Chapter two— A Night Without Blood
Chicago glittered like a lie.
The streets were flooded with people dressed as monsters, demons, and saints—laughing, drinking, dancing as if fear had never ruled this city. Neon lights bled into the night. Music swallowed the sound of sirens that usually haunted every corner.
For once, there was no blood.
No gunshots.
No screams.
No bodies left to rot in the open.
It was Halloween.
The first Halloween in years where Chicago felt… safe.
The city clung to that illusion desperately, unaware it was already cracking.
The Romano Main Base
Inside the Romano headquarters, chaos wore a different face.
Mobsters laughed openly, alcohol flowed freely, and music echoed through halls that were usually silent as graves.
"No missions today. Stand down. Enjoy the night."
The Don's voice repeated through the speakers.
"Tch. The don had indeed grown soft."
A tall blonde girl scoffed, leaning against the wall.
"Careful," a shorter girl shot back. "Your height must've gone to your head."
The insult barely finished before violence answered.
The blonde lifted her leg and slammed it down—
CRACK.
Bone snapped. Blood splashed.
The shorter girl staggered back, snarling, then flung a knife with deadly precision.
The blade sliced into the blonde's cheek.
She screamed.
Cheers erupted.
Mobsters crowded in, hungry for chaos, shouting bets and curses.
Punches flew.
Kicks landed.
Blood painted the floor.
The taller girl charged, eyes wild, ready to end it—
"ENOUGH."
The word crushed the room.
A path opened instantly as a man walked through.
"Poe. Jinx. Punishment room. Now."
"Yes, Commander Sean," they said in unison, bowing.
Disappointed groans echoed.
Then—
Click. Click.
Heels.
Slow. Deliberate.
Every head turned.
She stepped forward like the night itself had given her form.
Long black hair flowed freely. Pale skin glowed beneath the lights. A black coat hugged her frame, revealing an obscenely short skirt. Red lips curved into a lazy smile.
Her eyes were cold.
Calculating.
Deadly.
"What a shame," she said softly.
"I was hoping one of them would die."
The room froze.
"Silent Witch…"
Her smile deepened.
"It's been a while."
The moment she arrived, the air shifted.
Far away—across oceans and blood-soaked streets—a man paused mid-kill, his lips curving into a smile he didn't understand.
Something in the world had moved.
Something dangerous had returned.
Her gaze swept the room, bored and detached—until an unfamiliar chill brushed her spine.
She frowned.
The feeling was wrong.
Like being seen… by something that wasn't here yet.
Don Zade's Office
Zade Romano rose the second he saw her.
"My Heidi."
He crushed her into his chest.
"I knew you'd come home."
"I missed you, Papa," she replied quietly.
Then poison entered the room.
"And what brings the stray back?"
Felicia.
Red dress. Sharp eyes. Venom in every step.
Zade's wife.
Not Heidi's mother.
Heidi slowly pulled away, lips curling.
"And you're still here Felicia," she said coldly.
"Truly unfortunate."
Felicia's smile cracked.
"You will address me properly."
Heidi laughed—soft, cruel.
"Why? Wasn't Felicia the name your whore parents gave you?"
Silence hit like a gunshot.
"At least I wasn't born from a one-night mistake," Felicia spat.
Heidi's vision burned red.
A club.
A stranger.
A pregnancy that chained two people together in resentment.
Somewhere in Singapore, blood splattered the floor as a man laughed—low, pleased, without knowing why.
He didn't know her face.
Didn't know her name.
But her anger tasted sweet.
"You bitch!" Heidi snapped.
"ENOUGH!" Zade roared, slamming his desk.
The room went still.
But hatred lingered.
Singapore — Airport
A man stepped out of an Uber like a predator entering a pen of prey.
White hair.
Black hoodie stretched over muscle.
Cold, empty eyes.
A tattoo peeked beneath his ear.
DEVIL 00.
"Hey! Put your luggage in the car!"
A bald old man struck the back of his head.
The world froze.
One hand lifted the man effortlessly.
CRACK.
The body dropped.
Dead.
Screams erupted. People ran. Phones shattered on the floor.
"What?" the man laughed.
"Don't act surprised."
Sirens wailed.
Alessio tilted his head.
A sensation clawed at his chest.
Black hair.
Red lips.
Eyes that didn't beg.
He exhaled slowly.
"Interesting…"
For the first time in years, killing felt… empty.
He didn't know her name.
But the devil had already felt her.
And once he did—
he never let go.