The city was restless, like a beast sensing blood in the air. Dominic had struck once before, and now the Devil's empire braced itself for the next blow. What none of them expected was where he would aim.
Enzo was training with Darius in the courtyard when the first sign came. A messenger's body was found nailed to the gates, his throat slit and a message carved into his chest. The words were jagged but clear: The boy dies next.
Darius ripped the body down with a snarl, fury burning in his eyes. "He dares threaten what belongs to Lucius. He wants to rattle us. He will regret this."
Enzo's stomach twisted, but he clenched his fists. "If he wants me, then let him come. I will not hide behind walls."
Cain Mortalis appeared silently, his axe gleaming in the moonlight. He placed a massive hand on Enzo's shoulder, heavy and reassuring. He said nothing, but his nod carried more weight than words: you are not alone.
Silvio Marcellus entered soon after, holding a stack of intercepted letters. His fox-like grin was sharp. "Dominic is clever. He spread word in the underworld that Lucius shelters a weakling, a boy not worth his name. He wants the rats to test you before he does."
Ravenna Veyra laughed softly, circling Enzo like a predator. "I almost hope they try. I want to see what color fear paints on their faces when the boy bleeds them dry."
Adrian Crowe set his case of papers on the table, his voice low and reverent. "This is not just an attack on Enzo. This is blasphemy against our master. Dominic wishes to mock Lucius's choice, to say the Devil cannot shape another heir."
Victor Draemont's tone was darker than usual, his financial reports forgotten in his hand. "And if Dominic succeeds, the city will believe him. We cannot let this seed of doubt grow."
Enzo looked at them all, feeling the weight of their expectations. Fear clawed at him, but another feeling burned stronger: defiance. He would not shame Lucius.
That night, as the city's lamps flickered, Enzo walked into the slums with Darius by his side. The alleys were quiet, too quiet, until shadows moved and figures emerged with blades, chains, and hatred in their eyes.
Darius drew his knife, his voice sharp. "Your another test, boy. Kill them or die."
The gang lunged, their weapons flashing under the moonlight. Enzo's training screamed in his muscles. He ducked a chain, drove his dagger into a man's throat, and spun away before the blood even sprayed.
A second attacker came at him, and Enzo hesitated for only a moment. That hesitation cost him a shallow cut along his ribs, but he gritted his teeth, grabbed the man's arm, and snapped it with a brutal twist before slashing his throat.
Darius barked a laugh, savage and approving. "Good. Pain teaches faster than words. Do not hesitate again."
Bodies fell one after another, Enzo's strikes growing sharper, faster, crueler. The boy who once trembled now moved like a predator unleashed.
But in the shadows above, unseen by Enzo, Dominic watched. His cold eyes followed every move, his lips curling into a smile. "So this is the Devil's new heir. Not bad… but not enough."
The fight ended with Enzo standing over a pile of corpses, his chest heaving, blood dripping from his blade. His hands shook, but not from fear. From hunger.
Darius placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. "You are learning. You are becoming one of us."
Before Enzo could speak, a sudden crack of gunfire rang out. A bullet missed his head by inches, embedding into the stone wall behind him.
Dominic's voice echoed through the alley, calm and taunting. "Impressive, boy. But I wonder… will you bleed as easily as the rest when I finally step out of the shadows?"
Enzo froze, his eyes darting around the rooftops. The shadows mocked him with silence.
Darius raised his knives, scanning the darkness. "Show yourself, coward!"
But Dominic was already gone, his laughter fading into the night.
Enzo stood in the middle of the alley, bloodied and shaking, his heart pounding against his ribs. For the first time, he realized Dominic was not just a name or a threat. He was real, and he was hunting him.
Back at the estate, Lucius listened as Darius recounted what had happened. The master's crimson eyes narrowed, his silence more terrifying than any roar.
Finally, Lucius spoke, his tone like ice. "Dominic dares to touch what is mine. He believes he can test my heir. Let him come closer. When he reaches for you again, Enzo, I will be there… and he will learn why the Devil does not lose."
The council bowed, each filled with their own fury, their own hunger for the hunt.
And far away, Dominic sharpened his blade, preparing for the next strike. His game had only begun.