Chapter 8 : Stitches and Shadows

The soft chime of a bell echoed as Alex, Eden, and Laila stepped into an old tailor's shop. The air was filled with the scent of fabric, dust, and faint traces of machine oil. Bolts of cloth were stacked neatly along the walls, ranging from fine silk to rugged leather.At the far end of the shop, a frail but sharp-eyed old man worked on a sewing machine. As soon as he noticed Alex, he stopped, set aside his needle, and sighed."Again?" The tailor leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. "The same design? The same outfit? You never change, boy."Alex smirked. "If it works, why change it?"The tailor scoffed and turned his gaze toward Eden, his old, sharp eyes scanning him from head to toe."And this one? Is the new suit for him?" He paused, narrowing his eyes. "Hmm… Doesn't look that strong. Must be third-tier, right?"Eden frowned. "Third-tier? What's that supposed to mean?"The tailor chuckled dryly. "A lower-class fighter. Not strong enough to be elite, but not weak enough to be worthless. Just… average."Eden clenched his fists slightly, but Alex placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a look that said, Let it go.The tailor then sighed and leaned forward, softening his tone. "Anyway, name's Emanuel. Used to work at your school. A janitor, actually. Spent years there, watching kids like you come and go. But eventually, I left… Had to think about my wife and kids, you know? Started this little business instead."Eden's curiosity was piqued. "So you've seen a lot of students pass through, then?"Emanuel nodded. "More than I can count. Some became legends. Some disappeared. That school… it shapes the future. But not everyone lets it define them."Before Eden could reply, Laila sighed dramatically from behind."Alex, you get so serious when you're doing business… It's kinda cute."Alex groaned. "Laila, stop staring at me like that."She smirked. "You look even cuter when you're annoyed."Eden grinned and turned to Alex. "So, is she your girlfriend or something?"Alex immediately snapped, "NO."Laila gasped, pretending to be heartbroken. "How cruel! And here I thought we had something special."Eden chuckled, while Alex rubbed his temples, already regretting bringing her along.-Somewhere in a narrow alley, hidden between two buildings, a middle-aged man stood anxiously, his back pressed against a damp brick wall. He was whispering into his phone."Boss, it's done. The job is complete."A distorted voice replied, "Good. Now leave. Make sure no one notices."The man nodded slightly and turned to walk away.But before he could take a single step—A hand clamped over his mouth.His muffled scream barely lasted a second before a blade slid cleanly into his ribs. His body jerked, eyes widening in terror as he struggled, but the killer held firm. The pain was sharp, unbearable—but brief.As his body slumped, his phone slipped from his fingers, hitting the ground with a soft clink.The killer, face hidden in the shadows, crouched down and picked up the phone. But instead of destroying it, they unlocked it and scrolled through the messages.Then, something caught the killer's attention—an encrypted document attached to one of the messages.A smirk formed on the killer's lips. "Well, well… What do we have here?"Without hesitation, the killer forwarded the file to another number. Then, and only then, they crushed the phone under their boot.The killer pulled out their own phone and dialed a number."Raphael. We need to meet. Now."A calm yet commanding voice answered. "Where?""Near the crematorium."A pause. "Who's with you?""Some third-tier members.""Names.""Ryan. Joshua. And Snake."There was silence for a moment before Raphael exhaled sharply. "Snake… huh. You sure about that?""Yeah.""Fine. I'll be there soon."The killer ended the call, took one last glance at the lifeless body, then disappeared into the night.-Thirty minutes later, near the crematorium, a heavy fog lingered over the area. The cold air carried the faint smell of ash and burning wood.A figure in a dark hoodie stood waiting. Raphael arrived shortly, his sharp eyes scanning the area before stopping in front of the hooded figure."Alright," Raphael said. "What's so important that you had to call me out here?"The hooded figure finally pulled back his hood—Thomas. The younger brother of Butler, deeply tied to Raphael's gang, Hellfire.Thomas stepped forward, his voice calm but weighted. "This isn't just about a simple hit. It's much bigger than that."Raphael raised an eyebrow. "Go on."Without another word, Thomas handed him the encrypted document he had stolen from the dead man's phone.Raphael unfolded it and scanned its contents. His jaw clenched as he read."This… this is a detailed plan of Hellfire's movements. Our sleep schedules. Our attack timings…" His eyes darkened. "This is an ambush plan."Thomas nodded. "Exactly. Someone's been watching us. And they know everything."Raphael tightened his grip on the document. "Who was this guy working for?"Thomas exhaled sharply. "Miguel—the mayor's son."Raphael's expression turned cold. "So that bastard's making his move, huh?"Thomas turned to leave but stopped midway. Then, in a cold, sharp voice, he spoke:"Raphael, listen carefully. If anything happens to my brother… or to Ethan's brother…" He turned his head slightly, his eyes like steel. "I'll kill you myself."Then, without another word, he disappeared into the fog.Raphael stood there, gripping the paper tightly, knowing that war was about to begin.Thomas wasn't bluffing.He had seen the younger man in action before. Thomas was usually composed, calculating—but when enraged, he was a monster. A storm that left nothing but destruction in its wake.Raphael had witnessed it firsthand—the night Thomas lost his best friend. That night, Raphael had watched as Thomas slaughtered seven men in a blind, terrifying fury, his face void of emotion but his hands soaked in blood.Now, staring into the fog where Thomas had vanished, Raphael muttered under his breath:"Miguel has no