The old wooden door groaned as it opened, inch by inch. Then, with a sudden shove, it flew wide, crashing against the wall.
Three figures stepped inside, side by side. Shadows stretched behind them like fangs. Their outfits were identical: long black coats concealing secrets beneath, black pants fastened by golden belts that shimmered faintly, and shirts as dark as midnight broken only by a single purple stripe curling around the collar.
Their eyes glowed navy blue, deep as the endless night.
Brian sat motionless in the shadows, his silhouette carved in stillness. He didn't flinch. Didn't breathe. This wasn't a meeting. It was an execution! . The silence tightened, choking the air, until one voice cut through.
"So… this is where you've been hiding all this time?" Zwelakhe's tone was as sharp as a blade.
"How disappointing of you, Brian. To run away like this." Pheello's voice was soft, almost sad.
"A place that shaped you into one of the best…" Mandlenkosi shook his head slowly. "And you betray it."
The hunters stood like predators circling prey. Zwelakhe towered, muscles rippling under his coat, his bald head gleaming under the dim light. Pheello, the smallest, had short curls framing her cold expression. Mandlenkosi, athletic and solid, stood just an inch taller than Brian, his dark eyes locked on their target.
Brian exhaled softly, the air leaving him like the last note of a song.
"You condemn me for hiding here," he said, voice calm yet heavy with conviction. "But I found peace in this place. You speak of loyalty, yet that so-called 'place that shaped me' was nothing but hell. Here… I found freedom. You call it disappointing, but for me, it was salvation."
His eyes burned like steel. "The treasure of life is not in chains. It's within us, our choices. And mine was to run."
For a moment, silence returned. Then Pheello sighed.
"You always leave me speechless…"
"Speechless?" Mandlenkosi snapped. "You mean STUPID. He's a traitor!"
"Brian," Pheello's voice cracked slightly. "We don't have to do this."
Mandlenkosi laughed bitterly. "Sometimes, Pheello, you're too soft. We were sent to kill him. Not… talk."
"Reasoning isn't in the manual," Zwelakhe added darkly.
Brian tilted his head, smirking faintly. "Before you carry out your 'manual,' answer me this…"
The three hunters exchanged glances.
"Do you know the taste of freedom?" Brian asked softly.
"What are you implying?" Zwelakhe's voice was cold.
"That you're nothing but controlled puppets. Blindly following orders you never questioned. Hunting those who interfere with the Master's plans… without asking why. Is that what life means to you?"
"Enough," Mandlenkosi barked, drawing his twin pistols in a flash of steel.
Brian smiled. "Then I'm done talking."
Smoke filled the room before their fingers even twitched. Three small spheres clattered to the floor and exploded, cloaking the hunters in choking mist. Coughing erupted as Brian moved like a phantom, holding his breath, blade flashing.
He struck first. A spinning kick to Pheello's stomach, sending her sprawling. A slash across Zwelakhe's neck, blood sprayed in a dark arc. Mandlenkosi swung wildly, but Brian's kick slammed into his kidney, throwing him into a pile of rusted buckets.
Brian didn't hesitate. He dove through the window, glass shattering around him as he vanished into the night.
Inside, the smoke cleared. Mandlenkosi groaned, dragging himself to Zwelakhe, who lay trembling, pale, blood pooling beneath his hand as he clutched his torn neck. His eyes fluttered.
Mandlenkosi's jaw tightened. "I'll… avenge you, mfo wami."
He raised his pistol, pressed it against Zwelakhe's forehead… and pulled the trigger. The gun's roar silenced the last breath from Zwelakhe's lips.
Pheello stared, wide-eyed, from where she knelt. "Mandla… did you.. ?"
"He was dying," Mandlenkosi said coldly, loading another clip. "I ended his misery."
Brian's footsteps echoed outside. Mandlenkosi strode to the doorway, eyes glowing brighter, his voice a razor's edge. "You won't leave here alive."
He fired three shots in rapid succession. Brian spun his blade, deflecting each bullet with ringing steel. Sparks lit the darkness.
Mandlenkosi tossed the guns aside. His hand slipped into his coat, pulling out a small white bottle. Inside, one black pill.
Pheello's eyes widened. "Mandla… don't. We can kill him without that!"
He twisted the cap off, tossing it away.
"You'll lose control if you take that!" she screamed.
"It doesn't matter." His voice dropped to a growl. "The only thing that matters is sending him to the grave."
The pill vanished down his throat. Mandlenkosi doubled over, clutching his stomach as veins bulged along his arms. His glowing eyes flickered blue, then purple. Purple… deep and unnatural, spreading like ink in water.
When he straightened, the change was complete. His smile was monstrous.
"You shall perish… at the palm of my hand."
He vanished in a blur. Brian barely raised his sword before a fist like thunder slammed into his solar plexus. Bone cracked. Blood flew from his lips as his body crashed into the ground, coughing dust.
Mandlenkosi stalked forward, boots thudding like war drums. His shadow swallowed Brian whole. A kick to the ribs flipped Brian over like a ragdoll. Mandlenkosi lifted his foot to crush Brian's skull...
Gunfire shattered the night. Pheello, trembling, aimed with tears streaming down her face. A bullet punched through Mandlenkosi's shoulder, making him grunt but he didn't fall. He turned slowly, eyes glowing like twin amethysts.
"Emotions are weakness," he hissed. "And you… always had a soft spot for him. I'll kill you too."
He lunged at her. She fired again. And again. Bullets tore into him but he didn't stop. He swept her legs out with a brutal twist, sending her crashing to the floor. Her scream cut short when his boot smashed into her face. Blood splattered the wood.
He stood over her, breathing hard. "I always knew you loved him. Not me." His voice cracked with something dark and broken. "Do you know what that feels like?"
She stared up at him, broken, lips trembling. "Mandla… please…"
"Too late." His fists rained down. Flesh split. Blood spilled. Her face became unrecognizable.
Brian stirred. Pain clawed at his ribs as he forced himself up only to freeze at the sight of Pheello's blood pooling on the floor. Rage ignited in his veins. His hands trembled as he drew shurikens, hurling them with deadly precision.
Steel buried into Mandlenkosi's back. He stopped mid-swing and turned, slowly, grinning like a demon.
"I thought you were dead," he said, voice dripping venom. "A punch like that should've ended you."
Brian's voice shook with fury. "You pounded her face beyond recognition. Her blood stains your hands. Do you even know what a human life weighs?!" His fists clenched, blood dripping from his own wounds. "We are killers, I know that. But this… THIS is unforgivable."
Mandlenkosi smirked, cracking his knuckles.
"A death battle with you… is a dream come true."