Chapter 202: The Phantom’s Invitation

The city's heartbeat was different tonight. Ochieng could feel it.

As the sleek black car sliced through the neon-lit streets, he glanced at Ela, who sat beside him with an unreadable expression. The Phantom had chosen the location—a forgotten cathedral at the edge of the city, its ruins swallowed by time and ivy.

Walter, Rolex, and Gideon followed closely behind in a separate car. Every instinct in Ochieng's body screamed of a trap, but that was what made it interesting.

"You're unusually quiet," Ela mused, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. "Nervous?"

Ochieng smirked. "I don't do nervous."

Her lips curled into a knowing smile. "That's what I like about you. But you should be."

The car stopped. A thick fog clung to the air, the towering silhouette of the cathedral looming over them. The city had abandoned this place long ago, leaving behind only whispers of forgotten prayers.

Ochieng stepped out first, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness. His men followed, their weapons hidden but ready.

A lone figure stood near the altar inside—cloaked in black, his face masked.

The Phantom.

"You made it," the masked man said, his voice smooth yet laced with an unsettling edge. "I wasn't sure you would."

Ochieng approached, his footsteps echoing. "You wanted my attention. Now you have it. Talk."

The Phantom chuckled. "Straight to business. I admire that. But first…" He tossed a file onto the cracked stone altar. "Let's talk about the past you've been running from."

Ochieng's eyes flicked to the folder. He didn't reach for it. Instead, he studied the Phantom. "You did all this for a history lesson?"

"No," the Phantom said, tilting his head. "I did this to see the look in your eyes when you realize your worst nightmare is real."

Ochieng finally picked up the folder. The moment he opened it, the world seemed to slow.

Inside were photos. Old, grainy images of a burning house. A woman's lifeless body. A child hidden in the shadows.

His past.

His hands clenched the pages, but his expression remained unreadable. "Where did you get this?"

The Phantom stepped closer. "I know who you really are, Ochieng. And I know what you did."

Silence. Then Ochieng chuckled, slow and dangerous.

"If you know so much," he said, shutting the folder, "then you should also know what happens to people who dig too deep."

The Phantom's mask shifted slightly, as if he were smiling. "I'm counting on it."

The tension in the air crackled like a live wire. In that moment, the lines were drawn, and a new war had begun.