THE BETRAYAL”S GAMES In Griffin’s world, nights were never quiet. But this night was too quiet. The air smelled of gun oil and rain. Outside his warehouse, no guards or engines just silence that made killers nervous. Griffin sat in his office, staring at a map marked with targets and names. His eyes narrowed in on one name: Rico. Griffin felt something was wrong. Rico had been too confident and loud around dangerous people. A message from an old contact said, “Rico’s talking to the Dragons.” Griffin clenched his jaw. The Dragons weren’t just another gang; they were deadly and dangerous. Selena entered, wearing black. She looked at him and said, “You found something.” Griffin said, “Someone found me.” He passed her a note. She read it, then said, “Rico saw me at your console.” Griffin said, “Then he made his move. I’m not ready for surprises.” He stood up, loading his gun. Selena followed, but he told her to stay. She argued, but he was firm. He left, coat flowing li

THE GHOST LINE Two cars drove through the rain to the industrial district, near old warehouses. GPS showed the last place the jet landed.Selena checked her laptop. “Thermal scans show eight armed men. The guards are tight.”“Too tight for a ghost,” Griffin said. “He’s expecting us.”He signaled, and his team spread out. The rain covered their steps.When the door opened, gunfire started. Griffin hid behind a crate, shot twice, and hit his target. Selena covered his blind spot perfectly.They went inside. The air smelled like oil and blood. On a big screen was a live video of Griffin, right where they stood.Selena stopped. “He’s watching us.”Griffin said, “No, he’s playing with us.”A voice came over the speakers deep and slow.“You finally came home, Griffin.”Selena felt a chill. Griffin stared at the camera with red light.“Your father thought he could kill me,” the voice said. “But ghosts don’t die. They wait.”Griffin spoke into the mic with fire in his eyes. “Then wait for me

THE PRICE OF MERCY After the meeting, Selena found Griffin looking at an old photo of his mother. Strong eyes, a fierce stare.“You miss her?” she asked softly.Griffin didn’t look up. “You don’t miss people like her. You remember what they taught you, and why you became this.”Selena stepped closer. “What if you’ve forgotten?”He looked at her. “Then I need someone stubborn to remind me.”The air was tense between them.The door burst open. Rico stumbled in, blood on his hands, panic in his eyes. “They found us! Vex’s men they’re coming!”Griffin stood. “How?”Rico hesitated Griffin knew the truth.“You led them here,” Griffin said coldly.“No! I swear I didn’t”Gunfire cut him off.Griffin pulled Selena behind him, firing back. Chaos exploded.Rico hid behind the table, shaking. “I was trying to protect you! They said they’d kill her if I didn’t tell them!”Selena froze. “What?”Griffin’s jaw clenched. “You sold us out to save her? Fool.”“They were going to take her”“Mercy gets

THE WEIGHT OF GUILT The storm kept hitting the penthouse windows like the sky was warning the city something bad was coming. Rico lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling and feeling like every crack was one of his mistakes.He still heard the subway gunshots. He still saw Griffin pulling him out of danger. He still felt the flash drive in Griffin’s hand.Rico breathed out shakily. “It’s my fault. If he dies, it’s because of me.”Selena was beside him, putting fresh bandages on his shoulder. “You’re hurt, not thinking,” she said gently.But Rico shook his head. “No. Griffin is falling, and I pushed him.”Selena went quiet because she feared he might be right.Griffin stood at the window, staring blankly. The rain made long silver lines outside. His reflection looked tired, older, and calm.Rico watched sadly. “He’s not the Griffin we know.”Selena looked too. Griffin seemed worn out and tired, carrying too much.Rico whispered, “He’s slipping because I let Vex in.”Selena didn’t want

THE SOFTNESS BEFORE THE STORM The truck shook once and then stopped. Dust hung in the air. Selena held the seat tightly, her heart beating loudly.Griffin slowly opened the back door. “Stay close,” he said.She followed him into the clearing behind Vex’s factory. The air felt heavy, like something was hidden in the ground.Vex’s men were spread out, nervous. Their flashlights shook instead of shining steadily. One man whispered, “The ground is moving… I think something’s under us.”Another told him to be quiet but didn’t sound sure.Griffin walked calmly past them. His quiet made them more afraid.One man tried to call Vex, but the phone screen glitched with strange symbols, then went black.“What is this?” the man whispered.The others stepped back, scared.Griffin saw this glitch as a good sign.Selena leaned in and asked, “Griffin, what’s happening?”He didn’t answer. He looked at the ground like he was listening.Then the ground shook softly, then harder. Rocks fell and birds fl