Chapter 2
The year was 2007. Twelve long years had passed since the brutal conflict between Corlow and Aindun began, yet a definitive resolution remained out of reach. The war had been ignited by a devastating act of treachery: the assassination of the Chief of Special Intelligence, a man of legendary standing and Rayhon's father. The architect of this betrayal was Durhon, Einsa's father.
Durhon had executed a chillingly long-term plan. He had moved his family next door to Chief Welon Kosun, living as a sleeper agent for three years to bleed Corlow of its most guarded secrets. When Aindun believed they had found every weakness, they struck. However, Welon had anticipated the betrayal, leaving behind strategic traps that prevented Corlow's total fall, though it cost him his life.
Before the final assault, Durhon had evacuated his family back to Aindun via the sea, staying behind only to ensure Welon's demise. He knew it was a suicide mission. As Durhon turned his weapon toward a young Rayhon, Corlow's soldiers swarmed the area, gunning him down before he could finish the job. Rayhon survived, but his soul was scorched. When he realized Einsa was gone—fled to the enemy's side—his grief curdled into a cold, hard vow.
"Einsa... I trusted you. Was your entire life a lie? Were you part of his plan?" he had whispered to the empty air. "I promise you, one day, I will find you. And when I do, I will be the shadow of death you never saw coming."
By 2007, Rayhon had followed his father's blood-stained footsteps. At twenty-eight, he was no longer a grieving boy; he was a high-level, elite operative for Special Intelligence.
The afternoon sun beat down on a ten-story apartment complex. Rayhon stood on the balcony of his fifth-floor flat, dressed in a simple white tea shirt, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Dark circles shadowed his eyes—the physical toll of sleepless nights spent chasing ghosts. His mind was a battlefield of conflicting thoughts.
We were so close, he thought, the smoke curling around his face. I thought she was my everything. But she vanished in the middle of the carnage. Was she innocent, or was she the one who led her father to our doorstep? If she died in the crossfire, my revenge ends with a ghost. But if she is safe in Aindun... do I find her to kill her, or to find the truth?
He was so lost in the past that he didn't notice the cigarette had burned down to the filter. The sting of the ember hitting his skin snapped him back to reality. He cursed softly, flicking the butt away. "Another hollow day. If I want to take my father's place, I can't afford to be this distracted."
Suddenly, his encrypted "secret" phone vibrated. A coded text appeared.
Rayhon, known in the underworld of espionage as Thoro M1, was a master of his craft. No target could escape his telescopic gaze. After the war, Aindun had changed tactics, using terrorist cells to weaken Corlow from within. But the Eagle Team, led by Thoro M1, had dismantled those cells with surgical precision. Now, a new mission awaited him—one that required him to walk directly into the jaws of the beast.
That night, at the secret base, Rayhon stood before the Chief of Intelligence. He bowed his head with grim respect. "Is it time for the 'Bloody Rose' to bloom, Chief?"
The Chief looked at him with a proud, yet heavy expression. "You are just like your father, Rayhon. Brilliant, but reckless. The Bloody Rose will only bloom when the Aindun regime falls. They are stubborn; if we let them rise further, they might even resort to atomic warfare. We don't have the luxury of an equal arsenal. We must weaken them from the inside to force a peace treaty."
The Chief leaned forward. "Thoro M1, your mission is unlike any other. You will enter Aindun not as a soldier, but as a common citizen. You will go to the city of Zakex, settle down, and... start a family. Live a happy, ordinary life."
Rayhon blinked, a rare moment of hesitation crossing his face. "Chief... I understand the espionage part. But what is this about a family? Am I going there to build a home or a trap?"
"Both," the Chief smiled thinly. "If we are to prevent an atomic war that would swallow half the world, we need total cover. In Zakex, there is a man named Joll Hok. Our intel confirms he holds stolen data that is vital to our national security. To get close to him, we need a ghost. Someone who blends in so perfectly that even the walls don't suspect him."
Rayhon lowered his head. "Understood. I will find him. But I'll need his full psychological profile and history before I move."
"I expected nothing less," the Chief replied. "Prepare your departure. Once you cross the border, a deep-cover contact will guide you."
As Rayhon walked out into the cool night air, a bittersweet smile touched his lips. I'm going to her country, he thought. If fate has any mercy left, I will see you again, Einsa. I won't be as foolish as your father was. I will stop the Bloody Rose from turning the world into an ash heap... but I will find my answers.