As I walked down the dimly lit streets, the air crisp and cool, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I glanced at the caller ID—
Abigail Bardot.
I smirked, already knowing what this call was about.
Sliding my finger across the screen, I answered, keeping my voice calm and formal.
"Good evening, Ms. Bardot. Anything I can assist with?"
Her voice came through the speaker, agitated, on edge.
"Samuel, what have you done?!" she snapped. "Joshua is receiving calls from the police! They want to interrogate him!"
I could hear the worry in her tone. The panic. The desperation.
Funny.
If only she had worried this much about Samuel when he was alive.
I let out a small chuckle, adjusting the cuffs of my black coat.
"Ms. Bardot," I began, my voice smooth, "as you can see, Mr. Lavere falsely accused me and sent his teenage fans to frame me. But, of course, you're more worried about him than the truth."
Silence.
I continued, not giving her a chance to interrupt.
"Well, I can't blame you." I smirked. "After all, you've spent years ensuring my public humiliation. It wouldn't surprise me if this was another one of your little schemes."
"Samuel, don't accuse me—"
I cut her off, my tone sharpening.
"I don't care about your lies."
I stopped walking, standing under the glow of a streetlamp, my emerald eyes cold and unyielding.
"If you want to save your lover, tell him to release a video statement. He needs to publicly say it was all a misunderstanding, that his fans acted without his knowledge."
My smirk widened, voice dropping into something mocking, merciless.
"There's no direct evidence of Joshua accusing me, is there? But his fans acted on his behalf. That's more than enough for police to keep digging."
I could almost hear her grinding her teeth.
"As for that little fan of his? You have two options."
"One—bribe the police and erase the charges."
"Or two—let him rot behind bars. I don't care either way."
A shiver ran through the call. Even without seeing her, I knew—she felt it. The emptiness in my voice.
Her next words, however, made me laugh.
"Samuel… how can you be so heartless? Don't you worry about that child's future?"
Heartless?
My eyes darkened.
A deep, hollow laugh escaped my lips.
Then, I whispered—"Ms. Bardot, why would I care about children… when you took mine from me?"
The other end of the line went dead silent.
I continued, my voice turning into something icy, unforgiving.
"Do you remember, Ms. Bardot?"
I could almost picture her expression—wide-eyed, lips trembling.
"Five years ago, when we were still loyal to each other… when you were pregnant with our child… and you aborted them without even telling me?"
I exhaled, staring at the night sky.
"And for what?" My lips curled in disgust. "Because you wanted to 'stabilize the company'? Because you thought a child would slow you down?"
"Samuel—"
"Did you ever even have a heart to begin with?"
Silence again.
I let out a bitter chuckle.
"But you know what, Ms. Bardot? Maybe you did the right thing."
I paused, letting the words sink in before delivering the final blow.
"Because if that child had been born, they would've been just like you."
My voice dropped, venom lacing every syllable.
"A monster who kills their own father without a second thought."
Then—I hung up.
I didn't need to hear her excuses. Her regrets. Her meaningless justifications.
That woman had already buried Samuel Gebb once.
Now, she could choke on the consequences.
I exhaled slowly, slipping my phone back into my pocket.
The cold night air wrapped around me, but I barely felt it. Abigail's words, her guilt, her regrets—none of it mattered anymore.
She was a ghost of the past.
And I was already looking toward the future.
"System," I muttered, my emerald eyes narrowing. "Are there any quests available?"
A familiar blue screen flickered into existence before me.
---
[Available Quests]
1. The Vanishing District – Entire blocks of the city are disappearing overnight. No traces, no survivors. The only clue left behind is a single word carved into the pavement: "Requiem." Investigate before the city itself ceases to exist.
(Reward: +15 Intelligence, +8 Agility, Hidden Ability Unlock)
2. The Demon's Gambit – A powerful entity has infiltrated high society, disguising itself as a human. It feeds on power and corruption, growing stronger by the day. Find it. Expose it. Destroy it.
(Reward: +12 Strength, +10 Charisma, Unique Demon Slayer Weapon)
3. A Ghost from the Past – A name you haven't heard in years suddenly resurfaces—a man who should be dead. They say he's been asking about you. Find him and uncover the truth before he finds you first.
(Reward: ???)
---
I smirked as I scanned the options.
Each one sounded more dangerous than the last.
Each one promised blood, chaos, and the thrill of the hunt.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhilaration burning in my veins.
"Interesting…"
Then, after a brief moment of thought, I made my choice.
"Activate Quest 3—A Ghost from the Past."
The System hummed.
[Quest Activated]
[Tracking Target…]
The screen flickered, then displayed a single location.
"Black Sun Tavern – Midnight."
I let out a low chuckle, my fingers tightening into fists.
"A man who should be dead, huh?"
My smirk widened.
"Let's see if he still bleeds."