Rain fell heavy on Nagara's streets, pooling in cracks and reflecting neon signs in red and blue the alleys smelled of wet metal and smoke. The city's slums never slept, and danger moved silently through them.
Orion Veyre Walked through the chaos, white suit slick with rain, blonde hair plastered to his forehead, Brown eyes scanning. He didn't rush, didn't hesitate. People parted around him not because he asked, but because they sensed danger before he made a move.
A group of kids squabbled near a corner. One shoved the other into the wall. The smaller boy shouted, fists raised, but nobody stepped in Orion stopped, tilting his head slightly, hands relaxed at his sides, his calm aura swallowing the noise around him
From the shadows, Emma Clarke appeared, dagger glinting under the neon. Her hair swung as she stepped forward
"Orion," she said, voice low but sharp. "Don't waste time pretending."
Orion didn't flinch. His brown eyes flicked over the kids, then to the alley's end. Figures emerged tattoos of fire crawling up their arms, faces hard. The blackthorn Syndicate. Their leader, scarred and tall, stepped forward
"Give us your pockets. " He barked. "And don't get smart.
Orion's lips twitched in a faint, almost imperceptible smile. He didn't move closer, didn't step back. A drop of rain slid down his cheek. Smoke like black ash began coiling around his arms, twisting and Dark blades formed, jagged and sharp catching the neon in deadly glints
The gang froze. One of them swallowed hard, trying to step forward, but the smoke seemed to push him back.
Orion hand moved slowly. The blades followed cutting lines through the rain. One thug hit the wall with a crash. Another fell to his knees, coughing as the ash curled around him.
Emma crouched beside him, eyes wide. "You weren't bluffing. "
Orion adjusted his jacket. The ash around him curled like black smoke, silent but alive. He didn't smile. He didn't celebrate the power was quiet, but lethal. From the darkness, Lucas Grant and Theo Walker stepped forward, silent and alert. Together, the three formed a triangle of control, ready for whatever came next. The rain kept falling. The city held its breath. And somewhere, in the wet streets and flickering neon, the name Orion Veyre began to move through the shadows, carried by fear