The warehouse was dimly lit, its cold concrete walls exuding an air of unease. Kai and Anton entered, their minds set on one thing—getting this over with.
"Took you brats long enough," a man in a dark trench coat muttered impatiently.
Anton scoffed. "We weren't the ones who chose to have this deal so far outside the city."
The trench-coated man opened his mouth to retort but was quickly silenced by his companion, a tall man in a red sleeveless top and baggy black trousers that gleamed under the faint light. His grin was unsettling, sharp, like a predator sizing up its prey.
"No need to argue with these lowly peasants. Today will be the last time we have to deal with filth like this."
Kai remained silent, analyzing the situation. Something about the way the man smiled put him on edge. 'Let's just get this done,' he thought, leaving the talking to Anton.
"You dimwit, what do you mean by that?!" Anton growled, stepping toward him.
The trench-coated man moved swiftly, placing himself between Anton and his grinning associate. "You bastard, how dare you raise a hand against a Blood Brother? Have you no sense?"
Anton clenched his fists but held himself back. He knew the consequences of acting out. The air grew heavier as the two men glared at each other.
A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the warehouse. Kai, stepping between them, wore a composed expression. "Now, now, that's no way to conduct business. Shall we?"
The man in red chuckled. "A peacemaker? How adorable."
Kai bent down, picked up the briefcase, and held it up. "There's money to be made. Let's stay focused."
The man in red's grin faded, his expression sharpening. "Show me the package."
Kai flipped open the case, revealing the gleaming yellow Litoned crystals. The red-shirted man's eyes darkened with intrigue. "How much?"
"700,000 MP. But for you, we'll settle at 600."
The trench-coated man scoffed. "That's too high. We don't even know what grade these crystals are."
Kai's stare was unwavering. "Our boss ensured you received everything you need to confirm these are top-grade. Trust the process."
After a tense negotiation, they settled on 550,000 MP. The red-shirted man tossed a briefcase toward Kai and Anton, and as soon as the deal was sealed, Kai's body wavered. His vision blurred. Blood trickled from his nose, and he dropped to one knee.
Anton caught him immediately, his face etched with concern. "Where are your pills?"
"Forgot... at home..." Kai gasped, struggling to breathe.
The Blood Brothers merely smirked, watching the scene unfold. "That's the issue with you people," the red-shirted man sneered. "Like whores on birth control pills—always on the verge of collapse."
They laughed as they disappeared into the shadows.
Ignoring them, Anton hoisted Kai's arm over his shoulder and staggered out of the building. Beads of sweat rolled down Kai's pale face.
'This damn disease...' Anton thought bitterly. Almost everyone in C-Class cities carried the cursed SSC gene—a mutation caused by their ancestors' exposure to past catastrophes. But the way it affected each person was different. Some endured, some suffered. And some... didn't survive at all.
Kai had been suppressing his symptoms for hours, assuming the deal would be quick. But the Blood Brothers were hard bargainers, and the prolonged tension had pushed him too far.
With Kai's condition worsening, Anton had no choice but to take him to the nearest medical bay. Unfortunately, the closest one lay deep in the worst part of town—a place swarming with criminals, thieves, and desperate souls clawing for survival.
---
Meanwhile, in an opulent conference hall within an A-Class city, Vice President Borris let out a deep, amused laugh.
"Sydney, I never took you for the softhearted type," he chuckled after hearing her latest proposal. "Giving the C-Class citizens a cure for their genetic disorder? Do you realize what that would do to our overpriced medicine market?"
Sydney's smile was slow, deliberate. "Mr. Vice President, my intention is not charity. It's control. We release just enough antidote for the first 500 individuals, creating a frenzy. The rest will have to buy it at an even more inflated price, keeping them desperate, subservient... and ensuring we always have a supply of cheap labor."
A heavy silence settled in the room. Some officials exchanged uneasy glances.
'Since when does he care about anyone's best interests but his own?' they all thought in unison.
Borris finally broke the silence. "Well, well... you truly are a wicked woman." He smirked as he turned toward the exit. "Proceed. Tell the press to release the news. We start tomorrow. Meeting adjourned."
With that, he strode out, never looking back.
---
Back at the clubhouse, Anton threw open the door. "Boss, we're back. The trade was successful."
Kenzo's grin spread wide. "Well done, boys."
But something was off. The usual presence of Lucas was absent. And the room... was far too quiet.
'Where is Lucas?' Kai thought, unease settling in his stomach.
Kenzo's warm smile quickly faded into a piercing glare. "I trust my money is all there?"
"Of course," Anton said, handing over the briefcase. But Kai's blood ran cold.
'Wait... we never counted the money. And Anton... he dropped the case outside the medical bay.'
A terrible realization dawned on him. 'Shit, shit, shit! The briefcase could have been swapped!'
Laughter filled the room as Anton and Kenzo exchanged pleasantries. But Kai's pulse was hammering.
Then, Kenzo's expression darkened. He opened the case. Silence.
Then... rage.
"You bastards! There's only 50,000 MP in worthless Coin Points here!"
The room's atmosphere thickened, choking, suffocating. Anton's forced laughter died instantly.
Kenzo rose slowly, his eyes burning with malice. "And tell me... what the hell were you two doing in Stugg Town?"
Anton's stomach dropped. 'How does he know?!'
Before they could react, Kenzo's fists came down like thunder, slamming into their faces. They crashed onto the floor, blood pooling from their mouths.
Blinding pain. Sharp kicks to their ribs. The world spun around them as Kenzo lifted them by their collars, his voice a guttural snarl.
"You worthless, idiotic bastards! You have one month to repay every last MP. If you don't... I will hunt down your families. I will carve them apart piece by piece. And I will save you for last."
Terror consumed them as he flung them to the ground.
"Get out of my sight before I decide to start the slaughter now!"
They scrambled out, battered and broken. Rain poured from the sky as they limped through the empty streets, the cold seeping into their wounds. No words were spoken. Only silence. Only pain.
From the corner of the bar, Eve sipped her drink, watching them with an amused smirk.
"Why so happy, Eve?" a gang member asked.
"Oh, nothing," she murmured, chuckling darkly.
Kai staggered into his home, his heart pounding as he pushed the door open. Relief washed over him. Henry and Lily were safe, sleeping soundly.
Then his watch beeped. A call from the hospital.
He knew what was coming. But it didn't make it hurt any less.
"Mr. Kai, your mother's funding has been cut. You have two weeks to make the payment, or treatment will cease."
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
'There has to be another way... I will not let this place break me. I will save us. No matter what it takes.'
TO BE CONTINUED…