Elizabeth would be lying if she imed she wasn''t surprised that Ss knew it was her on the other end of the line. It wasn''t just the fact that he had identified her from an untraceable number—it was the casual, almost yful way he addressed her, as if he had been expecting her call all along.


    Ss had always been an enigma to her, a puzzle she couldn''t quite piece together, and that realization only deepened her curiosity.


    For months, she had been doing everything in her power to uncover the mystery of Ss. She''d called in every favor, used every contact, deployed every resource she had to track him down after his unexpected and disruptive visit to the Abyss—the underground arena for Phenomenals. But the results were always the same: aplete nk.


    Ss''s past, his movements, even his supposed allies—none of it existed on any record she could ess. It was as if he had vanished into thin air the moment he left the Abyss, a ghost with no trace left behind. That was seven months ago, and her search had been relentless.


    The more she uncovered nothing, the more Elizabeth understood just how dangerous he truly was. People with clean records didn''t exist in her world—not naturally. The more spotless someone''s background appeared, the more they were hiding. And with Ss, it was clear he was hiding a lot.


    It was no coincidence, she thought, that he had reappeared on the world''s stage only now, with theunch of the VR game and Pod creating a frenzy that reached every corner of the globe. For someone like Ss to step out of the shadows so suddenly meant he was ying arger game—one that she couldn''t quite see yet.


    It bothered her that she couldn''t figure out what his endgame was. Why had he chosen to surface now? He had managed to remain hidden for months, evading not just her but every other intelligence agency andwork of informants across the globe. If he could do that, then why reveal himself now, at the peak of the VR Pod''s media storm? What had changed? Unless...


    unless he wanted to be seen.


    Elizabeth tapped her fingers thoughtfully against her desk as she considered this. The truth was, she didn''t hold any personal grudges against Ss. She wasn''t among those who had suffered during that chaotic night at the Abyss when Ss had toyed with some of the most powerful Phenomenals like they were children.


    She had watched from the sidelines as he dismantled their pride, one by one, turning what was supposed to be a show of dominance into a game he controlled effortlessly.


    She remembered the scene clearly. It was Natasha who had provoked him first, using her powers to try and manipte him. It was a reckless move, one that backfired spectacrly. Instead of cowering, Ss had turned the entire arena into his yground, tossing around Phenomenals like ragdolls. Elizabeth had found herself more fascinated than angered by the disy of power.


    It was brutal, yes, but it was also a demonstration of something else—control, mastery, and a kind of effortless superiority that she hadn''t seen before.


    If anything, she respected him for it. Ss had shown that he wasn''t someone to be manipted or controlled, and he had done it in a way that left everyone in the Abyss with no choice but to recognize his strength.


    But now, as she thought about how quickly he had transitioned from that shadowy figure to the founder of apany at the forefront of global attention, she couldn''t help but wonder what he truly wanted.


    ''Why the shift?'' she thought to herself. ''Why allow the world to focus on you?''


    The Bureau''s analysts had their own theories, many of which Elizabeth found ridiculous. Some of them spected that the VR Pod was based on alien technology or that it had origins outside of Earth.


    She had dismissed those ideas at first, but as more details emerged—especially the whispers of how advanced the Pod''s neural integration was—she began to wonder if there might be a grain of truth in those wild spections. After all, Daniel, had also hinted on something about Ss, though he''d never provided specifics.


    It was all too convenient, the way Ss had emerged from obscurity and brought technologies that seemed decades ahead of anything else.


    Ss''s rise from a nobody to someone who could disrupt industries and shake governments had happened in less than three years. It was unnerving. And despite all her resources, all her efforts, Elizabeth knew she was still grasping at shadows.


    She sighed, rubbing her temples as she considered her position. ''If I could, I''d rather not be Ss''s enemy,'' she admitted to herself. She knew that much. It wasn''t just because she respected his strength; it was because she recognized the danger he posed if antagonized.


    But she also understood that her role as a Phenomenal affiliated with the United States meant that her wishes didn''t necessarily align with her duties. She had responsibilities, and as much as she might prefer to stay on neutral ground, she knew that the US government would see Ss as a potential threat to be contained or controlled.


    Still, she wanted answers. And if there was a way to understand what Ss intended without immediately drawing battle lines, she was determined to find it.


    "Ss, can we meet and talk?" she asked finally, keeping her tone neutral, even as her mind raced through the possible oues of this conversation.


    Ss chuckled on the other end, a sound that felt almost condescending, as if he was humoring her. "You think I''d refuse a meeting with someone as influential as you, Elizabeth? Sure, I''ll bite. But let''s keep it simple—neutral ground. And no games."


    Elizabeth allowed herself a small smile, though she knew he couldn''t see it. "Neutral ground, no games," she echoed. "I''ll send you the details."


    "Looking forward to it, Empress," Ss replied, the nickname rolling off his tongue with a hint of amusement. And then the line went dead.


    Elizabeth remained seated, her fingers lingering over the phone. She knew this meeting wouldn''t be simple, despite what they''d agreed. Ss wouldn''t have epted so readily unless he believed he had the upper hand. But that was fine. She wasn''t going into this unprepared. There was still much she could learn, and perhaps even a way to turn this unexpected meeting to her advantage.


    But more than that, a part of her was genuinely curious—curious about the man behind the mystery, about the force that had taken the world by storm. And maybe, just maybe, she wanted to see what would happen if she allowed herself to step into his orbit, if only for a moment.


    She straightened in her chair, steeling herself for what was toe. If Ss was nning something big, she needed to know what it was. And whether it meant ying friend or foe, Elizabeth Federick was ready to find out.


    With a quick series of taps on her encrypted tablet, she arranged the meeting location and sent the details to Ss through a secure channel. As she looked out the window at the bustling city below, she couldn''t help but feel a flicker of anticipation.


    Whatever Ss was nning, she was about to find herself right in the middle of it. And she wouldn''t have it any other way.