The chase after Tom's card was nowhere as climatic and thrilling as it would be in a movie.

The first part played out within the city bounds. A slight lapse in one's focus and silent attention would result in losing track of the people tailing them.

Tom's driver kept well within the speed limits, driving like the most proper citizen out there. He stopped at the red lights and patiently waited for the people to cross and the crossings.

But the moment Tom's massive, black van broke through the city...

Nothing changed.

Or rather, that's what anyone would think when looking at Tom's brother drove his car.

The increase in his speed was gradual yet swift. Whenever an occasional landmark would cover the car from the eyes of those following them, he would press the gas and gain a little speed.

Most of the time, those sight breaks were too short for any serious acceleration. Additionally, Tom's driver had to be wary of attracting attention.

"What a madman," Tom muttered, staring in disbelief at the clocks of the car. Even though he only rode bikes himself, all those numbers were more than familiar to him.

"Huh? We are riding so fast?" Claudia said, losing her acting face for a moment.

'Thankfully, this was one of the windows,' Tom thought, stealing a glance through the driver's mirror. But instead of lecturing the girl, he gently poked her side instead.

"Listen, as soon as we reach my place, we will jump out. Forget about carrying anything. You won't need it. But remember," Tom looked the girl in the face for a slight moment. His look lasted only for the split of a second their car was covered from the view of their followers.

Then, Tom turned his head forward to scan his surroundings. He might've been away for a great part of his life, but he could easily recognize local landmarks.

"Hit it," he ordered, refusing to spare the girl as much as a glance.

Right before Tom's order, they were already above the speed limit by half its value. Tom's driver pushed the car to its inbuilt limits, almost instantly rounding that number to a nice two times the limit.

This was one of the few windows they would get near Tom's residence.

All the way to this point, the acceleration of the car was barely noticeable. Premium-class dampeners and seats hid most of the natural forces inside the car.

But even those were instantly overwhelmed when the driver pulled the throttle on the engine, making it roar like some mystical beast.

The car jumped forward. Before their pursuers could as much as react, they already reached the next corner. They gained on their shadows with every second, but that advantage would only last for so long.

"Prepare to jump!" Tom shouted to the girl. This wasn't the time for a delicate approach.

"Jump?! Like what, from a speeding car?!" Claudia shouted in panic, clearly letting the heat of the moment too much to her head.

'Right, she's an amateur,' Tom suddenly recalled this obvious fact. He then shook his head with a huge dose of lenience. "No. The car will stop for a moment. That's what we got this advantage for," he explained before patting the girl's head. "Just make sure to run after me as fast as you can. It will be a simple, twenty meters trip," he added with a calm smile.

'Fuck, can she make it?' Tom despaired in his mind. Just twenty meters. It was a short distance. Anyone could run it with ease.

The question was, could Claudia run it in the few seconds they have?

'This entire thing is nothing but a fucking gamble,' Tom thought while gritting his teeth.

The premises of the building were closing in. The car would stop at any time.

'Not like I have many choices now, huh,' Tom noted. He then shook his head to get rid of the doubts.

"Make sure to call Vincent," Tom shouted to the driver. "Tell him my shadow needs to go for a little vacation ASAP," he explained before patting Claudia's shoulder. "We are here," he said, refusing to add any explanations.

And none were needed.

The car stopped without as much as a whisper of noise. The brakes of the massive van had to be a national pride of some small country, renowned from its craftsman's ship.

"Now," Tom whispered. Yet, for some reason, this silent voice of his had a greater effect on Cleo than any shout could ever have.

Tom opened the doors before the car could even fully stop. He rushed forward, pulling Claudia along by her hand.

All of their belongings remained in the car. It was also a part of the plan that Tom set in motion with his earlier order.

With the help of his uncle Vincent, those two brothers of his would carry their belongings in their open hands, just as their pursuers would arrive at the scene.

'Small details make the picture,' Tom thought, recalling one of his father's maxims.

But all those thoughts vanished from Tom's mind as soon as the center of his weight moved across the car's frame. In this single instant, his entire mind focused on a single task.

Reaching the doors of the mansion and dragging Claudia along in the shortest time possible.

It was just twenty meters. But with each step Tom took, the car of their pursuers was getting close. With each passing moment, the distance they so painstakingly gathered was shrinking.

'Almost there,' Tom thought, just a few steps away from the doors. The car behind him already rushed forward, pretending to just ride by the farm.

Tom reached forth with his hand, more flying than running at this point. And there it was.

Never before have Tom enjoyed the cold touch of the metallic handle. But the rush wasn't over yet.

Tom intentionally tripped on the threshold, pulling Claudia along. As soon as he crossed the breaking point, he pushed on the doors to close them behind them.

At the same moment as the two of them crashed into the floor, the doors slammed against their frame and closed up.

"Did we make it?" Tom asked, allowing his emotions to take the better of him. Once he realized the small blunder he committed, he stood up from the floor before reaching with his hand to the girl. "No, it doesn't matter now," he said, once again holding back any explanation for this unreasonable situation.

"Tom, what's going on?" Claudia asked while Tom was helping her up. She then dusted off her light sundress and raised her eyes on the young man beside her.

"Come with me, and you should understand a bit," he replied. 'Now that there is only one thing I can do to protect her...' he hesitated for a moment.

Then, Tom chased those doubts away, bringing his eyes up and grabbing Claudia's hand a bit tighter.

"What you are about to see is beyond what you would ever dare to imagine," Tom announced as he made his first step towards the basement. "And now, like it or not, you are going to go against an organization that governs the things you will see."