The SUV hummed steadily as it sped down the forested path, leaving Donald far behind. Ethan sat in silence, his thoughts racing as he tried to piece everything together.

The Five Ghosts had coordinated a flawless operation, and yet, he hadn’t seen any of it coming.

Finally, he broke the silence. “When did you plan all of this?” he asked, looking at Mark, his tone a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

Mark didn’t immediately answer, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.

Instead, it was Maya who spoke up, her voice calm but edged with a hint of reproach.

“Let’s just say it started the moment Mike contacted me about Mark,” Maya began, her piercing green eyes glancing at Ethan.

She paused before adding, “I knew something wasn’t right. Luckily for us, every member of the Five Ghosts has tracking chips implanted. It’s part of the protocol in case one of us ever goes dark or needs immediate backup.”

Ethan blinked in surprise. “Tracking chips?”

“Yes,” Maya confirmed. “So, when Mike called me, I checked Mark’s location and immediately contacted the others. But before that, I tried calling him—repeatedly.”

She shot a sharp look at Mark, who had a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Of course, he didn’t pick up.”

Mark chuckled lightly, breaking his silence. “I was busy,” he said, his tone unrepentant. “The Moore’s house was… nice. The home-cooked meals, the warmth—it felt like home. I guess I got lost in the moment.”

The air in the SUV shifted slightly as the weight of Mark’s words settled over the group. Maya’s expression softened, and the others exchanged knowing glances.

“You miss it,” Ezra said quietly from the front seat, his voice unusually gentle. “Your home. Your wife and daughter.”

Mark nodded silently, his eyes distant.

Maya’s jaw tightened briefly before she spoke again. “I felt something was wrong, so I asked everyone to get as close to your location as possible. We didn’t know what was going on until you finally sent the request for help.”

Steve let out a low chuckle from the driver’s seat. “First time Mark’s ever asked us for anything,” he said, glancing at the rearview mirror with a crooked grin.

Ezra and Yamal nodded in agreement.

“Mark’s always been the first to show up when any of us needed him,” Yamal added, his voice calm but resolute. “So, when he asks for help—even once—it’s not a question of if we’ll be there. We just show up.”

Maya leaned back against her seat, crossing her arms as she fixed her gaze on Ethan. “The real question is, what’s so special about you, Ethan, that Mark needed us for this?”

Ethan opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, Ezra chimed in. “I think we’ve got our answer now,” he said with a faint smirk, his eyes flicking briefly to Ethan.

Ethan frowned, completely clueless about what they were all implying. “What are you talking about?”

Maya waved him off, clearly not in the mood to explain. Instead, she turned back to Mark, her tone sharp again. “Have you told the Moores to start packing and move?”

Mark nodded. “I told Jordan to handle it,” he said. “Without telling Ethan.”

Ethan’s confusion deepened. “Wait, what? Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

Steve sighed heavily, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “Because Mark knew exactly what you were going to do today,” he said.

Maya smirked. “Especially the part where you let Donald walk away.”

Ethan tensed at her words. “Did I make a mistake?” he asked, looking at the group with doubt.

They all agreed quickly and together. "Yes," they said at the same time, their voices blending.

Ethan blinked, surprised by their strong beliefs. “Why?” he asked, his voice getting louder.

Yamal turned slightly to face Ethan, his expression serious. “Donald isn’t the kind of man who lets things go. He’s small-time, sure, but with the kind of backing he has, he’ll come after you. And since the Moores are your weak point right now, they’ll be his first target.”

Ethan’s stomach sank at Yamal’s words. The Moores—Jessica, Julie, Harold, the twins—had become a second family to him. The thought of them being targeted because of him made his chest tighten with guilt.

“That’s why they need to move,” Maya said firmly. “Donald won’t stop. And if his backers get involved, things will only escalate.”

Ethan leaned back in his seat, his mind racing. He had thought letting Donald go was the right choice—a way to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

But now, he wasn’t so sure.

The SUV drove down the dirt path. Ethan broke the silence with a tough question. “What should I do now?” he asked, sounding unsure. “Will Donald come after my family, too?”

Mark nodded gravely, his expression unreadable. “The question isn’t if Donald will target your family—it’s when.”

Ethan fell quiet, the weight of Mark’s words pressing down on him. After a moment, he asked hesitantly, “Do I need to move my family too?”

Ezra, leaning casually against the window, spoke up. “If every time you face a problem, your solution is to run, where exactly will you stay later?” His tone was calm but carried a sharp edge of truth.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Yamal followed up with his steady, deliberate voice. “You need to face them, Ethan. Running isn’t the answer.”

Ethan sighed, his frustration evident. “But how? How am I supposed to face Donald—or whoever is backing him? I’m just…” He trailed off, the enormity of the situation bearing down on him.

Maya turned her piercing green gaze on him, her voice cutting through the air. “What do you think about the five of us?” she asked, her tone both curious and challenging. “How do you think we were able to go against hundreds of Donald’s guards without a scratch?”

Ethan blinked, the question catching him off guard. He stared at her for a moment before glancing around at the others.

His mind raced as he replayed the events of the day—the effortless precision, the overwhelming dominance, the fear they inspired in Donald and his men.

Finally, Ethan asked quietly, “Who are you guys… really?”

Steve chuckled, a deep rumble of amusement escaping him. “In this world,” he said, his voice carrying a mix of humor and gravity, “there are humans who’ve surpassed the strength and limits of normal human beings.”

Ethan’s eyebrows shot up. “You mean… you’re some kind of superhuman?”

Steve, Ezra, and Yamal burst into laughter, the sound filling the SUV. Even Maya and Mark chuckled softly, their more reserved amusement matching their personalities.

Maya leaned forward slightly, her lips curving into a faint smile. “If it helps you make sense of things, you can call us that,” she said simply, her tone tinged with amusement.

Maya leaned back slightly, her gaze steady on Ethan. “It’s not just us,” she said, her voice calm but serious. “There are others in this world who have reached our level—or even far beyond it. And you, Ethan... you have the potential to reach that level, too.”

Ethan's eyes grew wide in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Maya glanced at Mark, silently passing the responsibility of explanation to him. Mark took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck as he got ready to speak.

Mark started, "I’ve wanted to tell you this for a while," with a tone that showed he felt sorry. “I owe you the truth.”

Ethan leaned forward slightly, his attention fully on Mark.

“When I first took the job as a bodyguard in Novan City, it wasn’t just about the work. I had a personal mission.” Mark’s eyes darkened, the pain in them unmistakable. “The LaRue family... they were responsible for my wife and daughter’s deaths.”

Ethan inhaled sharply, stunned by the revelation. Mark paused as if the weight of his words hung in the air.

“At first, I thought being a bodyguard would give me a cover—an opportunity to get closer to them, to gather information, and plan my revenge," Mark continued.

"But I want you to know, Ethan, I never intended to put your life at risk. Not for my own cause," he added.

Mark’s voice softened, his guilt evident. “While I protected you, I had my informers working in the background, gathering intel. And I still had a network of underlings doing the... dirtier jobs for me.”

Ethan nodded slowly, his expression unreadable.

“But now,” Mark continued, his voice heavier, “things have changed. Whether it’s fate or just how the universe works, you’ve become a target for the LaRue family, too.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened, though he wasn’t surprised. He knew this wasn’t because of Mark. “It’s my fault,” he said quietly, piecing it together. “My way of doing things and… Jessica.”

Mark looked at Ethan with understanding. “It doesn’t matter now,” he said. “I never wanted this for you. But since the LaRues are after you, I won’t let them hurt you or anyone close to you.”

Mark's voice became firm when he said, “That’s why I’m asking you for something. If you agree, I want you to have all of us—the Five Ghosts—as your bodyguards.”

Ethan gasped, and his eyes widened. He looked at the group—Maya, who was calm but deadly; Ezra, with his sharp gaze that seemed to see everything; Yamal, who had a quiet intensity; and Steve, who had an imposing presence.

He was speechless. If they were protecting his family, the thought of anyone harming them seemed almost laughable.

Ethan finally found his voice, though it was quieter than usual. “You’re serious about this?” he asked, his gaze locking onto Mark’s.

Mark nodded, his expression unwavering. “Dead serious. This is no longer just about you. It also affects your family, your company, and everyone connected to you. If you choose us, we will protect them from harm.”

Ethan leaned back, feeling the weight of his decision. For the first time, he felt a small sense of comfort amid the chaos.

With the Five Ghosts with him, he would feel safer. However, it also meant entering a world that was much more dangerous than he had expected.

"I have no—"

Mark’s phone buzzed, cutting through Ethan's words. He glanced at the screen and immediately answered. “Jordan,” he said briskly, his tone steady.

Ethan shifted slightly in his seat, listening intently.

“We’re almost at the town’s edge,” Jordan’s voice came through the speaker. “Where do you want us?”

“Meet us at the exit just before leaving town,” Mark replied. “We’ll regroup there.”

Jordan agreed, and the call ended.

Mark slipped his phone back into his pocket and turned to the group. “We’ll discuss everything in more detail when we’re back in Novan City,” he said, his voice carrying a tone of finality.

Maya nodded in agreement. “No point wasting time here. Let’s keep moving.”

Ethan, still processing everything, simply nodded.

A few minutes later, the SUV pulled up near the agreed meeting spot. Ethan spotted Jordan’s vehicle with the Moores and Jessica inside.

The twins waved energetically when they saw the SUV arrive, their smiles a bright contrast to the tension Ethan felt.

Jessica stepped out first, her eyes scanning the group. Relief flashed across her face when she spotted Ethan. “You’re okay,” she said, her voice a mixture of relief and exasperation.

Ethan nodded, managing a faint smile. “I’m fine. Thanks to them,” he said, gesturing toward the Five Ghosts.

Yamal and Ezra exited the SUV and headed toward a nearby parking lot. Ethan glanced after them and noticed another SUV parked discreetly under some shade.

The two men returned shortly, coordinating the movement between the vehicles. "We need to split everyone evenly," ordered Yamal.

The group quickly moved around to give everyone enough space. Maya told the Moores and Jessica to spread out across the three cars for safety.

Julie Moore looked like she wanted to ask a hundred questions, her worried gaze flicking between Ethan, Jessica, and Mark. Even Harold, who usually maintained a stoic demeanor, seemed visibly concerned.

The twins, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, were chatting animatedly about the “adventure.”

Jessica, however, stepped closer to Ethan, her eyes narrowing slightly. “What’s going on, Ethan? And don’t tell me it’s nothing.”

Maya interjected before Ethan could respond. “We’ll explain everything,” she said firmly, her piercing gaze settling on Jessica and Julie. “But right now, we need to move. Talking can wait until we’re safe.”

Jessica hesitated, glancing between Maya and Ethan, but eventually nodded. “Fine,” she said, though her tone carried the weight of unresolved questions.

As the convoy prepared to depart, Mark leaned toward Ethan. “Is your place okay for everyone to stay at for now? At least until we figure out the next steps?”

Ethan nodded. “It’s fine. The house has way too many unused rooms anyway. They can stay there as long as they need. I'll inform my family.”

Mark gave a small nod of approval, then turned back to the wheel.

Jessica, overhearing the exchange, raised an eyebrow but chose not to press further. Instead, she got into the same vehicle as Ethan, sitting quietly beside him.

With everyone settled, the vehicles began their journey back to Novan City.

The convoy moved swiftly and smoothly, a coordinated effort that reflected the Five Ghosts’ expertise. Jessica sat quietly next to Ethan. Her face was hard to read as she looked at him from time to time.

She felt the weight of the questions she wanted to ask, but the urgency of the situation made her stay quiet.

Ethan, meanwhile, was deep in thought. The day’s events weighed heavily on him, but due to the offer from the Five Ghosts, he felt a sense of security. He was relieved to know he wasn’t facing it alone.

As he saw the city lights in the distance, he understood that his life had changed forever. However, with the help of the Five Ghosts and the Unlimited System, he believed he had a chance to fight back.