All Chapters of Ace: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The sun barely peeked over the horizon as Lisa slipped out of bed, the soft rustle of sheets the only sound in the vast, quiet mansion. The weight of yesterday’s events lingered in the air, but today was a new day, one filled with uncertainty and purpose. She had to remain focused. The answers she sought would not reveal themselves easily, and she wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. She dressed quickly, choosing a professional yet comfortable outfit—a crisp white blouse tucked into a pair of navy slacks. The dark circles under her eyes, remnants of a sleepless night spent combing through medical journals, were only slightly masked by a touch of concealer. As she gazed at her reflection, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was on the brink of something monumental. “Ready or not, here we go,” she whispered to herself, grabbing her bag and heading downstairs. The mansion, usually a hub of activity, was eerily quiet. Only the soft hum of the air conditioning broke the silen

Lisa’s hands trembled as she sifted through the ancient texts in the folder. The weight of what Mia had uncovered pressed down on her like a physical force. The information before her was a tangled web of botanical knowledge, ancient rituals, and dark secrets. The *Sopor Veritas* was not just rare—it was an artifact of a bygone era, used in ceremonies that involved mind control, trances, and, in some cases, death.The deeper Lisa delved into the folder, the more unsettling the details became. The plant’s extract, when used in small, controlled doses, could put someone into a deep, unbreakable sleep. But in larger quantities, it could do irreparable damage, inducing hallucinations, paranoia, and eventually, a permanent vegetative state.But it was the antidote—or lack thereof—that truly terrified Lisa. According to the texts, the antidote could only be synthesized from a specific variety of the plant, one that was believed to be extinct. The only known specimen had been destroyed centu

Evelyn's icy gaze bore into Lisa, a faint smile curling on her lips as she stepped closer. The air between them crackled with tension, thick enough to cut with a knife. "What do I want?" Evelyn echoed, her voice dripping with mockery. "I want you to understand that you are nothing in this game. You’ve meddled in affairs far beyond your comprehension. Ace’s condition was always meant to serve a higher purpose—a purpose that you are woefully unequipped to grasp." Lisa clenched her fists, forcing herself to stand tall despite the fear clawing at her insides. "If you have the antidote, give it to me. Ace doesn’t have to suffer because of whatever twisted game you’re playing." Evelyn laughed, the sound cold and sharp. "Suffer? Oh, dear Lisa, you still don’t see the bigger picture. Ace is not just a pawn; he’s the key. His mind, his blood—they hold the secrets to unlocking power you can’t even imagine." Lisa's breath caught in her throat. "What are you talking about?" Evelyn's eyes

**Evelyn’s Point of View**The flames reflected in my eyes as I stood on the rooftop, watching the warehouse burn from a safe distance. The explosion had been larger than anticipated, but that was the point—leave no trace, no evidence. Ace and Lisa were resourceful, but I was always two steps ahead. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.The plan had been simple enough: lure them to the warehouse, let them discover the truth in a controlled environment, and then eliminate the evidence. But watching the building crumble into flames, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of something...regret, perhaps? No, not regret—something more complicated. Something I didn’t have the luxury to analyze right now.The Sopor Veritas. The name echoed in my mind, as it had for months since I first discovered its properties. A rare plant, capable of unlocking the deepest recesses of the mind, of amplifying one’s abilities to unimaginable heights. But it was volatile, dangerous. And yet, that danger was w

The night air was crisp, tinged with the scent of rain that had recently swept through the city. The streets were quieter now, with only the occasional car passing by, its headlights slicing through the darkness. Inside the sprawling mansion that Ace called home, all was still. Lisa had finally succumbed to exhaustion and was sound asleep, her dreams troubled but mercifully free of the chaos that had plagued her waking hours. Ace, however, was wide awake, seated in his study with a glass of whiskey in hand.His mind was a storm of thoughts—about the deaths at the mansion, about Evelyn’s mysterious actions, and about the sense of impending doom that hung over him like a dark cloud. But tonight, something else occupied his mind, something he hadn’t been able to shake since it first appeared. A name. A shadow.It had come to him through an encrypted message on a burner phone—a name he hadn’t heard in years, yet one that still sent a chill down his spine. It was a name that had been whisp