Twinlight

Chapter 8: The Silhouette

How does one survive in this prison prowling with steel beasts?

Elian Thorne couldn't count on Luther Ward, whose origins were murky; revealing his identity as a body-replacer was far too risky.

Nor could he rely on fellow Crossers from his own timeline; their circumstances were far worse than his.

So, Elian chose to disclose his ability to Lucian Reed, proving his usefulness.

Undeniably, Lucian Reed held the most untouchable status within these walls. While risky, this was Elian's best path forward.

Lucian Reed walked away, hands clasped behind his back, radiating an air of calm detachment. Evander Vale and the massive grey cat fell into step beside him, while Silas Locke vanished with his usual mischievous grin, destination unknown.

Lunchtime hadn't officially arrived, yet the serving hatch slid open early, solely for Lucian.

Evander fetched meals for both Lucian and the cat. The feline lord sniffed disdainfully before picking at its food.

Suddenly, Silas materialized, kicking off his shoes and perching barefoot on a chair opposite Lucian's table.

The cat shot him a withering glance. Evander frowned. "Show some respect in front of the Boss."

Silas rolled his eyes. "The Boss doesn't mind. Don't be such a mother hen, Evander."

A faint smile touched Lucian's lips. "I take it your search yielded something?"

"Big time!" Silas practically vibrated with excitement, leaning forward. "Get this, Boss. Elian Thorne's profile outside? Spotless. Too clean. No anomalies, no breadcrumbs. That’s what got my antennae twitching."

"Because it was *too* clean?" Lucian prompted.

"Exactly!" Silas jabbed a finger at the table. "His file paints him as a Metropolis 18 high schooler. Parents bought it in a crash. Inherited some scratch. No priors, no record, no living relatives." He ticked the points off on his fingers.

"Conviction?" Lucian asked.

"Theft. Case file says he swiped a holo-phone – just valuable enough to cross the sentencing threshold," Silas explained. "But you know the score here, Boss. Over half the inmates are hardened criminals or tax-evading lifers bagged by the IRS. A small-time thief like him? He doesn't belong in the big leagues. Prison 18 eats guys like him for breakfast."

That Silas had accessed the case file so swiftly spoke volumes about his unnerving efficiency.

Silas leaned in conspiratorially. "I made some calls topside. His case stinks. Claims he bought the holo-phone legit, paid cash. Seller supposedly never registered the sale, and the security footage conveniently glitched out, tanking his shot at proving innocence. If the seller recants and testifies, or that payment vid surfaces? Poof! He walks. Sound familiar? That’s textbook for a plant sent in to 'handle business'."

Lucian steepled his fingers. "Sentence?"

"Six lousy months," Silas scoffed. "Probably the shortest stint in Prison 18 history. Don't you see the glaring issue, Boss? And he’s a *Thorne*!"

The surname Thorne carried immense, almost gravitational weight in this era. The Five Conglomerates held monopolies on nearly every vital artery of commerce. One bore that very name.

Thorne was also uncommon. Meeting one inevitably sparked the hushed question: *Connected?*

"Continue," Lucian murmured, his smile deepening like a hidden blade.

"You recall Luther Ward? The small fry the Thorne Consortium dropped in a while back?" Silas said. "Easy enough to trace. But the *why*? Why send such a minnow into shark-infested waters? What was the play?"

"I recall Luther Ward," Evander rumbled, his voice like distant thunder. "He’s been busy consolidating the local factions."

"Right!" Silas's eyes gleamed. "Waltzed in, leveraged his high-end cybernetics to bully the prison's power blocs, and within a month carved out a messy triad standoff. I thought the Thornes had lost their marbles, sending a guppy to try and take over this joint."

"The Consortium knows the Boss resides here," Evander stated flatly. The unspoken truth hung heavy: No one took over with Lucian Reed present.

Silas’s grin turned feral. "Exactly! So yeah, I figured the Thornes were nuts. Until today. Now it clicks. Luther Ward was just paving the way. Whatever grand scheme the Thornes are cooking up, Elian Thorne is the key player. Luther? Just the errand boy."

Silas paused, scratching his head in genuine bewilderment. "But *why* send their princeling here? If Elian is genuine Thorne royalty, why dump him in this cesspit?"

Lucian's voice dropped to a low, resonant note. "The Consortium is likely selecting its next Silhouette."

Both Evander and Silas froze mid-motion. "The next Silhouette?" Silas breathed. "Elian is a candidate? So he's here on a mission."

A conglomerate of such colossal scale needed both a respectable face and a hidden fist.

The Patriarch was the face; the Silhouette was the fist.

The Silhouette handled the black operations, wielding immense, shadowy power as the undisputed master of the Thorne underworld, answerable solely to the Patriarch.

However, the selection process for each generation's Silhouette was notoriously brutal – a vicious game of pitting vipers in a pit.

"It seems the Thornes are preparing to stir the pot once more," Lucian observed, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.

As he spoke, an inmate drifted too close. Evander didn't even turn his head fully; just a fraction, his gaze locking onto the man from five meters away. The sheer, palpable intensity radiating from that look hit the inmate like a physical blow, instantly rerouting him elsewhere.

The trio let the sensitive topic dissolve into silence. Silas shifted gears: "Boss, even if he *is* a Silhouette candidate, why scrub his background squeaky clean? It’s like they severed all ties to the Consortium."

Lucian chuckled softly, a dry sound. "Thornes are clever as devils. Speculation is futile. We watch and wait." He gathered the large grey cat into his lap, fingers finding the perfect spot under its chin. The feline rumbled, a deep purr of contentment, melting into lazy bliss on Lucian's legs, eyes squeezed shut in ecstasy.

His gaze, sharp and calculating, settled back on Silas. "This Elian Thorne intrigues me further. Go. Test his mettle."

Silas blinked, stunned. "Boss? You see potential in him? He’s Consortium! Not one of our kind!"

"I merely said test him," Lucian corrected, his smile widening into something dangerous and inviting. "I haven't decided to do anything else... yet." He paused, his eyes glinting with cold amusement. "Besides... wouldn't snatching someone right out from under the Thorne Consortium's nose be... *fascinating*?"