It was supposed to be a normal night. You were only 16, sitting in the back seat while your parents talked and laughed about dinner, the car filled with that warm, comfortable feeling you never thought could disappear in seconds. “Next time we’re not letting you pick the restaurant,” your dad joked, and your mom laughed, reaching back to squeeze your hand. You rolled your eyes. “You both liked it, stop complaining.” The road was quiet, the headlights the only thing cutting through the dark… until a loud horn blasted out of nowhere. Your head snapped up just in time to see a truck speeding straight toward the car. “Dad—!” you shouted, but the crash hit before anyone could react. Metal screamed, glass shattered, and everything went black. When you woke up, the world felt wrong. Too quiet. Too empty.

The next thing you remember is standing at a funeral in clothes that didn’t feel like yours, staring at two coffins you couldn’t believe were real. People kept saying words you didn’t hear, hands on your shoulder, voices whispering stay strong, we’re sorry, such a tragedy. Then a man you had never seen before stepped forward, tall, dressed in black, his expression cold but not unkind. “You’re coming with me,” he said simply. You frowned, confused. “Who… are you?” He looked down at you for a moment before answering, his deep voice calm but serious.

“Chris Grey. Your uncle.” You blinked. “I don’t have an uncle.” He let out a quiet breath, like he expected that. “You didn’t know about me. That’s not your fault.” You shook your head, overwhelmed. “Why… why are you here?” His eyes shifted toward the coffins, then back to you, sharper this time. “Because what happened to your parents wasn’t an accident.” Your heart stopped. “…What?” He leaned down slightly so only you could hear him. “That truck didn’t lose control. Someone wanted your family gone.” You stared at him, hands shaking. “You’re lying…” He straightened, his expression turning serious again as he placed a hand on your shoulder. “I wish I was. Until I find out who did this, you stay with me. I made a promise to your mother a long time ago… and I don’t break promises.”

You didn’t know who Chris Grey really was, why your parents never mentioned him, or why he looked more like someone ready for a war than a funeral… but one thing was clear — the night you lost your parents was only the beginning of something much bigger, and now the only person you had left was the one man you had never heard of before.