Return of the Ghosts

A deafening explosion shook the ground beneath our feet, its echo roaring across the city, so powerful that it nearly knocked us down!

But there was no time to hesitate.

"Ruuuun!!"

We sprinted toward the tunnel entrance at full speed. The flickering lights above us cast eerie shadows dancing on the walls, while the wailing sirens outside grew louder. They knew we were here...

"Marcus, get ready!"

Marcus stood next to the car, gripping the detonator. His eyes gleamed with excitement, and with his signature grin, he said in an exhilarated voice:

"Goodbye, bastards!"

Then, he pressed the button.

BOOOOM!!

A massive explosion erupted, flames shooting high into the air, cars flipping over, thick black smoke engulfing the sky. Screams filled the area, and the police began pouring out of the building, trying to contain the chaos.

But us?

We were already inside the tunnel.

We ran at full speed through the darkness, our breaths ragged, the sound of our footsteps echoing through the narrow passage.

Then suddenly...

"Stop!!"

The ground beneath us trembled violently, as if an earthquake had struck! Cracks spread across the walls, rocks tumbled from the ceiling, and water gushed out of broken pipes, flooding the tunnel within moments!

"What the hell is happening?!" Ray shouted, struggling to keep his balance.

Before we could react, the ground split beneath us! A massive fissure opened up, and I lost my footing, plunging into the deep abyss!

"SHADOOOOW!!"

By sheer luck, I managed to grab onto a protruding metal bar, swinging wildly as debris rained down beside me!

"Hold on!!" Rio shouted, extending his hand.

With all my strength, I leaped toward him. He caught me just in time, pulling me up to safety.

But there was no time to rest.

Marcus was still behind us, sprinting for his life, with massive boulders crashing down behind him like an avalanche of destruction.

"Marcus, hurry!!"

He made one final desperate leap toward us—

BOOOOM!!

The ceiling caved in completely. The entrance collapsed. Dust filled the air.

Marcus was gone.

All we could see was his blood seeping from beneath the rubble... and his severed hand lying beside us.

I froze, my heart stopping for a moment.

"NOOOOOOO!!"

I ran toward the debris, frantically pushing the rocks away with my bare hands. I couldn't leave him behind!

"Marcus!! Marcus!!"

No response...

I kept digging until a firm grip held me back—it was Leo.

"Shadow... it's over."

I looked at him, then at the others… all silent, their faces filled with grief. But we couldn't turn back now.

Wiping my face, I took a deep breath, then said in a cold voice:

"Let's go."

We pushed open the secret door and rushed inside. Surveillance cameras and guards were everywhere—but we were ready.

"Take out the surveillance!"

BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!

I fired my first shot, destroying the nearest camera, while Leo and Rio handled the rest.

Then suddenly, alarms blared throughout the building!

"They found us!"

Within seconds, dozens of police officers swarmed from all directions, their rifles aimed at us.

"Hands up!!"

I glanced at my team and smirked.

"Oh, don't worry… we won't surrender that easily."

Then I pulled the trigger!

Gunfire erupted from all sides, sparks flying from the walls, small explosions igniting around us!

I dived behind a metal barrier and fired at a nearby officer, hitting him in the shoulder. He collapsed, screaming in pain.

"Take cover!!" Ray shouted.

Leo hurled a smoke grenade into the hallway, buying us a few precious seconds.

I dashed forward, drawing a dagger from my belt, and lunged at an officer. I drove the blade into his neck, yanked his weapon from his hands before he hit the ground.

Then suddenly...

"STOP… NOW!!"

Everyone froze. I turned toward the voice—

And what I saw shocked me to the core.

Two men stood before me, men I never expected to see together.

Lord Cromer… the chief of police, who everyone believed had been dead for years!

And beside him...

Stefano… the traitor who left "The Mafia" long ago—now standing against us.

A cold chill ran through my body. This wasn't just a fight anymore... this was a disaster.

Lord Cromer smirked darkly and said:

"Missed me?"

The battle turned into a massacre. The police were highly trained, outnumbering us at every turn. We fought with everything we had, but the odds were against us.

One officer struck Ray hard, knocking him unconscious.

Rio took a bullet to the leg, collapsing to the ground, groaning in pain.

And me?

I was locked in a brutal one-on-one fight with Stefano.

We exchanged blows, my fist landing squarely on his face—but he blocked it swiftly, then kicked me hard, slamming me against the wall!

I tried to stand, but Lord Cromer grabbed me by the throat, lifting me off the ground.

"This is the end for you, Shadow."

Then, the dreaded words came.

"Arrest them all! Take them to court immediately!"

The police momentarily pulled back, securing my friends one by one.

I screamed in fury:

"NOOOOOOO!!"

But there was no escape…

Phantom, Michael, Max—everyone was being led away, set to face public execution.

And us?

We had failed.

And now… we were on our way to court.

To be executed.