The room was silent, the air heavy. The remaining RDX members sat around the long table, their faces pale.
Vamos stood at the head, his cold eyes cutting through the silence.
Vamos: "As you all know… thirty of our members ran away. That leaves only thirty of us."
The words hit like a hammer. Heads lowered. Doubt filled the room.
Narration:
RDX is on the brink of collapse. Out of thirty, twenty-eight are nothing more than small fry. Only two carry true weight—Xoza and Vamos. If things continue like this, RDX may be crushed.
Vamos's voice deepened, sharp as a blade slicing through fear:
Vamos: "Have you forgotten why we created RDX? … If not, then remember this—we protect these streets until our last breaths."
The room trembled—not from sound, but from the sheer weight in his words. Even the weakest of them clenched their fists, remembering why they stood there.
---
[Flashback – Two Years Ago]
The school hallway echoed with idle chatter. Vamos, just an ordinary high schooler at the time, walked calmly toward his classroom.
But then—he froze.
Up ahead, two bigger students had cornered someone. A fragile boy was curled against the lockers, fists useless, body trembling as blows rained on him.
Narration:
That moment burned into Vamos's eyes. He couldn't look away.
He stepped forward. His pace slow, deliberate. The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop.
The bullies looked up—and froze. Vamos's presence was suffocating. His aura cut into their skin like icy wind, sharp and cold enough to make them shiver.
Vamos (low, cold): "Stop. Right. There."
The bullies exchanged a glance, fear pricking at their spines.
Bullies: "Tch—We'll deal with you later."
They slipped away quickly, their bravado already broken.
The weak boy's breathing hitched. He tried to push himself up but froze the instant his eyes met Vamos's.
Narration:
His hand trembled. His chest felt tight. His body wouldn't move.
Weakling (thinking): What is this…? Fear?
Vamos leaned closer, his words dropping like ice into the boy's heart:
Vamos: "In this world, if you want to survive… you must become strong. And to become strong… you must crush those stronger than you."
The boy's eyes widened.
Weakling (thinking): He… saved me? I thought I was done for. But his words…
As quickly as he came, Vamos turned and walked away, his figure disappearing down the corridor.
But his words remained, echoing in the weakling's mind like a curse, or perhaps… a spark.
Narration:
What Vamos didn't know that day… was that those words would change the boy's life forever.