This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The author and publisher are not responsible for any actions taken or decisions made based on the content of this story. Readers are encouraged to interpret the material responsibly and understand that it is intended for entertainment purposes only.
The morning sun streamed through the windows with white blinds of the main house, painting the luxurious interior in a still dim light but some of the rays seep through the blinds. Raja, who's face is filled with an unapproachable expression, progressed across his office, his gaze is fixed on the documents spread across his arm. He was reviewing the list of names Father had sent, his mind is a mayhem of suspicion and anger. He had to find the traitors in cahoots with Jamila, the ones who had dared to betray him, to underestimate his capabilities. His obsession with control, with finding those who dared to defy him, already consumed him.He was occupied of his work, oblivious to the world outside his office walls. While Tales, slumped in a black long sofa, watched Raja with a mixture of weariness and a flicker of amusement. He enjoy how Raja was in a dire state trying to find the traitor to prove his worth to Father.Although, he was exhausted, his body aching from the previous ni
The once neat living room of Raja's estate became an utter chaos. His trusted men—Claren, Raoul, Michael, and several others—lie down across the floor, unconscious. Empty mugs of coffee and tea were scattered across the tables. Raja stood in the center of the room, his hands immediately clenched into fists, his jaw tight and his temple shows veins when he tried to control his emotions. 'No sign of forced entry. Whoever did this knew their way around.'Raja’s jaw tightened as his pulse quickened. He stand beside Claren, kicking him moderately. “Wake up,” he barked. “What happened here?”Claren groaned faintly but didn’t open his eyes. Raja's mind immediately play different scenarios of what could possibly happened here. When he's focusing on his work, this happened? His men was drugged and incapacitated? Then the realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. Tales.He turned sharply, his eyes flaring as he strode rapidly toward Tales’ quarters. The room was empty. The sheets were
“Kill him, feed him to rabid dogs. It's your call. You don't have to call me unless you want me to pick up his corpse."The room fell silent. Tales burst out laughing, his voice cutting through the tension. “Told you! He doesn’t give a fuck about me!” he managed between chuckles. “You’re wasting your time!”'What do I expect from that bastard?' Tales muttered in his head. ''I'm all alone now and I needs to survive. I'm not gonna die here.'Scarface’s face turned tomato red with rage. He slammed the phone onto the table and turned to Tales, his fists clenching. “You think this is funny?” he lash out.“Absolutely,” Tales agreed, his laughter slowly change into a deriding grin. “You guys went through all this trouble, and for what?" No one answered that he once again chuckled. "Raja’s not coming. You’re stuck with me, and honestly, I’m a terrible hostage.”Scarface’s fist landed on Tales’ jaw, the force flicking his head to the side. Pain surface through his face, but he gritted his teet
The dim light seeped through the window blinds of the headquarters infirmary. It was already morning, but Raja hadn’t slept a wink as he sat near Tales, who was still unconscious. He couldn’t sleep, nor could he leave Tales behind. His face showed exhaustion—not from work, but from the thoughts that kept lingering in his mind. He looked at Tales, who was peacefully sleeping, and winced when his chest throbbed. He cupped his face and gritted his teeth. Truth be told, he had really intended for Tales to disappear the moment the Scorpions threatened him, saying they had Tales. It was like a consequence that Tales should face for disobeying him. Yet, the moment he discarded Tales, he felt a pang in his chest. He couldn’t breathe as his ears rang for reasons unknown. Just the mere thought of Tales' death made the pain unbearable. It was even more torturous than when he had been in training. He couldn’t breathe, and his eyes began to water. “Kill him, feed him to rabid dogs. It’s your ca
Tales was just wandering around the streets, trying to find a signage that offers a job. His both hands were in his pockets, and he shivered because of the cold. It was winter, and he, who's wearing thin clothes, shivered every time the breeze hit him. He felt like his now red nose and ears could fall off anytime. Every time he breathed using his mouth, smoke would form.On top of that, his stomach was growling loudly like he was hosting some kind of monster that had been deprived of food for about thousands of years. He hadn’t eaten for 2 days now."Ahh," just when he saw a signage wanting a dishwasher, a van maneuvered beside him, making him turn around to see what kind of dumbass almost hit him. But to his surprise, masked men bolted out of the van and captured him.His eyes widened in horror as the two unknown persons yanked down a fabric forcefully, shrouding his face in darkness. He gasped when strong hands gripped his arms, leaving no chance for escape. His body trembled, muscl
The air Jake was giving creeped Tales out so much that he couldn’t help but scowl at the other child, who seemed younger than him. "I'm Raja," Raja stated with a beaming smile, as if he had found another playmate. Tales' brows furrowed. "Hey!" His reprimanding tone made Raja blink twice, as if asking what he had done wrong. This naive child, Tales sighed and just shook his head. Jake smiled more when he saw Tales' reaction. Though he was smiling widely, his eyes seemed unaffected. His eyes were bland, dull, and plainly colorless. "Now that you know who your teammates are," the man stated, grabbing Tales' and the others' attention again. Jake also walked to his side and turned around to face the man. "There's a weapon on the table. Choose anything that fits your hands and that you think you can wield with ease," the boss stated. Tales stared at the man for a moment, cursing him in his mind as he clenched his teeth. What did this man think he was doing? Clearly, he was not human. Ta
Tales could smell the faint scent of saltiness in the breeze as they marched toward the opposite flat building, accompanied by their armed men. They hadn’t changed their clothes or washed their stained body parts. When the door opened, Tales immediately noticed the long table with the leader sitting at the end of it. Dishes were already served, including a watery soup. Tales didn’t know what this was all about. The dishes ranged from shimmering, luxurious ones to simple, peasant-like fare. "Sit." The children immediately obeyed, still scared and walking on eggshells. The only sound they could hear was the dragging of chairs. Tales and Raja sat beside each other, but Tales felt even more irked when Jake, all smiley, sat beside him. Their seating arrangement: Jake - Tales - Raja. "Congratulations on staying alive." Although the man was congratulating them, his tone was indifferent and monotonous. He didn’t care about them at all. "Though the number of survivors is a bit lower than e
A year had passed, and Tales had not remained idle. Every day after their training, he would sneak out and take careful note of the compound’s layout—the heavy doors, the creaking floorboards, and the blind corners where the guards were too lazy to patrol. Anywhere they could escape without anyone noticing. It was for their survival; there was no grand reason. If he was going to get out of here, he needed to know every inch of this godforsaken place. He didn’t have beautiful memories outside this place. He was always hungry, yet he also couldn’t stomach what they were doing there. They were killing each other because FATHER ordered it. They were like puppets that shouldn’t have their own awareness. When he was alone or with Raja and everyone else was asleep, Tales would sketch maps, though calling them “maps” was generous. They were chaotic, messy doodles of squares and lines, barely resembling the compound. But they made sense to him. And he was proud of them, as if they were the be
Jake’s resentment festered like an untreated wound.For years, he swallowed the bitterness, forced himself to held his head high in front of Oliver, forced himself to play the loyal unambitious son, even as something in him curdled and rotted with every passing day.He should’ve given up. He should’ve accepted it. Raja became Oliver’s favorite. Raja became the chosen one. Raja was the one who mattered.But Jake wasn’t built to accept. He wasn’t built to be cast aside. He was trained for survival. So if Oliver didn’t see him as his son—Then Jake would make sure Oliver had nothing left to see at all. If he couldn’t be Oliver’s greatest creation, he would be his greatest failure.However, that alone wasn’t enough to burn Oliver’s empire to the ground. Being a disgrace would only give a little to no impact towards Oliver and the organization. No—Jake wanted to carve it apart, piece by piece, while Oliver was still alive to witness it crumble.And so, he planned.He started with Victor.
Jake had always done exactly as he was told.From the moment he could walk, Oliver had shaped him like a blade—sharpened his mind, hardened his body, stripped him of anything weak. And he had obeyed. He had followed orders. He had killed. He had smiled when Oliver wanted him to smile, knelt when Oliver wanted him to kneel, and suffered when Oliver wanted him to suffer. Because that was what a son was supposed to do.He was not loved.He was not special.He was a project. A tool. A thing to be possessed and used.Jake learned early that love was something you had to earn. That it wasn’t given freely. That if he did everything Oliver asked—if he followed the rules, if he never mess up or doubt, if he obeyed—maybe then he would hear something kind. Maybe then his father would look at him like he mattered. Maybe his father would look at him with love.So he obeyed.The first time Oliver threw him into a fight, Jake was seven. Small, underfed, shaking. His opponent was older—twelve, bigger
The night air was suffocating as Raja approached the entrance of Jake’s hideout—a rotting industrial complex left behind from another era. The rusted metal and broken windows appeared like coarse teeth in the dark. Raja's boots crunched over debris as he stalked forward, carrying a gun and a long knife in both of his two hands, his breathing slow and controlled despite the ache in his battered body. Blood—dried and fresh—clung to his clothes. He looked like a man crawling out of hell. Maybe he was.This was it. The end of the line.He passed the first perimeter silently, his blade and gun glinting faintly in the moonlight. Jake's guards had been stationed like cattle, unaware that the slaughter was coming.He was just announcing himself walking with his head held high, however seems like the security is too lax.Raja didn't waste time.The first man barely made a sound as Raja’s knife sliced clean through his throat. The second caught the glint of blade too late, a gun halfway raised
Raja’s boots crunched against the sand as he stepped out of the vehicle, the engine still running behind him. The houses infront of him are mostly made of bamboo and are practically glued yo each other. Slums near the ocean. He surveyed the houses with no light, he walked and walked until... he found it. In front of him, a house stood crooked, its rusted tin roof bent inward, peeling paint clinging stubbornly to the rotting wooden walls. It was the kind of place most people wouldn’t give a second glance, and for a moment, Raja wondered if he’d come to the wrong place.But no.This was Zaden’s hideout. His sanctuary. Tucked away in the forgotten corners of his hometown. Raja had expected something more refined, something cleaner. But looking at it now, it made sense.Zaden couldn't care less.Raja approached the door with slow, deliberate steps, his breath steady but his pulse quickening. Without hesitation, he raised his foot and—BANG!The flew violently as he kicked it open. The old
The first swing of the hammer crushed Raoul’s kneecap with a sickening crunch. Raoul screamed—raw, high, desperate. His body convulsed violently as he slumped on the floor. But Raja was already raising the hammer again.“Where is he?!”“I don’t know!” Raoul sobbed. “I don’t know!"Raja crouched down and stare at Raoul. A question once again occured in his mind. He don't know why this man betrayed him. Hr notice how all of his movements was observe and reported but he didn't know it was Raoul. He just thought that it's one of his men who's lower rank, but to think its Raoul?The hammer fell again, this time slamming into Raoul’s hand, shattering the bones with brutal efficiency. Raoul’s screams echoed off the cold concrete walls, but Raja didn’t flinch.“You told Jake I killed Oliver,” Raja said slowly, his voice low, controlled. “I won't even ask you why you betrayed me. I don't care about that nor I care about you working with him. Just tell me where Tales and I'll give you a painles
Raoul stood ten meters away from where is Raja standing, looking at its phone. He was analyzing Raja's expression to predict what will be his next move. That's the only thing he could do since Raja has sharp senses and moving close to him is like announcing his presence. He'll be killed in an instant. He gritted his teeth. Raja had been their leader for a long time but he need to think for himself. His phone was pressed on his ear. His expression was unreadable, calm even. Jake’s voice filtered through the line. “Everything’s set?”Raoul exhaled slowly. “I think he's on his way to find Zaden. You’ll have time to move all Father's confidential documents and analyze the vaults left by him.”Jake chuckled softly. “Good job. You still have one task left, come here immediately after sorting things.”Raoul’s fingers tapped the metal railing beside him. “Alright.”A pause.“Good,” Jake said. “You’ll get your reward soon.”Raoul hung up. He closed his eyes for a moment. “Forgive me,” he wh
Tales moved quickly, his footsteps is light and careful against the cold steel of the floor. Every breath was measured in the fear of being noticed....Strange! How come it's so quiet? Like no one's here?!Every corner he passed by was clear before he stepped forward. The building had gone too quiet.No guards.No Jake.Nothing.He should have heard something. The faint buzz of radios informing other guards of his escape, the stomp of boots, anything.But the silence was heavy. Almost Oppressive.Where is he?Where was Jake?The man who never left him alone. The man who enjoyed watching his unyielding facade, the man who wants him to bleed and suffer.Tales’ grip tightened on the bent fork in his hand.The air tasted wrong.As if something had already happened—or was about to.But he didn’t stop.He needed escape and find Raja.He needed to get the hell out of here.MEANWHILE...The office was a war zone.Shattered glass littered the floor. Bullet holes flashed in the walls like some
Raja lunged forward, his muscles screaming with effort as he cut through the space between them. He could still hear Oliver’s mocking tone, could still see Lila standing there like a puppet on a string. He didn’t hesitate.His breath came out ragged, his heart pounding like thunder in his chest. There was no more thought. No more strategy.Only instinct.Only rage.He lunged.Straight for Oliver’s throat.But the moment his foot hit the marble floor in a sprint, the click of guns being released echoed through the room. Lila’s guards—hidden in the darkened corners—raised their weapons.Then—Gunfire erupted.Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!Bullets shot through the air, shattering glass, biting into the walls around him. Raja’s body reacted on instinct. He twisted hard and dove behind one of the thick marble pillars as chunks of stone exploded around him from the shots. Sharp fragments cut across his face, but he didn’t stop moving.He counted the shooters—six. No, it's eight.
Raja stormed down the hallway, his bloody shoes slamming against the marble floors, leaving behind a trail of blood. His body keeps aching, bruises forming beneath his torn clothes, but he barely felt it. It's like he's become numb. The rush of adrenaline drowned out the pain, leaving only rage. His eyes are bloodshot, devoid of any unnecessary emotions. His hands twitched, eager to wrap around Oliver’s throat and end everything.He stop after sometime. Facing the black huge door in which inside, Oliver is there. He gritted his teeth upon remembering how they got played by Oliver. He can't wait to kill him. But he needs to calm down. He needs to or else he'll be defeated. With a sharp exhale, he walked near the heavy double doors of Oliver’s office, grabbing the handle —only to stop when he realized that he didn't need to be so polite. He didn't hesitate.BANG!Raja kicked the doors open, the wood slamming against the walls with a deafening crash.The scent of expensive cologne and bu