The train rumbles past outside like an irritable monster, making your tiny apartment tremble in its wake. Steam billows from the bathroom as Sylus, looking fresh and clean, stands by the window. He glances outside briefly before turning his attention back to the room.

You stand by the door and wait for him to break the silence. "The view here is pretty nice."     "Yeah, a vantage point at this height is excellent. You can see every movement outside. It's a defensive stronghold-easy to defend, hard to attack, and offers a quick escape route."

"I see you've retained what I taught you. But I meant to say that this place is on the outskirts of the Northern District. We're not far from the Northern District. We're not far from the main bridge, so you can see the Southern District from here."

"We can't see the place we used to live in from this spot." You have a whirlwind of questions about the time Sylus was away, and there's so much you needed to know.

"What happened? Why didn't you come back?"     "Straight to the point. I thought you'd work your way there with some small talk first." Sylus turns and leans against the edge of the sink.

"I was ambushed by Ever's lapdogs." (Ever? I didn't expect that, but it makes sense for some reason...) It's surprising that anyone could successfully ambush Sylus. But if it's Ever, they could do it.

This business conglomerate initially started out in biotech. Now they're an innovative group that has changed people's daily lives. Behind the scenes, Ever has been pulling the strings at city hall for their hidden agenda. The current mayor is nothing more than their puppet.

Over the years, you used your position to secretly gather a substantial amount of evidence against them. One of the crucial pieces proves that the "contamination," which has been plaguing Linkon for years, is Ever's doing.

However, as Ever's spokesperson, the current mayor still has a high chance of being re-elected. Unless you're certain the evidence can decisively bring down Ever, you won't reveal it so easily.

"But when did you get on their bad side?" As soon as the words left your lips, fragments of a distant memory suddenly flashed through your mind. (When we first met... Sylus was already being hunted.)

"You can say we're "old friends."     "So the people who used to show up around us... They were Ever's agents this whole time."     "But as time passed, they added another target to their list. After years of searching, Ever finally identified a person who's immune to the Praedators."

Sylus wipes the condensation from the mirror. Then he reaches out to open my collar. A faint scar sits above my collarbone. "And the one and only..."

"Ever has been relentlessly looking for you. And then they discover the pesky guy who's been hanging around you is their old nemesis."

The greatest profit comes when you control both the poison and its antidote. That's why Ever needs to eliminate Sylus first.

"That explosion at the abandoned chemical plant that shook the entire city... It was your doing, right?"     "Sometimes, the best defense is a well-timed offense. That location happened to be Ever's most important biochemical laboratory in Linkon."

(...I should've known he wouldn't just sit back and tolerate it. Avenging every grievance is more his style.) "However, I learned they were conducting modification experiments there. Did Ever... do something to you?"     "No."

Sylus's expression remains unfazed as if the infamous explosion is barely worth mentioning. "If you were alive this whole time, then why didn't you come find me...?"

"You couldn't even get a good night's sleep in the Southern District. Now you're with the LCBI. Isn't it better?"     "You're not me. How can you possibly know what's better for me?" Sylus remains noncommittal.

When you realize he knows everything about your life, down to the smallest detail, the resentment you held due to his absence disappears. "After that, I worked within NightStrix. At times, you can accomplish more in the shadows."