Chapter 5 My Past

Neon POV

Seraphine and I returned to the temporary apartment. My body ached from the fights, but my mind refused rest. Every movement, every sound tonight had brought one truth closer to me—I was hunting my past as much as I was surviving the present.

She sat on the edge of the small bed, her fingers intertwined, her eyes distant. I knew what she was thinking. She had held back more than she should. Tonight, I was going to pull the truth out of her, one word at a time.

“Seraphine,” I said, my voice low, careful. “I need you to tell me everything. Now. About my parents… about who killed them.”

She flinched slightly. “Leon… it’s not easy. You might not like what you hear.”

“Try me,” I said. “I’ve survived worse than truth.”

She took a deep breath and looked me directly in the eyes. “Two years ago… when your parents were killed… it wasn’t random.”

I clenched my fists, my knuckles white. “Go on.”

“They were betrayed,” she whispered. “By people they trusted. People who smiled to their faces and stabbed them in the back when the time was right.”

My chest tightened. “Who?”

She hesitated, voice shaking. “It was… the Council of Shadows. They controlled trade, politics, and crime in the city. Your parents tried to stop them… and they paid for it with their lives.”

I felt rage simmering under my skin. My teeth ground together. “The Council… I thought it was just rumors.”

“No,” she said firmly. “It’s real. And worse… some of them are still alive in the city tonight.”

I leaned forward, my elbows on my knees, gripping my rod tightly. “Tell me everything, Seraphine. Names. Faces. Secrets.”

Her voice grew quieter. “There’s one man… Vincent Korr. He was your father’s partner. They trusted him with everything. He… betrayed them. Sold them out to the Council. That’s how the assassins found them.”

My mind spun. Vincent Korr. That name had appeared in faint whispers in intelligence reports, but I had never linked it directly to my parents. Now I knew. Now it made sense.

“And he’s still alive?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. “And he’s working with someone… someone dangerous. They call him the Heir. He’s the one arranging everything for the Vale family now.”

I swallowed hard. “The Heir… the one Seraphine mentioned?”

She nodded, biting her lip. “Yes. He’s powerful. More than anyone alive in the city. And they want the Vales to secure him more power… by marrying you into their plans.”

I stood up abruptly, pacing. “So… the Vale family… the Council… Vincent Korr… they all played a part in my parents’ deaths?”

“Yes,” she said softly. “And they still want to control you. They know who you are now, Leon. The Crimson General. The one who survived everything. The one they thought they could bury.”

My blood boiled. My hands shook, and a fire ignited inside me. I could feel it building—something I hadn’t felt in years. Rage… power… heat that coursed through my veins like molten iron.

I dropped to my knees, gripping the rod, feeling the energy inside me swell. “I… I can feel it,” I whispered. “The power… it’s… it’s me.”

Seraphine knelt beside me, her hand on my shoulder. “Leon… it’s okay. It’s your Crimson power. It’s always been part of you. But now… now it’s awake.”

I closed my eyes, letting it flow through me. The room seemed to pulse with my heartbeat, and the air around me felt alive, charged. My rod glowed faintly red. Every shadow, every corner of the room, seemed to bow to me.

“Crimson power…” I breathed, feeling it stretch through my arms, my legs, my chest. “Finally… fully awake.”

Seraphine’s eyes widened. “It’s beautiful… but dangerous. You need to control it, Leon. Promise me you won’t lose yourself.”

I looked at her, voice steady. “I won’t. Not while you’re here. Not while I have a purpose.”

She nodded, relief washing over her face. “Then… tell me. What will you do now?”

I clenched my fist, feeling the power pulse in response. “I will hunt them all down. Vincent Korr. The Council. The Heir. Everyone who took my parents from me.”

Her voice was trembling but firm. “Leon… the city will fight back. They won’t let you strike so easily.”

I smiled faintly, almost grimly. “They think I’ll fight fair?” I laughed softly. “They don’t know me.”

She reached for my hand, squeezing it. “Leon… please. Be careful. Don’t let them get inside you too much.”

“I won’t,” I said. “Not tonight. Tonight… we start.”

I stood and moved to the window, looking out at the dark streets below. My eyes glowed faint red in the dim light. Shadows seemed to bend toward me, as if they recognized my power.

Seraphine joined me, standing close. “Leon… what happens when they find out your power is fully awake?”

“They’ll try to kill me,” I said quietly. “But I’ve survived worse. I’ve trained for this moment.”

Her hand brushed mine again. “I… I trust you. But I’m scared.”

“Good,” I said softly. “Being scared keeps you alive.”

Her lips curved faintly. “You’re impossible.”

“I’m the Crimson General,” I said. “Impossible is my specialty.”

We stood there for a moment, watching the city below. Every corner, every shadow, every alley was a reminder of what we were fighting against.

“Leon…” she said softly. “I don’t know if I can face them like you do.”

“You will,” I said. “Because I’ll be with you. And because you’re stronger than you think.”

Her eyes filled with determination. “Then… we do this together?”

“Yes,” I said. “Together.”

I turned from the window and faced her. “Seraphine… you have to trust me completely. No holding back. If we’re going to survive this, we need to move fast. The Council and the Vale family won’t wait.”

She nodded. “I trust you. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

I felt the Crimson power surge again. It pulsed in my veins, radiating from my chest, my arms, my legs. I could feel the strength coursing through me, a burning heat that demanded action.

“Good,” I said. “Then listen carefully. We strike at sunrise. That’s when their guards are weakest. That’s when we can make them pay.”

She swallowed hard. “And if we fail?”

I shook my head. “We don’t fail. Not tonight. Not ever.”

I moved closer to her, lowering my voice. “But you have to promise me… no unnecessary risks. Stay alive. Help me survive.”

She looked into my eyes. “I promise.”

I exhaled slowly, letting the fire inside me calm. The Crimson power was mine. It had awakened fully. And now, it was time to use it.

I touched her hand. “Seraphine… whatever happens tonight… you’re my reason. My anchor. My strength.”

Her eyes softened. “And you’re mine.”

We sat together, planning, preparing. The city was silent outside, but we knew the storm was coming.

I reviewed the information Seraphine had given me: Vincent Korr, the Council, the Vale family, the Heir. Every name, every secret, every betrayal. I memorized it, letting the Crimson power enhance my mind, my senses. Nothing could escape me tonight.

“Leon…” Seraphine whispered. “Are you ready?”

I stood, letting the Crimson power radiate from me. “I was born ready. Tonight… we make them pay. And we take back everything they stole from us.”

Her hand brushed mine one last time. “Then let’s do it.”

I nodded. “Ravenport won’t know what hit it. But first… we survive until sunrise. And then… we strike.”

The Crimson power flared again, lighting up the room faintly red. Shadows danced on the walls, bending toward me as if acknowledging their master.

I looked at Seraphine. “No turning back. Are you ready?”

She nodded firmly. “Always.”

I smiled, sharp but controlled. “Then let’s begin.”

And as the night stretched on, I could feel it—the first steps of vengeance, the awake

ning of power, and the promise of a city about to burn beneath the Crimson General.

The hunt had begun.

And this time… it was personal.