The night pressed thick around Tierwyn, moonlight washed pale across rooftops as the villa burned with tense preparation. The two captured scouts groaned faintly in the side hall, reminders that Korran's Black Fang already had their eyes on the trio. What they had revealed was enough: Mira's siblings were still trapped, being squeezed like coin purses by the gang. The decision was made—at dawn, the Black Fang's reign over them would end.
In the main hall, maps and parchments were spread across the long oak table. Candles guttered as drafts whispered through the stone arches, throwing tall shadows across everyone gathered. Mira stood stiff near the hearth, ears pinned back and tail swishing with nervous energy. Kaelen and Veyra lingered close to her, wolfkin presence radiating protective intent. Serenya observed quietly from the far side, her silver gaze steady, while the twins Lyari and Sylwen hovered by the stairwell. Nyla leaned against a column, spinning a dagger idly, her sharp eyes flicking to every speaker.
Drathan leaned lazily over the map, tapping one calloused finger against the east slums. "Black Fang runs this block here, stacked with muscle and choke points. Boss sits fat at the center like a spider. We hit too loud, we'll have the whole nest swarmin'."
Mira's voice cut in, low and bitter. "He's worse than any spider. Korran breaks families apart, uses children as leverage. My brother, my sister—they're not even safe to breathe without him knowing. That's why I need this to end."
Kenshin tilted his chair back, flashing a cocky grin. "So we smash his teeth in and bounce with your fam. Quick, clean, and loud enough he knows he messed with the wrong people."
Seme gave him a look. "Loud means mess. Mess means trouble later." He folded his arms across his chest. "We need clean, and we need it fast."
Velra stepped closer to the table, her presence commanding as ever. "Then we strike with precision. Divide tasks, watch each other's backs. Scouts take alleyways, frontliners choke points. Specialists—locks, traps. And Drathan…" Her tone sharpened. "Don't wait until everyone's bleeding out before you reveal your strength. We can't afford more surprises."
Drathan smirked, leaning back with half-lidded eyes. "Relax, mama. I ain't lettin' nobody die on my watch. Timing's everything. You don't show your ace before the dealer even shuffles the deck."
Velra narrowed her eyes, lips pressing thin—but for a moment, the faintest hint of a smirk tugged at her mouth before she looked away.
Kaelen stepped forward, voice gravel-deep. "Veyra and I grew up in dirt like this. We know how rats move. We'll smell their sentries before they smell us."
Veyra nodded, sharp-toothed grin flashing. "I'll guard the kids once we've got 'em. They'll need someone strong at their side, not just blades swinging around them."
Nyla twirled her dagger one more time before slamming it point-first into the table. "If they've got runners ready to squeal, I'll be faster. Nobody slips the noose."
Serenya's calm voice followed, soft but certain. "And I'll hold the villa. The Syndicate may retaliate, and this house must remain safe. Consider it the shield behind the sword."
Mira's throat tightened as she looked around, chest aching at their resolve. She had never felt so many ready to move for her sake. "I… I don't deserve this much."
Drathan's gaze met hers, lazy grin softening. "Nah, Mira. You family. We don't leave family behind."
Kenshin lifted his mug, smirking. "Plus, who else makin' breakfast? Can't lose the chef."
Laughter rolled through the hall, breaking tension for a moment. The plan solidified—Mira guiding through hidden routes, Kaelen and Veyra flanking, Nyla running shadows, Velra directing, and the trio hitting the core. Drathan set a void marker in the villa's cellar, a last resort escape if everything went to hell.
As the meeting broke, Mira lingered near the fire, ears lowered, eyes burning with silent prayers. Tomorrow… my siblings see freedom. Please, let it not end in blood.
From the stairwell, Drathan watched her, smirk fading into something quieter, heavier. Don't worry. I'll burn the whole slum before I let them take you again.
When dawn finally brushed the rooftops in pale fire, the group moved like shadows through Tierwyn's waking streets. The city stirred with merchants lifting shutters and bakers stoking ovens, the smells of yeast and smoke mixing in the air. But the slums lay quiet, too quiet, as though even the rats knew something stalked its alleys tonight.
Boots barely whispered against stone as Kaelen and Veyra took point, their wolfkin senses guiding the group through a maze of crooked lanes. The stench of mold, sweat, and stale beer grew thicker the deeper they went. Mira followed close behind Drathan, her breath hitched tight, every corner a dagger in her chest. Kenshin and Seme flitted rooftop to rooftop, silhouettes darting past chimneys and broken shingles like streaks of lightning and shadow.
From above, Kenshin's voice dropped low, cocky even in a whisper. "Yo, from up here? We look like a squad straight outta legend. Quick, clean, sexy as hell."
Seme landed beside him, eyes scanning. "Less talk, more eyes forward." The shingles creaked under their weight, and the wind tugged at their cloaks with every bound.
Below, Nyla slipped into a side alley, her blade flashing once as a sentry gurgled and dropped without a sound. The faint metallic scent of blood drifted up, vanishing into the night as she melted back into the shadows. The group never slowed. Every movement was rehearsed chaos, a blur of bodies weaving rooftops and alleys together. Velra's hand signals kept squads tight, no wasted breath.
The deeper they pushed, the thicker the air became. The stink of rot and piss clung to every wall. Rats scattered before them, their squeals echoing through the narrow alleys. A baby wailed from behind a cracked shutter, the sound cut off sharply as if a hand had smothered it, sensing the storm rolling in. Mira's ears twitched with every noise, but her steps never faltered.
Drathan, hands in pockets, strolled like he owned the place, void energy rolling beneath his skin like a heartbeat. "Yo, Korran better be ready," he muttered, grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "'Cause we comin' fast, and we comin' hard."
Lightning cracked faint across Kenshin's hands as he moved, his grin visible in the half-light. Seme drew her blade, the scrape of steel like a whisper of death in the dark. Even the shadows seemed to bend toward them.
Velra raised her fist, the squad freezing at the edge of a courtyard where Black Fang banners sagged between rotting beams. The stink of sweat, cheap liquor, and smoke curled in the air. Dozens of gangsters lingered near the center, laughing loud, blades flashing in the dawn light. Their voices carried: curses, drunken boasts, the ring of a whetstone. A stronghold loomed just beyond, boarded windows glowing faint with torchlight.
Kaelen's growl rumbled low in his throat. "Found the nest." His ears twitched, picking up the clink of bottles and the scrape of boots from deeper inside.
"Then let's smoke 'em out," Kenshin whispered from above, lightning crawling like veins across his knuckles.
They spread, shadows sliding into every direction. Shingles creaked, steel whispered, the air hummed with the electric promise of violence. The slums were about to wake to war.