Charles drove home to the warehouse, now well-accustomed to the secret meetings he and Jake had arranged. He no longer needed to justify his actions. He would find answers on his own—and in doing so, perhaps find peace.
The moment he arrived, his accomplices greeted him. The warehouse—echoing once more with the cries and anguished wails of victims—was alive with sinister activity.
He still wasn't used to this job. Each time he had to discard another life, he steeled himself. Survival demanded it.
Laughter erupted nearby—familiar, grating. It was the Fuego partners again. He peeked around the corner to see what had stirred their excitement.
The boss had returned, bringing with him a gruesome trophy: a body, nearly stripped of flesh. In the black market, flesh like that sold for a high price.
Sometimes, the bodies of their victims weren't just discarded—they were repurposed. Turned into the drugs they sold. A sickening cycle of horror.
"Hey," called Giovane.
Charles said nothing, approaching silently. Giovane sat casually, phone in hand.
"I got your message," he said, voice casual.
Charles only nodded.
"Stick to your plan. I trust you," Giovane added. "I'm taking a break; I've got people to meet this afternoon."
He patted Charles on the shoulder before walking off.
Charles had a reason for being part of this monstrous organization. He wasn't like them. He was here to uncover the truth about what had happened to his youngest sister—truth that had haunted him for years.
She had been a quiet college student, always taking care to get home safely. But one night, she simply disappeared.
Their father nearly lost his mind with grief. He begged Jake, his half-brother through their mother, for help. The Roman family offered their aid without question or condition—but it wasn't enough.
Days later, a corpse was found in a nearby town.
Charles was the one who recognized her. His little sister. The sight broke something inside him.
His father fainted the moment he saw her body. Her clothes and the birthmark near her chest confirmed what they already feared.
That was the moment Charles chose his path.
He began observing—tracking—piecing things together. Eventually, he confided in Jake.
That's how he got into the organization.
Once inside, he uncovered a horrifying truth. The organization was behind everything—his sister's disappearance, her death, and so many others.
He had seen too much. He had witnessed the brutal murders of the Fuego brothers and of Fernan, a close friend within the organization. Every death intensified his rage—and his thirst for justice.
I will kill them all.
The thought pulsed in his mind like a drumbeat. I will burn this empire to the ground.
Using his position as Giovane's trusted right-hand man, Charles gathered intel. Every task, every brutal order he followed—it was all a means to an end.
A sudden cry from the torture room broke through his thoughts.
He gritted his teeth.
Cath... Did they torture you like this?
If so, then I've become one of those demons too... But this demon will take them down. Just hold on. Justice is coming.
He passed a hallway filled with rooms—each a chamber of nightmares.
"Zenne," he acknowledged one of the guards with a nod.
No words were needed. Zenne understood.
Charles first checked the slaughter area—where human remains were prepared for illegal sale. Hidden in plain sight, the town's black market paid far more than its worth.
"Is it ready?" he asked coldly.
His companions nodded.
"Where's the drop-off?"
They told him the location.
Just as he was about to leave, Giovane's voice rang out.
"Charles, go with them. Make sure there's no sabotage this time. I don't trust the last setup."
Charles nodded once. "Got it."
He joined the van as they drove to the nearby town.
"Be careful," he reminded them.
While waiting for the transaction to complete, he sent a location pin to an unknown contact—a setup for sabotage. He was still in control.
Once the others finished the sale, he jumped behind the wheel and drove off.
He had to be cautious now more than ever. One mistake, and everything could crumble.
Giovane's suspicious. He's testing me. I know his mind games. I won't give him anything to use against me.
Let him move first. This is his game... but I'll win.
Night fell quickly, bringing with it a darkness far deeper than mere shadows—the darkness of human greed.
He sighed, casting one last glance at the warehouse.
From a distance, it looked like nothing more than a decrepit building, forgotten by time. But inside... inside was a hell that never slept.
And Charles?
He was the devil walking among demons—plotting their destruction from within.