Hunting for Shade (21)

June swiftly navigated through the crowd. It was challenging, but he blended in, concealing his position. Meanwhile, Erik stayed put, and behind his mask, he gazed at Shade—or at whatever stood before him.

The tension in the room spiked. Erik faced the figure everyone called Shade, the supposed architect of the underworld's machinations.

Shade's gaze, obscured by the featureless white mask, seemed to bore into Erik. They couldn't see each other's eyes, but it was clear the two were having a silent duel.

"You have the audacity to step into our midst, bearing the guilt of Gabriel's blood," Shade said.

The crowd's murmur fell away, leaving only Shade's voice to fill the space.

"Gabriel's death resulted from his own actions. We're not here to discuss the past but to address the future," Erik said, his voice firm.

These guys killed millions of people, tortured, enslaved and even 'harvested'. And he dared to talk about Gabriel?