CHAPTER 77

I'd never expected that one rainy night to change everything. I was wandering through the city's back alleys—trying to shake off the stench of betrayal from the last mission—when I stumbled upon a hidden door half-buried behind a pile of rusted scrap metal. My gut told me something wasn't right, so I eased open the door and found myself staring into darkness—but not the kind of darkness that makes you think twice about stepping in. It was an entrance to an underground maze, and I had the gnawing feeling that I'd just found the enemy's secret hideout.

"Is anyone in there?" I whispered, my voice bouncing off cold, damp walls. The only reply was the echo of my uncertainty. I pulled out my flashlight, its beam cutting through the thick gloom. Every step I took felt like walking into a trap, but I couldn't turn back now. I had to know what was hidden inside.