The storm over Valemir had passed, but the city's heart still beat with tension.
Inside the inner sanctum of Aeris Holdings' private retreat center—a secluded, glass-walled villa nestled deep within the Virelli Hills—Chess stood barefoot beneath a maple tree. The wind swirled softly through the branches above, carrying with it the scent of burning sandalwood from nearby incense bowls.
He wasn't meditating.
He was waiting.
His robe was plain, black with gold-trim cuffs. No tie. No CEO mask. Just the man. The cultivator. The descendant of the Draconis Lineage, heir to the Obsidian Dragon Sect—the sect now rightfully named and rooted.
And tonight, something stirred in his soul again.
Elsa approached from the villa's stone pathway, her heels soft on the grass. She'd left the sharp suits behind for now. Dressed in a soft maroon sweater and black jeans, hair loosely tied, she looked almost… normal.
But nothing about what they shared was.
"You sent for me," she said gently, studying his face.
Chess didn't look at her right away. "I did."
He turned slowly, his eyes calm yet unreadable—his usual mask—but softened at the edges.
"I need to show you something," he said.
Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Am I going to regret it?"
He gave a faint smirk. "Only if you still think I'm just a mysterious rich guy with good shoulders."
She laughed despite herself. "I stopped thinking that when you flipped a man twice your size across a lobby without blinking."
Chess tilted his head. "I did warn you."
The two walked silently to a circle of stone lanterns. In the center, carved into the grass, was an ancient diagram—the Dragon Vein Seal. It shimmered faintly, alive with dormant energy.
Chess knelt and placed one palm against the center.
The ground vibrated.
Light burst from the lines like molten gold, climbing up through his veins.
Elsa took a step back in awe. Her heart hammered, not from fear—but wonder. Raw, unfiltered wonder.
"This is what you are," she whispered.
Chess looked over his shoulder, eyes glowing faintly. "It's what I was trained to be."
For a long moment, neither spoke. Just the wind and the ancient symbols humming between them.
Then Chess stood.
"You're getting close to the truth, Elsa. I can feel it." His voice dropped lower. "Your trip to Kavaria… the places you've visited… You're not just following my path."
Elsa swallowed. "What do you mean?"
"There's a power inside you too," he said. "Something sealed. Something old."
Elsa froze. "You think I'm—"
"I don't think," Chess said. "I know. I saw it the night you faced down Kip's boardroom trap. That moment you slammed down the data file like thunder? The fire behind your eyes—it wasn't corporate rage. It was... awakened legacy."
Elsa tried to speak, but no words came.
She remembered flashes—of dreams she'd had since childhood. Of symbols, languages she never studied. Of standing beneath twin moons in a forest that didn't exist.
"Why me?" she whispered.
"I think you're part of something much older than either of us," Chess said, stepping closer. "And whatever it is... they're going to come looking for you soon."
He raised his hand slowly, touching her cheek, fingers brushing against her skin like she was something delicate and dangerous.
"I won't let them take you," he whispered.
Elsa's breath caught. Not just from the words. But from how he said them—like a vow from a man who had once vowed to protect the world and lost.
Her lips brushed against his without thinking.
And this time, it wasn't stolen.
It was intentional. Deep. A surge of warmth and longing bound by everything they had never said.
When they finally pulled away, she rested her forehead against his.
"I'm not afraid," she murmured.
"You should be," Chess said with a ghost of a smile. "Because the path we're walking now… there's no turning back."
Just then, a ping rang from Elsa's phone.
She checked it—and froze.
"Jefferson Global's East Asia division just went dark," she said. "No warning. No signals. All communications down."
Chess's eyes narrowed.
"That's not a coincidence," he muttered. "That's a warning."
He turned toward the Dragon Vein circle again, already shifting into a new mode.
War mode.
Elsa stood tall beside him.
This time, they would face it together.