A Step into the Darkness

I told them,

"This is the only house we have now. We must hide here."

We entered. Grass had grown inside, the blood had dried, and the ground was slightly damp.

Rio said,

"Did you just lead us into a bird's nest?"

Leo, David, and I sat on chairs around the small table, catching our breath.

Meanwhile, Rio was trying to fix the power box. He succeeded, and the lights came back, though not all of them—just a dim yellow glow.

I wrapped some white cloth around my injured knee and rested a little.

Rio sat down and said,

"So, what's the plan, Shadow?"

I replied,

"We're going to rob two stores—one at a gas station and another regular grocery store."

"We'll split into two teams of two. We'll rob both stores to gather money, then use it to buy small weapons from the black market. After that, we'll plan to rob a bank."

David said,

"That's really difficult. Why do you want so much money?"

I answered,

"So we can fight the gang properly and punish those who stand against us."

David smiled and said,

"It's tough, but I'll do it for you, my friend."

Leo and Rio were amazed by the plan and excited about the thrill. Then, I assigned the teams: Leo and I would go to the gas station, while David and Rio would hit the grocery store.

Suddenly, David received a call from his father. He picked up, and immediately his father shouted in anger,

"We don't want you in our family, you criminal! You're wanted for murder! We don't want a killer in our family!"

Then he hung up…

David turned to me, tears falling from his eyes.

"I… I lost my family."

Then he left and went to his room.

I excused myself from Leo and Rio and followed him. When I found him crying, I said,

"I'm sorry, David. I dragged you into this. If you don't want to come with us, I understand."

He replied,

"No, Shadow. I will never leave my friend, no matter what. Just… leave me alone for a while."

I smiled at him and left, feeling guilty for what I had done.

Now, a new day had come—the day of our first mission.

At night, we prepared. Leo and I, as well as David and Rio, each took our positions and began moving.

We had some basic, primitive weapons—knives and sticks.

Leo and I arrived at the gas station and entered the store, dressed in black, keeping low profiles. There was no one inside, luckily.

We pretended to browse for items while the cashier stood nearby. I signaled Leo, and we began the operation.

Leo quickly rushed the cashier, pressing a knife to his throat. I opened the register, grabbing as much cash as possible and stuffing it into the bag.

Leo struck the man on the head hard, knocking him out instantly.

But suddenly, we heard police sirens approaching the station fast.

Leo whispered in panic,

"What do we do now?"

I quickly scanned the area, looking for a way out other than the main exit. I spotted a glass window.

I smashed the glass with my hand, cutting it open and covering my hand in blood.

I signaled Leo to move quickly, and he climbed through immediately. As I was crawling out, the police stormed in, shouting,

"There he is! Surround the area NOW!"

Bullets rained toward me, but I managed to escape just in time.

Leo and I ran as fast as we could, dodging the gunfire. Then, Leo was shot in the knee.

But he kept running.

As I ran, I set fire to a spot near the giant fuel tank. Then, I grabbed a large stick and smashed it against the tank with all my strength.

BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted behind us, throwing Leo and me to the ground.

We got up slowly, watching everything go up in flames…

At the same time, Rio and David arrived at the grocery store.

But it was packed with customers. The store had glass walls, making them even more nervous.

Rio muttered,

"We're dead for sure, David."

David replied,

"I have no idea what to do… Maybe we should give up."

Rio scoffed,

"Not that easily, idiot."

He suddenly rushed inside, grabbed a random person, and pressed a knife to their throat, shouting,

"Get down on the ground! Hands up, or I'll kill him and all of you!"

Everyone obeyed immediately, terrified.

Rio turned to David and said,

"Grab their phones, now!"

David collected all their phones while Rio emptied the cash registers.

But suddenly, a police car burst through the store's glass wall.

Officers jumped out, guns aimed, and one shouted,

"Hands up! Surrender peacefully!"