"THE SHADOW SYNDICATE" (Under Editing)

Chapter 3

"ELOWEN POV".......

Elowen’s apartment was her sanctuary, a place where the world couldn't touch her. The hum of the city outside her window was distant, almost muffled, as if it respected the invisible barrier she had erected around herself. She sat on the edge of her bed, lost in thought, her fingers idly tracing the edges of an old photograph, her mind a million miles away.

A sudden knock at the door jolted her back to reality. It was a rare sound—no one visited her. She stood still, listening, hoping the person would go away. But the knock came again, more insistent this time.

With a sigh, Elowen rose from the bed, her bare feet silent on the wooden floor. She approached the door cautiously, her hand hovering over the doorknob for a moment before she finally turned it.

The door swung open to reveal Emilio, her brother, standing in the hallway. Beside him was Dr. Alessandro, his expression as unreadable as ever. The sight of them together sent a chill down Elowen’s spine. They looked out of place, like dark omens in her quiet world.

“Emilio,” she said, her voice betraying none of the anxiety bubbling inside her. “What are you doing here?”

“Can we come in?” Emilio’s tone was soft, almost pleading. It wasn’t like him, and that alone made her uneasy.

Elowen stepped aside, allowing them into the apartment. Emilio glanced around, his eyes taking in the sparse furnishings, the empty walls. Alessandro, on the other hand, seemed to be observing Elowen herself, his gaze lingering on her face as if searching for something.

“What’s going on?” Elowen asked, closing the door behind them. The tension in the room was suffocating, pressing down on her chest.

Emilio didn’t answer immediately. He moved to the small living room, sitting down on the couch with a heaviness that made Elowen’s heart sink. Alessandro remained standing, his hands in his pockets, his eyes never leaving her.

“We need to talk,” Emilio finally said, his voice low. “There’s something you need to know.”

Elowen’s breath caught in her throat. She could tell from his tone that whatever he was about to say would change everything. But before he could continue, she shook her head, stepping back as if to distance herself from the impending revelation.

“I don’t want to hear it,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. But even as she said it, she knew it was a lie. She did want to know—needed to know—yet the fear of what it might be kept her rooted in place.

Emilio looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and determination. Alessandro finally spoke, his voice calm and measured.

“Elowen, this isn’t something you can run from. You need to hear this.”

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay composed, though every instinct screamed at her to flee. The weight of their words loomed over her, but just as Emilio opened his mouth to speak again, the scene abruptly shifted.

---

Lucian sat behind his massive desk, frustration etched into his features. The sleek, modern lines of his office offered no comfort as he scoured through files, reports, and digital archives. He had tasked his most trusted men with a simple job: find out everything there was to know about Elowen Morozov.

Yet, after days of searching, they had come back empty-handed. It was as if she didn’t exist. No records, no history—nothing. She had slipped through the cracks of society, a ghost in the system.

“How is it possible that there’s nothing on her?” Lucian muttered to himself, drumming his fingers on the desk. He didn’t believe in coincidences. If there was no information, it was because someone had gone to great lengths to erase it.

He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. This mystery gnawed at him, intrigued him in a way few things did. Who was she, really? And why had she been hidden so well?

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Lucian didn’t bother to look up as one of his men entered, holding a sleek black envelope.

“This just arrived for you, boss,” the man said, placing the envelope on the desk before stepping back.

Lucian eyed the envelope with mild interest. It was unusual, to say the least. The paper was thick, expensive, and the seal on the back bore no emblem he recognized. He reached for it, carefully breaking the seal and pulling out the contents.

As he read the letter inside, his expression darkened. Whatever was written there clearly had an impact on him, but instead of revealing it to the readers, the narrative cuts off, leaving the letter’s contents a mystery.

Lucian set the letter down, his mind racing with possibilities. The invitation was unexpected, to say the least, and though the details were unclear, it was clear that this was something he couldn’t ignore.

With a final glance at the letter, Lucian rose from his chair, his decision made. Whatever was coming, he would face it head-on, as he always did.

But as he left the office, the unanswered questions about Elowen still lingered in his mind, pushing him to find the truth, no matter what it took.