Season 1 - Chapter 6: Beneath the Surface

Elias hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something was off.

At first, it was small—a shift in the air, a half-heard whisper behind a closed door. It was just a feeling. A gut instinct. But now, it was something deeper. A hunger gnawing at the back of his mind.

As he walked through his penthouse, he couldn't stop looking at the shadows, the cracks in the walls, the way the light shifted as the hours passed. Everything felt like it was hiding something.

His training told him it was only a matter of time before the truth revealed itself.

"Henry," he called from the kitchen.

The butler appeared almost immediately, as if he were standing just outside the door. He'd always been that way, never needing to be summoned but always present.

"Yes, sir?"

Elias watched him closely. There was something strange in Henry's eyes, a flicker of concern. But Elias couldn't place it. Was it fear? Regret? Elias didn't know, but he wasn't about to ask. Not yet.

"You didn't tell me everything," Elias said coolly, his fingers tapping lightly on the marble countertop. "About... me."

Henry froze, his gaze shifting for just a moment before he regained his composure. "I've told you everything you need to know, sir."

Elias smirked but didn't press the issue. He wasn't looking for answers right now. He didn't need Henry to tell him anything. He just needed to know if he could trust his own instincts.

And his instincts were telling him to dig deeper.

—

The next evening, Elias entered a dimly lit bar, a place he hadn't visited in years. He'd heard whispers about it—an old contact. Someone from his past who might know something about the Obsidian Order. Someone who could help piece together the fragments of his memory that didn't quite fit.

He found her sitting in the corner booth, her back to the wall, eyes scanning the room as if she were expecting someone.

Her name was Seraphina. They'd been close once—too close, back in the days when everything in his life was still just a game. She had the same sharp eyes, the same fierce attitude, and the same smile that made his heart beat faster.

The moment she saw him, she stood up, eyes narrowing in recognition. There was no surprise. Just acknowledgment.

"Elias Vale," she said, her voice low but steady. "I heard rumors about you. Didn't think you'd show up."

Elias smirked as he slid into the booth across from her. "I've got a lot of free time lately. Thought I'd look you up."

She raised an eyebrow but didn't question him. Instead, she studied him—perhaps trying to figure out what had changed. He could see it in the way her eyes lingered on him, the way she scanned his face, searching for a trace of the old Elias, the one she had once known.

But that Elias was gone. And something else had taken his place.

"Last I checked, you weren't in my circle anymore," she said, her voice casual. "So what brings you here, Elias?"

Elias leaned forward, studying her with the same intensity she was giving him. "I'm looking for answers. And I think you know where to find them."

Her expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes. Fear? Guilt?

"Answers about what?" she asked, her tone casual, but Elias could sense the undercurrent of tension. She was nervous. Maybe even afraid of what was coming.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a deep breath, letting the silence hang between them for a moment. "About Obsidian."

Her eyes widened for just a fraction of a second, but it was enough. Elias saw it.

"I know you're involved," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "I know you're part of it."

Seraphina didn't flinch. She didn't look surprised either. She was a professional, and her mask stayed in place.

"I don't know what you think you know," she replied, "but you're asking the wrong questions, Elias."

Elias didn't back down. He leaned closer, his gaze locked onto hers. "I'm asking the right questions. You were always good at keeping secrets. But I know you have answers. And I'm not leaving until I get them."

Seraphina's jaw tightened. There was a long pause as she weighed her options, then her eyes softened slightly.

"I'm not the enemy here, Elias," she said, almost gently. "But you don't want to get tangled up in this. It's bigger than both of us. Trust me."

Elias met her gaze, searching for any hint of truth in her words. There was something she wasn't telling him. But what? And why?

"Then help me understand," he said, his voice softening. "Help me understand what happened to me."

Seraphina sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly as if the weight of his words pressed down on her. "You should leave this alone," she whispered, almost as if to herself. "I can't help you, Elias. Not this time."

Elias didn't say another word. He stood up, throwing a few bills on the table as he turned to leave.

Before he could walk out the door, Seraphina called after him. "Be careful."

—

As Elias left the bar, a new sense of determination washed over him. Seraphina had said he should leave it alone.

But Elias wasn't the type of man to run away from the truth.

And now, more than ever, he needed to know who—or what—he truly was.