Chapter 4 — Shadows in the Dark
When Krist returned to the living room, he immediately noticed the frustrated look on Harrison's face.
The golden-haired boy sat hunched over his laptop, fingers frozen above the keyboard while lines of encrypted code filled the screen.
Krist walked behind him quietly.
"Any luck?" he asked.
Harrison let out a long sigh before leaning back dramatically.
"None."
He rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"Breaking through Stark security is like trying to destroy a steel wall with paper."
Krist frowned slightly.
"That bad?"
"That bad," Harrison repeated. "Your parents built this system personally. Every firewall leads into another firewall."
He pointed helplessly at the screen.
"This thing is a monster."
Luna walked out of the kitchen carrying a glass of juice.
"Why the depressed face?" she asked casually. "You should be used to this by now."
Krist looked at her.
"Used to what?"
"Failure," Luna replied instantly.
Harrison looked offended.
"Wow."
Luna ignored him completely.
"You don't seriously think this is his first time trying to hack a Stark database, do you?" she asked Krist.
Krist blinked.
"Actually… yeah."
Luna laughed softly.
"Trust me. There are a lot of crazy people in this country."
She pointed at Harrison.
"My brother is one of them."
"Hey!" Harrison protested. "I'm just helping a friend."
Then he turned back toward Krist.
"When exactly do you need this done?"
"Within two days," Krist replied immediately.
Harrison stared at him.
"…You're joking."
Krist remained silent.
Harrison sighed dramatically.
"Please tell me you already tried hacking it yourself."
"I did," Krist admitted. "But the security system is way beyond my skill level."
Harrison whistled softly.
"That's honestly terrifying."
Luna suddenly froze.
"Wait."
She looked at Krist suspiciously.
"You can hack too?"
"Yeah."
"Yes."
Krist and Harrison answered at the same time.
Luna blinked slowly.
Then Krist frowned.
"Hold on," he said while looking at Harrison. "I never told anyone I could hack."
Harrison smirked proudly.
"Why wouldn't I know?"
He spread his arms dramatically.
"I know everything worth knowing in this country."
Krist and Luna stared at him silently.
Harrison sighed.
"Fine."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Do you remember the Billy incident last year?"
Luna immediately burst into laughter.
"The dance video?"
Krist groaned softly.
Billy had attempted to record a dance challenge for social media, only to slip and fall headfirst into a bucket of green paint.
The video had spread across the entire country within days.
Even now, people still used it as a meme.
Harrison nodded proudly.
"That one."
Luna wiped tears from her eyes.
"That video was legendary."
Then her expression slowly changed.
"Wait…"
She turned toward Krist.
"Billy accused you of leaking it."
Krist crossed his arms.
"Yeah, but nobody believed him."
"Because it sounded impossible," Luna continued slowly. "You and Billy hate each other. There's no way you could've gotten access to his phone…"
Her eyes widened.
"Oh my God."
Krist narrowed his eyes toward Harrison.
"How do you know it was me?"
Harrison shrugged casually.
"I traced the upload back to your device."
Silence.
Krist cursed under his breath.
"Damn."
He leaned back slightly.
"If someone like you could trace it, then my digital footprint still sucks."
Harrison immediately looked offended.
"Someone like me?"
He pointed at himself dramatically.
"I am a genius."
Krist smirked.
"Yet you still can't break Stark security."
"…I hate you."
Luna burst into laughter while Harrison shut down his laptop in frustration.
"I'm done for today," he declared. "My brain needs rest."
He stood up and stretched before looking toward Krist seriously.
"A little advice?"
Krist raised an eyebrow.
"Forget this plan."
Harrison's playful attitude disappeared completely.
"You're not breaching Stark security in two days."
He paused.
"Honestly? Maybe not even in five years."
Silence filled the room.
Krist lowered his head slightly, thinking deeply.
Then—
His eyes slowly sharpened.
"We can still do it."
Harrison frowned.
"How?"
Krist looked up.
"We need help from inside."
The room went quiet.
Without another word, Krist turned and headed toward the door.
"See you tomorrow," he said before leaving the house.
The night air was cold.
Krist crossed the empty road toward the Stark Estate while streetlights illuminated the massive black gates ahead of him.
His footsteps echoed softly against the pavement.
When he reached the gate, he pressed his palm against the hidden scanner inside one of the pillars.
ACCESS GRANTED.
The gates opened slightly—just enough for one person to pass through.
Krist stepped inside.
The gates immediately closed behind him.
Silence.
The massive estate felt unnaturally dark tonight.
Too dark.
Krist slowly walked across the enormous yard toward the mansion.
His eyes scanned the shadows carefully.
Something felt wrong.
When he finally reached the front door, he extended his hand toward the doorknob—
Then suddenly stopped.
His phone slipped from his hand and fell toward the ground.
But instead of panicking—
Krist bent down calmly to pick it up.
At the same moment, his left hand quietly reached toward his sneaker.
Hidden beneath it—
A small throwing knife.
The instant he stood up—
WHOOSH!
Krist spun violently and threw the knife toward the darkness beside the mansion.
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Then—
A low groan echoed from the shadows.
A figure dressed entirely in black slowly stepped into the moonlight while pulling the knife from his shoulder.
Blood dripped onto the grass.
Krist's expression turned cold instantly.
The man chuckled darkly while examining the knife.
"They told me you were weak," the assassin said calmly.
He wiped the blood from the blade before tossing it aside.
"They said this job would be easy."
The man slowly lifted his head.
"But now…"
A dangerous smile appeared beneath his mask.
"You're becoming very interesting, young Stark."