The underground hideout of the syndicate buzzed with activity as its members carried on their usual dealings. Shady exchanges, the rattle of carts laden with goods, and hushed conversations filled the space. Two of the members, drenched in sweat and their clothes torn, stumbled into the main corridor. Their entrance drew immediate attention—these were the two men who had gone missing days ago, feared to have been killed or captured by rival factions. Whispers of disbelief rippled through the crowd.
One of them, a wiry man named Kieran, raised his hands as if to calm the murmuring. His eyes darted around nervously, the glow of the underground lamps casting eerie shadows across his scarred face.