Chapter 5: A Night of Terror

Inside the government office, a man in a sharp suit watched the frantic energy of his colleagues with keen eyes. Morgan Kane, a low-level aide with a secret allegiance to the city's most dangerous mafia, had successfully embedded himself in the system, learning everything he could about the watch. What he hadn't mentioned was that he had slipped a tiny tracking device onto the pocket watch before it was even sent to the museum.

 Now, as bullets and loud commands erupted from the streets, Morgan smiled to himself, knowing that chaos was about to unfold. The mafia had dispatched a team to retrieve the artifact, and they wouldn't stop until it was back in their hands.

 Meanwhile, at Ethan's apartment, the peaceful night was shattered by the sharp sound of breaking glass. Startled awake, Ethan shot up in bed, his heart racing. He strained to hear, the silence of the night now replaced by muffled voices and the heavy thud of footsteps outside his window.

 "What was that?" he murmured to himself, wincing as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

 His heart dropped as he caught sight of a shadowy figure outside his window, crouching low and holding what looked like a gun. Fear gripped him as he ducked behind his bed. This is it. This is how it ends.

 Suddenly, a flurry of wings burst through the air a bird swooping past his window. The unexpected movement startled the man outside, causing his finger to pull on the trigger. The gunshot rang out, piercing the quiet of the night. Ethan barely had a moment to process what happened before adrenaline surged through him.

 He bolted from his room and rushed toward the back door, his mind racing. *I need to get out—now!*