As Surya and Jey stepped off the train, a chilling stillness greeted them. The East Zone was different—eerily quiet, sparsely populated, yet heavily guarded. Men in grey uniforms patrolled every alley with sharp eyes, scanning corners, watching silently. Every step felt like a gamble.
Buses, trains, cabs—every mode of transport was under surveillance. But against the odds, Surya and Jey slipped through the cracks, infiltrating the East Zone like shadows.
"We need to split up," Surya muttered, eyes scanning the rooftops. "Search the city. Look for anything suspicious. We regroup here in the afternoon."
Jey gave a firm nod and disappeared into the maze of streets. Surya moved the other way, his senses on high alert.
The East Zone wasn't as vast as the towering North or glittering West, but it bore similarities to the South—sandy shores, narrow lanes, and clusters of shops. Yet beneath its calm, something sinister pulsed.
Surya entered small stores, asked questions—about Arjun, about the organization. Every time he uttered that name, fear rippled through the room. Shopkeepers froze. Hands trembled. Eyes darted to the door.
They sweated.
They stammered.
They shut down.
Hours passed. No answers—only silence and fear.
But then, something clicked. Arjun's name alone was enough to paralyze the people. Surya understood—Arjun wasn't just a name. He was a shadow that loomed over the city, just like Ryan once did.
He turned back to the meeting point. The sky was starting to darken.
Jey was already there, standing among tourists, trying to look casual. Their eyes met. No words—just a nod. Time to talk.
"I went to shops, pubs, even back alleys," Jey began, voice low. "People stared at us. Then suddenly—they changed. Smiles. Free drinks. Some even tried to give money. Like they feared us... or wanted us gone."
He paused, frowning.
"But Arjun? I couldn't get close. The moment I mentioned his name, they stopped talking. Like I'd summoned a demon. They looked at me like I'd brought death to their doorstep."
Surya nodded grimly. "Same here. I tried to press, but even the whisper of his name made them sweat. Some begged me to leave. Others shut their doors without a word."
Jey asked, "So what do we do now?"
Surya's gaze hardened.
"Tomorrow, I'll head to the port. If anything illegal is moving, it'll be there. You search the city. Focus on the bars and pubs—where our products are sold. Someone will slip. Someone always does."
Jey nodded silently. They returned to the hotel.
Jey collapsed into sleep. But Surya sat awake in the dark, mind racing, eyes locked on the window.
He wasn't just searching anymore.
He was hunting.
The next day, they split again. Jey returned to the heart of the city. Surya made his way toward the port.
The dockyard stirred with quiet urgency. Among the rusted containers and old cargo ships, small high-speed boats were docked. Grey-uniformed men moved quickly, loading heavy wooden boxes onto the boats.
Surya approached, grabbed a box, and without a word, started helping them. The men gave him a brief glance, but didn't question him. In this world, confidence was its own pass.
As he carried boxes onto the boats, he started asking casually, "This seems organized. Who's leading all this now that Deson's fractured?"
One of the men chuckled. "You new?"
"Just transferred," Surya replied.
The man nodded. "It's all Arjun now. He's the brain. The myth. You don't ask too many questions about him, but you follow his plans—or you vanish."
Another man chimed in. "He helped Ryan build Deson from the ground. You know who came up with the idea to sell drugs internationally? Arjun. That decision made Deson what it is."
The first man nodded again. "Now Ryan turned his back on him. Thought he was too powerful. But we know Arjun's not done. He'll take back Deson. And when he does... we'll all be on the winning side."
Surya carried the last box onto the boat, absorbing every word.
He turned casually. "Where do these shipments go now?"
The man grinned. "Korea. Japan. Thailand. A few other places. After the separation from Deson, Arjun's rerouting everything. A fresh empire, overseas."
The boats pulled away, slicing through the sea with mechanical precision.
The man dusted off his hands and looked at Surya. "You coming for lunch?"
Surya shook his head politely. "Nah. I'm scheduled to patrol near the train station. Maybe another time."
The man shrugged and walked off.
Surya made his way toward the station, but midway there, something pulled at him—the sea's voice, soft and ancient. He turned, followed the slope down to the beach, and stood there, watching.
The sun was setting. A deep orange bled across the horizon, turning the sea crimson. Waves lapped at the shore. The calm was eerie.
Then—
His phone rang.
Surya checked the screen.
Jey.
He answered.
But the voice on the other end wasn't Jey's.
It was Arjun.
"Surya," the voice called out—cold, calm, deadly.
"The Wolf of the South Zone. Out of your den, are you? Tell me—how does the sea treat a stray dog?"
Surya scanned his surroundings. Nearly ten men stood watching him, their eyes sharp, their bodies still. A trap? Maybe. But he stood firm.
He growled, "Where's Jey?"
Arjun's voice slithered through the air. "Your friend? He thought he could stroll into my building unnoticed. He fought well—almost managed to kill me. But I was waiting. The second he stepped into my city, I was watching. Now he's mine. If you want him... come get him."
The line went dead.
The guards closed in and surrounded Surya. They escorted him in silence to a towering building. Ten men. No words. Just tension thick in the air.
Inside, the elevator ride felt like a descent into hell. When it stopped, the doors opened to a narrow, dim corridor. At the far end—Arjun.
As they walked, something snapped inside Surya. His vision narrowed. Jey's blood. Arjun's voice. Everything else faded. Then, he moved.
He whipped out his crescent moon blade and plunged it into the man beside him. Blood sprayed. In one fluid motion, he drove the knife into the chest of the man in front. A kick to the one on his right sent him crashing into the wall. Surya spun, slashing another's throat—clean, fast.
Panic erupted. The rest began backing away in terror as Surya, bloodied and wild, carved his way through four men in seconds.
Covered in blood, he rushed forward again. He grabbed one man's head and slammed it against the wall with a sickening crack. Another got a brutal punch to the chin. A third fell to the ground as Surya drove a kick into his gut, then grabbed his leg—slicing his foot open, blood pouring.
The last man, trembling on his knees, lunged weakly at Surya's back.
Big mistake.
Surya spun and landed a brutal punch that sent the man crumpling like paper.
Silence.
Everyone was down.
Surya stepped over the bodies, entered the office, and locked eyes with the one who orchestrated it all.
Arjun stood alone—no guards, no fear. Built like a beast.
And beside him, tied and bloodied—Jey.
Surya's eyes locked on Jey's slumped body, bruised and bleeding. His fists clenched.
Arjun tilted his head, voice calm and deliberate. "You see what Ryan does, Surya? If you fail to kill me today, he'll just send another man. Or maybe… he'll kill you next, then find someone else to finish the job."
He stepped forward slowly, hands behind his back.
"To Ryan, we're pawns. He used me. He's using you. And when he's done, he'll toss you out like trash. Just like he did to me."
Arjun's eyes narrowed. "That's why I planned to take over Deson. With Michael and Victor, I built something stronger. We had a plan. We were moving perfectly... until you arrived."
He pointed a finger. "You killed Victor in jail. Then Michael in his own zone. And now... here you are. Standing before me."
He exhaled slowly, measured.
"But listen, Surya. You don't have to be Ryan's tool. Join me. With you by my side, Deson is ours. Ask for anything—money, power, vengeance. I'll give it to you."
Surya stared through him.
"Then give me my childhood."
Arjun paused.
"Give me my mother. The one you all killed. Bring her back."
Arjun blinked. "What? Your mother? Who was she? What are you saying?"
Surya took a step forward. "You don't remember, do you?"
His voice was trembling, not with fear—but with fury.
"The storm. The hut. A woman. A boy watching through a crack in the wood. That was me. She was my mother. You, Ryan, Michael, and Victor… you ruined her. You left me with nothing."
He advanced, slow and deliberate. "You think I followed Ryan's orders? No—I used him. I walked through fire just to get here. I killed them—not out of loyalty. I did it all for her."
Arjun took a step back, the color draining from his face.
Surya moved faster now. He shoved Arjun aside with brutal force, sending him crashing into a table.
Without hesitation, Surya dropped to his knees and cut the ropes binding Jey. Blood matted Jey's hair, but his eyes flickered open.
Behind them, Arjun sat against the wall, stunned.
And then—his memory snapped.
The rain.
The cries.
The woman's screams.
The boy's terrified eyes in the shadows.
Arjun remembered it all.
His voice cracked, "Now I remember... You're that boy."
He stood slowly. "So you came back for vengeance. I can't persuade a monster, can I?"
Surya charged forward, fist raised. Arjun caught the punch mid-air and countered with a sharp kick to Surya's stomach. Surya hit the floor, gasping.
Arjun sneered. "I kicked your mother in the stomach too. She cried. Begged us to leave you both alone. Do you want to know what I did to her?"
Something inside Surya snapped.
He roared and leapt to his feet, unleashing a flurry of punches. Each blow landed with thunderous force—face, chest, ribs. Arjun fought back with his own brutal strikes, but Surya didn't stop.
At last, Surya grabbed his knife and drove it into Arjun's foot. Arjun screamed and collapsed.
Surya pounced. He dragged Arjun by the collar and began stabbing—quick, controlled, everywhere. Arjun shrieked in agony.
Downstairs, guards heard the screams and rushed up. But Jey stood in their path, bruised but burning with fire. He blocked the door.
"No one goes in."
Back inside, Arjun kicked Surya off and tried to crawl away. But Surya was like a devil. Every second, his rage grew.
Arjun swung a punch at Surya's face. It landed, but Surya didn't move. Another punch—nothing.
Surya stepped closer.
Arjun punched again and again. Still, Surya stared.
Then, with a growl, Surya grabbed Arjun's hair, yanked his face down, and slammed his knee up with crushing force.
Arjun collapsed.
Surya dragged him to a chair, strapped him in with tape, and without hesitation—cut open Arjun's wrist.
Blood began to flow.
Arjun awoke, eyes wide. "No... No! Stop!"
He whimpered, "It wasn't me… Ryan suggested it. He was the one who followed her, who ordered it. We never touched her. It was all him! I'll help you kill him, please, let me live!"
Surya stared coldly. "I don't care. I don't need your help. After your death... I'll take Ryan's too."
He sat and watched.
Watched as Arjun's blood pooled at his feet.
Watched until the last drop left his body.
Arjun was dead.
Surya stood slowly, blood still on his hands. He unwrapped the bandages from his forearm, revealing the list carved into his flesh.
With steady fingers, he crossed out Arjun's name.
"Three gone," he whispered.
"One more to go."
His eyes widened—sharp, cold, burning with vengeance. He looked ahead, voice low and lethal.
"You're next, Ryan."