~ Twenty Minutes Earlier ~
By the time the sun dipped low enough to stain the horizon in copper and blood-orange hues, the ruins had become the center of the city’s gravity.
Over six gangs now occupied the flattened wasteland that used to be a neighborhood.
Awakened auras clashed invisibly.
Both mundane and supernatural weapons were kept close at hand.
Another battle had broken out earlier that day.
It had been brief, brutal, and pointless.
Flames had scorched the ground. Shockwaves had cracked already-fractured earth. Bodies had flown with some injured and some dead but eventually, reason had prevailed over pride. The gangs realized that tearing each other apart before entering the ruin would only weaken whoever survived.
So they negotiated reluctantly.
Finally, an agreement was reached.
Black Furnace would enter first due to arriving at the location before anyone else.
They would be given a twenty-minute head start once the entrance opened.
After that, the rest would follow.
No ambushes during the grace period.
No backstabbing—at least not openly.
Everyone agreed.
Because everyone wanted what was inside.
At this point, more than a hundred awakened stood scattered across the area with some leaning against vehicles, others meditating, sharpening weapons, checking gear, or simply staring at the ruin entrance with naked hunger in their eyes.
Awakeners were rare.
Seeing this many in one place was not a common sight.
Surprisingly, Aria was still here.
She stood at the edge of the encampment with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her eyes never left the sloped entrance into the darkness below. Auntie Maribel stood nearby with worry etched deep into her features, though she tried to mask it with composure.
Ross paced back and forth.
He’d tried everything to get her to leave.
"Aria, this is insane," he said for the fifth time that hour. "You’ve been here for two days. You need to go home."
"I’m not leaving," Aria replied flatly.
Her voice was hoarse from crying, but her resolve hadn’t cracked even once.
"He’s dead," Ross said more harshly than he meant to. "I’m sorry, but that’s reality. A non-awakened kid doesn’t survive alone in a ruin this long."
Aria turned on him furiously.
"You don’t know that."
Ross opened his mouth, then shut it again.
"...Fine," he said finally, rubbing his face. "Fine. The moment we go in, I’ll look for him. I promise."
She said nothing but she didn’t look away from the entrance either.
The ruin had been sealed for nearly two days now.
Everyone knew what that meant.
It was about to open.
As if summoned by that collective thought, the ground suddenly shuddered.
A low sound echoed upward from beneath the earth.
Awakeners straightened and drew their weapons with sharpened eyes.
The sloped entrance trembled and then, with a grinding sound like stone being torn apart by invisible hands, the seal retracted.
The ruin had opened.
A murmur rippled through the gathered forces.
"Finally."
"Move into position."
"Black Furnace, get ready."
Ross exhaled slowly.
"Stay back," he told Aria, though his eyes never left the entrance. "I’ll be quick."
Just as he took one step forward, the roar of engines cut through the air.
Everyone froze in place as convoys rolled in.
Twelve armored vehicles rolled in from the far end of the wasteland, moving unhurriedly.
Their engines purred rather than roared, carrying authority. This wasn’t the usual gang vehicles... they were incredibly luxurious.
People turned and then stiffened when they spotted the banner flying above the lead vehicle—
Black silk...
Crimson trim...
A sigil embossed in silver...
It was the banner of a Mafia Family.
The entire field went quiet instantly.
Gang leaders straightened. Subordinates lowered their gazes. Conversations died mid-sentence.
Respect wasn’t requested.
It was enforced by history.
The Mafia stood above gangs.
They were the apex predators of the underworld. They didn’t fight for scraps or squabble over territory. They collected. They dictated. They decided who lived comfortably—and who vanished quietly.
Most of the time, they didn’t interfere in ruin hunts.
They didn’t need to.
They only moved when the prize was worth it.
Which made their presence here... very unsettling.
The vehicles stopped before the ruin entrance and doors opened.
A well-dressed man stepped forward first. He was middle-aged, impeccably groomed with eyes sharp as knives.
He raised a hand casually.
"This ruin," he announced calmly, "will now be taken by Young Lord Timothy."
No one protested.
No one even breathed too loudly.
Then Timothy stepped out.
He was surrounded instantly by guards.
Every single one of them awakened.
And not weak ones.
Their presence alone pressed against the surrounding air like a wall. Auras radiated from them. A couple were peak Tier 1 while two of them was even at Tier 2.
At the center of that living fortress stood Timothy.
He was barely eighteen.
Well-dressed, handsome in a clean, aristocratic way, with calm blue eyes that carried the confidence of someone who had never once questioned his own importance.
If West was here right now he would have recognized him as one of the twins...
One of the Mafia Heirs whose awakening had dominated the news.
Timothy had awakened recently—Tier 1—but his status alone made him untouchable.
It was said he wanted to prove himself.
Clear a ruin personally.
Show the elders he wasn’t just a name.
And a residential ruin was perfect for that.
The spokesman continued, "Young Lord Timothy will personally lead the expedition. All others will withdraw."
Still—no one spoke.
The Mafia’s word was law.
Ross clenched his fists and then stepped forward.
Immediately, several guards moved to block him but Timothy raised a hand.
"Let him speak," Timothy said mildly.
Ross swallowed.
"I just want to tag along," he said quickly. "There’s someone important to my girl still inside. Her... brother."
Timothy’s brow furrowed slightly.
"Brother?"
He looked past Ross and noticed them...
Aria.
Auntie Maribel.
Civilians.
His eyes widened subtly.
"Why are non-awakened here?" Timothy questioned with a sharp tone.
The spokesman opened his mouth to further buttress the point but before he could...
The world shook violently.
Thrrrooommm!
The ground buckled beneath their feet. Several awakeners staggered as deep cracks spread across the wasteland. A low, thunderous vibration rolled up from below.
From the ruin.
Dust exploded outward from the entrance, billowing like a storm cloud.
Then—
A beam of light surged upward from within the ruin, piercing the dust like a pillar from the heavens.
It glowed brilliantly, lingering for several seconds and then slowly dimmed, fading back into darkness.
A heavy silence followed and every awakened present felt it.
That pressure.
That power.
Timothy’s eyes gleamed as he stared at the ruin entry point.
"...Interesting," he murmured.
Ross stared at the entrance with his heart pounding.
Aria’s breath caught.
"What the hell was that...?" someone whispered.
"Wasn’t residential ruins supposed to have only low level creatures?"