The night is thick with tension, shadows curling under the streetlamps as I step into the abandoned garden behind St. August’s Cathedral. Midnight meetings like this don’t end well, but here I am-right in the lion’s den.
I stand perfectly still, every sense on high alert. I’ve met powerful men before-manipulators, tyrants, killers-but this time feels different. This time, I’m about to meet the person who’s been playing me like a marionette all along.
Footsteps echo in the darkness, crisp and deliberate. My pulse quickens as a figure emerges from the shadows.
And then I see their face.
A wave of disbelief crashes over me.
Alyssa: “You?” I whisper, the word catching in my throat.
Standing before me, looking exactly as I remember from countless family gatherings, is Robert Gallows, my father’s oldest friend. A man I grew up calling “Uncle Rob.”
He smiles softly, the same gentle expression he always wore at Sunday dinners when he’d bring me candy and ruffle my hair.
Robert: “Hello, Alyssa. It’s been a long time.”
My legs feel like lead, and my breath stutters in my chest. Of all the people I suspected, Robert Gallows was never one of them.
Alyssa: “You’re the one pulling the strings? The third player… It’s been you this whole time?”
He steps closer, as if we’re old friends meeting by chance. The casualness of it makes my skin crawl.
Robert: “Yes. I’ve been keeping an eye on you, guiding you… ensuring you survived.”
My stomach churns. “Guiding me? You murdered my father! You call that guidance?”
His expression darkens, and for the first time, the friendly mask slips. There’s a coldness beneath it-a ruthless streak I never knew existed.
Robert: “It was necessary, Alyssa.”
I clench my fists, fury bubbling to the surface. I want to scream, to hit him, to make him pay for every lie he ever told me.
Alyssa: “You expect me to believe that? You killed him-your best friend-and you want to tell me it was necessary?”
Robert: “Yes. Because if I didn’t, you would’ve been next.”
The weight of his words hits me like a punch to the chest. I take a step back, trying to process what he just said.
Alyssa: “What the hell are you talking about?”
He sighs, as if explaining this is an unpleasant chore. “Your father was too deep in the game, Alyssa. He made enemies far more dangerous than Xavier or Ethan.
Powerful men-real power. When he started pulling away from Project Phoenix, they gave him a choice: fall in line, or die.”
I shake my head, my heart pounding against my ribs. “And you-what, you just volunteered to do their dirty work?”
Robert: “I didn’t have a choice. They were coming for him, and they were coming for you.”
The world tilts on its axis, and I struggle to stay upright. This man-this kind, familiar face-was the one who stole my father from me. And now, he’s telling me it was to save my life.
Alyssa: “So you killed him… to protect me?” I say, my voice laced with disbelief.
He nods, his eyes filled with something close to regret. “If I hadn’t, Alyssa, you wouldn’t be standing here today.”
I stumble back, my hands trembling as memories flood my mind-my father’s voice, his laugh, the way he held me when I was scared. And now I know that all of it ended because of this man.
Alyssa: “You made me believe it was an accident. All these years… you let me mourn him like some stupid, clueless child.”
Robert’s voice softens. “I did it for your future, Alyssa. Your father was a great man, but he was reckless. If I didn’t act when I did, they would’ve wiped out your entire family. I kept you alive-so you could become the woman you are now.”
I glare at him, rage and confusion swirling together in a toxic mix. “So, what now? You expect me to thank you?”
He smiles faintly, as if he’s been expecting this reaction. “No, Alyssa. I expect you to survive.”
I swallow hard, my mind racing. This isn’t just about my father, or even Ethan and Xavier. It’s bigger than that.
Alyssa: “Who are they? The ones pulling the strings behind the scenes? Who’s the real threat?”
Robert’s eyes darken. “You’re not ready for that yet. But trust me, they’re already watching you.”
A chill runs down my spine. For the first time in this entire game, I feel genuinely out of my depth.
Alyssa: “Why tell me this now? Why reveal yourself?”
He studies me for a moment, as if weighing how much more truth I can handle. “Because it’s time for you to decide, Alyssa. You can join me-and survive. Or you can fight them and be destroyed.”
I stare at him, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. Join him? After everything he’s done?
Alyssa: “And if I refuse?”
Robert’s expression remains calm, but there’s a glint of steel in his gaze. “Then you’re on your own, and they will come for you.”
I exhale slowly, weighing my options. Trust him-or fight alone. It’s a devil’s bargain.
Robert: “You’ve always been smart, Alyssa. Think carefully. You know I’m your best chance at survival.”
Before I can respond, Robert steps forward and places a small velvet box in my hand.
Alyssa: “What’s this?” I ask, my voice shaky.
He gives me a cryptic smile. “Open it when the time is right. It’ll guide you to what you need.”
And just like that, he disappears into the night, leaving me standing there-angry, betrayed, and utterly alone.
I stare down at the box, my heart hammering in my chest. The man I once trusted killed my father. And now, he wants me to join forces with him.
But the worst part?
I’m starting to think he might be right.