Arcane Alchemy:The forbidden Rites

The door to the empty bar creaked open, its fragile hinges making a squeaking sound as it was pushed too forcefully.

Wayne was behind the bar wiping glass cups with a cloth when the men walked in, causing his shoulders to slump in fear.

The men, dressed in black coats and dark sunglasses, had a leader who stood in front, always speaking. His name was Drex.

"Hey, you old fool, where the hell is my money!" he approached Mr. Jones.

Mr. Jones was also behind the counter, owing these men a substantial sum of money.

They wanted their money back, but Mr. Jones didn't have it. He was very poor and had borrowed money from these gangsters to save his business, support his son Wayne, and himself.

"Drex, the loan term isn't up yet. I don't have your money now," Mr. Jones said, his trembling voice revealing the trouble they were in. Wayne clenched his fists and watched them closely.

"Shut up! Do you have the nerve to tell me when I should get my money back, huh?" Drex asked. His brows furrowed tightly, and his face looked fierce.

Mr. Jones was afraid of the actions of these men.

"By the way, your bar seems to be doing well," Drex added, with a mocking smile, ridiculing the fact that no one patronized Mr. Jones' small bar.

"My son Wayne works three jobs to support us, and I'm doing my best. How about I gather the money and pay back every penny I owe by the end of this month, as we agreed?" Mr. Jones proposed.

"Haha! You think I'm here to joke around? Since you refuse to give me the money, I think I need to teach you a lesson." Drex gestured to his men to head to Mr. Jones's office.

"Search every corner, take anything valuable you find and bring it to me," Drex instructed his henchmen. There were five of them, each muscular and tall.

"No, please, they have no business in my office!" Mr. Jones shouted.

"Get lost, you old fool." One of Drex’s men shoved Mr. Jones, causing him to fall on the floor, where they proceeded to kick him.

"Father!" Wayne ran over to his father's aid.

As Wayne saw his father hurt, anger began to build up inside him, almost consuming him from within. Wayne stepped forward to stop Drex's men.

"You can't come in, you heard my father. Wait until the payment time comes, and now get out of our shop!" Wayne gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and said.

In less than a second, the room filled with noise as Drex and his men burst into laughter.

They exchanged amused glances, then quieted down.

"Teach this filthy bastard a lesson," Drex said in a low, angry voice.

One of Drex's burly men walked up to Wayne and punched him. Wayne doubled over, feeling a sharp pain in his chest.

"Drex, spare him!" Mr. Jones pleaded, but Drex and the others laughed.

Wayne took a deep breath, straightened up, and punched the man in the nose. The man staggered, but Wayne didn't let him out of his sight.

Wayne delivered another blow to the man's throat, causing him to gasp for air. His eyes widened, face turning red. Wayne kicked his leg, which was the final straw, and the big man collapsed to the floor with a thud.

"What are you standing there for, grab that trash!" Drex ordered the others.

Reluctantly, fearing what Wayne had done to the biggest man among them, the men walked towards Wayne.

Wayne quickly swallowed the remaining men, his chest heaving in agony. His muscles were sore, fists bleeding, and he was sure he had broken a finger.

He winced, stood tall, and the five gang members unwittingly lay on the floor. Wayne turned to Drex and began to approach him.

Drex immediately started to retreat, missing his step and falling down. He quickly got up, turned towards the door, and hastily left.

"I'll be back, I'll make you regret this, you useless piece of trash. Let my boss know about this, and I'll make your filthy life a living hell..." Drex left the bar.

Wayne didn't let him slip away a second time; he walked over to his father and knelt before him.

"What have you done!" Mr. Jones shouted at Wayne.

"But father, they hurt you," Wayne tried to defend.

"Those men are gangsters; they are dangerous. Go to the office now and get a brown envelope from the safe," his father commanded.

Wayne entered his father's office, opened the safe, and picked up the medium-sized envelope.

The envelope was sealed and light.

What's inside? Wayne asked himself.

He didn't understand why his father needed that envelope at this time.

He walked back to the bar, his father sitting on the floor looking weak.

"Father, what is this?" Wayne asked.

"My son, this is what will make you a billionaire."