The wound on his arm burned, but it was the least of his concerns. The assassins had been a warning—a message that Kaela wasn't willing to let his refusal slide without consequence.
Back at the hideout, he pressed a cloth to his bleeding arm while Mira paced furiously. Callen sat at the edge of the room, his fingers tapping against the hilt of his knife, his mind working through possibilities. Finn was uncharacteristically silent, his eyes darting between them.
"She's not done," Mira muttered. "That was just the first move."
He gritted his teeth. "Then we make our next one."
Callen scoffed. "Against Kaela? She owns half this damn city. We barely have a foothold."
Finn shifted. "There has to be a way to turn this around."
Mira stopped pacing and turned to him. "If we hit back, we need more than just guts. We need allies."
[Quest Updated: Defy Kaela's Rule – Gather Allies]
By morning, the wound had stopped bleeding, but the ache in his muscles hadn't faded. He followed Mira through the winding alleys of Black Hollow, every shadow feeling like a potential threat.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"To see someone who hates Kaela as much as we do."
They arrived at an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the slums. The inside smelled of damp wood and rusted metal. A handful of figures stood in the shadows, watching their every move. Armed. Dangerous.
Then, from the darkness, a man stepped forward.
A scar ran down his cheek, his presence heavy with authority. "You've got nerve coming here."
Mira crossed her arms. "So do you, Garek."
[Survival Instinct Activated: High-Stakes Negotiation Detected]
Garek's gaze flicked to him. "You're the fighter who turned Kaela down."
He nodded. "And now she wants me dead."
A low chuckle. "That's how she operates. Crush those who don't kneel."
Mira took a step forward. "We both know you've wanted to take her down for years. We can help each other."
Garek studied them for a long moment. Then, slowly, he grinned. "Maybe. But first, I need to see if you're worth my time."
His stomach tightened. "What do you want?"
Garek gestured to one of his men—a towering brute with knuckles like iron. "You fight him. You win, we talk."
[Quest Updated: Prove Your Strength – Defeat Garek's Champion]
The fight began without ceremony.
The brute lunged, swinging a hammer-like fist toward his ribs. He dodged, but barely—the wind from the strike rushing past him. This wasn't the arena. There were no rules, no referees. Just survival.
The brute came at him again, relentless. He blocked a hit but felt the impact rattle through his bones. He needed to be faster.
[Adaptive Growth: Evasion Speed Increased]
He shifted his approach. Instead of matching power for power, he let the brute tire himself out. Every missed swing, every overextension—it was all leading to an opening.
Then he saw it.
The brute's stance slipped for a second, his balance off. He didn't hesitate.
A sharp strike to the knee. A pivot. A blow to the jaw.
The brute staggered, then collapsed.
The warehouse fell silent.
Garek let out a low chuckle. "Not bad."
[Quest Completed: Prove Your Strength – Garek is Willing to Talk]
He exhaled, his hands still clenched into fists. "So, do we have an alliance?"
Garek grinned. "Let's talk."
The first piece had been set. The war against Kaela had begun.