The explosion sent shockwaves through The Obsidian Club, shattering glass and engulfing the space in roaring flames. Ochieng hit the ground hard, the force of the blast ripping through his senses. His ears rang, his vision blurred, and the scent of burning leather and whiskey filled his lungs.
Through the smoke and chaos, Celestine's voice cut through. "Move! We need to get out!"
Felix was already up, dragging Isabella to her feet. Blood dripped from a gash on her forehead, but her grip on the dagger was firm.
Ochieng turned just in time to see Gideon Shadowfang rising from the wreckage, completely unfazed. His long black trench coat billowed as he dusted himself off, eyes locked onto Ochieng.
"You should have stayed out of this," Gideon muttered, pulling out a sleek, silencer-fitted pistol.
Before he could fire, a blur of motion intercepted—Derick.
Derick tackled Gideon to the ground, sending the gun skidding across the burning floor. "Go!" he shouted at Ochieng. "I'll handle this!"
Ochieng hesitated, fists clenched. Leaving Derick behind didn't sit right with him.
But then—a gunshot.
Derick gasped, staggering. A crimson stain spread across his chest.
Ochieng's world narrowed to that one moment. The sound of burning debris faded. The gunfire around them became distant echoes.
Gideon stood over Derick, gun in hand. "I warned you."
Rage boiled inside Ochieng, white-hot and uncontrollable. He lunged forward, ducking under a second shot, and drove his knee into Gideon's ribs. The man barely flinched, countering with a brutal elbow to Ochieng's face.
The fight was vicious—raw, unrelenting.
Gideon was a trained killer, but Ochieng fought like a man with nothing left to lose.
A well-placed strike to Gideon's throat made him stumble. Ochieng seized the moment, grabbing the fallen gun—
Only to hear another gunshot.
Not at him.
Not at Gideon.
At Celestine.
She crumpled, her eyes wide with shock.
"No—"
Ochieng caught her before she hit the ground, pressing a hand to the wound on her side. "Stay with me," he whispered.
But her breathing was shallow.
"Time's up," Gideon said, voice cold.
A second wave of explosions ripped through the club, forcing Ochieng to shield Celestine as flames roared around them.
And then—darkness.