Rain crawled down the alley in slow sheets. Jace leaned on the brick, breathing through knives in his ribs, hoodie stuck to his back with dried blood and gutter water. The HUD flickered in his vision like a bad dream that wouldn't quit.
[Respawn: Active]
Status: Wounded
Trait: Hatred Surge I
Effect: Pain tolerance high. Instincts sharpened. Mercy reduced.
Every time the words blinked, it reminded him what he'd lost—and what he had left.
He pushed into the back door of a barbershop that never closed, even after hours. Clippers slept on the counter. The chair spun once when he sat, then stopped like it knew better.
"Thought you were a ghost," said Miko, the owner, pulling gloves tight. "You look like a bad rumor."
"Stitch me quiet," Jace said. "And forget I was here."
Miko cleaned the wound and threaded a curved needle through torn skin. Jace didn't flinch. The ember-light under his veins pulsed, a faint glow pushing against ash-dark skin, then settled again.
[Side Quest Complete: Patch the Holes]
Reward: +5 Respect
Bonus: +1 Pain Discipline
Penalty persists: Movement speed reduced
Miko taped gauze across the fresh stitches. "Rae?" he asked, voice low.
Jace stood slow. "If you see her shadow, turn the lights off."
He left two folded bills on the counter and stepped back into the night.
Word spread fast on the block. The kind of whispers that ran through dice games and bodega backrooms: Jace ain't dead. By midnight, he had a name.
Nito. A weak runner who laughed too much and talked too loud. Rae kept him around to drive vans and hold bags, nothing more. Which made him the perfect leak.
Jace found him behind a laundromat, counting cash under a busted light. A roach crawled across the bills like it wanted its cut.
"Nito," Jace said, voice steady.
Nito jolted so hard the money scattered to the ground. His wide eyes went straight to Jace's chest, like he expected to see a hole where life should've ended. "Yo, what the—nah, you dead. Rae said—"
"Close," Jace cut him off. "But not enough."
He stepped closer, the alley shrinking. Nito stumbled back against the brick, hands up, shaking like he could push the night away.
"I ain't got beef with you, Jace, I swear to God," Nito stammered. "I just drive. I didn't shoot. I didn't even look."
"You looked when you took the money," Jace growled. His hand pressed to Nito's throat, pinning him to the wall. The ember-pulse in his veins flared hotter, throwing faint light across the alley.
Nito's eyes locked on the glow. His breath hitched.
[Interrogation Prompt: Apply Pressure]
Options: Pain, Cash, Fear
Bonus: Hatred Surge I increases Fear effectiveness.
Jace leaned in, voice razor-thin. "Who opened the door, Nito? Who knew the timing?"
"I—I don't know the code," Nito coughed, clawing at Jace's arm. "We were told it would be open. Rae said the timing was tight, that the spot would be soft."
"Who else knew?"
"Vick, the connect. Peezy the spotter. And… and somebody close to you." Nito's words tripped over themselves. "That's what I heard. Somebody with your habits."
Jace's jaw clenched. "Say a name."
"I don't got one!" Nito's voice cracked. "All I know is Rae said the inside was handled. Said you were predictable. Said ten minutes after you text, you always pull up. Somebody gave her that!"
Jace's grip tightened. Predictable. That word stung deeper than the bullet. He had texted. He always texted. Routine kills.
"You running with her now?" Jace asked, voice low and dangerous.
Nito shook his head so fast his teeth rattled. "No, no, no. I just drive. That's all. Rae don't trust me with nothing real. I swear on my life."
Jace let him choke another second before releasing. Nito slid down the wall, coughing hard, grabbing for the money like that would save him.
"Where is Rae?" Jace asked.
"Crown Suites," Nito said fast, terrified. "Near the river. Fifth floor. Room with a busted peephole. She moves every two days, but she's there now. Swear to God."
[Clue Unlocked: Crown Suites, 5th Floor, busted peephole]
[Respect +10]
[Trust with Street -5]
"Who's with her?"
"Big dude with the rings—Marl. He's the one that likes to hit first."
Jace stepped back. His veins still hummed, ember-hot, the glow fading slow. "If you run, I'll know."
Nito nodded so hard his forehead hit brick.
Jace walked away, boots splashing through shallow puddles. The HUD blinked one last message.
[New Quest: Scout Crown Suites]
Objective: Confirm Rae's location without alerting her
Reward: +15 Respect, Map Pin
Failure: Ambush Risk Increased
Jace's lips curled into something that wasn't a smile.
Rae thought she buried him.
Now he was digging her grave.