Prologue
It was a new moon—the darkest night of the month. The only source of light came from a few pitiful street lamps scattered sparsely across the cityscape.
In some corners, even the streetlights failed to reach. One such shadowed alleyway echoed with an eerie sound. It was loud enough to unsettle but still quiet enough to blend into the background of the sleeping city.
“Is it done?” a voice called from a pocket of darkness.
“Yes…” another whispered in response.
The voices reverberated through the alleyway, bouncing off wet, cracked walls in a way that made it impossible to pinpoint their origin.
“There were more than we anticipated. Not just from the Enforcers—the Wardens were involved too. Looks like they’re starting to see us as a real threat.”
“That’s a good sign. But such large-scale movement, and at this time… What are the higher-ups thinking?”
“It’s not our place to think. We follow orders. We’re done here. Send the report. Close the case. The rest doesn’t concern us.”
“I get it. No need to snap,” the other muttered.
A pause. Then—“What about this?”
“Leave it. No orders about it.”
“Alright.”
Silence returned.
The wind slithered through the alley, carrying the stench of rotting food, decaying trash, and something else.. fresh blood.
By morning, the source of the smell was discovered: a heap of corpses dumped unceremoniously in the center of the alley, limbs tangled, eyes wide, blood flowing in rivulets, partially eaten organs and entrails littered with their contents spilled cross the crimson floor, dismembered limbs scattered, decorated with an eyeball here and there in a grotesque art form. Rats and crows feasted without hesitation.
The incident made headlines. Whispers turned to reports, and the shockwaves reached the ears of those who mattered—sending ripples across the city’s buried tension.
The conflict wasn’t coming. It had already begun.
The first domino had fallen.
