The Northern Forest of Haven stood silent beneath a gray sky.
Towering pine trees stretched endlessly across the rugged landscape.
The dense wilderness covered miles of difficult terrain where even sunlight struggled to reach the ground.
Hidden among the trees...
A small temporary camp sat concealed beneath camouflage nets and carefully arranged foliage.
To anyone passing through the forest, it looked like nothing more than another cluster of bushes.
Yet inside...
Seven Graveyard operatives maintained a constant watch.
Their mission was simple.
Monitor and protect the northern border region.
The provincial army had requested assistance after intelligence reports suggested a sudden surge of narcotics flooding nearby towns.
Soone was moving drugs through the forest.
The route remained unknown.
The smugglers remained unknown.
And that was exactly why Graveyard had been called.
Two operatives lay motionless atop a rocky ridge overlooking the border.
Their bodies were covered in ghillie suits that blended perfectly with the surrounding vegetation.
Powerful sniper rifles rested in their hands.
Hours had passed without movent.
Without targets.
Without anything suspicious.
Finally...
One sniper slowly lowered his binoculars.
"Ti for you to eat."
"Let take the front."
The second sniper exhaled in relief.
"Thanks."
He slowly stretched his stiff muscles.
Then looked toward the endless forest.
"Why do you think they sent us here?"
"We’ve been here for a week."
"We haven’t found anything suspicious."
The first sniper adjusted his scope.
"Apparently the drug market suddenly exploded in the nearby towns."
"The agency thinks they’re being smuggled through the northern forest."
He shrugged.
"Nothing new anyway."
"Last ti I was in the eastern camp."
"Busted a pretty big gang there."
The second sniper packed away so equipnt.
"Still..."
"Isn’t border security the army’s responsibility?"
"Why hire us?"
The first sniper laughed quietly.
"The terrain."
"There are too many wild animals."
"The army doesn’t train for this kind of environnt."
"Even the eastern camp sits on a small island in the middle of the ocean."
"They call us because we’re used to places nobody else wants."
The second sniper nodded.
Then suddenly...
His eyes moved upward.
And froze.
His face instantly lost color.
"What..."
The first sniper frowned.
"What?"
The second operative pointed toward the sky.
His voice trembled.
"Is that a missile?"
The first sniper imdiately looked up.
His eyes widened.
A dark object was screaming through the clouds.
Coming directly toward them.
His instincts took over.
Before he could even think...
The second sniper grabbed him violently.
"RUN!"
The world exploded.
A deafening blast shook the entire mountain.
Fire erupted across the ridge.
The missile slamd into the ground with catastrophic force.
The shockwave launched both operatives into the air.
Trees shattered.
Earth tore apart.
The hillside collapsed beneath them.
Their bodies crashed violently through branches and rocks before hitting the ground.
Pain exploded throughout their bodies.
One operative groaned.
Blood stread down his forehead.
With shaking hands he grabbed his radio.
"Base co in..."
"Base co in..."
"We are attacked..."
Static.
Nothing.
Only static.
Then...
Another missile struck.
BOOM!
The forest shook.
Then another.
BOOM!
Then another.
BOOM!
The entire camp disappeared beneath explosions.
Flas.
Smoke.
Flying debris.
Screams.
And then...
Silence.
The northern camp was gone.
...
Thousands of miles away.
The Eastern Islands.
Another Graveyard outpost.
The ocean waves crashed against rocky shores while operatives monitored equipnt inside a reinforced bunker.
Without warning...
The alarm system exploded with static.
An operative grabbed the radio.
"Base co in..."
"Base co in..."
"We’ve been hit..."
His voice cracked.
"So many missiles..."
The transmission ended abruptly.
...
North East India.
A secluded Graveyard safe house.
Several operatives sat inside a living room reviewing reports.
One was making coffee.
Another cleaned a handgun.
Everything appeared normal.
Then...
CRACK!
The sound of glass breaking echoed throughout the building.
An operative imdiately jumped to his feet.
His eyes widened.
"Grenade!"
Everyone dove for cover.
Bodies hit the floor.
Hands covered heads.
The grenade detonated.
But no shrapnel followed.
Instead...
A thick cloud of gas exploded outward.
Green.
Dense.
Poisonous.
More grenades smashed through windows.
Then more.
And more.
Visibility vanished.
The room disappeared beneath toxic fog.
Operatives coughed violently.
One staggered toward the door.
Trying desperately to escape.
The handle refused to move.
Locked.
Every exit locked.
The coughing intensified.
Bodies collapsed.
One by one.
Then...
Silence.
...
Somalia.
Night.
A maze of slums and ruined buildings.
Gunfire echoed through the darkness.
Tracer rounds streaked through the air.
A wounded Graveyard operative stumbled through an alley.
A tal box remained chained to his arm.
Behind him...
Bodies of comrades littered the streets.
The radio crackled.
"Base co in..."
"Base co in..."
"We are outnumbered..."
"Eight operatives are dead..."
Gunfire interrupted him.
The operative continued running.
Blood soaked his clothing.
The box remained secured beneath his arm.
His mission ca first.
Even now.
"If they find this box..."
"There will be a massacre of innocents..."
He whispered to himself.
Then he stopped.
A group erged from every direction.
Dozens of ard attackers.
Surrounding him completely.
No escape.
No backup.
One attacker stepped forward smiling.
"Say goodbye."
"And go et your friends."
The group laughed.
The operative looked around.
Then down at the grenade in his hand.
His fingers tightened.
A sad smile appeared.
"I am sorry my comrades..."
The pin dropped.
The attackers realized too late.
"RUN!"
A massive explosion engulfed the alley.
The blast wave threw bodies through walls.
Fire consud everything.
Monts later...
One attacker slowly pushed himself off the ground.
His ears rang.
Blood dripped from his forehead.
"Damn..."
"He had guts."
He pulled out a satellite phone.
And dialed a number.
...
Azure Bank Headquarters.
Chongqing, China.
A luxurious office overlooked the city skyline.
The phone continued ringing.
A man stood near the window.
Watching the city below.
Slowly...
He turned.
His appearance was terrifying.
Half of his face was covered in burn scars.
The skin looked twisted and lted.
His body was large and powerful.
Long dark hair rested over his shoulders.
A cigarette burned between his fingers.
The phone rang again.
He finally answered.
"Speak."
The voice from Somalia responded imdiately.
"It’s done sir."
"None of them are alive."
"We suffered casualties though."
"They were very hard to deal with."
The scarred man smiled.
A cruel smile.
"The money has been transferred."
The attacker sounded pleased.
"Thank you sir."
"Call us anyti."
"We’ll handle any job."
The line disconnected.
The office beca quiet.
The scarred man inhaled deeply from his cigarette.
Smoke filled the room.
His eyes looked outside.
The smile slowly widened.
Dangerous.
Filled with madness.
Filled with revenge.
"Ghost..."
His voice was almost a whisper.
Yet sohow it sounded colder than ice.
"I am back."
He crushed the cigarette beneath his fingers.
"And this ti..."
"I will destroy you."
His scarred face twisted into a grin.
"And everyone you care about."
"One..."
"By one..."
.....
Mars Residencies
The elevator doors opened with a soft chi.
Alice stepped out almost imdiately.
Her usually composed face was filled with worry.
The mont she received Chloe’s call, she had left everything behind and rushed over.
The long hallway seed unusually quiet.
She quickly reached the familiar apartnt door.
Without wasting another second, she pressed the doorbell.
Ding.
Then silence.
Alice waited.
No response.
Her anxiety increased.
She pressed it again.
Still nothing.
"Chloe."
"It’s ."
"Please open the door."
A few monts passed.
Then she heard it.
Slow footsteps.
Soft.
The lock clicked.
The door slowly opened.
Alice froze.
Chloe stood there.
Her eyes were red.
Her expression looked lost.
Confused.
Sad.
Hopeful.
Fearful.
A mixture of emotions impossible to describe.
Before Alice could even say anything...
Chloe stepped forward.
And hugged her tightly.
"Lissy..."
The tears that she was trying to hold back finally escaped again.
Alice imdiately wrapped her arms around her.
Her heart hurt seeing her friend like this.
"You are cold."
"Co inside."
"Let’s talk."
"Everything will be alright."
Chloe nodded weakly.
The two won entered the apartnt.
The door closed behind them.
A few minutes later they sat together on the couch.
Alice quietly pulled out her phone.
She pressed a button.
Then placed it beside her without drawing attention to it.
Far away.
Inside an office.
Monica’s phone silently connected.
She listened without saying a word.
Back at the apartnt.
Alice gently held Chloe’s hands.
"Tell what happened."
Chloe lowered her head.
Then slowly began telling everything.
When she finished speaking...
Her voice trembled.
"Did he know I was here?"
"Or was it a coincidence?"
Alice squeezed her hands.
"Maybe it was a coincidence."
"You need to calm down."
"You haven’t even eaten properly."
"I’m here with you."
"You don’t have to face this alone."
The reassurance only made Chloe’s eyes wetter.
For years she had locked these emotions away.
But now...
The walls were breaking.
"I want to et him, Lissy..."
Her voice cracked.
"Grandpa told he doesn’t belong to a normal world like us."
"He said it would be better if I forgot him."
"He said my presence would beco a liability for him."
"He ant sothing different back then..."
"But..."
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I tried."
"I really tried."
"I kept telling myself not to think about him."
"I changed myself."
"I stayed inside."
"I stopped going out."
"I cut myself off from people."
"I thought if enough ti passed..."
"I would forget him."
Her shoulders trembled.
"But I don’t want to forget him."
"I don’t want to."
Alice’s eyes softened.
Chloe continued.
"I want to see him."
"I want to talk to him."
"Like before."
"I regret yelling at him."
"I regret telling him to go away."
"I regret so many things."
"I just..."
Her voice disappeared.
"I miss him..."
Alice imdiately pulled her into another hug.
"It’s okay."
"It’s okay."
"I’m here."
Chloe buried her face into Alice’s shoulder and cried quietly.
Far away.
Monica sat silently.
The call remained connected.
Every word reached her ears.
Even Monica’s eyes beca moist.
She slowly lowered the phone.
The call ended.
She stared at the screen.
Then sighed softly.
"Boss..."
"What did you do..."
She leaned back.
Looking out the window.
"It’s ti."
"You need to et her."
...
Elsewhere.
The ocean breeze moved gently across the coastline.
Miles stood near the shore.
The blue sea stretched endlessly toward the horizon.
His Ducati rested behind him.
The black and red machine reflected the afternoon sunlight.
The wind brushed through his hair.
Yet despite the peaceful scenery...
Sothing felt wrong.
Miles pressed a hand against his chest.
A strange discomfort lingered there.
Not physical pain.
Sothing deeper.
"What is this..."
"Why does my chest feel so heavy..."
His phone suddenly vibrated.
Miles glanced at the screen.
His expression instantly changed.
"Ray?"
He accepted the call.
"Commander."
The voice on the other side sounded unusually serious.
"Miles."
The tone alone was enough.
Sothing was wrong.
Very wrong.
Miles straightened.
"What happened?"
There was a brief silence.
Then Ray spoke.
"Our operation camps and safe houses were attacked today."
Miles frowned.
Ray continued.
"Nine locations."
"Around the world."
The words hit like a hamr.
"We lost more than fifty operatives within a few hours."
Miles froze.
The ocean breeze suddenly felt colder.
"What?"
"How?"
Ray sounded exhausted.
"That is exactly what we’re trying to find out."
"We have suspended several operations."
"We’ve already begun relocating personnel."
"So of the attacked locations were classified."
"Even governnt departnts knew very little about them."
Miles’ expression darkened.
"There is no way Graveyard leaked those locations."
"I know my people."
"So do I."
Ray sighed heavily.
"But soone knew."
Miles looked toward the sea.
His hand slowly clenched.
"Did any of them contact the base?"
"They tried."
"All we heard was static."
"Their radio communications were disrupted."
A dangerous look appeared in Miles’ eyes.
The sa look countless enemies had feared.
"I am coming back to the base."
"No."
Ray rejected the idea imdiately.
"You’ve already been through enough."
"I called to warn you."
Miles remained silent.
Ray continued.
"If information was leaked..."
"Then whoever is responsible may eventually find your identity."
That sentence made the atmosphere heavier.
The waves crashed against the shore.
One after another.
Ray spoke again.
"I’m already discussing the matter with the President."
"There are too many questions."
"Missiles were used."
"The launch locations weren’t outside our borders."
"They were fired from extrely close range."
Miles’ fist tightened.
The knuckles turned white.
"Missiles..."
"This is beyond serious."
Ray’s voice beca firm.
"You focus on yourself."
"Let us handle this."
The line disconnected.
The screen darkened.
Miles stood motionless.
The ocean breeze continued blowing.
Yet his eyes had beco colder than ice.
The peaceful atmosphere around him vanished completely.
A storm was rising.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
Miles looked at the phone screen.
His voice ca out as a whisper.
"Ray..."
Then he raised his eyes toward the horizon.
Anyone capable of attacking Graveyard on such a scale...
Anyone capable of killing over fifty operatives in a single day...
Anyone capable of launching coordinated strikes across multiple countries...
Was not a normal enemy.
And that enemy had just declared war.
Miles’ gaze beca murderous.
"Whoever is behind this..."
"They won’t stay alive."
He imdiately dialed another number.
The call connected.
"Charles, send a signal for the ergency eting tonight.. Its ti we deploy the Ancient Warrior Order "
The sea breeze intensified around him.
And for the first ti in weeks...
Ghost’s killing intent returned.
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