Riyan's POV
**Seven Days Before Academy Opening**
**Qara City - Descartes Estate - My Private Chambers**
I sat in the leather chair by my window, watching the sun set over Qara City's sprawling skyline. The Academy would open its doors in seven days—a milestone that should have consumed my thoughts with preparation and strategy.
Instead, my mind was focused on something far more immediate and considerably more dangerous.
Tomorrow night, Hotel BlackMoon would become ground zero for an event that could reshape the political landscape of Fers Domain. And I intended to be right in the middle of it.
The hotel itself was a monument to excess—a five-star establishment on Qara City's outskirts that catered to the wealthy, the powerful, and those who preferred their business conducted away from prying eyes. Its black marble facade and reputation for discretion made it the perfect venue for the kind of meeting that officially didn't exist.
Tomorrow, that hotel would host a gathering of some of the most corrupt individuals in the region. Hunters who'd sold their integrity for coin. Officials who'd turned blind eyes to crimes in exchange for influence. Businessmen whose wealth was built on suffering they'd never personally witnessed and thus could comfortably ignore.
They were gathering to orchestrate something catastrophic—a manufactured riot in Fers Domain that would culminate in the artificial breach of protective gates. The kind of event that would kill hundreds, maybe thousands, while lining the pockets of those who'd positioned themselves to profit from the chaos.
*Disgusting,* I thought, though not from any particular moral outrage. I'd killed a man when I was nine years old. Morality was a luxury I couldn't afford to indulge in excess.
No, what disgusted me was the *waste* of it all. So much potential power and influence squandered on petty profit schemes when these people could have been building something lasting.
But their shortsightedness was my opportunity.
According to the novel's timeline, an organization called Sirus would hijack the hotel tomorrow night. The organization itself was fascinating—a vigilante group operating in the shadows, hunting corrupt individuals who'd slipped through legal systems. Noble intentions wrapped in criminal methodology, which made them pariahs in the eyes of legitimate authority.
The government branded them terrorists. The corrupt feared them as executioners. The truth, as always, lay somewhere in the uncomfortable middle ground where righteousness and violence intersected in ways that made everyone squeamish.
Sirus's members were skilled hunters and dedicated citizens who'd lost faith in systems that protected the guilty more effectively than they served the innocent. They were rogue agents, whistleblowers, and vigilantes united by rage at injustice and determination to correct it through extrajudicial means.
Their methods were brutal but effective. They infiltrated criminal organizations, gathered evidence that would never see a courtroom, and eliminated threats that the law couldn't or wouldn't touch. They operated as ghosts—silent observers who struck without warning and disappeared without trace.
Tomorrow night, a Sirus team would infiltrate BlackMoon with orders to eliminate every corrupt official attending the meeting. Clean, efficient, sending a message that corruption carried consequences even power and wealth couldn't shield against.
Except that's not what would actually happen.
The team assigned to this mission had other plans. Plans that involved betraying Sirus's ideals for personal profit.
Instead of executing their targets, the team would seize control of the hotel entirely. Take every guest hostage—not just the corrupt officials, but innocent civilians who'd chosen the worst possible night for luxury accommodations. Then they'd issue demands to the Hunter's Association: a ransom paid not in currency, but in high-rank mana and aura weapons.
The kind of weapons that represented significant military assets. The kind that could arm a small rebellion or fetch astronomical prices on black markets.
And once they had those weapons, they'd sell them to Nexus.
The same organization that had kidnapped Raven and me when we were children. The same fanatics who wanted to create artificial devils. The same group my mother and the Principal had been hunting for years without success.
*That* I couldn't allow.
Not out of any particular loyalty to Sirus—I'd never met them. Not out of moral objection to the hostage plan, though that was certainly distasteful. Not even out of personal vendetta against Nexus, though that played a role.
No, I was getting involved because the situation represented an opportunity too valuable to waste.
An opportunity to make an impression on someone who could be extraordinarily useful to my long-term plans.
Sia Crimson.
The Leader of Sirus. An SS- rank hunter whose skills were legendary even in the shadows where her organization operated. A woman whose network of information and resources would be invaluable to someone trying to disrupt destiny's carefully laid plans.
And currently, someone who had no idea her operation was about to be betrayed from within.
[Ding!]
The system's notification chimed in my mind, confirming what I'd been planning.
[Mission: Make Sia Crimson Your Fanatic]
[Real Identity: Sia Crimson, SS- Rank Hunter and Leader of Sirus Organization]
[Time Limit: Before Academy Graduation]
[Reward: Unknown]
[Does Host wish to accept this Mission?]
"Yes," I said aloud, even though mental confirmation would have sufficed. Sometimes it helped to hear my own voice commit to decisions that might get me killed.
[Mission Accepted]
[Current Favorability: Unknown]
[Recommended Approach: Demonstrate value through action. Sia Crimson respects strength, intelligence, and those who share her vision of justice]
*Justice,* I thought with dark amusement. *What an interesting word. So subjective. So malleable.*
My plan was elegant in its simplicity, though execution would be considerably more complex.
First, I would infiltrate the hotel before the betrayers made their move. Position myself to observe and, if necessary, intervene. The original Riyan's memories included detailed floor plans of BlackMoon—his mother had held business meetings there frequently enough that he'd memorized the layout out of sheer boredom during childhood.
Second, I would allow the betrayers to make their move initially. Let them reveal themselves fully, commit to their betrayal in ways that couldn't be walked back. Evidence was always more convincing than accusation.
Third, I would disrupt their plan at the critical moment. Not by alerting authorities—that would accomplish nothing except getting innocent hostages killed in crossfire. No, I'd handle it more... personally.
Fourth, and most importantly, I would ensure Sia witnessed my intervention. Ideally in a way that demonstrated both capability and alignment with her organization's stated goals.
The trick would be managing all of this without revealing my identity prematurely. I was already too high-profile after the entrance exam. If word spread that Riyan Descartes had single-handedly disrupted a hostage situation, questions would follow that I wasn't prepared to answer.
*The mask stays on,* I decided. *At least until the critical moment.*
I pulled up my status mentally, reviewing my capabilities.
[Status
Host Name: Riyan Cris Descartes
Charm: SS+
Strength: B+
Speed: B+
Endurance: A-
Mana: B-
Aura: C+
Current Rank: B-]
B- rank at eighteen was exceptional, but I'd be facing betrayers who were likely A-rank or higher. SS- rank Sia would be manageable if she was an ally, catastrophic if she decided I was an enemy.
The math wasn't in my favor for direct confrontation.
Which meant I'd need to be smart about this. Use preparation, tactics, and the element of surprise to offset the raw power differential.
I activated my Reader's Eye, one of my Unique rank talents. The ability allowed me to analyze combat patterns, predict movements, and identify weaknesses in real-time. Against multiple opponents of superior rank, it might be the difference between success and a very short, very painful death.
My Spear Mastery had reached Master level, supplemented by the SS-rank Spear Saint talent. Combined with my fire and darkness affinities, I had options for both ranged and close combat.
The Dual Energy User talent meant I could fight with both mana and aura, giving me flexibility most hunters lacked. When mana users expected me to empty my reserves, I could switch to aura techniques and keep fighting.
*It's workable,* I concluded. *Dangerous, probably stupid, definitely not what anyone would call a "safe" plan. But workable.*
A knock on my door interrupted my tactical planning.
"Young Master Riyan?" A servant's voice, carefully neutral. "Your mother requests your presence in her study."
I glanced at the clock. Late evening, well past normal business hours. Whatever Riya wanted, it wasn't casual.
"Tell her I'll be there momentarily," I called back.
As I stood and straightened my clothes, I considered what this summons might mean. Had she somehow learned about my plans for tomorrow? That seemed unlikely—I'd been careful to leave no digital trail, and my knowledge came from memories of a novel rather than actionable intelligence she could intercept.
More likely, this was about Academy preparations. Or possibly about Fera—our families would need to discuss how to handle the engagement now that I'd stopped my pathetic pursuit.
Either way, I'd need to be careful. Riya was SS+ rank and frighteningly perceptive. If she suspected I was planning something dangerous, she'd lock me in my room until Academy opened just to keep me safe.
*Can't have that,* I thought, already composing plausible lies as I headed for the door. *Not when I'm this close to making a real move in this game.*
Tomorrow night, Hotel BlackMoon would become a battlefield.
And I intended to emerge victorious, with a powerful new ally and one step closer to crushing destiny's carefully laid plans.
The only question was whether I'd survive long enough to enjoy my victory.
---
**Author's Note:**
This chapter sets up the Hotel Hijack Arc and introduces Sia Crimson, who will become an important character going forward. The mission parameters are deliberately vague on rewards because the system wants to see how Riyan handles this before determining appropriate compensation.
**Reader Discussion:**
- How should Riyan approach infiltrating the hotel?
- What do you think of Sia Crimson based on this introduction?
- Should Riyan work alone or try to recruit help?
- How dangerous do you think this mission actually is?
**Next Chapter Preview:** "Hotel Hijack [Part 2]" - Riyan infiltrates BlackMoon and witnesses the betrayal firsthand. Violence, strategy.
**Engagement Goals:**
- 120 Power Stones = Bonus chapter showing Sia's perspective
- 25 Golden Tickets = Side story: "The Formation of Sirus"
- 35 Reviews = Detailed breakdown of hotel layout and tactical analysis
Thanks for reading! Don't forget those power stones and comments!
*- Your Author*