The afternoon sun sat low above the streets of London, casting long shadows between brick buildings and iron railings. The city was loud as always. carriage wheels rattled. vendors shouted. footsteps overlapped in a restless rhythm that never seemed to stop.
Julian Moore balanced a half unwrapped ham sandwich in one hand as he leaned against the stone wall outside a small eatery.
"Finally,"
he said.
"a peaceful lunch. no reports. no shouting. no inspectors breathing down our necks."
Sebastian Blackwell adjusted his gloves calmly.
"You said the same thing yesterday."
Julian scoffed.
"and I was robbed of peace yesterday too. Let me enjoy this moment."
He took a bite.
Suddenly,
"UGHH"
Julian bent forward violently, coughing as the sandwich slipped from his fingers and hit the pavement.
Sebastian stepped in at once.
"Julian."
Julian waved him off between coughs.
"I'm fine. just my luck choking on the first bite."
Before Sebastian could reply, a scream tore through the street.
sharp, desperate, unmistakable.
Both men went still.
another scream followed, closer this time.
julian straightened. his expression shifted from irritation to something tight and wary.
"you've got to be kidding me."
Sebastian was already moving.
"Julian. We have to go."
They ran toward the sound, boots striking stones in quick succession. The crowd ahead began to scatter, people backing away from something unseen, whispers spreading faster than their steps.
Then Julian slowed.
No,
he stopped completely.
Sebastian noticed immediately.
"Julian."
Julian swallowed.
His face had gone pale.
"I can't do this. Not straight on."
Sebastian frowned.
"What do you mean?"
julian breathed in slowly.
"This isn't a robbery. It's a murder scene."
Sebastian paused.
The air itself felt wrong now. Thick and heavy.
"…yes,"
he said quietly.
"I smell it too."
a sickly rot hung beneath the usual city scents, iron, decay. something that did not belong among the living.
Sebastian turned to him.
"Stay here if you need to."
Julian clenched his jaw.
"no. I'll follow you. I just won't look first. I'll manage the perimeter. talk to the witnesses. anything but staring at that."
Sebastian nodded.
"good."
they pushed through the thinning crowd.
a woman stood near the center of the street, trembling, one hand covering her mouth, eyes locked on the ground.
"m murder…"
she whispered. her knees nearly gave out.
Julian moved to her at once.
"ma'am. breathe. you're safe now."
Sebastian stepped past them.
The body lay twisted against the cobblestones, limbs bent at unnatural angles. clothing torn. skin greyed. flies are already gathering.
Julian's breath caught behind him.
Sebastian crouched slowly, eyes sharp despite the horror. He took in every detail. Position and wounds. The way the hands were clenched.
something was in the corpse's grip.
Sebastian pulled on his gloves.
carefully, he loosened the stiff fingers and drew out a crumpled piece of paper.
ink smeared and letters uneven.
Two words.
Raven's betrayer.
Sebastian frowned.
"…I've never heard of this,"
he murmured.
"a society? a code?or a name?"
Julian glanced over despite himself, then quickly looked away.
"Doesn't sound like a coincidence."
footsteps approached.
"Hey Seb."
Sebastian straightened.
Albert Stanford stood a few steps away, hands in his coat pockets, expression grim but familiar. A man used to see scenes like this.
"Well well,"
Albert said.
"Looks like overtime for all of us."
julian let out a breath.
"I hate it when you say that."
Albert glanced at him.
"then stop showing up to murders."
Julian shot him a look but said nothing.
Sebastian folded the paper carefully. His eyes lingered on the corpse one last time.
"This isn't random,"
He said.
"someone wanted this to be seen."
Albert nodded.
"and someone wanted a message to read."
sirens echoed in the distance as more officers arrived.
Julian finally stepped closer, forcing himself to look now that the worst had passed. His voice was quieter when he spoke again.
"Seb."
Sebastian turned.
Julian hesitated, then said,
"this one feels bad."
Sebastian met his gaze steadily.
"focus,"
he said softly.
"my dearest friend, julian."
Julian exhaled.
"…right."
the city continued to move around them, unaware that something dark had just begun to crawl beneath its streets.
and somewhere within London's shadows, a name had been spoken for the first time.
Raven.