Chapter 81 (Part 12)
There were two kinds of people who walked into darkness.
The first
were those forced into it.
The second
were those who willingly stepped inside, knowing they might never return.
Tonight
Alok belonged to the second kind.
The City After Midnight
Castrone changed after midnight.
The bright noise of the day disappeared.
The streets became colder.
Longer.
More honest.
During the day, the city pretended to be civilized.
At night
its real face appeared.
Broken alleys.
Shuttered stores.
Silent roads carrying the smell of rain and rust.
Rihan followed a few steps behind Alok, breathing unevenly as they crossed another empty street.
"…Bro, slow down."
Alok didn't stop.
Didn't even turn around.
The pendant beneath his shirt continued pulsing steadily.
Like a compass.
Like something alive.
Every pulse dragged him forward.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
The Philosophy of Weakness
As they walked, Alok's eyes remained fixed ahead.
But his thoughts moved elsewhere.
People always say the world is unfair.
But that's wrong.
The world is perfectly fair.
Weak people lose things.
Strong people protect them.
His fingers slowly tightened.
Tonight, he had failed.
Not because he lacked emotion.
But because he lacked power.
That realization hurt more than fear ever could.
Rihan glanced at him carefully.
"…you've been quiet since earlier."
Still no response.
"…Alok?"
Finally
Alok spoke.
"If I had been stronger earlier…"
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"…this wouldn't have happened."
Rihan frowned immediately.
"Don't say stupid things. This isn't your fault."
"No," Alok replied quietly. "It is."
The answer came too fast.
Too certain.
And that frightened Rihan more than shouting ever could.
The First Trail
The pendant suddenly pulsed harder.
A violent flash of gold-violet light flickered beneath Alok's collar.
He stopped instantly.
Rihan nearly crashed into him.
"What happened?"
Alok slowly turned his head toward a narrow alley.
Dark.
Silent.
Abandoned.
But the pendant reacted strongly.
"They came through here."
Rihan blinked.
"…how can you tell?"
Alok stepped into the alley without answering.
Rainwater dripped from broken pipes overhead. Trash bags lined the walls. Graffiti covered cracked concrete.
Then
he saw it.
A small silver chain lying near the wall.
His breathing stopped for half a second.
He picked it up carefully.
Rihan's eyes widened.
"…that's..."
"My sister's."
The words felt heavier than stone.
The chain was broken.
As if torn away during a struggle.
For the first time that night
something dangerous appeared in Alok's eyes.
Not rage.
Not panic.
Something colder.
Mist Territory
The alley eventually opened into a forgotten district near the industrial side of Castrone.
Old warehouses stood like corpses beneath the moonlight.
No lights.
No people.
No sound.
But Alok immediately understood.
This place belonged to them.
Mist Gang.
Rihan swallowed hard.
"…this place feels wrong."
Alok kept walking.
"It is."
The deeper they moved into the district, the quieter the world became.
Then
footsteps.
Several figures emerged from the darkness ahead.
Four men.
Large builds.
Faces hidden beneath masks.
One of them laughed softly.
"Well, well…"
Another cracked his knuckles.
"The kid actually came."
Rihan stepped forward immediately.
"…Alok."
But Alok only stared at them.
Expressionless.
The tallest man tilted his head.
"You should've called the police instead."
Another laughed.
"Too bad. Now both of you are getting buried here."
The First Fight
The first attacker rushed forward suddenly.
Fast.
A metal pipe swung directly toward Alok's head.
Rihan's eyes widened.
"LOOK OUT—!"
But Alok moved first.
A single step sideways.
Smooth.
Minimal.
The pipe missed completely.
The attacker froze.
Too slow.
Alok's fist struck his stomach instantly.
THUD—!!
The man's body folded violently before crashing against the wall.
One hit.
Silence.
The others stared.
Rihan stared harder.
Because that movement
wasn't normal anymore.
Another man charged with a knife.
Wild.
Aggressive.
Alok caught his wrist mid-swing.
CRACK.
The sound echoed through the alley.
The knife fell.
The man screamed.
Alok kicked him backward without emotion.
A third attacker hesitated.
And hesitation
was fatal.
Alok moved faster this time.
The pendant flared beneath his shirt.
Gold-violet light pulsed briefly through his veins.
His fist collided with the man's jaw.
The impact lifted him off the ground completely.
The body crashed into metal containers with a horrifying sound.
Everything became silent.
Only one man remained standing.
Shaking.
Terrified.
"…w-what the hell are you…?"
Alok slowly walked toward him.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The man stumbled backward instinctively.
For the first time
a Mist Gang member felt fear.
Real fear.
The Information
Alok stopped directly in front of him.
"Where is she?"
The man swallowed hard.
"I....I don't know..."
Alok grabbed his collar instantly.
The pressure alone made the man panic.
"Wrong answer."
His voice remained calm.
Which somehow felt worse than screaming.
The man trembled violently.
"…warehouse…! Old warehouse near the docks!"
Alok's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who's there?"
The man hesitated.
Then
"…Darian…"
Rihan froze.
"…Darian?"
The man's face turned pale immediately after saying the name.
As if speaking it itself was dangerous.
"…Darian Mendis…"
The world suddenly felt colder.
Rihan slowly looked toward Alok.
"…Mendis…?"
Which meant
Ravel wasn't acting alone.
Final Scene The Monster at the
Docks
Far away
Inside an enormous abandoned warehouse near the harbor
A man sat calmly in a chair.
Large build.
Black coat.
Eyes heavy with quiet violence.
Darian Mendis.
Ravel's older brother.
The true ruler behind the Mist Gang.
A cigarette burned slowly between his fingers.
One of his men approached nervously.
"…Boss."
Darian didn't look up.
"The boy is coming."
Silence.
Then
A faint smile appeared on Darian's face.
Not amused.
Interested.
"…good."
He slowly stood up.
And the atmosphere inside the warehouse changed instantly.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Predatory.
"Then let him come."
Behind him
Alok's little sister looked up fearfully from the corner of the warehouse.
And somewhere beyond the darkness
something monstrous had already begun moving toward them.