The rain came down hard, turning the city's streets into rivers of water. Aiden hurried down the narrow alley, his heart pounding in his chest. His phone buzzed in his pocket, a message from Reed. His best friend had asked him to meet here, saying it was important—something Voss needed to hear face-to-face.

Aiden trusted Reed. They had grown up together, survived the rough streets of the city together. Whenever life had knocked them down, they had always helped each other back up. Voss believed that bond was unbreakable.

As Aiden got closer, he felt a shiver run down his spine. The alley was darker than usual, the streetlights flickering like they were about to burn out. In the back of his mind, something didn't feel right, but he shook it off. Reed wouldn't betray him—not after everything they'd been through.

At the end of the alley, Aiden spotted Reed, leaning against the wall, waiting. He wasn't alone. Two other men stood beside him, their faces hidden by hoods.

Aiden forced a smile as he approached. "Reed! What's going on? You said it was urgent."

Reed didn't respond right away. He pushed off the wall and stepped forward, his face half-hidden in shadow. Aiden's heart sank when he saw the cold look in Reed's eyes. Something was wrong.

"I always wondered," Reed began, his voice low and chilling, "why people like you always seem to have it all. You get everything handed to you, Aiden. The success. The respect. Even her."

Aiden froze, his mind spinning. "What are you talking about? What does Luca have to do with this?"

Reed's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Everything. She was never yours, Voss. Not really. You were just too blind to see it."

Aiden's heart dropped. Luca—his girlfriend, the woman he loved more than anything—his whole world started crumbling as Reed's words sank in.

"We took her," Reed said coldly. "You should have heard her scream, Aiden. She begged for you. Cried your name. But you weren't there, were you?"

Aiden's legs nearly gave out beneath him. His vision blurred as the reality of what Reed had done hit him like a sledgehammer. They had hurt her. Violated her. His stomach turned. The rage inside him burned hotter than he'd ever felt before, but his body was frozen in shock.

"Why… why would you do this?" Aiden whispered, his voice trembling.

Reed stepped closer, his smile widening. "Because I could. You were always too soft, too trusting. I needed to remind you that in this world, only the strong survive."

Before Aiden could react, one of the men grabbed him, slamming him hard against the wall. Pain exploded in his side, and he gasped, struggling to breathe. The other man moved in, driving a fist into Voss's gut, knocking the wind out of him.

"You're pathetic," Reed spat, watching as his friends beat Aiden down. "You trusted me, and now look where it got you."

Aiden hit the ground, his body curling in on itself as kicks and punches rained down on him. Blood filled his mouth, and the alley spun around him. He could barely make out the sound of Reed's voice through the ringing in his ears.

"I'm going to take everything from you,Aiden Your life, your girl… your future."

Through the pain, Aiden's thoughts kept going back to Luca. Her smile, her laughter, the way she'd look at him with love in her eyes. And now, she was broken, because of him—because he wasn't there to protect her.

He tried to crawl away, but one of the men kicked him hard in the ribs, sending him tumbling across the wet pavement. Aiden's body screamed in agony, but none of it compared to the pain in his heart.

Reed stood over him now, looking down at him like he was nothing. "You won't survive this, Aiden. You were never strong enough."

Aiden coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His vision blurred as darkness closed in around him.

"I… don't want to die…" Aiden whispered, his voice barely a breath.

He repeated it, again and again, as if the words themselves could save him. "I don't want to die… I don't want to die…"

But no one would hear him. No one was coming.

Something inside him broke. His fear twisted into rage. His grief turned into hatred. A fire ignited in his chest, hotter than anything he had ever felt. If he could just have one more chance—if he could come back—he'd never be this weak again. He would make them pay. He would be the strongest.

The pain in his body began to fade, replaced by something else—something cold, mechanical.

From the shadows, a strange buzzing sound filled the air. Aiden's eyes fluttered open just enough to see a glint of metal above him. It was small, like an insect, but it wasn't alive—it was made of metal, its body covered in gears and strange markings.

The mechanical insect hovered above him, its wings beating in the rain. Without warning, it dove toward him, forcing itself into his mouth.

Aiden choked, gasping as he felt the cold metal burrowing deep into his throat. It moved through him, tearing through his insides, latching onto something inside him—something deep, something powerful.

Pain shot through his body, his vision exploding into white light.

And then everything went dark.