The tremor lingered in everyone’s bones.
Even after the light had faded and the dust had settled, Timothy could still feel it like an echo that hadn’t quite finished ringing. He stood at the ruin entrance with his eyes narrowed, replaying the sensation in his mind.
That hadn’t been normal.
That hadn’t been a trap misfire.
That had been power.
Real power.
Timothy exhaled slowly.
"We’re not fully prepared for whatever’s down there," he said at last.
The spokesman beside him stiffened. "Young Lord—"
"I know," Timothy cut in calmly. "But I’m not reckless."
He turned slightly, surveying the gathered gangs. Black Furnace... Iron Chain... Steel Howl and the others.
"We’ll go in together," Timothy announced. "All of you."
Murmurs spread instantly.
The Mafia sharing a ruin was unheard of but Timothy had already decided.
"If what caused the blast is lurking down there," he continued, "then thinning our numbers beforehand is stupid. You’ll accompany us. We advance together."
No one argued.
They couldn’t afford to.
Aria grabbed Ross’s sleeve one last time before he stepped forward.
"Please," she said quietly. "Check for West."
Ross met her eyes.
"I will," he said.
But internally, he didn’t believe his own words.
Not after whatever the hell just shook the entire ruin. How the hell would an unawakened survive that?
---
Just as the survivors had described, the underground space bore a twisted familiarity with the streets that had once been above.
The streets had distorted and merged with alien structures. Buildings leaned at impossible angles. Stairways led nowhere. Roots burst through asphalt and stone alike.
No sky.
Only a vast, oppressive ceiling that far far high above.
They moved carefully.
Timothy walked at the center, flanked on all sides by his guards. Their movements were disciplined and their eyes constantly scanned branches partially active. Every time a bony creature emerged from the shadows, it didn’t last more than a few seconds.
A guard would step forward.
With a flash of power, bones shattered and the creatures collapsed.
Timothy frowned after the third encounter.
"Leave some for me," he complained lightly.
The guards stiffened. "Our apologies, Young Lord."
As they progressed deeper, the ease with which they cut through enemies began to gnaw at everyone.
"This is... underwhelming," someone from Steel Howl muttered.
Black Furnace members exchanged glances. Even Ross felt a creeping doubt.
Was that blast earlier a false alarm?
There was no way that whatever caused it could be this weak.
They passed scattered corpses, decayed and torn apart, exactly as expected. No surprises there.
Then they reached a junction.
A broad corridor veered off into a darker region where the walls were etched with faint symbols and the air was subtly wrong.
One of the Mafia guards halted abruptly.
"Stop."
Everyone froze.
The guard’s eyes glowed faintly. "There’s a curse ahead. A reactive one. Anyone crossing will trigger it."
This was the same place where heads were exploding earlier.
The spokesman nodded immediately. "Detour."
They changed direction.
Minutes later, they began to see the destruction up ahead.
This was the usual ruin damage... this was different.
Walls that had been vaporized. Stone melted smooth like glass. Entire sections erased, as if existence itself had been punched out of reality.
Even the hardened awakeners slowed.
"...What did this?" someone whispered.
Timothy’s eyes shone brighter.
So it wasn’t a false alarm.
They were just about to advance when they heard movement from the left intersection.
Slow and uneven steps...
Four figures emerged from the shadows.
"Enemies," someone hissed.
One of the Tier 1 Mafia guards reacted instantly.
He lunged forward while activating his branch as a green bolt of energy gathered in his balm
But before the strike could land, a hand caught his wrist.
"Uh?"
The guard staggered back as the grip tightened and shoved him away, forcing him back several steps.
"Watch it," a calm voice said.
The figures stepped fully into view and the entire expedition froze.
They weren’t creatures.
They were people.
A woman who looked pale and exhausted with eyes red from crying.
Two terrified children clinging to her and shaking.
And standing slightly in front of them was West.
He looked dirty and bruised with bloodstains dried across his clothes... nonetheless, he was standing.
They all stared in shock and disbelief.
However, Raze was more astonished than others; ’So it truly is him... when the boss hears about this, he’ll be even more interested in recruiting him into the gang.’
"...Survivors? How?" Timothy voiced out in awe.
West met their gazes evenly.
"As you can see," he responded with exhaustion. "we’re tired. Hungry. We’ve been trapped here for two days."
He glanced down at the kids, then back up.
"We just want to go home."
Silence followed.
No one spoke.
Because they were all looking at the same thing.
The children.
Alive.
Unharmed.
The woman—clearly shaken, but breathing.
No signs of corruption.
No madness.
Timothy’s expression change subtly to understanding.
However, before anyone could respond, a hand grabbed West’s shoulder.
The Tier 1 guard from earlier.
"Hold on," he said sharply. "How did you stop my attack?"
West opened his mouth to speak but before he could, the boy shouted first.
"Because Big Brother West is awakened!" the kid yelled. "He killed the big spider thing all by himself!"
The words exploded like a bomb and the guards moved instantly.
Branches were activated, supernatural weapons were raised and West was surrounded in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile Ross’s eyes lit up upon hearing the name West.
But he was even more shocked when he heard the word awakened. Aria didn’t say he was awakened, neither did the other neighbors that he saved. Did he keep his awakened status a secret? If so why?
As for Raze, he wasn’t surprised. This was just confirmation for him.
Timothy stepped forward slowly, studying West with renewed interest.
"...You’re an awakened?" Timothy said.
"Yeah," West didn’t deny it.
The Mafia spokesman exhaled.
"Unacceptable," he said coolly. "Civilians may leave. But you—"
His gaze locked onto West.
"You will stay."
Timothy nodded.
"There are many things you must answer."
West looked at the woman and children.
Then he turned back around and stared Timothy in the eyes.
"No."