Prologue

Harold sipped his coffee as he gazed out over the mountains. The hidden proximity sensors placed along the woodline leading to his small cabin had triggered an alert. He could see the silent alarm blinking steadily behind him, warning that visitors were approaching.

"Time to get this over with," Harold sighed, having anticipated this day for years. Honestly, they took longer than I expected, he thought. After the world had descended into chaos, he'd retreated to this isolated valley high in the Appalachians, deliberately vanishing from society.

Wars between the East and West—over resources, population, influence, or whatever excuse politicians concocted—had defined his past life. Harold was the one they sent for the dirty work they never wanted the public to witness, serving both sides until they asked him to cross a line even he couldn't stomach. Refusing their command, Harold turned against his handlers, unleashing devastation so severe it became known as the Butcher's Accord. That night, he'd eliminated all but two of the highest-ranking politicians on both sides, ensuring his survival by establishing mutual blackmail. A deal was struck: He wouldn't pursue them if they left him alone. The fragile truce had lasted nearly twenty years.

"Guess the new blood thinks they can ignore the deal," he murmured, turning to grab his phone inside his modest cabin. Typing a long-unused password into his device, he opened a secure email and sent a one-word message to a dormant server untouched for two decades. "That'll make sure they remember me when this is over."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Returning outside, Harold leaned against the railing, coffee in hand, savoring the sunrise over the snow-tipped peaks. Metal flashed through the trees; the approaching men clanged loudly, clearly inexperienced.

"Amateurs," he muttered disdainfully, having abstained from violence since settling here, content with his quiet homestead life. "Should've opened the chicken coop," he chuckled darkly, shaking his head. Perhaps then a few of them might survive.

His phone dinged, and four city blocks—strategically placed around key government buildings across the world—erupted into pillars of fire and smoke. For twenty years, Harold had patiently purchased neighboring properties through anonymous corporations, embedding explosives within the walls. The governments only checked their own buildings for threats, never suspecting the real danger lay just outside.

Having amassed considerable wealth from his former life, he'd spent nearly all of it preparing for this inevitable moment. He'd set aside a substantial amount for the daughter who refused to speak to him, hoping one day she'd accept it.

"God, what I wouldn't give to see their faces now," he laughed bitterly, then sighed, resignation in his voice. "Guess it's time. Shame to be killed by amateurs, though." His sense of professionalism recoiled at the thought.

Harold took one final sip of coffee, smiling faintly as the bullet punched through his skull. His phone slipped from lifeless fingers, clattering softly onto the porch, glowing gently as it vibrated with one final signal.

A moment later, deep within the forgotten valley absent from all maps, the earth split open in a column of fire.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.