Chapter 3

Dave Sun slept, curled up next to those gates, not knowing how out of place he looked there.

His body leaned a little against the cold metal bars, his arms held tight around his knees. The tiredness from the long day had put him into a sleep that wasn't peaceful. Even in his sleep, his forehead would sometimes move, as if his mind was still trying to understand everything that had happened earlier.

The robbery.

The empty streets.

The heavy feeling that everything he had brought to Kings City was gone.

A small shiver went through him as a cool wind blew along the quiet road.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then the sound of car engines broke the quiet.

At first, it was far away, almost soft, like a quiet sound in the night. But the sound got louder quickly as strong vehicles started moving from inside the company grounds.

Dave moved a little in his sleep.

The big metal gate suddenly came to life with a low, machine sound.

Slowly, it started to slide open.

Bright white headlights cut through the dark as three shiny black cars rolled forward from inside the grounds. Their smooth sides reflected the lights around them, making them look like dark shadows moving on the ground.

The first car moved toward the open gate.

The second followed right behind it.

The third stayed behind them like a silent guard.

Dave moved a little where he was sleeping, his body reacting a bit to the sudden bright headlights shining on him. His eyelids opened and closed, but he was still too tired to wake up fully.

The first car went through the gate.

But then, it suddenly stopped.

The tires made a soft sound on the ground as the car stopped.

Behind it, the second car also slowed down and stopped.

Then the third.

For a moment, the engines ran quietly, filling the silent street with a low machine sound.

Inside the middle car sat a man whose presence felt very important.

Ryan Blood leaned back a little in the soft seat, looking relaxed but in charge at the same time.

The inside of the car was not very bright, the soft light from the dashboard showing a little on his sharp face. Ryan’s dark hair was neat, and his face looked calm, almost like he wasn't showing any feelings.

A few moments before, he had been inside the building behind them, finishing a private meeting that had lasted for many hours.

On the outside, the meeting had been polite.

Several important business partners had sat around a long table, talking about deals, money, and future plans with careful smiles.

But underneath, the air felt thick with worry. Every word spoken had other meanings and every polite nod hid silent warnings.

Meetings like these were normal in Ryan’s world.

In Kings City, power didn't often show itself openly.

It hid behind suits, handshakes, and carefully chosen words.

Ryan had handled those talks easily.

He always did.

Now, as the cars got ready to leave the grounds, Ryan's attention had been going somewhere else.

And that was when he noticed something strange.

Someone.

Ryan’s eyes moved a little toward the gate.

Through the tinted window, he saw the small figure resting against the metal bars.

A boy.

Ryan slowly lifted one hand, telling the driver to stop.

The driver obeyed right away.

Ryan looked at the sleeping figure closely.

Even in the dim light, the boy's appearance was clear enough. His clothes looked old and a little dirty, as if he had spent the whole day walking through the city. He was curled up small, trying to stay warm against the cold.

But it was his face that Ryan looked at the most.

Even in sleep, there was something strangely peaceful about it.

The boy looked young.

Too young to be sleeping alone outside a place like this.

Ryan’s eyes narrowed a little as he kept watching him.

"Who is that?" the driver asked quietly, looking toward the gate.

Ryan didn't answer right away.

Instead, he kept looking at the boy.

There was something about him that didn't seem right.

Kings City had many people who were desperate. Poor people and those without homes sometimes walked near rich areas, hoping to find a chance or someone careless with money.

But this boy didn't look like a poor person.

There was a quiet goodness in his sleeping face.

A strange sense of being unprotected.

As if he hadn't yet learned how mean the city could really be.

Ryan felt a little bit of interest grow inside him.

Maybe it was the boy's goodness.

Maybe it was the quiet bravery it must have taken for someone so young to come to Kings City alone.

Or maybe it was just that Ryan had gotten bored with how predictable his world was.

Whatever the reason, Ryan slowly reached for the door handle.

The door opened with a soft sound.

The guards in the first and third cars immediately got out too, moving quickly and carefully. They were used to acting fast whenever their boss made even a small, unexpected move.

One of them walked respectfully toward Ryan.

"Sir?"

Ryan stepped out of the car.

The cool night air touched his face as he looked toward the sleeping boy.

The guards followed his gaze.

They saw Dave right away.

For a short moment, confusion showed on their faces.

Ryan rarely paid attention to strangers.

Especially not ones sleeping outside the gate.

Ryan lifted his hand a little and pointed toward the boy.

"Bring him." He ordered calmly,

Two guards looked at each other quickly before walking toward the gate.

Dave moved a little as footsteps came near him.

His sleep had been light and troubled, filled with dreams that weren't clear, of busy streets and voices far away.

Suddenly, rough hands grabbed his arms.

Dave's eyes flew open.

"What—?!"

Panic exploded inside him as he realized strangers were pulling him up.

"Hey! Let go!" he shouted, fighting hard.

One of the guards quickly put a hand over his mouth.

"Quiet."

Dave's heart pounded in terror.

The suddenness of the situation made everything feel not real.

He kicked and twisted, trying hard to get free, but the men holding him were much stronger.

They dragged him toward the black car waiting a few meters away.

Dave's mind spun with confusion and fear.

"Please—!" he tried to shout again, but the guard's hand blocked the sound.

The car door opened and everyone got back in.

And for the first time, Dave saw the man sitting inside.

Ryan Blood.

The moment their eyes met, Dave froze.

Ryan's presence filled the space around him in a way that was hard to explain. His face was very handsome, his features sharp and calm.

But it was his eyes that Dave looked at the most.

They were calm, cold, and powerful.

Those eyes looked at him with quiet interest, as if Dave was something unusual that had suddenly appeared in his world.

Dave felt a cold feeling go down his spine.

"Please," Dave gasped once the guard's hand moved away a little. "I didn't do anything."

Ryan said nothing.

He just watched him.

The silence lasted long enough to make Dave even more uneasy.

Then Ryan gave a small nod.

It was a simple movement, but it changed everything.

One of the guards stepped forward with a small needle already ready.

Dave barely had time to react.

"What are you—?!"

The needle quickly went into his arm.

A sharp sting spread through his skin.

Dave's eyes got wide.

"What… did you…?"

His voice faded.

In seconds, the world around him started to become blurry.

The streetlights stretched into long lines of color. The city sounds got farther away, as if someone had slowly turned down the volume of real life.

Dave's legs became weak under him.

The guards caught him before he fell.

His sight struggled to stay clear, but the darkness coming into his mind was getting stronger.

Through the blur, he could still see Ryan's face.

The man sat calmly inside the car, watching him without showing any feeling.

Dave tried to speak again.

But his words never came out.

The darkness closed in completely.