flinch. "Good. Let them watch. Let them think they understand the board they're on." He tapped the tablet on the desk, and the screens multiplied, showing cameras he had secretly installed months ago, drones silently hovering just out of sight. The Mitchell mansion appeared—silent, grand, almost serene under the moonlight—but Ethan knew better. Fear had already begun to seep into the walls. The household didn't realize it yet, but every decision, every step they took, was being quietly rewritten.
Miller hesitated. "Sir… there's another anomaly. A figure, high above the city, moving between rooftops. Not part of your usual surveillance… seems… aware."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He didn't move. His pulse slowed, every nerve primed. The Golden Finger beneath his skin thrummed faintly, a low, golden resonance that felt almost alive. Whoever it was had sensed the Dragon's awakening. Whoever it was… wanted to play.
"Keep tracking," Ethan said. "But do not engage. I want to see how bold they are."
The screens shifted again, this time showing subtle financial movements. The Mitchell Group was already slipping. Their debts were being quietly purchased in the shadows. Suppliers were calling, worried; clients were reconsidering contracts. The Mitchells' empire was bending, and yet, from the outside, it appeared untouched. That was the beauty of the strategy controlled chaos.
And then Ethan's mind flickered to Lisa. The vision came unbidden, his Dragon Sight revealing the black mist that had never fully healed. She was fine… for now. But he couldn't ignore it. He needed her alive. Not for mercy, not for love never that but because a collapse now without understanding every variable could risk something he hadn't accounted for.
A notification blinked on the tablet. One of the subsidiary companies had been targeted by a hostile takeover attempt subtle, almost imperceptible. A minor player, seemingly disconnected from the Mitchells, was trying to leverage an inside investor. The numbers were off, suspicious, almost deliberate. Ethan leaned in closer.
"Interesting," he murmured. "Someone is testing the waters."
Miller didn't respond. He simply waited, knowing better than to interrupt.
Ethan rose from the console, his shadow stretching long across the floor. "Get me a list of every individual who has been within five blocks of the Mitchell estate in the last thirty days," he ordered. "I want names, schedules, patterns, associations. I want them cross-referenced with every security camera, every social media post, every transaction."
"Yes, Master," Miller replied, moving like a ghost.
The Dragon's eyes flicked back to the holographic projection of the city. A thin layer of clouds hung over the skyline, catching the reflections of neon lights. Every office, every street corner, every apartment could hide a threat. Ethan smiled faintly. This city thought it had rules. It had thought it had order. The Dragon was awake, and rules had no meaning here.
Hours passed, and Ethan didn't stop. The building itself seemed alive under his command. Drones rose silently from hidden docks, surveilling the city. Algorithms crunched data at speeds no human mind could match. Financial reports, stock trends, political influence maps all of it converged, filtered through the Dragon's sight. A pattern emerged: someone was deliberately testing the Mitchells. Someone wanted chaos.
Ethan leaned back, letting the images swirl in his mind. And then it clicked a series of small transactions, almost meaningless on their own, formed a pattern when viewed through the Dragon's eye. This wasn't about wealth. This was about control. Someone was laying the groundwork for something bigger, something he hadn't expected.
Miller's voice interrupted the growing tension. "Sir… one of the cameras captured movement at the Mitchell estate. Unidentified. Night vision shows a shadow crossing the grounds, near the guest house."
Ethan's Golden Finger pulsed. He could feel it—the subtle heartbeat of fear in the air, the almost imperceptible shifts in energy as someone trespassed on his board. He didn't rush. That wasn't his way.
"Good," he said softly. "Let them move. Let them make their mistakes."
The Dragon's plan wasn't about reacting it was about anticipating. Every move the Mitchells made, every step they took in desperation, would be subtly manipulated. And the intruder whatever their purpose would provide more information than they realized.
Ethan rose and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. The Mitchell estate glimmered in the distance, silent, unknowing, trapped in the first tremors of the storm. He could see Lisa's faint figure moving near the balcony still unaware of the invisible hand guiding her life. His pulse didn't quicken. It never did. Not yet. He observed. Calculated. Waited.
"Prepare a detailed report on every Mitchell employee," he said, voice calm but firm. "And send discreet warnings to the top five banks holding their debt. Nothing public yet. Let them sweat, let them fear, but not yet see the Dragon."
Miller bowed, understanding perfectly. He left the room, leaving Ethan alone with the glow of the Golden Finger beneath his skin, pulsing steadily.
Ethan's eyes narrowed as he scanned the holographic city once more. Somewhere out there, a new player had entered the game. Someone bold, someone dangerous. A shadow with intent.
And yet… they hadn't met him yet.
A low hum of energy vibrated through the Dragon Chamber, and Ethan extended a hand, feeling the currents of possibility weaving through the city. Each thread, each chance, each hesitation in the people around him could be spun, twisted, and redirected.
He allowed himself a thin, sharp smile. "Let the games begin," he whispered.
And then, from a hidden rooftop halfway across the city, a lone figure watched. Their eyes gleamed with anticipation, and a device in their hand pulsed faintly. The Dragon had returned, yes but he was not the only one awakened.
Somewhere in the shadows, the first move of the unknown adversary had already been made.
Ethan didn't know it yet. But he would. Soon
TO BE CONTINUED...
What do you think? Share your thoughts.