Watching the Fall

The skyline of Jakarta burned with artificial light, neon reflections shimmering in the rain-slicked streets. A city on the edge. A city watching its rulers fall. From their vantage point atop an abandoned high-rise, Bintang and Thalia had the perfect view.

Below them, the once-unshakable Nine Dragons were unraveling. Their influence, once a silent force stretching from the underground to the highest levels of government, was now a crumbling empire of paranoia and betrayal.

Fires burned in the distance. Shots rang out in alleyways. Bodies were pulled from the docks. And none of it had been orchestrated by the Resistance.

Thalia leaned against the rusted railing, arms crossed as she studied the chaos. "They were always going to destroy themselves," she murmured.