To everyone who reviewed, thank you! To anonymous who asked if the chapters would get longer, yes, they will.

Beck hurried up the stairs. He sensed… something.

Something bad. Very bad.

It was odd. Whenever something threatened his work, he knew it. It was as if it was his destiny to complete his plan.

The Plan.

His life's work. Beck had been planning it since he was a young boy, living in his parent's small Rustican cabin.

Yes, he had once been Rustican. Growing up in such conditions made him hate Divinus, but when his uncle died and left him a fortune, he moved to Divinus and learned to hate Rusticus.

You could say that he got the worst of both worlds. Or the best, depending on if you're an optimist or a pessimist. He saw it as the worst.

Much as Beck had a talent for telling when the Plan was in trouble, his butler, David, could tell when Beck was in trouble. It seemed to be David's destiny to serve Beck.

"Is there a problem, Sir?" David asked, sounding concerned. He was butler to the bone—standing upright, dressed in a fine suit, carrying a tray, and ready to assist Beck with anything and everything. "I heard you pacing upstairs."

"No, no, David," Beck lied. "I am fine. Dismissed."

"Thank you, Mr. Oliver. Call me if you need anything."

"I shall." Another lie. Beck could trust no one with the Plan, although he desperately needed help. There were parts that he couldn't acquire, flaws that he could not wrap his head around. And there always seemed to be some sort of disturbance. In this case, there was no doubt in Beck's mind: someone knew about the Plan.

Once David was out of sight, Beck rushed to the window. He lived in a fine home in the Rocky Mountains. It was built right into the mountainside, with an elegant balcony and a pool that overlooked the city below. He had come to think of Divinus as his home, though the hatred for it from his Rustican childhood still lived inside him.

Peering out over Nile road and the rest of the city, Beck could see nothing. The disturbance had not yet arrived. But he was sure that it was on its way. He was never wrong about these things, it had to be.

Beck had been tense for weeks. The disturbance hadn't come yet. How long before it came? What would it do? Would it succeed?

He wished desperately that it would just come, so these questions could be answered and he could dispose of it as soon as possible. The longer it waited, the more frightened Beck became. It was like a horror movie, when the monster or murderer was just lurking for so long while music kept you in agonizing suspense, because you just know that that poor victim is going to be killed.

Of course, with Beck anxious, David would not leave him alone, so Beck had to abandon the Plan until the disturbance arrived. He spent countless hours in his bedroom, staring out the window. Waiting. Watching.

Soon he began to wonder if he was just paranoid. The Plan was everything to him, and anyone would get a bit carried away protecting it.

But then, he had a worse thought. What if he was insane? How many people 'just sense these things' after all?

And almost immediately after, he got another, even worse thought. What if the disturbance had already struck and his Plan was already ruined? What if the disturbance had told somebody, like the authorities, and he was going to be arrested for interfering with the two territories? If the Plan was ruined because of his carelessness, he would never forgive himself. The Plan was his responsibility and if it was destroyed, ruined, discovered, or not completed in time…

Beck's thoughts were interrupted by a strong instinct—The disturbance was near. He ran to is window to find the disturbance—a black-haired woman on horseback— and immediately discovered why it had taken so long. The disturbance was Rustican. He had been alerted when it planned to interfere, but it had ridden on horseback all the way from Rusticus to his city in southern Divinus, an area called Holiday. Holiday was at least a few week's ride from the Rustican border.

He laughed, relieved. This poor Rustican would not be able to interfere. It was a pathetic attempt. Relaxed, he leaned against the windowsill. Looking closer, he found that the Rustican was not just on a horse, but a nice black thoroughbred. He also spotted a gun in tucked into her belt. Such a fine horse combined with a gun would have cost a lot of money, and Rusticans simply do not have lots of money. But the Rustican government can supply such a horse and they do have ample weaponry.

Beck felt panic rise in his chest.

No. He mustn't panic. So she was a government agent or an assassin? No problem. He knew that she was there and that she meant him harm, so he could easily keep one step ahead if he kept his guard up.

In fact, he would hire her. He needed a new cook anyway, and if he kept his enemy close, he could easily kill her before she killed him. As far as he was concerned, it was just killing two birds with one stone.

He would protect the Plan at all costs.

Okay, so that's that.

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