The day after the festival, Shadowfront's small office overflowed with inquiries. Contracts. Requests. Invitations. Mira managed the chaos with tight precision, sorting through holographic folders while Leon barked orders at the junior hunters.
Kaen leaned back in his creaky chair, feet on the desk, spinning a pen between his fingers. "Business is booming."
Zian paced behind him, flipping through mission summaries. "We're getting too popular. We'll need more structure. A recruitment protocol. A vetting system."
"And a secretary," Mira added, exasperated.
Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of the front bell. A well-dressed woman entered—flanked by two armed bodyguards. She looked twenty-four at most, with piercing eyes, crimson lipstick, and an air of supreme confidence. She walked in like she owned the building.
"I'm Selene Arkwell," she said, offering a sleek business card. "Daughter of Gabriel Arkwell, CEO of Arkwell Industries. And Mira's older sister."
The room froze.
Mira's expression soured instantly. "Selene. What are you doing here?"
Selene smiled thinly. "Checking in. You made quite a splash at the festival. Father noticed. So did I."
Zian raised an eyebrow. Leon tensed slightly. Kaen's curiosity piqued.
"I'm here to invest," Selene continued. "Shadowfront is promising, and I like promising things." She turned her gaze to Kaen. "Especially the unpredictable ones."
"We don't need your money," Mira snapped.
"I'm not here for your approval, little sister." Selene's voice remained cool. "This is business."
Kaen stepped forward. "Let's hear her offer."
Selene met his gaze. "An alliance. Shared profits. Advanced tech from Arkwell R&D. And in return, I want in—on the board, on decisions. I know how to scale empires."
Zian crossed her arms. "We'll vote on it."
"Do that," Selene said, glancing back at Mira. "And Mira… stop hiding in the shadows of weaker people."
Mira's eyes blazed, but Kaen placed a calming hand on her shoulder.
After Selene left, silence lingered.
"She's poison," Mira muttered.
Kaen chuckled. "Sometimes poison makes the strongest cure."
Outside, Selene's voice echoed on her comms. "Yes. The red-eyed one is real. Very real. Keep an eye on him—and Mira."
In the shadows, rivalry burned anew.