Sabir reluctantly finished the plate of mashed potatoes. It was one of the most delicious meals he had ever tasted, yet the food couldn’t replace the agony and pain he was feeling. He had flipped the photo over, preventing himself from seeing her bloody state while eating.


    When he finally picked up the photo and looked at it again, it was undeniably his sister. Older and with frown lines, but still the same sister who had protected him. The pained expression on her face made Sabir squirm uncomfortably. It felt so familiar yet so foreign to see her face.


    Sabir clenched his fists, anger and sorrow swirling within him. "I have to know why," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Why did this happen to her?"


    Cassius nodded, his expression resolute. "And we will find out, Sabir. Together, we''ll uncover the truth."


    Cassius cleared his throat, leaning forward with a serious expression. "However, the first order of business is taking you to my office."


    Sabir''s brow furrowed in confusion. "Why do we need to go there?"


    Cassius glanced around the dimly lit diner, lowering his voice. The hum of the flickering neon sign outside mixed with the distant murmur of conversations. "Okay, don''t get alarmed, kid, but you''re being tracked."


    Sabir''s eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Who''s tracking me? What are you talking about?"


    Cassius leaned in closer, his gaze intense. "I''m fairly certain it''s The Triads. They''ve figured out your existence."


    A chill ran down Sabir''s spine. "The Triads? How is that possible?"


    Cassius reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, metallic chip. "This was hidden in your pass. It''s a tracking device. Someone wanted to keep tabs on you, and my guess is it’s The Triads."


    Sabir stared at the chip, trying to comprehend the gravity of the situation. "But how did they even get to me?”


    Cassius threw a small piece of paper on the table and slid it to Sabir. Sabir’s eyes widened in shock—it was a temporary pass to Havana. He picked it up to inspect it. It was his pass!


    "How did you get this?" Sabir demanded, his voice rising.


    "I checked through your pockets when we traveled here," Cassius replied nonchalantly. "Good thing I did, because I found this."


    Cassius held up the small, metallic chip. "This chip was planted here. It''s a tracking device. Can you think of anyone who could''ve planted it? Did anyone get close enough to touch your pass?"


    Sabir thought hard. "The only person who touches my pass regularly is the guard who takes it every day. But he barely looks at it, and sometimes he doesn’t even check it.”


    "Anyone else?" Cassius probed. "Remember, there’s always a possibility they pickpocketed you, but knowing you''re from The Limbo, I doubt you''d not notice. The only reason I could steal it was because of your apprehension." He laughed, a dark chuckle, remembering how scared Sabir and his friends were. Realizing he went off track, he asked again, "Can you think of anyone else who touched the pass?"


    Sabir racked his brain, then remembered. "There was this powerful esper, Noah... Noah Voltik, or something like that."


    Cassius''s eyes widened in shock. "Noah Voltaire?"


    Sabir nodded. "Yeah, him."


    Cassius looked amazed. "Damn, a Voltaire. Do you know who you just met?"


    Sabir shook his head. "No."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "How do you not know the Seven Noble Families?”


    Sabir was completely shocked. "Of course I’ve heard of them, but I missed that part of my education. I was too old when I started school." It was common for kids to learn about Havana''s culture and history at a young age, but for Sabir, who entered school at 12, it was too late.


    Cassius was utterly perplexed. "Why would a Voltaire be in The Limbo? And why would they be interested in you?" His expression darkened. "I was hoping it was a member of The Triads. I wouldn''t mind taking out one more of them," he muttered with a mix of frustration and anger.


    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Cassius cursed under his breath. "Noah Voltaire, the first in line to the Voltaire family, is after you. Damn."


    Cassius placed the tracker in his palm, crushed it with a quick, powerful squeeze, and let the pieces fall to the table like crumbs. Then he grabbed Sabir''s hand. "We gotta leave quick. Who knows if they''re watching us right now."


    Cassius stood up, dropping a few coins on the table to cover the meal, and gestured for Sabir to follow him. As they exited the diner, Sabir couldn''t shake the feeling that they were being watched, the weight of the tracker’s implications heavy on his mind. Cassius''s grip tightened on Sabir''s hand as they hurried into the shadows.


    "One lesson I''ve learned as a government enforcer," Cassius said grimly, "is never mess with the Seven Noble Families. They''re crazy as hell, and they can do whatever they please.”


    He glanced around to ensure they weren’t being followed before continuing, "The Voltaire family is perhaps the most distinguished of them all. Many of them are high-ranking politicians. And as for Noah Voltaire, he''s a celebrity hunter—everyone loves him. But let me tell you," Cassius''s voice lowered, his expression darkening, "he has a superiority complex larger than any noble I''ve ever met.”


    Sabir swallowed hard, the gravity of their situation sinking in even deeper. Cassius gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Come on, kid. We''ve got to get to my office."


    Cassius''s eyes closed briefly, his expression growing even darker as shadows seemed to envelop them. The weight of what they were up against pressing heavily upon them.


    “Here we go again,” Sabir thought, focusing on keeping his stomach steady and pushing away thoughts of nausea.


    RING RING. Noah Voltaire was relaxing in a luxurious bath, the warm water easing his muscles. His tranquility was interrupted by the sharp ring of his phone on the side of the tub. With a sigh, he reached for it, checking the number. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the caller—it was one of his operatives.


    He answered the call, keeping his tone composed. “What is it?”


    The voice on the other end was tense. “Sir, we’ve lost track of the target. And... the Hound is with him.”


    Noah sat up straighter, water sloshing around him. “The Hound? Why would he be interested in Sabir? He should be hunting the Triads like the good hunting dog he is.”


    A flicker of fear crossed Noah’s mind, but he quickly buried it under a rising tide of anger. “Damn it,” he muttered. “I expected complications, but this...”


    The man on the phone stammered, “What should we do, sir?”


    “Return to the house and await further orders,” Noah commanded, his voice icy. He ended the call and was about to curse aloud when the bathroom door swung open.


    “Elektraaa!” he yelled, his irritation boiling over. “I’m taking a bath!”


    His sister, Elektra, stood in the doorway, unfazed by his outburst. “Oh, sorry, brother, but I couldn’t help overhearing. You’re tracking a lead. Let me go out and deal with the bastard.”


    Noah glared at her, his frustration palpable. “You’re too young, Elektra. Father would be furious.”


    She crossed her arms defiantly. “Young? Maybe. But I’m just as capable as any of your operatives. Besides, I’m tired of being cooped up. I want some action.”


    “No,” Noah said firmly. “This is too dangerous. The Hound is involved now and he is not someone you can take lightly.”


    Elektra rolled her eyes. “I know who the Hound is, Noah. And I also know that you won’t get anywhere if you keep underestimating me.”


    Noah’s jaw tightened. “This isn’t about underestimating you. It’s about keeping you safe. The Hound is... different. He’s unpredictable.”


    Elektra smirked. “Then it’s settled. I’m the perfect one for the job. I can handle unpredictable.”


    “No, Elektra. That’s final,” Noah snapped, his voice leaving no room for argument. “Go back to your room and play with Warren or something. Stay out of this.”


    Elektra’s eyes flashed with irritation. “I’m not hanging around with that pathetic loser. Sometimes I doubt we’re even related. Maybe he should go down along with the bastard.”


    She huffed, clearly annoyed but turned to leave. “Fine. But don’t expect me to sit around and do nothing.”


    Noah watched her go, his eyes narrowing. “I mean it, Elektra. Stay out of this.”


    As she walked out, Noah sank back into the water, trying to calm his rising frustration. He needed to regain control of the situation—fast.


    Elektra left the bathroom, her mind already racing with plans. She pulled out her phone and made a call. “Yo Arran, it’s me. I need to know where the government enforcer’s office is. The one they call the Hound.” A voice on the other end replied quickly, and Elektra’s lips curled into a dangerous smile. “Good. Send me the location. I’m going to pay him a visit.”


    She ended the call, a hunger for amusement in her eyes. “The Government’s Hound, huh?” she muttered to herself, a dangerous glint in her eye. “He won’t stop us from killing the bastard.”