Pegasus of Frankfurt
However, great things come to an end. Every associate in NOVA was brutally killed in an orchestrated slaughter. This day is famously known as the 'Bloody Armistice' which robbed over 9000 people's lives. The Aries: victors of the Bloody Armistice, killers of 9000. Adrian Martinez was among the 9000—Leo's sibling, guide, companion, and kin.
From that day on, Leo strived for justice, not vengeance. He sought to remove experiences such as his from this world. Leo's mission was clear: to ensure that no one else would have to suffer the same fate as his brother. He dedicated his life to bringing down criminal organisations and making the world a safer place for all. He adopted the name of NOVA and worked as a one-man force against all criminal deeds.
Leo was on his way to Strasbourg, where he was supposed to meet Klaus and take the train to Stuttgart. As he reached the border, he saw a bearded man with long, afro hair. A dark man in his late thirties. A tall figure with a broad physique. Leo gazed upon the strange scars covering the man's forearm. Scars of daggers, knives, or whatnot. He looked upon the man's face as he realised that one of his eyes was gone. Replaced by a fake one, Leo could sense the absence of pupil dilation and movement. The man seemed to be a former soldier, Leo thought. The man finally caught notice of Leo. Leo noticed a sense of weariness and pain in the man's gaze, as if he had seen too much in his lifetime. Leo couldn't help but wonder what stories lay behind those scars and that missing eye. The man approached him and raised his hand for a handshake.
"Leo?" the man asked, his voice hoarse and tired. Leo nodded, returning the handshake with a firm grip. "I've heard a lot about you," the man continued, his expression unreadable. "I'm Klaus. Akane told me about you. You're quite brave," declared the man. "Well, do you have what I asked for?" Leo asked, wasting no time. "The truth? Yes, I do." Klaus sighed. "The truth about the Bloody Armistice. The truth about NOVA's fall. The truth about the pegasus of Frankfurt: Luciel Conrad."
"Pegasus of Frankfurt?" Leo wondered, intrigued by the mysterious title given to Luciel Conrad. "Yes, Luciel Conrad, the man who single-handedly brought down NOVA," Klaus explained, his eyes holding a mix of admiration and fear. Leo's curiosity piqued even further as he realised the magnitude of the secrets Klaus held. "Luciel Conrad was a generational prodigy of the underworld. His intellect knew no bounds. It was his responsibility as one of the Aries' top leaders to dissuade the opposition. The suicidal mission to bring down NOVA was given to him back in 2016. However, the truth was that the Aries merely desired to take his place. They felt that the threat was too great. They'd located one equally skilled. Luciel Conrad's replacement was João Rafael. However, nobody could have imagined that Luciel Conrad would succeed in defeating the formidable NOVA."
"João Rafael? The one Fernandes was trying to call? What connection does an Aries member have to Arcane?" Leo responded with a confused expression. "It's simple. João Rafael is not an Aries member anymore. He left the Aries to join Arcane." Klaus answered with a knowing smile. "He saw the potential for real change and wanted to be a part of it." Leo nodded in understanding, realising the significance of João Rafael's decision to switch sides. "So the mystery second-in-command of Arcane is João Rafael."
Leo's mind raced with the implications of this revelation, wondering how João Rafael's involvement would impact the ongoing power struggle between Aries and Arcane.
The heated conversation was cut short by an unexpected phone call. Klaus leaned towards his pocket as he lifted his phone. Over the next 30 seconds, Leo noticed no change in Klaus' expression. Not a single blink of an eye. He wondered what it could be that shaped this man's personality. "It was Akane," Klaus said calmly, as Leo's curiosity grew even more. Leo couldn't help but wonder what news Akane had delivered that could keep Klaus so composed. "Kai Schneider is dead." Leo couldn't help but exclaim, "What?" His mind raced with questions, and his heart was pounding in his chest. How could Klaus remain so composed, unaffected by such shocking news? Is Kai Schneider dead? Leo's thoughts swirled with utter shock. Was Klaus hiding his true emotions behind that calm façade? Or perhaps he simply processed news differently, his stoicism masking a torrent of emotions beneath the surface. "How?" Leo collected his thoughts and asked calmly. "Murder. Rafael is nowhere to be seen, and you killed Fernandes. With that, Arcane's top brass is down." Klaus answered calmly. Leo's mind raced with the implications of Kai Schneider's death. The situation was dire, and Leo knew he had to act quickly to uncover the truth behind the chaos that was unfolding within Arcane.
"It must be the Aries. Their motives are unclear, but we need to find out before it's too late," Leo thought, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. "Get me to Stuttgart," Leo says firmly, knowing that the key to unravelling the conspiracy lies in the heart of Aries territory. With a sense of urgency, Leo prepared himself for the dangerous journey ahead, determined to confront the looming threat head-on.