Prologue.

The secluded building of the infamous Darkhand Association, always left untouched by outsiders, loomed like a ghostly monolith.

Today, it pulsed with a foreboding energy that seemed to seep into the very walls. The hallway stretched endlessly ahead, dimly lit by flickering fluorescent lights. Each flicker cast eerie shadows that danced across the cold, metallic surfaces.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the silent hall, rhythmic and unnerving.

Three figures moved forward, their presence magnified by the oppressive stillness. Leading them was Kelvin, the vice president of the association's information branch.

His nose scrunched up and his brows creased, contorted by a mix of anxiety and dread as he kept staring ahead.

He had been to this area some times before but never felt like what he was feeling today—a strange feeling of impending doom.

It was as if there was something waiting for him—something he wouldn't want to see happening, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

His palm balled into a fist, clenching as hard as he could. Cold sweat trickled down his spine.

His dark blue hair clung to his damp forehead, the sweat a testament to the growing unease gnawing at him. He glanced at the two men flanking him—both senior members of the organization, their stony expressions betraying no hint of the tension Kelvin felt.

"Get a grip," he muttered under his breath, clenching his fists harder until his nails dug into his palms.

As they neared the armored door at the end of the corridor, Kelvin's breath hitched. A low, guttural moan reached his ears—a sound of pure agony. His heart stuttered, his steps faltering.

"What's the holdup?" barked the bald man to his left, his broad shoulders and tattooed scalp casting an intimidating silhouette under the flickering light. He grabbed Kelvin's arm roughly. "Move it."

Kelvin jerked his arm free with a growl, his eyes darting toward the heavy door. A bead of cold sweat trickled down his spine. Something—or someone—was behind that door. Something he wasn't ready to face.

The taller man on his right rapped on the iron door, impatience etched into his sharp features. Even that man was unaware of what was going on beyond the gate, all he was told to was bring Kelvin here, and he did.

Knock. Knock.

The sound reverberated like a death knell.

"Hm."

A calm hum sounded from within the room, making the two men push the door open. They had been doing this for a while now, bringing people here one by one.

Kelvin, however, was too preoccupied with his thoughts to hear the hum. All he heard was the door creaking ominously as the heavy bolt shifted, its groan like the wail of a tortured spirit.

Badump-Badump

Kelvin's heart hammered against his ribs violently, his instincts screamed at him to turn and run, but his feet refused to obey. He stood frozen, his wide eyes fixed on the slowly opening door.

As soon as the door opened, the pungent stench of blood and decay poured out, assaulting his senses. He gagged, the bile rising in his throat.

And then he saw them.

Ten men hung from the ceiling like grotesque marionettes, their bodies battered and broken. Blood dripped from their mangled limbs, pooling on the floor below. Their groans filled the air, each one a haunting symphony of pain. Kelvin's heart dropped as his gaze landed on two familiar faces among the condemned.

"No..." he whispered, his voice barely audible. These were his friends—men he'd shared drinks and laughter with. Now, they were nothing more than bloody husks, dangling like grim trophies.

Their features were undefinable as their whole body was covered in red. The flickering red light didn't help with the tension.

Kelvin tried to think of what was happening. Why it was happening, but he couldn't understand anything.

He turned to look at the two people following him, thinking if it was part of their scheme, but all he saw behind him was a closed iron door. They were gone.

All they were told to do was bring Kelvin here and nothing else, so they did just that.

"Do you see it now, little brother?"

Suddenly, a voice, cold, detached, and unyielding, cut through the room like a blade, making Kelvin shiver as his gaze finally turned toward the person who had ordered those two senior members to do his bidding.

It was Alex Matthew, seated on a throne-like sofa at the center of the room. He was the boss of the Darkhand Association, his presence exuded an aura of cold authority. His white shirt was smeared with blood, a stark contrast to his silver-white hair that glimmered under the dim, flickering light. His fists rested on the arms of the sofa, knuckles bruised and bloodied, the evidence of his handiwork.

Kelvin's breath hitched. The sheer weight of Alex's presence crushed him. Alex didn't need to look up; his very posture commanded respect and fear. The flickering light cast shadows over his piercing blue eyes, making them glow with a chilling intensity.

"Do you see it now?" Repeated Alex.

Kelvin's legs trembled as he stepped forward, his gaze locked on the broken bodies of his friends. His fists clenched, but his strength faltered.

"Why...?" he croaked, his voice breaking. "Why did you do this? They were my friends!"

Alex leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing as he regarded Kelvin.

"Friends?" He gestured lazily toward the hanging men. "Traitors. They sold us out. They would've gotten us all killed."

"No..." Kelvin shook his head, his voice trembling. "Not them. You're wrong."

He could still remember how just yesterday all three of them were playing at his house. Not a single action of theirs was something a traitor would do. There was no way Kelvin would believe it.

Alex's expression hardened. He stood, his imposing figure towering over Kelvin. Blood dripped from his fingertips, splattering onto the floor as he took a step forward. "Open your eyes, Kelvin. Why would I lie to you?"

Before Kelvin could respond, a cold voice cut through the air.

"Why bother wasting time on this, brother?"

Kelvin's head snapped toward the source. A man stepped out of the shadows, his tanned skin and blonde hair catching the faint light. He held a pistol, its barrel glinting ominously.

He was wearing dark green shorts and Hawaiian t-shirts along with slippers. A red goggle resting on the bridge of his nose that he kept pushing up.

His overall looks were that of a delinquent, as he stood with his body tilted to the side.

That man's words caused even Alex to turn to the guy, and even when he saw the pistol pointed at Kelvin, his expression didn't change.

Alex knew that this was what he should do, as death and torture were the only luxuries they had for their enemies and their supporters, but still... the one in front of them was their brother.

"W-Wait—" Kelvin tried to yell, but...

Bang

He didn't even have time to react as the bullet tore through him. Pain exploded in his chest, and his vision blurred. He collapsed to the ground, his blood pooling beneath him.

The tanned-skinned guy, after shooting down Kelvin, turned to look at Alex, who was just staring at the corpse with an expression portraying regret.

Tch

The guy clicked his tongue with a frown. 'You have always been like that—showing all your care on the younger one.' He muttered inwardly, irritation clear on his face. 'You were the one who forced me...'

But just as things seemed to have ended…

Tap-Tap-Tap

A series of hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.

The heavy door slammed open, revealing Sophie, her blonde hair disheveled and her royal blue eyes wide with urgency.

"Alex! Kelvin wasn't the real traitor!" she cried, her voice laced with panic.

Alex's eyes turned to her, the tension in the room palpable. Sophie's gaze darted to the hanging bodies, as she added, "Our information was being tamped with by an unknown organization—"

Her words paused as her eyes locked onto Kelvin's dead body. His eyes colorless as he lay over a pool of blood. Her world seemed to have paused as she turned to look at Alex, her eyes watering up as she realized that she was a bit too late.

It was Sophie, Alex's girlfriend, and the president of the information department.

Just a few seconds ago, their cyber team found out that the information they had received was tampered with by an organization that wasn't even known to this world—meaning it was stronger than them.

It was true that there were eleven traitors in their organization. But not all of that information was true.

It had taken them a while, but Sophie and others were able to decipher the tampered proofs and find out the truth—something that Sophie rushed here to warn Alex about.

But the next second, her eyes widened in horror as she saw something.

"No!!!!!!!"

Sophie screamed, rushing toward Alex, but her steps weren't fast enough.

Alex, who had his gaze fixed on the despair-filled royal blue eyes of his girlfriend, saw the reflection of the only man standing beside him, pointing his gun at him.

'Ah…'

A glint of realization shone in his eyes as things finally made sense, but the next second...

BANG