Chapter 19 – The New Face of Fear
The explosion in the Narrows was just the beginning.
By the time Ibrahim reached his office, the entire city was buzzing. News stations were scrambling to report the incident. Montoya's warning echoed in his mind—someone was already making a move to fill the power vacuum.
He activated Lex Legis.
[Analyzing city-wide crime activity…]
[New Player Identified: Unknown Entity Operating in the Underworld.]
A new player. Someone bold enough to strike the moment the Court fell.
His screen flickered, pulling up live footage from GCPD surveillance drones. The explosion had targeted an old smuggling route once controlled by the Court of Owls. But it wasn't just a random attack—this was a message. Someone was erasing the Court's influence.
Someone was claiming Gotham for themselves.
Ibrahim didn't have to wait long to find out who.
His office phone rang.
He hesitated. Only a handful of people had that number.
He answered.
A voice, distorted and cold, filled the line.
"Impressive work, Mr. Al-Farooq. The Court's downfall was inevitable, but you've accelerated the timeline."
Ibrahim remained silent, letting the voice continue.
"You're wondering who I am. Who we are. But that's the wrong question." The voice chuckled. "The real question is… how long can you keep playing this game before you realize you're just another piece on the board?"
Ibrahim's system flared with an alert.
[WARNING: Encrypted Call – Tracing Attempt Detected.]
He tapped the interface. Lex, track the source.
[Tracing… ERROR. Signal rerouted through multiple shadow networks.]
Whoever this was, they weren't amateurs.
Ibrahim leaned forward. "I don't play games."
Another chuckle. "That's what the Court said before they fell. Tell me, lawyer—what happens when Gotham decides it doesn't need law anymore? What happens when the only rule left is power?"
The line went dead.
Ibrahim exhaled. His system flashed another update.
[New Entity: The Faceless Syndicate.]
A new faction. A shadow in Gotham's already dark underworld.
Ibrahim wasn't just dealing with remnants of the old world anymore.
A new monster had arrived.
And it had its eyes on him.
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