Jiang Han floated in darkness.
He felt weightless, as though his body no longer belonged to him. Sounds came in muffled echoes, distant yet persistent. He recognised voices—some familiar, some unknown—but he couldn't grasp them. Time had lost all meaning.
Somewhere beyond the void, he knew people were waiting. Fighting. Hoping.
But for now, all he could do was drift.
---
In the private wing of Seladang General Hospital, Jiang Han lay unconscious, his body still fighting to recover from the brutal injuries sustained during his captivity. The steady rhythm of the heart monitor was the only reassurance his loved ones had that he was still alive.
Outside his room, the tension was suffocating.
Mikhail Darmawan stood by the window, staring blankly at the city skyline. His arms were crossed, his face unreadable, but the restless tapping of his fingers against his elbow betrayed the turmoil within.
Colonel Yusof sat beside him, his expression as calm and firm as ever. But those who knew him well could see the stiffness in his posture—the weight of responsibility pressing down on him.
Jiang Rui, Jiang Han's younger brother, leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets. "It doesn't feel real," he murmured. "He's always been the one taking care of things. Now he's the one who needs saving."
Jiang Wei, their father, nodded solemnly. "Your brother is strong. He'll fight his way back."
Mikhail exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his face. "He always does."
---
In the command centre, Adrian Yong and Sophia Liew worked tirelessly, dissecting the financial records Sophia had uncovered. The second payment to the mercenaries wasn't for Jiang's capture—it was for something else.
Sophia's fingers flew over the keyboard. "I've traced the second payment. It was routed through multiple offshore accounts before landing in a known arms dealer's fund."
Adrian frowned. "Weapons?"
Sophia nodded. "But not just any weapons—high-grade explosives."
Colonel Yusof's voice came through the comms. "Who was the intended target?"
Sophia hesitated. "We don't know yet. But if they were willing to go to this extent to take out Jiang, they won't stop there."
Adrian clenched his jaw. "They're planning something bigger."
Mikhail, having just entered the room, heard those words and immediately stepped forward. "Then we find out what. And we stop it."
---
While the Corps raced against time to uncover the enemy's next move, Jiang Han's battle was far more personal.
Trapped in his unconscious state, Jiang found himself standing in a vast, empty cityscape. Seladang City, but eerily quiet.
He turned, and a familiar figure stood behind him.
"You're taking your time waking up."
Mikhail.
Jiang frowned. "Where are we?"
Mikhail smirked. "In your head, obviously."
Jiang glanced around. "I'm not dead."
Mikhail snorted. "Not yet. But you're making us all nervous out there."
Jiang exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "I can't move. I can't wake up."
Mikhail's expression softened. "Then fight. We need you back."
Jiang looked at his hands. They felt solid. Real.
The city around him shifted, and suddenly, he wasn't alone.
Figures stood in the distance. Shadows of enemies he had fought. Of people he had lost.
Jiang clenched his fists. "I'm not done yet."
Mikhail nodded. "Then wake up."
---
In the hospital room, the heart monitor beeped steadily. Jiang's fingers twitched.
Mikhail, who had been sitting beside the bed, snapped his head up.
"Elisa!" he called.
Elisa Tan, who had been outside speaking with Colonel Yusof, rushed in. "What happened?"
Mikhail pointed at Jiang's hand. "He moved."
Elisa's breath caught.
Then, after a long moment—
Jiang's eyelids fluttered.
The machine's beeping increased. The faintest intake of breath escaped Jiang's lips.
Mikhail surged forward. "Han?"
Jiang's eyes barely opened, hazy and unfocused, but he was there.
Mikhail's lips twitched into a smirk. "Took you long enough."
Jiang's voice was barely above a whisper.
"...Shut up."
A weak chuckle escaped Mikhail. "Yeah, you're fine."
Elisa pressed the call button. "Get the doctor. Now."
---
Seladang City was far from safe.
Jiang Han had survived, but the forces moving against him weren't finished. The Aegis Sentinel Corps had uncovered the second transaction, but they still didn't know its full purpose.
The Architects—the unseen power behind the Apex Circle—were still out there. And they weren't done.
In a dimly lit office somewhere in the city, a woman in a sleek black suit scrolled through an encrypted file on her tablet.
Celeste Moreau's lips curled into a smirk.
"Welcome back, Jiang Han."
She set her tablet down and leaned back in her chair.
"The real game is just beginning."
---
Jiang Han's consciousness wavered, the world around him shifting between reality and the void he had been trapped in. His body felt heavy, his limbs weak, but the voices around him were no longer distant echoes. They were real.
The steady beeping of the heart monitor grounded him. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled his senses. He wasn't in the battlefield anymore. He wasn't in the warehouse.
He was alive.
Slowly, he forced his eyes open, his vision blurring before settling on the faces hovering over him. Mikhail. Elisa. And behind them, Dr Amir Rahman, observing with a sharp, professional gaze.
"Welcome back," Mikhail murmured, his voice gruff with unspoken relief.
Jiang's throat felt dry, his voice barely a whisper. "How long?"
"Two days," Elisa answered, stepping closer. "You've been in critical condition since the surgery."
Jiang tried to move, but a sharp pain lanced through his body. He gritted his teeth, exhaling slowly. "Status?"
Mikhail scoffed. "Of course, that's the first thing you ask."
Dr Amir spoke before anyone else could. "You need to remain still. The internal damage was extensive, and we're monitoring your recovery closely." He folded his arms. "Frankly, you're lucky to be alive."
Jiang gave a faint smirk. "Luck had nothing to do with it."
Mikhail rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You just refused to die out of sheer stubbornness."
Jiang tried to sit up, but Mikhail immediately pushed him back down. "Not happening," he said firmly. "We didn't go through hell just for you to rip your stitches open five minutes after waking up."
Jiang let out a slow breath, conceding. For now.
---
An hour later, Jiang had regained more clarity. His family had come in to see him—his father's firm yet relieved nod, his mother's gentle touch on his hand, his brother's quiet promise to watch over things while he recovered.
But even as they reassured him, Jiang's mind was already racing ahead.
The second payment. The explosives. The enemy that was still out there.
When Mikhail and Adrian returned, Jiang wasted no time. "What's our next move?"
Adrian hesitated before answering. "We traced the second payment, but we still don't have a confirmed target. Whoever orchestrated this is careful."
Sophia's voice came through from the tablet in Adrian's hands. "We've been analysing possible attack sites. The explosives they acquired could be used for anything—from assassinations to large-scale destruction."
Jiang exhaled sharply. "Then we don't wait. We force their hand."
Mikhail raised an eyebrow. "You just woke up from surgery and already want to play bait?"
Jiang met his gaze, his voice unwavering. "I won't let them regroup. We strike first."
Adrian sighed. "Of course you'd say that."
Jiang smirked, though exhaustion still weighed on him. "If I didn't, would I still be Jiang Han?"
Mikhail chuckled, shaking his head. "No. You'd be someone boring."
Adrian nodded. "Fine. But you're not moving until the doctors clear you."
Jiang closed his eyes briefly before reopening them, determination shining through the exhaustion.
"Then let's make sure I recover quickly."
Because the war wasn't over.
And neither was he.