The assassin, dressed in dark, unremarkable clothing, moved forward with a fluidity that suggested both training and desperation. The assassin''s face was covered by a half mask, their red eyes spinning slowly. They reached out and their knife appeared in their hand.


    "You''re a bold one." Ezra hissed, his own eyes shedding their blues and shing red as he summoned his vitality. Wind blew into the office from the missing window, scattering the documents on his table.


    Ezra could hear the smirk in the vampire''s voice. "You''re worth the risk, Matten." Her voice was feminine, indicating that the attacker was a woman.


    The office door burst open, and Ezra''s human guards rushed in, weapons drawn. Thedy turned with a snarl, her speed and power overwhelming the guards. In mere seconds, the intruder had dispatched them with ruthless efficiency, leaving a trail of broken bodies and spilled blood.


    Ezra seized the moment of distraction tounch his own attack. His ck zone spilled out and he moved with lightning speed, his fists connecting with the vampire''s torso and face. The impact sent the assassin staggering back, but she quickly regained her footing, countering with a series of powerful blows.


    The assassin rolled away, grabbing one of the two chairs before his desk and hurling it at him. Ezra plucked the chair out of the air and set it down gently. "Careful." He wagged a finger. "Everything in here is worth more than your life."


    Thedy met Ezra''s eyes, lifted her knife and stabbed it into his desk. The desk shed and dissolved into motes of light, sending everything that was still on it crashing to the floor. "Oops." She said tly. "My hand slipped.


    Ezra tilted his head. "Now, you''re asking for it." Ezra dashed to the assassin. Thedy met him at the middle of his office. They shed for a moment, exchanging blows, each trying to gain the upper hand. Ezra could feel the assassin''s strength and skill. This was an opponent stronger than Mchi had been.


    At least fourth ring. Okay. Maybe I was a bit arrogant.


    "You''re good," the assassin growled, dodging a punch andnding a kick that sent Ezra crashing into a chair.


    "Not good enough," Ezra growled, pushing himself up andunching himself at the intruder with renewed fury. His tailshed out, almost catching his opponent by surprise. She attacked with her knife and was able to cut the tail.


    Ezra felt foreign vitality rushing in and his vitality fought back, quickly overwhelming it. The ces on his tail that the vitality had already taken control of dissolved into light.


    "Hmm." She hummed as she shed. "Interesting."


    They exchanged blows, the sound of theirbat echoing through the office. Ezra managed tond a solid punch to her jaw, but she retaliated with a vicious sh that left a hole across Ezra''s arm, a chunk of his flesh disappearing into light. Pain red, but Ezra gritted his teeth, refusing to back down.


    Ezra nketed the room in his vitality stealing shadows and she flourished her arms, his shadows disappearing into motes of light before they could get to her.


    Making use of the brief smokescreen granted by his shadows, Ezra quickly twisted into her guard, his wed hand plunging towards her heart. She twisted away in a burst of speed, his hand managing to tear away just a bit of flesh in her chest and something else.


    The assassin leaped away towards the window and pped a hand to Ezra''s ck zone. A section of it dissolved away into motes of light. With a final, contemptuous look, the vampire leaped into the air, disappearing as quickly as she had appeared.


    Alone, Ezra surveyed the wreckage of his office. His guardsy motionless, probably dead. He clenched his fists, the fresh wound on his arm throbbing with pain as it slowly regenerated.


    Assessing the damage, he noted the shattered ss, overturned furniture, and the bloodstains from the fallen guards. It was a different image from the pristine office that had existed mere minutes before. The physical damage was repairable, but the impact on his team was much more damaging.


    He walked to where his desk had been, his hands buzzing themunicator previously on his desk. It had somehow survived the fight. He pressed down a button and spoke, his voicemanding and unyielding. "Lock down the building," he ordered. "No one leaves or enters for the next two hours. Also, no one should approach my office."


    "Yes, sir." The person behind the switchboard acknowledged without hesitation.


    The security systems of the building roared to life. Doors sealed, rms red, and the entire skyscraper transformed into a fortress. Through his enhanced senses, Ezra could hear the staff, though shaken, moving with purpose, executing the lockdown procedures with practiced efficiency.


    Ezra''s mind raced as he considered the implications of the attack. It was not just his life that was at risk, but the stability of his entire empire. What was the angle here? Do they want me on trial for breach of Secrecy? Who could it even be?


    He reached into his jacket and brought out his phone. He dialed a familiar number, waiting until he heard the click. "This is vampire C7V107023. I need a full cleanup of my office at Ascendant Capital. Human casualties on site." He listened to the response. "Thank you." He dropped the phone on his chair which looked out of ce without a desk to stand behind.


    He raised his hand to look at what he clutched between his bloodstained fingers. A medallion. It held the image of a trident. He turned it over, trying to find a clue in its golden surface. Whoever they were, he would find them.


    He sat back in his chair. He raised the medallion and wore it. He would use it to uncover the truth behind the attack, root out the attackers, and crush any opposition that dared to rise against him. This was only the beginning, and he was ready for the fight.


    "Bring it on, whoever you are."