Jade could feel the air grow heavier as they ventured deeper into the Black District. The sounds of the city seemed to fade, replaced by the sinister quiet that this place often harbored. The district was a labyrinth of alleyways, rundown buildings, and dark corners where no one dared tread without a purpose. It was a place for people like them—fugitives, outcasts, criminals. Yet, even here, Jade could feel the weight of something far darker pressing in on him.
Rael led him through the narrow streets, his face etched with worry. "We need to find shelter, and fast," he muttered, his pace quickening.
Jade didn't argue. The darkness pressing in around them was thick, as if the very district was alive with whispers and threats lurking in every corner. He wasn't naive enough to think they were safe here—not yet. The price on his head had made sure of that. But the Black District was the one place where fugitives could disappear, and that's exactly what they needed right now.
However, something else nagged at Jade. A feeling, almost like the pull of fate, drawing his attention to the shadows. His hand instinctively brushed against the key hidden in his cloak. It felt warm to the touch, pulsing softly as if reminding him of the danger that was waiting for him just ahead.
As they rounded a corner, Rael's eyes locked onto a dark alleyway where a group of rough-looking individuals stood, their eyes gleaming with cold malice. These weren't the typical criminals of the Black District. There was something different about them—something deadly.
Rael stopped, his body tensing. "Jade... We need to get out of here. Now."
Before Jade could respond, a low voice echoed from the shadows ahead. "Where do you think you're going?"
The voice belonged to a figure that stepped forward from the darkness. He was tall, with a lean yet imposing figure, dressed in a long black cloak that flowed behind him like an extension of the shadows themselves. His eyes, cold and calculating, were fixed on Jade. There was no warmth in them—only an unyielding hunger for power.
"You're a long way from home," the man said, a slight smile creeping up his face. "And I'm afraid you've crossed into the wrong territory."
Jade instinctively moved into a defensive stance, his senses going on high alert. The man was no ordinary thug. He exuded an aura of danger, of authority. This was someone who controlled power.
Rael's voice dropped to a whisper, filled with urgency. "Nebet. We need to leave. Fast."
Jade's eyes flickered between Rael and Nebet, trying to make sense of the situation. Nebet? The name carried weight, but he couldn't place it. What made this person so dangerous?
The man, Nebet, seemed to read Jade's confusion, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "You don't know who I am, do you, kid?" He stepped forward, and with each movement, his presence seemed to grow stronger, like the air itself was bowing to his power.
Jade narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on the key as he prepared to defend himself. There was something about Nebet that felt... familiar. But his thoughts were interrupted by the low growl of a voice behind him.
"Boss, should we just take them now?" a figure said, stepping from the shadows behind Nebet. This man was broad-shouldered, towering over the others, his eyes glinting with barely contained violence. The sheer aura of strength emanating from him sent a chill down Jade's spine. He could tell, without a doubt, that this man was far stronger than anyone he had encountered.
Nebet raised a hand, silencing the man with a mere gesture. "Not yet," he said, his voice smooth and calm, as though this entire encounter was just another day at the office. "We have a special guest with us today."
As if on cue, several other figures emerged from the shadows, stepping into the moonlight. One by one, they revealed themselves to be formidable individuals—each of them radiating raw power that made Jade's heart race. There were ten in total, each stronger than the last. And at the center of this group stood Nebet, their leader.
Jade's mind raced. This wasn't just any gang. This was something far worse. And the man leading them, Nebet, was not someone they could simply walk away from.
Rael's voice dropped lower, his words laced with fear. "The Ten Shadows. The most dangerous gang in the world. They don't leave witnesses."
Jade could feel his chest tighten. His old memories began to surface. The memories of his past life as Yūma, of the struggles he had faced, of the power he had acquired. It was all coming back to him now. These people—the Ten Shadows—were no ordinary criminals. They were a force to be reckoned with.
"Rael... What do we do?" Jade asked, his voice steady despite the tension building inside him.
Rael hesitated, then looked at Jade with a mixture of resolve and concern. "We fight."
But before they could make a move, Nebet raised a hand, signaling for his men to stand down. His gaze fixed on Jade with an unsettling calmness.
"You've got something that belongs to me, kid," Nebet said, his voice cold and cruel. "The key. And I don't take kindly to people running off with my things."
Jade's heart skipped a beat. The key. The one thing that could change everything. The one thing that made him a target for people like Nebet. He didn't want to give it up, but in that moment, he knew that he had no choice but to face them.
Nebet's gaze shifted slightly to the side, and Jade followed his gaze. Standing there, with a blank expression on his face, was none other than Jade's older brother. The one person he had tried to leave behind. His brother's eyes met Jade's, and for a brief moment, something flickered in them—something almost like regret.
"Brother," his brother said, his voice low. "It's time to come home."
Jade's world shattered in that instant. His brother was with them. He had joined the gang. And now, Jade's entire world was on the brink of falling apart.