Shadows Gather

The room was bathed in darkness, with only the faint glow of a massive circular table at the center illuminating the space. Around it sat figures cloaked in shadow, their faces obscured, their postures exuding menace and authority.

The air was tense, thick with unspoken animosity as the assembled villains waited for someone to speak.

"It seems," one voice began, smooth and mocking, "that the esteemed Violet Wolf has once again defied expectations." The figure's silhouette leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table. "Tell me, whose brilliant idea was it to send an elite squad of assassins to their deaths?"

The question hung in the air, cold and sharp.

Another figure, smaller and more angular in stature, chuckled darkly. "It wasn't the squad that failed—it was their leader, Kirigi. A waste of resources."

Across the table, a hulking silhouette growled. "Enough. Kirigi was one of the best fighters in our ranks. If Violet Wolf managed to kill him, it only proves he's more dangerous than we thought."

"And whose plan was this again?" the smooth voice pressed, its tone laced with derision.

All eyes turned to a single figure seated at the far end of the table. Unlike the others, this person wore a mask that glinted faintly in the dim light, its design sleek and unnervingly elegant.

The masked figure chuckled, a low and unsettling sound that seemed to vibrate through the room. "Ah, I see the vultures are circling. How predictable."

The mocking voices quieted, replaced by a charged silence.

"You question my plan," the masked figure continued, their voice calm yet dripping with confidence. "But you fail to see its brilliance. The Hand's loss was not a failure—it was the first step in a larger game."

"A game?" The hulking silhouette growled, leaning forward. "Sending elite operatives to die is your idea of a game?"

The masked figure tilted their head, almost amused. "Their deaths were necessary. A calculated sacrifice to achieve a greater goal."

Another figure, their voice raspy and skeptical, spoke up. "And what goal is that? Because all we see is that this Violet Wolf is still alive, and now he knows we're watching."

The masked figure leaned back, their fingers steepled as they spoke. "The goal is information. The fight provided exactly what I needed—a baseline for our adversary's strength."

They gestured toward a screen that flickered to life behind them, displaying grainy footage of the rooftop battle.

The video showed Violet Wolf parrying Kirigi's strikes with desperate precision, his swordsmanship rough but effective. It captured his unorthodox breathing technique, the moment he seemed to unlock a hidden reservoir of power.

The room watched in silence as Violet turned the tide of the battle, eventually delivering the final blow to Kirigi.

The masked figure let the footage play, the soft hum of the projector filling the room. When the clip ended, they turned back to the group, their voice calm and deliberate.

"What you just witnessed was the emergence of a formidable force. Violet is strong—stronger than we anticipated. But now, I know exactly how strong."

"And what does that mean for us?" asked the raspy voice.

"It means," the masked figure said, their tone darkening, "that we no longer have to guess. I've graded his capabilities—measured his limits. Now all that remains is to create a situation where those limits are meaningless."

A chill settled over the room.

"You sound confident," the smooth voice remarked, though its tone was more cautious now. "But Violet has already proven himself unpredictable."

The masked figure let out a low, sinister laugh. "That's precisely why this is so satisfying. The more unpredictable he is, the more satisfying his downfall will be."

The hulking silhouette grunted, his voice a deep rumble. "You'd better be right about this. We're not in the business of taking risks for your personal amusement."

The masked figure leaned forward, their mask catching the faint light. "Oh, it's not amusement," they said softly, their voice brimming with malice. "It's strategy. And trust me... when the next move is made, there will be no escape for Violet Wolf."

The laugh that followed was dark and unsettling, echoing through the chamber like the prelude to a storm.