Chapter 70: Fear and Allegiance
Chidozie slammed the office door shut behind him and staggered toward the liquor cabinet. His breaths came in shallow gasps, his heart thundering in his chest like a war drum. He fumbled for a glass, sloshing aged whiskey into it, half of it spilling on his trembling hand.
He downed the drink in one gulp, but the fire in his throat did nothing to quiet the colder flame of fear curling deep inside him.
He sat heavily on the edge of his desk, the weight of Philip's aura still pressing on his shoulders like phantom chains. What was that? he thought. No Commander should feel that helpless. Not even facing a Grandmaster. That was something else.
He didn't know what level Philip had reached—only that it was beyond him. Far beyond.
The empty glass clinked against the mahogany as he poured another drink. He needed clarity. He needed options. And there was only one place to turn.
The organization.
He picked up a sleek black phone tucked away in his drawer. No biometric scan, no password—just a single contact listed under a blank name.
He pressed the call.
It rang once.
Twice.
Then a voice answered—calm, deep, unreadable. "Report."
Chidozie straightened slightly, forcing composure into his voice. "He's back. Philip. The original founder."
Silence.
Then: "We expected this. How strong?"
Chidozie hesitated. "...I don't know. I'm a Commander. He made me feel like an ant. I couldn't breathe."
A pause. "Sage?"
"Maybe more," Chidozie whispered.
More silence.
Then the voice continued, "You were given that company to build a front. A stable resource base. Has it been compromised?"
Chidozie swallowed. "Not yet. But he knows I replaced most of the staff with Awakened."
"Then remove your fingerprints. Leave the assets intact. We'll deal with him."
"But—"
"You were never supposed to provoke him. Only maintain the structure."
Chidozie felt his pulse quicken. "What about the money? The investments? I can't walk away from this. There are still unconverted assets."
"Money can be earned again. Your life, however, cannot. Cut ties. We'll reassign you."
Chidozie stared blankly at his reflection in the dark screen.
"But he—he's just one man—"
"Then you are welcome to try," the voice said coldly, "and die like one."
The line went dead.
Chidozie sat in stunned silence.
Outside, Lagos moved with its usual chaos—horns blaring, conversations buzzing, the heartbeat of the city unbothered by the awakening battles happening beneath the surface.
Inside, Chidozie finally understood: this wasn't a game anymore.
He wasn't the predator.
He had just seen the real hunter.
And Philip… Philip was something his organization hadn't planned for.