Through The Devil's Gate

Alric's office smelled faintly of ink and cold coffee as he flipped through shipment papers, scribbling signatures and checking seals without much thought—until a single document made him freeze. His eyes scanned the shipment details once, twice, before his pupils shrank, and the pen slipped from his fingers.

He shot up, shoved back his chair, the metal legs screeching across the floor, and stormed out, the glass door rattling behind him as he phoned Mackiah.

"Mackiah!" Alric's voice echoed down the marble hallway like a gunshot.

Mackiah, hair still damp from a late shower, nearly dropped his mug. "What? Alric, what—"

"Now. Conference room. Get Eron too." Alric's voice was sharp, breathless, on the edge of panic yet layered with excitement that only danger could bring.

Minutes later, the three gathered in Avenar's secure briefing room, holograms flickering to life above the table, lines of blue grids dancing across a darkened map.

"What's the emergency?" Mackiah demanded, crossing his arms, trying to read Alric's expression.

Alric placed the document on the table with a soft thud, tapping a finger against the shipment manifest.

Alric exhaled shakily, "I found a shipment deal going out in three days from one of Halovex's ports."

"So? You handle dozens a day," Mackiah said, crossing his arms, wary.

Alric's eyes were cold, calculating. "This one's different. The dealer is anonymous. That's rare. But even rarer—look." He flicked a holographic icon. "Destination: Vienna Port, Halovex."

"And? What's so rare about that? Halovex's got tons of ports all over the globe. Eron said shrugging his shoulders.

"You're right. But unfortunately it's got none in Vienna." Alric said slowly that took both Mackiah and Eron by shock.

Silence filled the room, stretching like a wire about to snap.

Mackiah leaned forward, piecing it together. "So… if Halovex doesn't have a port base in Vienna, but the shipment is being routed there…"

Alric's lips curled into a tight, dangerous smile. "It's not going to Vienna."

Mackiah's eyes widened, realization dawning. "It's going to Virellan."

"Bingo!" 

Eron's brows furrowed, confusion and concern mixing. "Why would something from Halovex be shipped to Virellan? And why so secretly?"

"Because of this." Alric enlarged a single line on the manifest. Stamped at the bottom was a faint crimson glyph, coiling like a serpent around a sword, the letter L stylized like a dagger dripping ink.

'The Seal.'

All three fell silent.

Mackiah spoke first, voice low, "You think this is connected to Lucifer's return."

Alric nodded. "Everything we've seen, the seals, the shift in power, the Citadels stepping up, the leaders trembling in silence—it's all tied to this. This shipment is big, and it's marked with his seal."

Mackiah paced, agitation radiating from every movement. "So what's the plan?"

Alric's eyes glinted with a daring calm that made Eron swallow. "We intercept it."

"Are you insane?" Eron hissed, panic rising. "You're talking about breaching Virellan's territory. That's not a port anymore. That's a phantom dock under Lucifer's direct command. It's crawling with Seal Sentinels, under tech surveillance we can't even see, let alone disable."

Alric lifted a small black case onto the table and clicked it open. Inside were two Oblivion-class shadow rifles, sleek and pitch-black with faint blue veins of power thrumming beneath the plating.

"Luckily, we're not just anyone," Alric replied, calm, calculating. "We're Avenar."

Mackiah's lips twitched, despite the tension. "You love this, don't you?"

Alric's smirk was brief but electric. "Maybe a little."

He turned to Eron, tapping the table. "We'll need the stealth suits. The cloaking injectors. And those nano-comms you've been developing. We'll go in as his men."

Eron's throat bobbed. "I can get it ready. But… are you sure?"

Alric looked at Mackiah, who clenched his fists, meeting Alric's gaze with the same fire.

"We don't get to stand on the sidelines anymore." Alric said quietly.

Mackiah nodded once. 

Alric shut the case with a satisfying click, the room filling with a palpable tension that was equal parts fear and adrenaline.

Virellan-Ashreign Citadel

Rain fell in cold needles against the rooftops of Virellan, mist rising from cracked streets littered with debris and smoldering lanterns.

Inside a dim room lined with old maps of the outer territories, Zayden stood by the window, the glow of the city lights flickering across his sharp features. His gloves dripped rainwater as he removed them, setting down a small, sleek device on the table.

He pressed record.

Zayden (calm, dark, unblinking):"Joker."

A faint smirk ghosted across his lips before vanishing.

"This is the last time you'll hear from me. You were delusional if you ever thought we were helping you."

His tone held no emotion, only a cold finality that cut through the rain's hiss.

"We didn't kneel to your chaos, Joker. We let you play your games while we cleaned your mess, until you outlived your usefulness."

Zayden paused, glancing at the Seal burned into the shipment manifest beside him.

"Lucifer's Seal has returned. This world is changing, and you're nothing but a shadow trying to claw your way back into relevance."

He leaned closer, letting the shadows swallow half of his face.

"Stay out of our way."

"Or the next thing you'll hear won't be a message…"

A soft click ended the recording.

Joker's Estate-

A gloved hand crushed the device against the wall, shards clattering onto the concrete.

Joker (voice shaking with fury): "Damn you, Zayden… DAMN YOU!"

"You really think you'll get it over with this? I'll show you what happens if you betray me."

His laughter echoed, manic and broken, as he threw a table aside, scattering blueprints and bullets.

Ashreign-Armory Expanse

In a fortified hangar lined with armoured vehicles and suspended weapons crates, Evanora Watkins, captain of the Aetherion Knights, unrolled a blueprint onto a steel table. Darian stood across, inspecting the outlines of dormant drones and long-forgotten artillery.

Evanora (briskly): "Halovex kept these as backups for us. We're calling them in."

Darian (dryly): "Nice to know they did something useful while we were gone."

Evanora: "You think this is a joke? Virellan has been under siege for weeks, Darian. Lucifer's return may have silenced the clans for now, but if they think we're weak—"

Darian (lifting a modified rifle): "Let them think we're weak. They'll drop their guard."

He checked the chamber with precise, calm movements, before lowering the rifle.

Darian (softly, eyes glinting): "When they do… we end it."

Evanora studied him, as if searching for the old Darian. Her voice softened.

Evanora: "You're different."

Darian: "No." (A faint, almost sad smile) "I'm exactly the same. You're just seeing it now."

She looked away, rolling the blueprint back up, the rain drumming above like a slow war drum.

Council Chambers-

In a dark council chamber, Nerik, slammed his cane onto the table, his face twisted with tension as the storm rattled the windows.

Around him, other clan leaders sat in tense silence.

Nerik: "Lucifer's Seal on the shipment. Zayden and Darian moving in the open. And we sit here? Like cattle waiting to be slaughtered?"

No one spoke. The truth was too heavy.

Nerik (coldly): "Kaelus didn't stop this… because he knew."

He looked around, eyes burning.

The rain outside grew heavier, lightning flashing across the Virellan skyline.

And far below, in the warehouses near the sealed shipment crates, children peeked out from shattered homes, watching the Seal of Lucifer burning in the dark. Some in fear, some in quiet awe.

Because whether they wanted it or not, the devil had returned to Virellan.

Avernar's HQ-

The rain outside tapped a relentless rhythm against the reinforced windows. Inside, Alric's desk was a controlled chaos of blueprints, encrypted tablets, and old, coffee-stained maps of Halovex's black-market ports.

Alric's hair was tied back messily, glasses sliding down his nose as he scribbled notes and checks frequencies on a small comm device. He was all sharp lines and restless energy, muttering under his breath.

Mackiah stood near the table, arms crossed, jaw tense.

Mackiah: "You sure this is worth it?"

Alric didn't look up, his pen moving.

Alric (flatly): "It's Virellan. It's always worth it."

Mackiah exhaled, running a hand through his hair.

Mackiah: "You know, when I said I wanted to get to the bottom of this, I didn't mean breaking into a Lucifer-stamped shipment guarded by Virellan's top units."

Alric (glancing up, smirking): "Come on, you love the adrenaline."

Mackiah's lips twitched but fell flat again.

Mackiah: "You're serious about this."

Alric (quietly): "And so are you."

He laid out the map, tapping a point marked in red near the Vienna docks, where a shipment tagged with The Seal was due.

Alric: "If that shipment is really going to Virellan under The Seal, it means Zayden and Darian aren't just reclaiming power. They're reorganizing everything. Even the supply chains."

Mackiah's eyes darkened.

Mackiah: "And if we get caught?"

Alric paused, eyes meeting Mackiah's, softer for a moment.

Alric: "We won't."

Eron: "Because I've got a backup plan." 

Silence. The hum of servers filled the room as the rain pounded harder.

Mackiah (breaking the tension): "You always this optimistic, Mr. CEO?"

Alric (with a small grin): "Only when I'm about to do something illegal."

Eron pulled out two black infiltration suits similar to those worn by the guards—lightweight, shock-absorbent, with compact gear pouches and biometric scramblers stitched in.

Eron: "Put this on."

Mackiah raised an eyebrow.

Mackiah: "Seriously?"

Alric (deadpan): "Unless you want to die in your sweatpants, yes."

Mackiah snorted but took the suit, pulling off his jacket.

Alric turned, double-checking the EMP disks and short-range silencers laid out on the table.

Alric (almost to himself): "Vienna port is crawling with surveillance drones and infrared scanners. Halovex security we can handle, but Virellan's black ops units are unpredictable."

Mackiah zipped up the suit, flexing his fingers.

Mackiah: "And you're planning to walk us right into the middle of that."

Alric (meeting his eyes, firm): "Yes."

A moment of silence, thunder rolling in the distance.

Mackiah (softly): "Alright. Let's do this."

Alric nodded, slipping his gloves on, eyes calculating.

Alric: "We leave at 03:00. The security shift changes, and there's a storm rolling in. It'll cover us."

Mackiah: "Storms and stolen shipments. Perfect date."

Alric paused, looking at him, a small, genuine smile cracking through the stress.

Alric (quietly): "Don't get yourself killed, Mackiah."

Mackiah (moving closer, brushing Alric's hand as he takes an EMP disk): "Excuse me, but lemme remind you that I'm the first ever cop to get into Sylvenia's most confidential criminal intelligence unit at a young age-with honors. Shouldn't I be the one asking you the question instead?"

Alric chuckled, "Roger that, Mr. Smartypants."

Mackiah (teasingly): "You've got a coffee to make me when we get back. Along with them."

Alric (lightly, but firm): "Deal."

They stepped back, the room suddenly alive with the quiet promise of war.

Alric pressed a hidden button, revealing a concealed weapons rack sliding from the wall, black matte pistols, grappling hooks, and encrypted comms lined in foam.

Alric: "Gear up."

Mackiah: "Woah! I love this! It's been ages since I've used a revolver. But you're a baby, you sure you can handle it?"

Alric (smiles): "I may not be able to fight like you. But I'm pretty good with guns. You'll see."

They moved in sync, storm outside mirroring the storm in their veins.

 Halovex's Docks – 3:17 AM

The storm had arrived, sheets of rain sweeping the deserted port under flickering floodlights. Cargo containers towered like steel tombstones, shadows dancing in the lightning flashes.

Muffled thunder rolled as Alric and Mackiah moved silently across the dockyard, clad in matte black suits, boots barely splashing in shallow puddles.

Mackiah (quietly, into comms): "Eron, status."

Inside Avenar's mobile hub, screens reflected off Eron's glasses as his fingers flew across the keyboard, green code cascading in real-time.

Eron (calmly): "Thirty seconds until blackout. Virellan's got layered quantum encryptions, but they forgot who they're dealing with."

Alric gave Mackiah a nod, breathing out, rain dripping off his lashes.

A low bzzt crackled through their earpieces.

Eron: "And... blackout."

All the floodlights in the east sector of the docks cut off with a thump, the world plunging into darkness except for the distant glow of Virellan's stealth patrol drones scanning elsewhere.

They dashed between containers, Alric pulling up the layout on a holographic band around his wrist.

Alric: "Shipment's in Dock 27. We take the north path; the storm's cover will hide our heat signatures."

They moved quickly, vaulting a low fence. The hum of Virellan's patrol drones grew closer, soft blue scanners sweeping across the rain-soaked ground.

Suddenly, a click echoed.

They froze. A sleek Virellan patrol drone hovered around the corner, scanners glowing, turning directly toward them.

Alric (tense): "They're not supposed to be here."

Eron (voice tight in comms): "Wait, wait, they're on an independent offline cycle—I can't override them—"

The drone's scanner light swept across them, red warning indicators flashing.

Mackiah (low growl): "Shit."

The drone's alarm lights flared, beeping rapidly.

Eron: "Abort! You're exposed!"

Alric's breath hitched, gripping Mackiah's arm as they backed away, rain pelting harder, the sound of distant footsteps echoing as Virellan's stealth troops were surely inbound.

But Mackiah's eyes hardened, reaching into his utility pouch, pulling out a small, black triangular device.

Mackiah: "Backup plan."

Alric (eyes wide): "What is that?"

Mackiah (clicks the device open): "Something a friend left me before I joined the force."

He tossed the device under the drone; it pulsed red, and—

BZZZZZT!A wave of blue sparks arced across the drone, frying its circuits before it exploded in a shower of rain and smoke.

Alric stared, stunned.

Mackiah (grabbing his hand): "We move now."

They sprinted as sirens began to wail in the distance, the port coming alive with alarms.

Eron (in comms, panting): "They know you're there, you have sixty seconds before Virellan's shock units arrive. Get to the shipment! The ship's about to leave the dock!"

They rounded the last container stack, spotting a black cargo ship with The Seal burning faintly crimson on its hull, containers lined with the same sigil.

Alric (voice tight, eyes on the Seal): "It's really them."

Mackiah: "And we're really getting into it."

They sprinted toward the ramp, but Virellan shock troopers turned the corner—sleek, black-clad, with pulse rifles raised.

Mackiah: "Get down!"

PAK PAK PAK – Silenced shots zipped past as Mackiah pulled Alric behind a crate, bullets sparking off metal.

Mackiah (whispers): "Cover me."

Alric: "What?!"

Mackiah: "Trust me."

Before Alric could argue, Mackiah bolted, drawing the troopers' fire, zig-zagging across the dock with practiced precision, diving behind another crate, and tossing another EMP disk.

CRACK!The troopers' visors glitched, the rifles jammed, and Mackiah lunged forward, disarming one with a swift elbow strike, grabbing the rifle, and motioning to Alric.

Mackiah (shouting): "Now!"

Alric sprinted up the ramp as Mackiah covered him, pulse rifle crackling. The troopers stumbled, blinded, as Mackiah ducked and dashed after Alric, jumping onto the ramp just as the port's alarms roared louder.

They slammed the hatch behind them, breathing heavily.

Rain drummed against the ship's hull as they looked at each other, soaked, alive, and trembling with adrenaline.

Alric (breathing heavily, small grin): "Through the devil's gate, yeah?"

Mackiah chuckled softly, sliding down to sit against the wall.

Mackiah: "We're already inside."

A deep horn rumbled as the ship's engines roared, pulling away from the dock. The Seal glowed in the rain, as if watching them, while the lights of the port faded behind them.

They were heading toward Virellan.

And there was no turning back.