I hid in the darkness, pressed tight against the cold stone wall of the cave.
The alarm howled like a rabid beast.
The guards scurried in confusion, clueless about where the grenade had come from.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins, but I was calm.
Calmer than I'd ever been.
> "The direct route is blocked..."
I scanned the area quickly—
And spotted something strange:
a metal hatch, barely visible in the dim light.
Without hesitation, I slid my knife underneath and carefully pried it open, making no sound.
A cold draft wafted up from the darkness.
…And the unknown.
— Only forward… — I whispered to myself, ducked low, and slipped inside.
The passage was narrow and damp, stretching endlessly ahead.
Only the dripping water from the ceiling broke the silence.
After several minutes of crawling, I reached the end.
Before me opened a small chamber—
Like a throne room, carved into the rock itself.
And that's when I saw him.
Seated on a stone chair, clad in black, his uniform embroidered with the insignias of the gang—
One man.
Alone.
No guards.
No weapons.
Just… waiting.
Then he looked up.
Our eyes met through the shadows.
— Took you long enough, Fio, — he said.
His voice… It was oddly familiar.
— Come down.
My fingers gripped the knife tighter.
My heart paused mid-beat.
I jumped down without taking my eyes off him.
He sat there—calm, composed.
A mask covered his face, but the symbols on his clothing…
The very mark of the organization.
"From the Shadows."
> Too many coincidences.
— Who are you? — I forced the words out.
He raised his hands.
And slowly… removed the mask.
I froze.
— I'm your brother, Kento.
The world stopped spinning.
— N-no… It can't be... — I staggered back a step. — You died… You vanished that day. You were taken… first…
— I only died for you, Fio, — he said, his voice calm, steady. — That day, I was kidnapped. I fought back. I called for you. But no one came.
They took us far away… so far.
I was seven.
You were three.
I couldn't believe it.
No—I didn't want to believe it.
— They placed me on this throne, — he continued, eyes never leaving mine. — Said I would lead.
Lead the shadow that crawls behind every step, the one born with us.
The organization… "From the Shadows."
I stood there, stunned.
Too many thoughts.
Too many questions.
My brother… alive?
And he…
He's the leader of all this darkness?