The wind whispered softly, sweeping across the neatly arranged tombstones in the cemetery reserved for members of the Black Crow.

Kai stood stiffly among them, his heart feeling as heavy as if weighed down by stone.

Felix was at his side, his gaze fixed straight ahead. “Your friend, Ben, will be buried here,” he said, his voice low yet clear, breaking the silence. “This is where we honor every member, every family of the Black Crow.”

Kai took a deep breath. This underworld was still like a dark fog to him.

“I don’t understand anything about this underworld,” Kai mumbled, his voice hoarse and burdened.

“But one thing is clear in my head, I want revenge. Draco must pay for Ben’s death.”

Felix turned his head, looking at Kai with a deep and firm gaze.

“Revenge,Kai,” he said, his voice carrying a subtle warning, “is fuel. It can burn your soul and mind to ashes. But, on the other hand, it can also give you tremendous strength, if you know how to channel and control it.”

***

“You said I bear a curse, just like the other mercenaries in this world.”

“How can I hone it? How can this help me avenge Ben’s death?”

Felix let out a slow sigh. He began to pace, his steps calm and measured, like a teacher about to impart wisdom. “You cannot control the curse yet, Kai. It will destroy you.”

He stopped, looking directly into Kai eyes. “At this headquarters, you will learn.”

“The Nest is our hub, that’s where we gather all the data and intel you need to understand the enemy and the battlefield.”

“’The War Room is where we devise strategies, plan our next moves, including the best way to face and defeat devils like Draco.”

Felix then pointed towards a sturdy, looking building in the distance.

“And the Dojo...that is where you will confront yourself. It is where you will learn to understand and control the curse that binds itself to you. This power, Kai, can become your greatest weapon, or it could become the trap that leads you to your ultimate demise.”

Kai voice trembled as he answered, yet the determination in his eyes burned fiercely. “I... I am ready. I am ready to accept all the pain and darkness this world has to offer. I must endure. For Ben... for the revenge I must get.”

Hearing this, Felix stepped closer. His gaze was piercing, as if weighing the young soul before him. There was concern there, but also a recognition. He saw the same fire that had once burned within him.

“Good,” Felix finally uttered, his tone resolute.

“Get ready.Your training begins tomorrow.” His voice grew deeper and more meaningful.

“Remember, Kai, this is just about combat training or killing. This is about transformation. Becoming something more than just a bloodthirsty mercenary.”

Kai nodded. There was no more doubt on his face, only steel resolve forged in grief.

He clenched his fist.

His long journey had just begun, and it started from this hallowed cemetery ground, at Ben’s final resting place, with a vow of revenge that would guide his steps into the darkness.