Spear

It had been a week, yet Kane hadn't heard any news about King. Even Stan, Marco, and Ven had been trying to reach out to Raze, but every time they called, it wasn’t Raze who answered—it was always one of his underlings.

And the response was always the same: 'Keep Kane hidden and stay safe.'

That was it. No explanations, no further details.

They took the instruction seriously, ensuring Kane was hidden well. They had brought him to Ven’s underground house—a secure, well-equipped hideout that remained nearly impossible to locate.

This place wasn’t just any safe house; it was their fortress, their sanctuary. It was the headquarters where the team always gathered for meetings, planning their next move. But this time, the situation was different. They weren’t just here for a brief discussion—they were here to stay, indefinitely if necessary, until the threat passed.

Of course, being the one protected didn’t sit well with Kane. He hated the feeling of being a liability. If it were up to him, he would be out there, gathering information or taking action himself. But despite his personal frustration, he wasn’t blind—he knew this wasn’t just about him. It was about his team, too. And if his compliance meant less trouble for them, then so be it.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel trapped.

Kane exhaled deeply, gripping the wineglass in his hand. In his mind, he was already connecting the dots, trying to rationalize King’s actions.

'Why? Why is King protecting me?'

Their past friendship had been buried long ago, lost before either of them could truly acknowledge it. Kane had spent years believing that King had betrayed him, that he was the reason Kane’s life had spiraled into chaos. But now… Now, he wasn’t sure what to think.

His gaze flickered toward the bar island, where his team was scattered across the room.

Jackson was lounging on the sofa, drinking tea while flipping through a magazine. Kira stood by the veranda, cigarette in hand, staring off into the distance. Meanwhile, Mav was curled up beside Jackson, dozing off as if the current situation didn’t weigh on him at all.

Kane bit his lip before subtly retrieving his phone from his pocket. He scrolled through his contacts, searching for a specific name. When he found it, he quickly glanced up again, ensuring no one was paying him any attention.

He didn’t call. He didn’t text. Instead, he recorded a short voicemail.

But there were no words in it.

Instead, he lightly tapped his fingers against the bar counter in a slow, steady rhythm. The sound was natural, almost mindless, as if he were merely passing the time. But in reality, he was sending a coded message—one that only he and the recipient could decipher.

The moment that person played the audio, it vanished.

With practiced ease, Kane slid the phone back into his pocket, his expression unreadable. It was as if he had done nothing at all.

"This is so boring," Mav groaned, suddenly breaking the silence as he stretched and sat up. His voice carried the lazy drawl of someone who had just woken up. "I swear, I’d rather go out and spy on those motherfuckers again."

Jackson, still engrossed in his magazine, snorted. "Everything is boring to you. It’s not like you actually do anything all day. Your number one priority is always sleep."

Mav shot him a glare. "Oh, shut up. At least I’m not you—screwing around with random women whenever you get the chance."

Jackson merely shrugged, completely unfazed. "Yeah? Well, you sleep alone. I don’t."

Mav scoffed before standing and making his way over to Kane. He plopped down beside him and leaned in as if to share some grand secret. "You hear that, boss?" He smirked, nudging Kane’s arm. "He’s a whore, and I’m not."

Kane could only shake his head in disbelief.

Surrounded by idiots. That’s what he was.

--

Kane was only half-listening to Mav and Jackson, who were still bickering like children, when Kira suddenly appeared in front of them.

His usual composed demeanor was gone. His breathing was uneven, his body tense. But what stood out the most was the sheer panic in his eyes.

The cigarette that had been between his fingers was nowhere to be seen.

Alarm bells rang in Kane’s head.

"What happened?" Kane asked, immediately alert.

Kira didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stepped forward and dropped something onto the counter with a sharp clank.

A spear.

One smeared with fresh blood.

"I think we need to go back underground," Kira finally said, his voice clipped, his hands clenched into fists. "It’s not safe here."

His words sent a ripple of tension through the room.

"What the hell?" Jackson muttered, rising from his seat.

"Someone tried to take a shot at me," Kira continued. His tone was steady, but his eyes burned with barely restrained fury. "I was just fast enough to catch this before it hit me." He gestured toward the spear, his jaw tightening. "We need to go. Now."

There was no hesitation.

They moved as one, sprinting toward the underground floor where the rest of the team was stationed.

As soon as they were all inside, they secured the entrances leading to the upper level, sealing off any possible access. No one could get in now—not without a serious fight.

Originally, they had only planned to stay underground until they received word that it was safe outside. It was a precaution, nothing more.

Kane just convinced them earlier to let him step out for fresh air.

But now?

Now, he could never go back up again.

Not after this.

The realization settled over them like a heavy weight, and before Kane could say anything, the entire team turned on him, scolding him like an unruly child.

"See? This is what happens when you insist on going up!"

"You could’ve been the one hit, dumbass!"

"For once, can you just listen and stay put?"

Kane let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples as their reprimands filled the air.

He barely had time to argue before his attention was drawn to Ven, who was hunched over the spear, studying it with sharp, focused eyes.

For a few moments, there was only silence. Then—

"Aha!" Ven suddenly exclaimed, startling everyone.

Kane jerked slightly, turning toward him along with the rest of the team.

Ven carefully lifted the spear and inspected it even closer. Then, with deliberate precision, he removed the blade.

What they saw next made their stomachs drop.

A small mechanism inside the spear shifted, revealing a tightly folded piece of paper.

The room tensed.

Ven pulled the paper out, unfolded it, and spread it open on the counter.

They all crowded around, their eyes scanning the words written on the page.

Everyone fell into silence as their breathing hitched just by reading the first sentence.

Kane’s heart clenched painfully, a deep, suffocating ache wrapping around his chest.

His pulse thundered in his ears, so loud it nearly drowned out everything else.

It wasn’t until a single drop hit the paper that he realized—

His eyes were brimming with tears.

His hands clenched at his sides, trembling.

Because this message…

It was from the one person he had despised the most his entire life.

The very man who had haunted his every waking moment.

It was a very long message that can't be read in just one seating but the first sentence alone was enough to shatter him.

He struggled to process it, to comprehend what he was seeing.

It says right there, Kane will only receive the message once—

Once King is dead...

A sharp, unbearable pain twisted in Kane’s chest.

Wasn’t this what he wanted?

Hadn’t he spent years dreaming of revenge? Of making King suffer? Of hurting him, breaking him, and forcing him to beg?

Then why…

Why did it feel like he was the one being torn apart?