A_bad_guy

Neil Angelo, born from a legacy of blood and betrayal, stands as the heir to a long-lost dynasty in the American underworld. Growing up in the shadows of Asia’s most dangerous streets—from the smuggling routes of Mumbai to the high-tech cyber labs of Beijing—Neil makes his way back to America with a singular mission: to reclaim his father’s broken empire.

But the landscape has shifted. The mafia is no longer governed by old-world traditions; it’s now a battleground of technology, strategy, and fear. From the dazzling casinos of Las Vegas to the covert arms deals in Russia, Neil finds himself in a game of wits against seasoned crime lords, government operatives, and even the women who might want his heart—or his life.

As conflict simmers in the dark and foes disguise themselves as allies, Neil Angelo faces a critical choice: rise to power as a king... or fall like a mere pawn.

In this ruthless world of crime, loyalty is the ultimate currency, love is a perilous game, and power comes at a steep price—paid in blood.

''Legacy of Shadows: The Rise of Neil Angelo''

Neil saved Meera Khatri from a memory clinic just in time, preventing ECHO from wiping her identity. As they made their escape, Meera disclosed that she wasn't the only one altered by Project Horizon—there are six others like her. Now, Neil's team is focused on uncovering the hidden program that brought them into existence: Project Phoenix.

📖 VOLUME 2, CHAPTER 10: Project Phoenix

Meera was perched on a rusty cot, her knees pulled up to her chest, speaking softly.

They claimed we were the future of memory warfare."

Raj displayed a schematic that Meera had sketched out—lines connecting names and symbols, with a striking red sigil at the center labeled "PHOENIX."

Tatiana examined the diagram intently. "Seven subjects.

One is being hunted. What about the others?"

Neil crossed his arms, determination in his voice.

"We need to find them before ECHO does."

With the stolen Horizon firmware in hand, Raj started running facial recognition and neural signature traces.

One lead came back from Russia—an encrypted military transport database that mentioned a girl identified as "Unit 3: LANA."

"They're moving her out of Novosibirsk."

Neil's jaw clenched. "Get us a route. We're flying in less than an hour."

Just before they took off, an encrypted call came through.

ECHO's face appeared on the screen—faceless, helmeted, with a synthetic voice.

"You saved one. But Phoenix will always self-destruct. She's not yours to keep."

Neil shot back with a smirk. "And neither are you."

The screen flickered, filled with static. Then, coordinates appeared. An invitation.

As Neil's team geared up for extraction, they were ambushed in the underground parking lot of the airport.

Three drone spiders and two cybernetic mercenaries.

Tatiana rolled beneath a van, firing accurately.

Raj hacked into the building's lighting system.

Meera screamed as one of the spiders approached.

Neil took it out with a point-blank shot and barreled through the exit gate in a car.

In the jet, climbing toward Russia, Meera held onto Neil's hand tightly.

"If they catch me, they'll kill the others through me. My brain... it's connected."

Neil met her gaze, calm yet determined.

"Then we'll take down their program before they can take you out."

🔫 *To Be Continued in Chapter 11: "The Snow Ghost"*

Chapter 10: Project Phoenix