The blast rocked the entire district. Flames painted the sky in hues of orange and red as sirens wailed through the streets.
Ochieng stood on the rooftop of his penthouse, watching the chaos unfold below. His face remained unreadable, but his fingers curled into fists.
"They struck first," Malik said beside him.
Ochieng exhaled slowly. "And they made their biggest mistake."
Because if the Blackwoods thought they could scare him with fire, they had no idea what hell truly looked like.
--
Serena had barely made it out of the mansion before the explosion hit.
She stumbled onto the sidewalk, coughing as smoke filled the air. People screamed around her, running in all directions. Her mind was a blur, but only one thought kept repeating—
Ochieng.
She needed to find him.
She needed to know if this was because of her.
And deep down… she needed to see him again.
---
In the dark alleys of Emerald City, the news spread like wildfire.
"The Blackwoods hit first."
"Ochieng hasn't moved yet. But when he does…"
"There won't be anything left of them."
The most dangerous men in the city were waiting, watching, wondering how the Phantom of the Underground would respond.
And then…
He moved.
---
A single message was sent.
One sentence.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance."
Hours later, three of the Blackwoods' businesses burned to the ground.
Kieran Blackwood arrived at the smoldering ruins of their casino, rage twisting his features.
"Find him!" he roared at his men. "Find him and bring me his head!"
Elena Blackwood, watching the flames, smirked. "Oh, Kieran… you don't understand, do you?"
Kieran turned to her, furious. "Understand what?"
Elena exhaled a slow breath, her gaze distant.
"Ochieng isn't running."
"He's waiting."
---
Serena stood in the shadows of an abandoned church, her heart hammering.
She knew he was there before she saw him.
The way the air felt heavier. The way silence stretched unnaturally.
And then, from the darkness—
"You shouldn't be here, Serena."
She turned, and there he was.
Ochieng.
Standing against the moonlight, his expression unreadable.
But when she took a step closer, she swore—
For just a second—
His eyes softened.
She didn't care about the war.
Didn't care about the danger.
All she cared about was the man in front of her.
The man who had changed everything.
---
The City Holds Its Breath
War had begun.
And no one knew who would survive.
But one thing was certain—
Ochieng was done playing games.