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Thunder snarled across the sky as bruised storm clouds smothered, swallowing almost all sunlight before it could touch the earth.
The world lay under a dim, oppressive twilight.
BOOM!
A crack of violet lightning tore through the sky, its glow briefly illuminating the raging sea below.
Winds howled violently, lifting the waves into towering giants that crashed against the jagged cliffs, shattering into showers of white foam.
Deep beneath the blackened waters, enormous silhouettes drifted past hulking, ancient creatures that belonged to the abyss itself. Their presence alone carried the weight of death and disaster.
Then a pair of crimson eyes opened in the darkness.
They rose like twin lanterns emerging from the deep, vicious and hungry. The gaze climbed the cliffside, locking onto the ancient fortress perched atop the rocky bluffs.
But behind the malice, another emotion flickered.
Fear.
A tremor ran through the waters. With a violent splash, the creature sank back into the depths, retreating into the abyss with an unwilling hiss.
Even the monsters of the deep dared not provoke what lived inside that fortress.
Grimshore Cliff Headquarters of the Phantom Order
Tap… tap… tap…
Footsteps echoed along a long, dim hallway.
A tall figure walked alone, the flickering wall lamps casting his shadow in uneven shapes on the stone walls.
Golden hair, well-kept and glossy.
A crisp black uniform trimmed with gold.
Blue eyes sharp yet clouded with unease.
It was Giek, the Phantom Order's golden agent the same man who once pursued Kael's tracks.
Today, the usual arrogance on his face had vanished.
He looked almost… tense.
After all — the mission had failed.
The underground laboratory was wiped out.
Dr. Dar and every operative stationed there were killed by the escaped experimental Pokémon or by the nightmare entity that appeared afterward.
And the one responsible for it all, the experimental Machop, had vanished into human territory.
Into Ignis City, one of the Nine Great Cities protected by a Dragonite guardian and multiple Elite-class trainers.
Giek had no choice.
He couldn't enter the city and risk exposing the Order.
He had to return, report, and face judgment.
He sighed, adjusting his collar as he mentally prepared an explanation.
Soon, the hallway opened into a heavy wooden door.
He knocked—three soft taps.
"Come in."
A smooth, mature woman's voice drifted from inside.
Giek pushed the door open.
A lavish study revealed itself:
Mahogany shelves overflowing with books, soft carpets, and a crystal chandelier bathing the room in gentle amber light.
At the center sat a woman behind a small desk poised, elegant, and chilling.
The Raven Queen.
Leader and founder of the Phantom Order.
Her long, dark violet hair flowed like silk down her shoulders.
Her crescent-shaped eyebrows and narrow phoenix-like eyes exuded a cold, sharp beauty.
Even wearing a loose indoor robe, she radiated an effortless, dangerous allure.
She closed her book slowly, placing it aside.
Propping her chin on pale fingers, she gazed at Giek.
"Welcome back," she said softly.
"So? Did you retrieve Dr. Darrell?"
Giek froze.
He lowered his head, voice barely above a whisper.
"…No. An unexpected complication occurred."
"Oh?"
Her tone sharpened, icy and amused.
"Explain."
Giek swallowed and recounted everything the destroyed base, the escaped experiment, the nightmare creature, and the trail leading into Ignis City.
As he spoke, the atmosphere thickened.
The air itself felt heavier, colder, suffocating.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
He lowered his head even further, trembling slightly, sensing the gathering danger.
The room fell silent.
Then—
"Ha… ha…"
A soft laugh.
Then a louder one.
Then elegant, ringing laughter spilled from the Raven Queen as if Giek had just told her the most delightful joke in the world.
"A Machop…" She nearly doubled over, hand over her lips. "One little Machop caused all that? Oh, Giek…"
His face twisted into an awkward smile.
But the moment he dared lift his head—
THUD.
Pain exploded in his gut.
He collapsed to his knees like a puppet whose strings had been cut. A shadow slid across the carpet beneath him silent, sinister.
Tap… tap…
High heels clicked as the Raven Queen approached.
Her perfect legs stepped into view elegant, deadly.
She crouched, running a cold, smooth finger along Giek's cheek.
He shuddered violently.
Her touch felt like a serpent tasting its prey.
"Don't—don't!" His voice broke. "Give me one more chance. Please… just one more chance!"
He bowed, forehead pressed against the carpet.
"Please… I won't fail again. I swear it. Please…!"
The Raven Queen smiled down at him, a smile as beautiful as it was terrifying.
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