The streets of Blackreach pulsed with the glow of neon lights, rain pattering against cracked pavement as Nightblade emerged from an alley, his cloak blending seamlessly into the darkness. The city was alive with movement—police drones hovered overhead, searching for any sign of him, while patrols scoured the streets below.
He had no time to waste.
The Revenant's influence was growing, and the ambush at the warehouse had proved one thing: Nightblade was running out of time to dismantle the crime lord's empire before it completely took over Blackreach.
His earpiece crackled. A familiar voice, filtered through a disguised modulator, spoke. "They're tracking you. You need to disappear."
Nightblade smirked. "Working on it."
Ducking into a side street, he pressed a hand against a concealed panel on the brick wall. With a faint hiss, a hidden passage slid open, revealing a tunnel system beneath the city. He stepped inside and let the entrance seal behind him, cutting off the outside world.
The underground lair he had built beneath Blackreach was a far cry from luxury—bare concrete walls, outdated monitors, and a weapons cache that had seen better days—but it was his sanctuary.
He approached the central console and tapped into the city's surveillance grid. Scanning police chatter, he quickly pieced together the situation. Cross was doubling security, and the Revenant's men were actively hunting for him. But more importantly, there was an encrypted file buried in the system—one that hinted at a meeting between the Revenant and someone within the Blackreach police department.
Nightblade narrowed his eyes. Corruption ran deep, but if the Revenant had a direct informant within law enforcement, things were worse than he thought.
His fists clenched. He needed to find out who the traitor was. And for that, he had to get closer to the heart of the operation.
Standing, he grabbed a fresh set of throwing knives and secured them in his belt. If the Revenant wanted to play games, Nightblade would show him exactly why he was feared.
The hunt wasn't over.
It was only beginning.