After several minutes of waiting, the gray sky still hung over the city, heavy and indifferent.
A few drunks staggered through the alley. When they noticed the group gathered in front of the house, they simply looked away and continued on their way.
The house itself wasn't large.
But it was well maintained.
Built from black stone — a material native to Berlin — it stood out easily among the decaying buildings around it.
It had two floors and was in excellent condition.
Everyone there knew why it wasn't bigger.
They wanted to keep appearances.
Avoid drawing too much attention.
Money wasn't a problem for them.
After all, only God knew how many lives those men had destroyed through their "business."
Rey heard the creak of a door.
Someone was coming out.
Instinctively, he raised a hand to his neck to tighten his scarf — a habit he had developed over the years.
But his hand met nothing but air.
"Ah…"
It's with Sther.
He had left the scarf with her.
Rey cared deeply about that scarf.
In truth, besides him, only one other person had ever worn it.
Sther.
Whenever the cold grew too harsh, he insisted that she use it.
Even when she protested.
Despite her sharp tongue and stubborn personality, she always gave in eventually.
Rey found that…
kind of cute.
He wished she had better manners sometimes.
A small smile appeared on his face.
At that moment, the door opened completely.
A middle-aged man stepped outside.
He wore elegant black clothing and had the kind of round belly that only well-fed people could maintain.
His eyes were full of contempt.
He looked at the young people as if they were trash.
Henry whispered beside Rey.
"Damn fat bastard…"
Rey shot him a quick glance.
Henry had worked for these men before.
And he clearly hated them.
Rey turned his attention back to the man.
His gaze grew colder.
"Anyone who wants to leave can leave now," the man said. "Once you hear the job, there's no turning back."
He raised a pistol.
A firearm.
Rey's heart tightened.
Guns were rare.
That meant the traffickers were taking this mission very seriously.
No one moved.
None of the young men left.
That alone said a lot about how desperate everyone there was.
"No one?" the man asked.
A small, cruel smile formed on his face.
"Excellent."
His eyes swept across the group with open disdain.
"The more, the better."
Then he spoke, as if asking for something trivial.
"You need to kill a man."
A chill ran down Rey's spine.
That crossed a line his conscience struggled to accept.
His skin prickled.
The wind suddenly felt colder.
Heavier.
This massive city — one of the great metropolises of modern society, praised as one of the wonders of the world — suddenly felt suffocating.
All Rey wanted to do was tell that man to go to hell.
Turn around.
And walk away.
But he couldn't.
He thought of Sther.
Lying in bed.
Sick.
Of the absurdly expensive medicine she needed.
Rey swallowed the bitter taste rising in his throat.
And stayed where he was.
"You're going to give us information about the target, right?" one of the youths asked.
Most of the people there were orphans.
Or people living in miserable conditions.
Orphans weren't uncommon in that city.
Most of the population worked in extremely dangerous factories and mines.
Deaths were common.
The so-called Fourth Wonder of the World was far from wonderful.
The man ignored the question.
"You need to go to this address and eliminate whoever is there."
He tossed a piece of paper onto the ground.
Then he turned his back.
"That's it?" another young man asked, expecting more details.
The man paused at the doorway.
He looked back over his shoulder.
"That's all miserable people like you need to know."
Then he stepped inside.
The door shut.
Silence followed.
A few seconds later, from the other side of the door, a cough could be heard.
Cough… cough…
The man wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.
When he looked at the cloth…
It was stained red.
Blood.
Outside, Rey stepped forward and picked up the paper from the ground.
He memorized the address.
His expression darkened.
Beside him, Henry looked uncomfortable.
Still, he was more used to this kind of thing than Rey was.
"Why didn't he send his own men?" one of the youths asked.
Another answered,
"Maybe he didn't want to risk anyone important."
It really was strange.
Using outsiders for something like an assassination.
But no one there wanted to think about it too much.
Or perhaps…
They didn't have the courage.
Because any answer they found probably wouldn't be comforting.
The young men exchanged uneasy glances.
No one wanted to walk blindly into an unknown place and risk their lives without knowing anything.
After several minutes of discussion, they reached a consensus.
They needed more information.
The group spread through the nearby alleys, trying to learn anything they could about the address.
Rey walked alongside Henry.
During the search, Henry seemed determined to break the heavy mood hanging over them.
"Hey, Rey…" he suddenly said. "Look at that beautiful woman."
Rey didn't even turn his head.
"Mm."
That was the only sound he made.
Henry sighed.
"But I still prefer Sther."
Rey finally looked at him.
Henry knew exactly how to get a reaction.
"Only in your dreams, bastard," Rey replied.
Henry placed a hand over his chest, pretending to be offended.
"Hey! Are you saying I'm not the best option around here?"
Rey kept walking.
"I don't know."
He shrugged.
"That's Sther's choice, not mine."
Then he added, in a more serious tone,
"I just want her to choose someone decent."
Henry made a dramatic expression.
"So cold…"
He pretended to wipe away a nonexistent tear.
Rey allowed himself a small smirk.
"If it makes you feel better…"
Henry looked at him, curious.
"She'd never choose you."
Henry stopped walking.
"That's cruel!" he protested. "How can you say that to your best friend?"
Rey kept moving.
"You're not my best friend."
Henry jogged a few steps to catch up.
"Oh, come on."
He pointed at a few people walking through the alley.
"Let's keep asking about that guy."
Rey nodded slightly.
Even in that gray city…
Even in such an absurd situation…
That stupid conversation managed to ease the pressure on his chest.
But deep down, Rey knew something.
When they found the man at that address…
Nothing would feel light again.