Chapter 13 — The Red Stigma: Whispers from the Shadows
1. The Eve of the Storm, and an Ominous Silence
In Kai's Parisian subterranean bunker and Lilith's clandestine Genevan hideout, separated by miles yet connected by an invisible thread of shared purpose, they were meticulously refining their first major offensive against the heart of the 'Babel Empire.' The top-secret documents on Babel, which Lilith had obtained through Mordecai, provided crucial clues for their operation, yet the vastness and intricacy of those very documents served as a constant, chilling reminder of the monstrous entity they were up against.
For several days, an unnatural quiet had descended upon the world. No mention of Kai, Lilith, or the 'Kingdom Builder Foundation' could be found in any media outlet associated with the 'Babel Foundation.' It was a suffocating silence, like the eerie calm before a devastating storm. Even Kai's AI, Micah, and Lilith's AI, Cassandra, detected no unusual movements from Babel's side.
Lilith: (Via a secure video channel to Kai, her voice laced with unease) "It's too quiet, Kai. Unnaturally so. As if the stone we threw has simply sunk to the bottom of a deep lake without a ripple. Do you think they truly haven't noticed our presence yet? Or… is this another kind of trap?"
Kai: (Gazing at a complex financial flow chart on his holographic screen) "They already know, Lilith. Perhaps far more than we imagine. Their current inaction likely means they are either waiting for the most effective moment to counter-attack, or… they intend to send us a warning, in a manner far more painful than a direct assault." His voice was tinged with a dark premonition.
2. Ghosts of the Past, and the First Bloody Warning
And Kai's premonition, as it always did, materialized in the most horrific way possible.
A few days later, an anonymous email arrived at Kai's 'Revelation Computation Unit.' The sender was untraceable, but the short video file attached contained a despair more lethal than any malware.
The video opened on a dark, damp cellar. There, tied to a chair, bloodied and broken, was Samuel – an old man, his hair now white as snow, one of the few survivors from the small investor group who, seven years ago, after Kai's 'Prometheus's Flame' operation had failed and he had lost everything and vanished, had still believed in him, supported him, and helped him get back on his feet. Before him stood the faceless enforcers of 'Babel,' clad in black suits.
"We know you're still in contact with that rat, the 'Kingdom Builder.' Tell us his location. Then, we'll let you live." "...I… I don't know… I know nothing… cough…" "Fine. Then we'll show you exactly what price your useless loyalty incurs."
The next moment, the video descended into unspeakable brutality, ending with Samuel's agonizing scream and then darkness. And on the final screen, a single, chilling message appeared, seemingly written in blood:
'The Shadow sees all. You are next, Kingdom Builder.'
The blood in Kai's veins turned to ice. His hands trembled with an uncontrollable rage. This was no mere threat. This was a clear warning from the 'Babel Empire,' the first 'Red Stigma' demonstrating their ruthlessness. Instead of harming Kai directly, they were sadistically severing the weakest links connected to him, aiming to slowly corrode his soul.
At the same moment, Lilith, through Cassandra, was receiving equally horrifying news. Anna, the director of 'MedonBridge,' the local NGO that had played a crucial role in establishing their 'Kaunas Model' in Lithuania, had been found dead in her apartment. Local police were attempting to close the case as a simple robbery-homicide, but Cassandra's hacking of local security camera footage revealed faint images of an unidentified black vehicle loitering near Anna's apartment on the day of the incident, and figures, presumed to be Babel's henchmen, emerging from it and heading towards Anna's home.
Lilith slammed her fist on the console, her composure finally shattering. Lilith: "These… these despicable fiends! How dare they commit such atrocities against powerless people! This is a clear warning to us, Kai! That if we take one more step forward, more innocent people will get hurt, or even killed!"
3. Guilt and Fury, and a Resolve Forged in Steel
Kai and Lilith were silent for a long moment, connected only by the secure video channel displaying their grim faces. Samuel and Anna. They had committed no crime, sacrificed only because they were associated with them. The fact that their fight was ultimately causing more innocent blood to be shed was a deep, stabbing guilt, an agony that tore at their hearts.
Kai: (His voice choked) "...It's my fault. I was too complacent. I underestimated their cruelty, their information network. Old Samuel… because of me…"
Lilith: (Cutting Kai off, her eyes blazing with a mixture of sorrow and fury) "No, Kai! It's not your fault! It's all of our responsibility, no, this is entirely the sin of those demonic 'Babel' bastards! They are testing us right now! They want us to kneel and surrender before this guilt and fear!"
She abruptly stood up and walked closer to the screen displaying Kai. Her voice no longer held despair, but the desperate resolve of one who had wagered everything.
Lilith: "But we must never stop, Kai! If we stop here, Uncle Samuel's and Anna's deaths will truly become meaningless, a dog's death! For the sake of their bloody tears, we must fight back against them with even more caution, more meticulousness, and more strength! Because what they fear most is precisely our resistance!"
Kai slowly raised his head, looking at Lilith on the screen. In her eyes, he saw the same kind of all-consuming, fiery rage that burned within him, and an iron will that would never break. Yes, she was right. If they gave up here, it would be exactly what their enemies wanted.
He rose from his chair. His eyes were colder, harder than ever before. There was no longer guilt or sorrow in them. Only a chilling resolve for vengeance and judgment against the colossal evil that was the 'Babel Empire.'
Kai: "You are right, Lilith. We will not stop. No, we cannot stop. From now on, every action we take will be our answer to this 'Red Stigma' they have branded upon us. Until we ourselves carve an indelible stigma of fear onto their most protected hearts."