Enzo's knuckles were raw, split open from hours of striking the wooden dummy Selene had set before him. Sweat poured down his face, his breath sharp and ragged. Yet with every punch, he felt the weakness fading from his body. Pain was no longer something to fear. Pain was becoming fuel.
Selene circled him, her arms folded, her sharp eyes never leaving his form. "Better," she said, her voice calm but cutting. "Your body learns quickly, but your mind must follow. Killing Lucius is not just strength, it is strategy. He does not fall to blades or bullets. He falls to patience."
Enzo spat blood onto the floor, his teeth clenched. "Then teach me patience later. For now, I want to fight. I want more blood."
Selene smirked, satisfaction flickering across her face. "Good. Your fire grows. And tonight, it will be tested." She tossed him a fresh pistol, its weight solid in his grip. "We strike another vein in the Devil's empire. A club that launders his fortune. Break it, and his empire bleeds again."
Far across the city, in Lucius's blood-red hall, the council had gathered once more. Reports of burned docks and missing men littered the table. Darius slammed his palm down, his grin wide. "The rat grows bold. Let me end him, Boss."
Lucius leaned back in his chair, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. His laugh crawled across the chamber, chilling every soul present. "Yes. The rat believes he is a wolf. How amusing. Go, Darius. Test his teeth. Let us see if this boy can bite."
That night, Enzo and Selene slipped through the shadows outside the club. The thrum of music pulsed through the walls, the laughter of men spilling into the street. Enzo's grip on his pistol tightened. He was ready to unleash hell.
They burst inside, bullets flying, chaos tearing through the crowd. Enzo moved like a storm, his training sharpened by rage, his shots finding their marks. Bodies fell, screams echoed, and for a moment victory tasted sweet on his tongue.
But then the music died. The crowd parted. At the far end of the hall, a towering figure stepped forward, his eyes wild, his grin savage. Darius cracked his knuckles as his gaze locked on Enzo. "The Boss was right. You are bold. Let's see if you can survive the Devil's left hand."
Enzo's heart pounded, the weight of Selene's warning pressing down on him. This was no ordinary soldier. This was a monster sent by the Devil himself.