[BACK AT THE TRADE MARKET]
Naran spotted a familiar figure struggling to sell materials—Micah.
"Wait, I'm coming!" he called to Ceno before jogging over.
"Hey, brew boy!" Naran greeted with a grin.
Micah spun around, eyes widening in alarm. "Are you stupid? If Roar finds you here, we're all in deep trouble!"
"Relax," Naran scoffed. "Roar doesn't patrol this side of the market. That's why everyone who's pissed them off trades here."
"Still too dangerous," Micah muttered.
"Quit worrying. I wanted to ask you about the corrupted wolves—where and when they attacked your team. That info could help us find—"
A sudden commotion cut him off. A cloaked figure darted past, pursued by Roar guards.
That cloak…Naran's breath hitched. If it's who I think it is, we might finally track down the Lansing Steel!
Instinct took over. He sprinted after them, weaving through alleys to cut them off. Predicting their path, he lunged from a side street—just as the fugitive stumbled into his arms.
The hood fell back, revealing a woman with striking grey hair and piercing black eyes.
"Run!" she gasped.
Without hesitation, Naran scooped her up and dumped her into a nearby transport barrow, tossing a tarp over her. He pulled his hood low just as the guards skidded to a halt nearby.
"Where'd she go?" one barked.
Naran shrugged, playing the part of a corpse hauler. The guards cursed and charged ahead, leaving them in the dust.
[BACK AT THE BASE]
Micah returned with meager credits, but his mind was elsewhere. Where the hell did Naran go?
He'd assumed Naran fled back to base when Roar swarmed the market. But when he shouted for him, a scavenger shook his head. *
"He never came back."
Dread coiled in Micah's gut. He bolted to the meeting room, where Coroules and Ji-Ung were debating how to negotiate with Roar over their debts.
"Mister Coroules!" Micah burst in, panting. *"Naran—I think Roar arrested him again!"
"Oh, for—"Miss Cathie groaned. "I told that fool to stay put!"
"Idiot never learns," Ji-Ung grumbled.
"How do you know he was arrested?" Cathie pressed.
"We were talking, then he took off chasing some cloaked runner. Next thing I know, Roar flooded the market and shut it down!"
"So Roar caught him?" Cathie clarified.
"Leave him there," Ji-Ung snapped. "Maybe jail will teach him to listen."
Before Coroules could respond, a voice interrupted.
"Sir! You wanted to know if Naran returned—he's back!"
The room erupted into motion. They rushed outside to find Naran staggering in, a limp figure draped in his arms.
"Medic!" he roared. "Now!"
As the medics scrambled to tend to the unconscious woman, Coroules' voice cut through the chaos.
"Naran. I ordered you to stay."
"You said lay low so Roar wouldn't grab me," Naran shot back, though his smirk faltered under Cathie's glare.
"This isn't a joke!" she snapped. "What if they'd caught you?"
"I screwed up, okay? But listen—"
"If you can't follow orders meant to protect you, you don't deserve protection," Ji-Ung growled.
Coroules stepped forward, his tone final. "Last warning, Naran. Understood?"
"Yes, but—"
"Who the hell is that?" Micah blurted, pointing at the woman.
"Will you let me talk?" Naran exploded. "She's our ticket out of this hellhole! She knows where the Lansing Steel is!"
A stunned silence fell.
Then Cathie scoffed. "She doesn't."
"How do you know?" Ji-Ung challenged.
"Roar's elite unit already went after it—and got slaughtered by corrupted wolves. If she knew, why wouldn't Roar have it by now?"
"Because," the woman rasped, lifting her head weakly, "I lied to them."
Where is she?!" The Vice-Head of Roar screamed at his subordinates, his voice raw with fury. "That lying wretch—she'll pay with her life!" His veins bulged as rage twisted his face.
"Find her. Now."
A soldier rushed forward. "Sir! We've located her through the tracker on her cloak."
"Good." The Vice-Head's lips curled into a vicious smile. "Prepare the Matabus. We move immediately."
[Back at the Base]
Micah's voice was sharp with disbelief. "You lied to the Roar? Why?"
The cloaked woman didn't flinch. "If the Roar ever got their hands on the Lansing Steel, their influence would spread unchecked. They'd become an unstoppable force." She crossed her arms. "That's why I lied."
Miss Cathie frowned. "Then why tell us its location?" Even Naran seemed unsure.
"Because **anyone** having it is better than the Roar, If they get there hands on it they will control everything. But you all are desperate to survive not greedy for power." Her fingers tapped the table. "It's up north."
Ji-Ung brought a map, and she pointed to a spot. "Here."
Naran's eyes widened. "That's near the Wolves' Den!
Miss Cathie's command cut through the tension. "Everyone—back in Coroules's room. Now."
As they regrouped, Naran crossed his arms. "Why the sudden meeting?"
Coroules's gaze was heavy. "Do you trust her?"
Naran shrugged. "I don't see why she'd lie."
Ji-Ung scoffed. "That's probably what the Roar thought too."
Micah's hands clenched. "You can't seriously be considering going after this thing. The Wolves' Den isn't some minor threat!"
Naran's eyes gleamed. "But it explains why the Wolves have been hyper active—and why they're turning corrupt. The Lansing Steel must be mutating them."
Miss Cathie's voice was steady. "He's right. Lansing Steel can mutate low-level Wirens. The question is—are we willing to risk it?"
"Yes." Naran didn't hesitate.
"No. It's too dangerous." Micah shot back.
All eyes turned to Miss Cathie.
She exhaled. "If we weigh the pros and cons… it's worth it."
Naran grinned. "Then it's settled. We—"
A distant rumble cut Naran off. The walls trembled.
"Thunder" Micah asked worriedly
Dust sifted from the ceiling.
Ji-Ung froze. "That's not thunder."
Screeching metal. The sound of engines—Matabus turbines.
Miss Cathie's face drained of color. "Roar enforcers. "They're here."
BOOOOOOOOM!
The alarms screamed as the ground trembled.
Naran bolted outside. "What the—?!"
A scout sprinted toward them, panting. "Sir—it's the Roar! They're here!"
Miss Cathie paled. "No?!"
Micah ordered Naran. "Hide!" Ji ung thrust the map into hands before he darted toward the children's hideout.
BOOM!
The door shattered as the Vice-Head of Roar stormed in, his enforcers flooding the room, forcing everyone to the ground.
"Where is that lying bitch?!"he roared.
The enforcers stormed into the building pinning every one in it to the ground
THUD.
The cloaked woman was thrown at his feet, gasping.
The Vice-Head's grip closed around her throat, lifting her effortlessly. "You sent my best men to their deaths." His voice was a lethal whisper. **"Tell me where the Lansing Steel is, and I'll let you live."**
She choked out a laugh. "Never."
His fingers tightened. "Last chance."
She spat in his face. "I said—"
CRACK.
Blood exploded across the room, splattering all around
Splash.
Warm blood sprayed across the face of coroules he didn't blink, nor did he breathe.
The woman's head thudded right in front of Miss Cathie's face
Then—crunch—a boot crushed it like overripe fruit. Splattering blood all over her face
Micah gagged. Bile burned his throat. He'd seen death before—but never like this.
The vice Head turned, smiling. "Now… why was a Roar prisoner here?"
An enforcer stepped forward to explain—only for the Vice-Head to crush his skull mid-sentence.
"I wasn't asking you. " He spread his arms. "I was asking them."
Miss Cathie with blood Al over her face. "She came to us. We helped her. If we'd known she was your prisoner, we wouldn't have."
"Is that so?" He gestured to the enforcer restraining her "Report."
The soldier read aloud: "The Coroules Scavengers. Primary occupation: scavenging. Recently, their leader fought a tax collector. Another member assaulted two inspectors and aided an escaped prisoner. Total debt: 5,000 credits."
The Vice-Head laughed. "5,000 credits? Impressive.
5000 credits was a huge amount of credit, Most teams only make 300 a year." Even the coroules scavengers who possess more members and an even more elite scavenging team only makes 450 credits a year
His grin turned monstrous. "You don't fear the Roar at all, do you.? You dare fight inspector's and tax collector's "
He leaned in. "Increase their debt to 50,000. If they don't pay half by this weekend… kill them all."
With that, he strode out, his enforcers following.
Silence.
Ji-Ung helped Miss Cathie up. "Are you okay?"
She nodded stiffly.
Micah's hands shook. "That's the Vice-Head of Roar… He's even worse than the rumors."
Coroules exhaled. "50,000 credits… No one can pay that."
Naran stepped forward, eyes burning. "There's a way. The Lansing Steel. If we get it and trade it elsewhere, we can clear the debt." He looked at Coroules. "It's your call boss.
Coroules didn't hesitate. "We find it. And we pray it's enough to save everyone."
[Elsewhere]
The night is shattered by agonized scream "Haaaa!"—as a pack of corrupted wolves, their fur matted with shadow and eyes burning like embers, tear into the remains of Roar's elite. Bones crack between their jaws, the last vestiges of flesh stripped away in a frenzy of gnashing teeth and guttural snarls.
And above it all, atop a jagged peak, stands the alpha—a monstrous black wolf, its massive frame silhouetted against the blood-red moon. With a thunderous howl, it claims the carnage below, its voice echoing through the valley like a death knell.
Waiting for the next victim who dares come to he's territory