The villa pulsed with a vivid energy, an electric hum that starkly contrasted with the stifling, oppressive silence that had clung to its halls for days on end. Under Elias’s unwavering leadership, a handpicked team moved with military precision, navigating the dimly lit corridors with a deliberate stealth. They worked in unison, checking and rechecking their weapons—glinting steel radiating readiness—while adjusting communication devices with practiced efficiency. Outside, a dark, ...