Tales spent the night in the infirmary. Claren, who was supposed to look after him, wasn’t there. Raoul and Michael were also nowhere to be found. He hadn’t gone outside, so he didn’t know if they were out there.But Jake, who’s supposedly always irritating him—because even a single move from him would catch Jake’s attention, and he’d run over just to annoy him—wasn’t there either.And Raja—Tales knew that every time he got hurt, Raja would show up with his cold gaze, stare at him with an unreadable expression, and walk away.But now, he’s not here. Where the hell are they?The night passed, and the sun rose in the east. Tales was awakened by the growling of his stomach. He hadn’t eaten dinner. He got up, and fortunately, he had regained half of his strength.He immediately stepped out of the infirmary, which was just opposite the living room, located downstairs behind the staircase.He stopped when he saw the three standing by the stairs near the torture room he had entered before. T
“You’re alive, Tales.”The words Tales heard were calm and full of relief, sending him into a daze that made him forget to blink. He saw Claren panting, standing near the door. It seemed like he had tried to stop the man from standing and walking, but what could he really do?He only came back to his senses when he felt Raja’s shoulders slump, indicating that he had lost consciousness again."Uhh," was all Tales could say as he caught Raja’s body. He heard the two behind him curse softly, the clatter of plates quickly set on the table before they rushed over to Raja."Carry him, here," Claren ordered, stepping aside for the two men. "Should I give him a sedative?" he muttered to himself before looking at Tales. "You should eat first if you want to stay and watch over Raja."Tales’ ears perked up. He scoffed. "I will not babysit him," he snapped before heading to the kitchen, intending to cook something for himself. But his attention was drawn to the food Raoul and Michael had already
Raja sat up slowly, the slight dizziness from his body’s rebellion against movement making him curse under his breath. The familiar aches and pains from the injury still lingered, but his pride couldn’t let him stay in bed any longer.It was a new day, but he started it with irritation and frustration. He was supposed to work yesterday, but his body wouldn’t cooperate, and his stitches kept opening.His eyes darted to the door, catching the faint sound of footsteps. He exhaled, irritated.Clearly, it was Jake and Tales again. How could they be so—!He didn’t have time to rest. He had a damn empire to run, and his father’s expectations weighed heavily on him.The mattress of the infirmary bed rustled as he moved, his feet touching the cold ground. Yet, even before he could finally stand, the door opened. Tales, whose stoic expression changed to surprise and then cold indifference, stepped inside.“Sit down,” Tales’ voice was firm as he walked to the side of the bed, placing the tray do
Tales and Raja have been on ceasefire. They aren't talking to each other. Tales decided not to talk to Raja to sort out his thoughts. If Raja has been planning to murder him from the start then he need to prepare himself and not put significant in the past memories.Raja on the other hand doesn't feel the need to talk to him as he also need to work.Fortunately for Tales, Raja called for a meeting.The meeting room was tense, the air thick with anticipation as Raja’s team gathered around the large table. There was no turning back now—the obliteration of Unit 6 had set everything in motion, and the only thing left to do was uncover the traitor behind it.Jake, as usual, had managed to sneak into the room despite his lack of necessity. Sneak wasn’t the right word—the team just let him in and didn’t mind him. His smirk was plastered on his face as he leaned casually against the far wall, arms crossed. He wasn’t part of the discussion but wasn’t one to stay out of the loop either.Raja sa
The cold, damp walls of the warehouse echoed with the sound of a single, agonized muffled cry. Samson, bound tightly to a chair, was soaked in his own sweat. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was as pale as a ghost. His body was bruised and bloodied.Standing in front of him was Raja, his expression serious. He was crossing his arms, and when Samson groaned again, he nodded his head, signaling Michael. As if on cue, Michael harshly splashed water on Samson, forcing him to wake up."Oh, I just arrived just in time," Jake, panting, arrived at the door. Raja spit on the floor in disgust, and Tales raised an eyebrow in disbelief."Thick-faced," someone murmured, and Jake knew it was Tales, but he didn’t care.Samson looked as if he still didn’t know where he was as he looked around. When his gaze landed on Raja and his team, he immediately displayed a defiant glare, with a growing sense of dread."What is the meaning of this?" he asked coldly, trying to break free from the chair."You have
Raja’s vision blurred as the gas filled the room. He was trained for this, but he was being too complacent. His body grew heavy, his limbs losing their strength. He staggered, barely managing to keep his footing, before collapsing to his knees."Dammit," Michael spoke unclearly, his voice thick with the effects of the gas. "This wasn’t supposed to happen...""Stay awake... stay awake!" Jake hissed, his eyes unfocused as he struggled to stay conscious. But it was clear they were fighting a losing battle.Tales, already stumbling, cursed under his breath. "We’re fucked... Fuck."He was trying not to lose consciousness because he didn’t know what they might do to them. When push comes to shove, he should survive at least.Raja felt like his mind was floating, his vision darkening. He tried to call out, but the words came out in a rasp, barely audible. “Get... out... of... here...”Their vision blurred as the fumes of the sleeping gas swept over him. His body felt heavy, his limbs refusin
The room was eerily quiet as Tales, Michael, Claren, Raoul, and Jake groggily regained consciousness. Their movements were sluggish, their heads pounding from the lingering effects of the sleeping gas. Michael was the first to sit up, rubbing his temples and wincing.“Ugh… what the hell happened?” he muttered, his voice still thick and hoarse as he scanned the whole room, waiting for answers.Jake groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position, glancing around the room. “You got played. That much is obvious,” he said bitterly.“But how? How did they know where we were at the moment?” Raoul muttered in confusion, yet no one answered.Tales was the last to rise, shaking his head as if trying to clear the fog. His eyes darted around the room. The place felt so familiar that his mind came to the conclusion they were back at their headquarters. He also noticed the absence of Raja. “Where’s Raja?” he asked, his tone sharp despite his disorientation.Michael shrugged, his expression gr
The next morning, Tales woke up to a light knock on his door. He groaned, rolling over on the floor where he’d fallen asleep the night before. He rubbed his eyes as he ruffled his hair. His back protested as he pushed himself up, the golden envelope still lying unopened on the bed.The knock came again, firmer and louder this time.“Who is it?” Tales grumbled, rubbing his face. His voice was still hoarse, indicating it hadn’t been long since he woke up.“It’s me,” Raja’s voice replied, calm and measured.Tales froze for a moment, his irritation replaced by confusion. Raja never came to his room unless it was absolutely necessary. What’s this man’s deal now? After their confrontation last night, the last person he wanted to see was Raja.“Come in,” he said hesitantly.The door opened, and Raja stepped inside, carrying a neatly folded suit hanging over his arm. His expression was stoic, but there was a strange lightness in his demeanor. Tales couldn’t help but narrow his eyes in suspici
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