Speak of the devil 😈😇

------In top floor of a skyscraper in the heart of Greenville city, a city of connections The silence in the office was deceptive. Too still. Too quiet. Until— Crash! The glass paperweight shattered against the far wall, fragments of crystal scattering like bloodied ice. Kaelion stood behind his desk, shoulders squared, chest rising with tight, measured breaths. But his eyes—those cold amber eyes—were ablaze with fury. “What do you mean,” his voice dropped, low and venom-laced, “you can’t find him?” The words weren’t shouted, but they thundered through the room. The air shifted—denser, colder, as if the temperature had plummeted in seconds. Two men stood before him. Senior security agents. Hardened men, trained for chaos. Yet now, they bowed their heads like schoolboys caught in a lie, unable to meet his gaze. Kaelion's fingers flexed at his sides, his jaw twitching as he tried—barely succeeded—in not flipping the desk. “I asked a question,” he said again, louder this time. “Answer me.” The sound of his voice—steel dragged against ice—ripped through the room. It pierced their lungs, clawing at their breath, making it nearly impossible to speak. Finally, one man—Dane—stepped forward, voice trembling. “Sir we real didn't know how everything happened" Dane a body guard mustered up the courage and said kalieon scoffed on hearing that "I do not condole incompetence around me and I thought you all should have known better" he added his voice sounding like it could kill someone in a second The whole room was ice cold just like that of a mortuary "Dane" he called his most trusted bodyguard "Y-Yes sir" he answered his head down not daring to raise it up "Didn't you take my little brother Elias to Greenville Archives and research center, what happened, why didn't you come back with him?" he asked him as his whole veins pooped out his skin This is a really rare scene of seeing kaleion really tensed "Sir he went to the bathroom and never came out we really don't know where he went to and we searched for him but we couldn't find him" he spoke his voice shaking "We didn't know if he got kidnapped and W-We reviewed the surveillance, sir. It’s—” he swallowed. “It’s not random. Could he have been there away by someone tied to Lucien Vaughn.” Kaelion’s eyes narrowed. “Lucien.” He said the name like it tasted of ash. And then—in one swift, unhesitating movement—he stood, the chair scraping behind him. The movement was precise. Controlled. But inside him, a storm was screaming. He strode toward the doors, long strides of pure purpose. The two men stumbled backward to give him space. His amber eyes glinted—a storm frozen in molten gold. “Dane,” he said, voice low, flat, and final. The guard stiffened. “Take me to the company,” Kaelion said, each word slicing like broken glass. “Now.” “Yes, sir.” “And inform the owner before we arrive. Tell him I’m coming. And that he better have answers.” Kaelion moved fast—too fast for thought. His long strides echoed across the corridor like falling hammers. The doors burst open. His coat flared behind him like wings of ice. Staff froze in place, parting like terrified shadows. He stepped into the waiting vehicle. The interior of the car, sleek and silent, became colder than the wind outside. Nobody dared breathe. Not the driver. Not the guards. The air was thick—frozen with tension. Kaelion stared straight ahead, jaw clenched, amber eyes unblinking. His thoughts were no longer thoughts. They were war. Rage. And beneath that, somewhere buried like a flicker in frost: fear. Fear for a boy who had smiled at him just earlier today. The car screeched to a stop. Kaelion stepped out. The building in front of him wasn’t grand or intimidating—it was ordinary. A research facility nestled on the outskirts of the city. But his glare made it shake like a kingdom awaiting judgment. He looked at the building like it had personally dared to breathe in his direction. "So this is it," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. “This place...” His voice was low, guttural. “This place will remember me. This company has chosen a very long, painful road. And I intend to walk it—stone by stone—until they kneel.” His guards flinched. Kaelion didn’t wait. He turned and stormed toward the glass doors of the facility—a force of nature wrapped in black wool and wrath. The cold followed him. And the building didn’t know yet— It was already burning. -----********------ Greenville City was loud—but Lanora was always louder. Joey cackled so hard her gum almost flew out of her mouth. "Wait—wait! You’re telling me you’d marry a man who wears socks with sandals, as long as he’s rich?" Lana dipped her fries in garlic mayo, popped one into her mouth, and smirked. “If the money's right? Baby, I’ll help him pick the sandals.” They burst into laughter—loud, unfiltered, drawing side-eyes from the older couple two tables over. But neither of them cared. The sun was golden, the café was cozy, and the world felt like it had finally loosened its grip for a second. Greenville City thrived in little pockets like this—bustling sidewalks, neon signs trying too hard, and overpriced iced coffees Lana kept buying anyway. She leaned back in her seat, sunglasses pushed up in her hair, a gleam in her brown eyes that said she knew she didn’t have life figured out yet… but wasn’t too pressed about it. “I swear,” Joey said between sips of her smoothie, “one day you’re gonna meet some weird tech billionaire. Tall, mysterious, emotionally unavailable. He’ll probably have a tragic backstory, like, ‘my mom died from an overcooked steak,’ or some shit.” Lana laughed so hard she nearly choked. “Please. The only billionaire I want is one who doesn’t talk. Just—hands me a black card and walks away.” “Girl, you’re mad.” “Delightfully.” They stayed like that for a while, teasing, gossiping about celebrities they’d never meet, and rating men that passed by with dramatic gasps and head turns. It was their thing. Joey was her chaos twin, her ride-or-die since secondary school. Lana could never explain why they clicked so well—Joey was impulsive, always 10 seconds from drama, while she preferred to flirt with it from a distance. But maybe that was why it worked. “Alright,” Joey finally said, standing up and stretching. “Some of us have jobs.” Lana snorted. “You work two hours a day and complain for five.” “I’m spiritually exhausted, Lana.” “Aren’t we all.” They hugged like they hadn’t just seen each other yesterday, and when Joey walked off down the busy street, Lana lingered for a moment. The truth was—life was starting to feel… repetitive. She had turned twenty-two last week, and even though her grandparents had baked her a cake and Joey had taken her out dancing, there was still this tight, hollow spot in her chest. Like something was missing. Something big. She just didn’t know what. --- The Next Morning Lana woke to the sound of birds and the feel of sunlight creeping across her cheeks. She groaned, burying her face into the pillow. Her parents’ house was always too bright, too early. Still, there was something soft about it—the warmth of the old house, the scent of oatmeal cooking in the kitchen, the low hum of her father’s radio drifting from the living room. She got up slowly, tugging on her robe, and made her way to the kitchen. “Morning, darling,” her mother said, placing a steaming cup of tea on the table. “You’ve got that frown again. Nightmares?” “More like adulting,” Lana mumbled, sitting down and taking a grateful sip. Her father peeked in from the hallway, giving her his usual gentle nod. “Don't let the world rush you, Lana. It'll wait.” If only that were true. After breakfast, she got dressed—high-waisted jeans, a soft pink top, sneakers, and her usual winged eyeliner sharp enough to hurt feelings. Then she headed to work. Her job at the Greenville Archives & Research Center wasn’t glamorous, but it paid. And it was quiet. Lana handled data input, file digitization, and some mild tech stuff when systems glitched. Most days, it was just her, a few old employees with coffee breath, and the sound of humming servers. She liked it. Or at least, she used to. That was before Kaelion walked in. --- The Man Who Changed Everything She was seated at her desk, headphones on, quietly tapping at her keyboard when the door slammed open. At first, she thought it was a delivery guy or maybe someone lost. But then she saw him. Tall. Impeccably dressed. Black suit, no tie, long coat trailing behind him. His skin was smooth, deep brown and flawless, and his jawline looked like it had been sculpted by God on a day He was feeling extra. His eyes were obsidian. Cold. Calculating. Two men followed him—tall, serious, definitely bodyguards. He moved like the room belonged to him. Lana pulled off her headphones, blinking. “Can I help you?” she asked. The man’s voice was cool. “I need access to your security footage. Immediately.” She frowned. “I’m sorry—who are you?” “Kaelion,” he said, as if that was supposed to explain everything. “I’m here on personal business. I need to review the surveillance recordings from this building. All entrances and exits for today.” Lana raised an eyebrow. “That’s… not how this works.” He didn’t blink. “Then call someone who can make it work.” At first, his tone had been calm—controlled. But now there was an edge to it. The kind that rubbed her the wrong way. “I can’t just give you that,” she said. “This is a secure database. You’ll need clearance.” Kaelion’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I don’t have time for protocol.” “And I don’t have time for men walking in here barking orders like I’m Alexa.” lana responded as she raised her head and locked her gaze with him just to show him that she won't back down easily For the first time, his lips twitched The atmosphere grew colder as they started at each other intently A few awkward seconds passed before their head supervisor, Mr. Heller, walked in and instantly turned to mush when Kaelion introduced himself. Apparently, he was Kaelion Vale, a name big enough to make powerful men sweat and little offices bow. With a few fast approvals and a flash of some document, the footage was retrieved. Lana didn’t say another word. She just stared at him—at the way his eyes scanned the screen, cold and focused. Whatever he was looking for, he didn’t find it. But as he left, he looked at her once more. This time, he didn’t speak. Just nodded—slightly. And walked away. --- That Evening “So let me get this straight,” Joey said, wide-eyed. “He walks in, looks like an absolute god, tells you to pull up the tapes like this is an episode of CSI, and then just leaves?” Lana was sprawled on Joey’s couch, her hair in a bun, socks mismatched, still annoyed. “Yes.” “And he was fine?” “Joey.” “On a scale of one to ‘I’d risk it all’—” “I hate that man,” Lana cut in, grabbing a throw pillow and burying her face in it. “From now on, I hate that man.” Joey cackled. “Baby, that’s how it always starts.”