The  warehouse door flew open with a loud crash, brutally kicked in from the outside. Dust swirled in the air, and the dim light from the streetlamps pierced through the darkness, illuminating the silhouettes of three figures standing in the doorway.

Felix and I immediately turned towards them.

The first one to step inside was a figure that made my heart stop for a second.

That face... I knew it.

A man of medium build with a long scar on his left cheek a scar I had given him that night. The night at the club. The night Ben died.

He was one of Draco’s men from the night of Ben’s murder. I had beaten him mercilessly with fists full of rage and despair.

And now, he was here. Standing before me with a gaze full of vengeance.

Behind him stood two other men, both large-framed, wearing black leather jackets with a coiling snake emblem on their backs.

The man with the scar grinned widely, his eyes sharp and filled with hatred.

“Finally... finally I found you, you damn brat,” he said in a low, angry voice. “Did you think I forgot what you did to me that night?”

Felix stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of me. “Are you from Draco’s organization?”

The man laughed mockingly, shifting his gaze to Felix. “Oh, you’re Felix, that famous Black Crow mercenary, right? I’ve heard a lot of stories about you.” He spat on the floor. “But today, I don’t care who you are. The one I’m after is the brat behind you.”

Felix didn’t move, his gaze remaining cold. “If you want him, you’ll have to go through me first.”

The man’s grin widened. “That can be arranged.”

One of the two large men behind him stepped forward, pulling a pistol from inside his jacket and aiming it at Felix.

But before the situation could escalate further, the man with the scar raised his hand, signaling his companion to lower the weapon.

“Wait a moment,” he said, staring at me with intense hatred. “I want to hear first... does this brat remember who I am? Does he remember what he did to me?”

I swallowed hard, my fists clenched tightly. Rage and fear churned violently in my chest.

“I remember,” I answered, my voice trembling but resolute. “You were one of them at the club that night. You’re one of the ones who let Draco kill Ben.”

The man’s face darkened, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

“Let?” he sneered. “We didn’t just let it happen, brat. We enjoyed the show as your friend got shot dead right before your eyes.”

Those words felt like a knife stabbing through my chest.

Rage exploded within me, a burning heat searing through every fiber of my being.

“YOU BASTARD!” I screamed, stepping forward without thinking.

Felix immediately held me back with his strong arm, preventing me from charging blindly at them.

“Kai, calm down!” Felix snapped firmly. “Don’t take the bait! They’re provoking you on purpose!”

But my anger was already too overwhelming to control. I stared at the man with pure hatred in my eyes.

“Why?! Why did you kill him?! Ben was innocent! He was just—“

“He was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time,” the man cut in coldly. “Just like you are now.”

He stepped closer, his eyes fixed on me with a threatening glare. “Draco gave the order to clean up anyone who knew too much about our operations at that club. Your friend happened to be there, so... yeah, he had to die.”

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I fought them back with all my strength.

“And now,” the man continued with a vicious grin, “it’s your turn, brat. But before that, I’m going to pay you back for everything you did to me that night. Slowly. Painfully.”

One of the large men behind him pulled a long knife from his jacket. The other one twirled a metal baton in his hand with a sadistic smile.

Felix glanced at me and whispered quietly, “Kai, if you want to survive, you have to focus. Use your curse wisely. Don’t let your emotions control you.”

I nodded slowly, even as my entire body trembled.

The sound of the system echoed in my head again, louder and clearer this time.

///

[Multiple Targets Detected... Threat Level: High... A Thief... Ready to Activate...]

///

The man with the scar raised his hand, signaling to his two companions.

“Take them both out. But leave the brat to me.”

The two large men stepped forward with terrifying smiles on their faces.

Felix took a defensive stance, his hand drifting towards the small knife still tucked in his belt.

I stood beside him, breathing heavily, my heart pounding wildly.

This is it. My first real fight.

The first man, wielding the long knife, charged swiftly at Felix. The second, with the metal baton, moved towards me.

And behind them, the man with the scar just stood there grinning, waiting for his moment to destroy me.

I clenched my fists, feeling the power of the curse beginning to surge within my body.

I won’t die here. I have to survive. For Ben. For his revenge.

CLASH!

The battle began.

TO BE CONTINUED