The city reeked of liquor, smoke, and bad choices. Outside, streetlights buzzed over cracked sidewalks. Inside the stash spot, silence pressed in heavy, like the air itself was waiting to see somebody die.
Jace stepped in first. Veins flickered ember-light under ash-dark skin, each pulse climbing with his heartbeat. It was faint, but enough to mark him as not like everybody else. His gut twisted—the kind of wrong you feel in your bones before you even spot the setup.
Rae moved behind him, long legs cutting through the dim. Her eyes were pale-gray, storm-cold, sharp enough to slice a man's pride open. She looked dangerous beautiful, but tonight she carried herself like the type who'd watch her man get gutted and not even blink.
[Quest: Handle the Exchange]
Reward: +15 Respect, +10 Cash Flow
Failure: Death
The duffel hit the table. Then shadows peeled off the walls, turning into men with straps raised steady at Jace's chest. Safeties clicked in unison, cold and final.
Ambush.
[Warning: -30 Trust Points]
Jace didn't have to look back. He felt Rae's hand slide off his shoulder slow, deliberate, like she was brushing dirt from her clothes.
"You foul bitch," he growled, voice sharp enough to cut glass. "You set me up?"
Rae's pale eyes narrowed, her mouth curving cruel. "Don't play dumb. You too soft, Jace. Always dreaming, never ruling. I need a boss, not dead weight glowing in the dark."
The barrels stayed fixed. Sweat stung his eyes. His veins flared ember-hot, rage burning through him like coal fire.
"You know what's funny?" Rae tilted her head, calm like she had all the time in the world. "You taught me this game. Now I'm using it to bury you."
The first shot cracked. Fire punched through his chest, his knees buckling as the floor rushed up. He choked, air flooding out of his lungs, vision drowning in black.
[System Override: Respawn Available]
Penalty: -50 Respect. +100 Hatred.
His body collapsed. Rae's laugh cut through the dark, sharp as a broken bottle.
But the HUD didn't let him die.
[New Quest Unlocked: Revenge in Blood]