The boss calls me in again. I've been summoned more times than I can count, but this time feels different. There's a cold edge to his voice when he speaks, a heaviness that makes the air in the room feel thicker. The usual crispness of his tailored suits seems less impressive in the dimly lit office. The expensive leather chair creaks as I take a seat across from him. His gaze is hard—almost predatory.
"There's a job," he begins, his tone deceptively casual, but I can sense the undertone of something more. "But it's not just any job. This one comes with a warning."
His words hang in the air like smoke. I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn't. Instead, he watches me, assessing. Testing, maybe.
"You've made a name for yourself," he continues, leaning back, his fingers steepled. "Climbed higher than most ever could. But that kind of success doesn't come without consequences." His eyes narrow slightly, just enough to send a ripple of unease down my spine. "There are people out there who don't like your rise. They're watching. Waiting for the right moment."
I feel a tightening in my chest. I've heard whispers before—rumors of competitors, old debts, dangerous alliances. There's always someone out there. Someone ready to tear down what you've built if you slip up, if you show any sign of weakness. But I've never felt it like this, not with this level of certainty. Not with the boss himself telling me.
I force myself to meet his gaze, but the truth is, I already know what this means. I've been playing the game for too long not to understand the cost of power. It's always been a high price, and now, it seems, I'm about to pay it.
"I'm not afraid of them," I say, though I don't fully believe it. The words are a defense, a shield against the mounting dread.
He doesn't flinch. "You should be. They're not like the others. They're patient. And they'll wait for you to make a mistake." His voice drops lower, like a warning of the storm on the horizon. "And when you do, they'll strike. Hard."
I've always known the consequences, but hearing them laid out so plainly like this makes the weight heavier. The truth settles in my bones—I've got too much blood on my hands, too many enemies circling in the shadows. And I've gone too far to back down now. There's nowhere left to run.
The people I've crossed? They don't forget. They don't forgive. They bide their time, waiting for the perfect moment to exact their revenge. I've made more than my fair share of enemies in this world, and some of them are just too powerful to evade.
The price of power is always high. And it is never just money or influence. It's lives. It's trust. It's peace of mind. It's everything you're willing to sacrifice to stay on top.
And now, I'm about to pay it but power is an illusion on Calvera. No matter how strong you are, there's always someone stronger. The ones who rule the streets today are buried in them tomorrow. I learn that the hard way when the syndicate turns on me. One night, a bounty on my head replaces the respect I once had. I should've seen it coming. There's no loyalty in this world—only usefulness. And I've outlived mine.
I don't wait for them to find me. I disappear before they get the chance.
The military is my way out. A new name, a new purpose. They see my skills, sharpen them further, turn me into something even deadlier. But tonight, something shifts.
Tonight, I'm no longer just a hired gun. The mission ahead isn't for a crime lord, isn't about money or survival. It's something else.
And I never fail a mission.
Calvera. The planet of my birth. A world of neon-drenched cities, endless rain, and syndicates that own everything from the black markets to the politicians. Survival isn't just a struggle—it's a skill. And I learned fast. Too fast.
But no matter how much I ran, how much I killed, Calvera never let me go.
Not yet.