Restart: the ultimate system

Chapter 6: Into the Lion's Den

The Path to House Ravencourt

The streets of the noble district were far removed from Duskwatch Alley's filth and shadowy dealings. Here, wealth gleamed in the moonlight—polished cobblestones, towering estates, and guards stationed at every gate.

House Ravencourt's manor loomed at the center of it all, an obsidian fortress surrounded by high walls and wrought iron gates. It was a house of power, influence, and—if Elias was right—secrets worth killing for.

Kai stood in the alley across the street, cloaked in the shadows. He had no proof yet that a Ravencourt had placed the contract on him.

But there was one person inside who knew the truth.

Selene.

An Invitation of Shadows

Kai didn't have time to play noble games. He needed answers, and he needed them now.

His gaze flicked to the second-floor balcony. Selene's room.

Perfect.

With a deep breath, he activated [Silent Step], his presence fading into the night. Moving with the precision of a phantom, he scaled the manor's side wall, using the decorative carvings as footholds.

As he reached the balcony, his hand slipped to the dagger at his waist—just in case.

He pushed the glass door open. Unlocked.

She was expecting him.

Selene's Warning

Selene stood by the fireplace, dressed in an elegant black gown, her silver hair catching the firelight. She didn't turn as he entered.

"You're either very brave," she murmured, "or very stupid."

Kai stepped inside, letting the door click shut behind him. "And yet, you left the door unlocked."

She finally faced him, a smirk playing at her lips. "Maybe I wanted to see if you'd make it this far."

Kai wasn't here for games. He pulled the Ouroboros insignia from his pocket and tossed it onto the table between them.

Selene's smirk vanished.

"I know House Ravencourt is involved," Kai said. "The only question is how deep."

For the first time, Selene hesitated.

Kai caught it—the flicker of doubt in her normally unreadable expression. She knew something.

Finally, she sighed. "You don't understand what you're walking into, Kai."

"Then explain it to me."

Selene studied him for a long moment before speaking.

"The Ouroboros Order isn't just working for one noble house," she said quietly. "They answer to the crown."

Kai's pulse slowed. "The royal family?"

Selene nodded. "Not just them. The Order operates as an invisible hand, shaping history. They decide who rises and who falls." She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "And they've deemed your very existence a threat."

A Royal Order of Execution

Kai exhaled slowly.

If what she was saying was true, then this wasn't just about House Ravencourt anymore.

The royal family itself had ordered his erasure.

The assassination attempts, the cover-up—it was all part of something bigger.

And if the Order had been sent to erase him, it meant he wasn't just a danger to them—he was a mistake that shouldn't exist.

Selene watched him carefully. "You should leave the capital, Kai. Before it's too late."

He almost laughed. Leave?

No.

If the Order thought they could erase him from history—they were wrong.

Kai stepped closer, meeting Selene's gaze.

"I'm not running," he said. "I'm going to burn them from the shadows they hide in."

Selene sighed, shaking her head. "Then at least let me tell you where to start."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You're helping me now?"

A smirk tugged at her lips. "Let's just say… I enjoy watching the game play out."

She reached into a drawer, pulled out a sealed envelope, and handed it to him.

Kai broke the wax seal, unfolding the parchment inside. His eyes flicked over the words—then stilled.

A name.

The noble who had placed the original contract on him.

The one who had tried to have him killed before the Ouroboros Order got involved.

Duke Alistair Ravencourt.

Selene's own father.

The Enemy Within

A Name That Changed Everything

Kai stared at the name on the parchment.

Duke Alistair Ravencourt.

Selene's father. One of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom.

He had expected a noble behind the contract—but not one this high up.

Slowly, he looked up at Selene. "Your own father ordered my execution?"

Her smirk had vanished. In its place was a cold, calculating look.

"I told you," she murmured. "You don't understand what you're walking into."

Kai clenched his jaw. "Then explain."

Selene sighed, moving to pour herself a glass of wine. "My father is… meticulous. He doesn't take risks unless the rewards are worth it. If he placed a contract on you, it means he saw you as a threat before you even realized it yourself."

Kai's grip on the parchment tightened. "Why?"

Selene sipped her wine before answering. "Because you aren't who you think you are."

A Forgotten Truth

The words sent a chill through Kai's spine.

"I remember my own life," he said sharply. "I know who I am."

Selene tilted her head. "Do you?"

Kai's mind raced. He had never questioned it before—his past, his memories. But the Ouroboros Order erased people for a reason.

Selene set her glass down. "The Order doesn't just kill threats. They remove things that don't belong. People who were never meant to exist."

Kai exhaled slowly. Never meant to exist.

He had died once. He had returned. But what if his return wasn't just unnatural—what if it was impossible?

What if that was why the Order was hunting him?

"What do you know?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

Selene hesitated. Then, finally, she spoke.

"You weren't just supposed to die, Kai. You were supposed to be erased from history itself."

The Duke's True Motive

The pieces were starting to fit together.

Duke Alistair Ravencourt had ordered his death.

The Ouroboros Order had intervened only after he returned.

And now the royal family was involved.

It all pointed to one terrifying truth—

Kai wasn't just a political inconvenience. He was an impossibility.

And Duke Ravencourt had known from the start.

Kai's fists clenched. He needed to face the Duke himself. He needed the truth.

But Selene wasn't finished.

"If you go after my father, be prepared," she said softly. "You won't just be fighting a noble."

Kai frowned. "What do you mean?"

Selene met his gaze.

"My father isn't just a duke. He's a member of the Ouroboros Order."

Silence stretched between them.

Kai's pulse pounded in his ears.

The man who had ordered his execution wasn't just a noble with power. He was part of the very organization trying to erase him.

Which meant this wasn't just about revenge anymore.

This was war.

And Duke Alistair Ravencourt was now Kai's next target.