Chapter 28 – The City Divided
The rain did not stop that night. Liberty City glistened under the storm, a labyrinth of broken neon and wet steel. The people rushed into their homes, hiding behind locked doors, while above them—two men with different visions of justice were already shaping the fate of the city.
On the roof of a shattered skyscraper, H.I.M stood like a phantom. His black coat clung to his broad shoulders, wet from the storm. His devil's aura coiled faintly around him, a living shadow breathing with his rage. Below, floodlights illuminated the scene where John Stellman had just saved Zack from falling to his death. The crowd of officers shouted in triumph, clapping Stellman on the back as if he were a savior.
H.I.M's crimson eyes narrowed.
"John Stellman," he whispered, his voice lost to the rain. "You save him, the same way you saved them all. But you never saved me."
For a brief moment, the memory of his wife's smile pierced through the storm. His child's laughter, soft and pure, echoed faintly in his mind. Then the memory of blood—of fire—of betrayal, washed it away. His lips curved into a smile, one that was not joy but venom.
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Down Below
Zack trembled as two officers shoved him into the back of a squad car. His face was pale, eyes wide, the cocky bravado he had carried for years completely shattered. He kept glancing at the rooftops, expecting the shadow of H.I.M to appear at any second.
Stellman, soaked in rain, walked slowly toward Gina, who was directing the officers. His eyes remained sharp, jaw clenched.
"You risked your life to save him," Gina said, her voice low but steady.
Stellman didn't look at her. His hands flexed, still remembering the feel of Zack's arm slipping from his grasp before he caught him. "My job isn't to choose who lives and dies, Gina. That's for the law. Not me."
The words sounded noble, but even Stellman felt the bitterness underneath them. Liberty City's law was broken, fragile, corrupted from the inside. Yet he had no choice but to hold it up. If he didn't, no one else would.
Gina studied him. She could see the cracks in his armor—the weariness in his eyes, the quiet rage he buried beneath discipline. Stellman carried not only the city on his shoulders, but his own ghosts.
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Above
From his perch, H.I.M heard Stellman's words carried faintly by the wind. His smirk deepened.
"The law…" he muttered. "The law that failed me. Failed my family."
His devil whispered inside his mind, "Why spare him? Why let him walk away with the criminal you could have torn apart?"
H.I.M's crimson aura flared briefly. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"Because Stellman was there," he answered coldly. "If I acted, I would have killed him too. And I am not ready… not yet."
The devil's laughter slithered through his head like smoke. "Not yet," it repeated mockingly.
H.I.M closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, letting the rain hit his face. "Your time will come, Stellman. And when it does, Liberty City will know what true justice means."
With that, his form melted into the storm, vanishing from the rooftop.
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The Next Day – Liberty Awakens
By dawn, the headlines plastered across Liberty City were clear:
"STELLMAN SAVES CRIMINAL FROM CERTAIN DEATH!"
"ZACK IN CUSTODY – POLICE COMMISSIONER HERO OF THE NIGHT."
The people rejoiced. Cafés buzzed with talk of Stellman's bravery. Shopkeepers nodded in approval as they opened their shutters. For the first time in weeks, hope seemed to bloom.
But hope was a fragile thing.
In the shadows of alleys, criminals whispered differently. To them, the story wasn't about Stellman's victory. It was about the figure in the storm—the phantom who had been watching. The one they called H.I.M.
"Some say he's a devil walking in human skin."
"No… he's justice itself. A ghost that punishes the guilty."
"I heard he made a deal with the darkness. That's why he cannot die."
The city was splitting itself. Some placed their faith in Stellman's law, others secretly prayed that H.I.M would be their savior in the dark. Liberty City's soul was at war, and no one could see the line anymore.
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Stellman's Office
Stellman sat at his desk, his coat hung over the chair. Papers, reports, and photographs of crime scenes covered his desk like scars on his conscience. Gina placed the final report on Zack's capture before him.
He read in silence for several minutes. His jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed.
Finally, Gina broke the silence. "You're worried."
Stellman leaned back, rubbing his temples. "It's H.I.M. He was there. He could've killed Zack. But he didn't. He just… watched."
"Then maybe he's testing you," Gina suggested, her voice uncertain.
"Or mocking me," Stellman replied grimly. His voice carried weight, like a man carrying too much. "Either way, this city isn't big enough for both of us."
The rain outside beat against the glass. Stellman's reflection in the window looked tired, almost haunted. He remembered the way H.I.M had looked down at him, like a god watching an ant.
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Elsewhere – The Church
Far from the noise of the city, H.I.M sat in a ruined church, his coat dripping rainwater onto the stone floor. The place smelled of dust and ashes. Faded paintings of saints stared down at him, their halos cracked with age.
The devil's voice rose again. "You hesitate. Why? He is your enemy. Destroy him."
H.I.M's fingers traced the old photograph tucked inside his coat pocket—a picture of him and Jack Stellman in their younger days. Partners. Brothers. Before the betrayal, before the fire, before death carved its name into his heart.
His lips curled into something between a smile and a grimace. "…But not yet."
The devil laughed, its voice echoing through the church, mingling with the sound of distant thunder.
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Closing Scene
Night fell again.
On one rooftop, Stellman stood tall, overlooking Liberty City, his city. The law was his shield, discipline his weapon.
On another rooftop, hidden in the storm, H.I.M watched the same streets. To him, the city was a graveyard of promises, and vengeance was the only truth left.
Neither spoke, but both men knew the other was there. Watching. Waiting.
And somewhere in the depths of a prison cell, Zack trembled, realizing that in Liberty City, no cage was strong enough to keep him safe from either of them.
The city was divided. And the war for its soul had only just begun.
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