Ochieng stepped out of the Phantom King's lounge, his expression unreadable.
The moment the heavy doors shut behind him, a presence emerged from the shadows.
Amani.
His most trusted ally.
"You really agreed to this?" Amani's voice was laced with concern.
Ochieng kept walking, his eyes scanning the neon-lit streets. "I didn't have a choice."
Amani fell into step beside him. "The Underworld Trials are suicide. Even the best assassins don't come out alive."
Ochieng smirked. "Good thing I'm not just 'the best.'"
Amani sighed. "You need a plan. Strength alone won't be enough."
Ochieng's eyes darkened.
"I already have a plan."
Amani frowned. "What are you thinking?"
Ochieng stopped at the curb, the city lights casting sharp shadows across his face.
"I need to find a ghost."
Amani's eyes widened. "You don't mean—"
Ochieng nodded.
"I'm going to see the Grandmaster."
The Grandmaster's Domain
Deep in the Eastern District, past abandoned temples and forgotten shrines, stood an ancient dojo.
No one dared enter uninvited.
Because inside lived a legend.
The Grandmaster of Shadows.
A man who had trained the deadliest assassins in history.
No one knew his real name.
To the world, he was simply The Sleeping Dragon.
Ochieng stepped onto the cracked stone path.
Amani hesitated. "Are you sure about this?"
Ochieng exhaled.
Then he stepped forward and knocked.
Silence.
Then—
A whisper of movement.
Suddenly, a dagger whistled through the air.
Ochieng dodged—barely.
The blade embedded itself in the wooden post beside him.
A voice drifted from the darkness.
"You're late."
Ochieng smirked.
The Grandmaster had been expecting him.
The Test Begins
The door creaked open, revealing an old man with silver hair and piercing golden eyes.
He studied Ochieng.
"Still reckless, I see."
Ochieng chuckled. "And you're still dramatic."
The Grandmaster's lips twitched. "Why are you here?"
Ochieng's smile faded.
"I need to win the Underworld Trials."
A heavy silence.
Then—
The Grandmaster laughed.
A deep, knowing laugh.
"You truly wish to walk the path of monsters?"
Ochieng's gaze didn't waver.
"I was born on that path."
The Grandmaster's eyes gleamed.
"Very well."
Then—he attacked.
A blur of motion. A strike faster than thought.
Ochieng barely had time to react.
The real training had begun.
--