The city was alive with whispers of the Hollow Strings, and it drew those who hungered for power—or vengeance—toward Rayon like iron to a magnet.
In the quiet of a moonlit alley, Rayon observed three figures moving with precision and skill, unafraid of the shadows or the lawless streets. Hollow Strings danced lightly around his fingers, sensing their potential before they even knew they were being measured.
Kael Veyris, a man in his late twenties with arms thick as tree trunks, had survived countless street fights and wars between gangs. But it wasn't just strength that caught Rayon's attention. Kael moved like a predator calculating the kill before it even existed.
"You have power," Rayon said softly, stepping from the shadows. Kael's eyes narrowed, unafraid.
"I survive," Kael replied. "Power follows."
Rayon's lips curled into a faint smile. "Then you'll survive with me. Join me, Kael Veyris. Not because I command it—but because it's your only way forward if the Hunters come."
Kael didn't speak for a long moment. Then he nodded. "Alright. I'll follow. But don't think I'm
Selene was a ghost in the city. A young woman with hair black as midnight, and eyes that flickered with an unnatural intelligence. She was an infiltrator, a master of subterfuge, and a deadly tactician. Any rival organization would have killed for her loyalty.
Rayon found her in the archives of a corrupt noble, extracting secrets from under their nose without a trace. "You're skilled," he said. "But you could be more. With me, you'll never be hunted—you'll hunt."
Selene studied him. "And if I betray you?"
Rayon's strings shifted faintly, almost hypnotically. "Then you die. But I know you won't. You're too smart to waste yourself on foolish risks."
A faint smirk appeared on her lips. "Then consider me part of your web."
Draven Korr was brute force and raw talent incarnate. A former gladiator from a distant city, he carried scars from battles most would never survive. His presence alone could command attention, and his fists could shatter walls—or men.
Rayon caught him in an underground fight pit, where Draven was outnumbered ten to one. With a subtle flick of Hollow Strings, he ensured the fight ended in Draven's favor—but not by chance.
"You've got the strength," Rayon said after the pit emptied. "But strength alone isn't enough. Join me, and I'll make you unbeatable. But you'll answer to me—and only me."
Draven's grin was wide, feral. "You don't scare me, boy. But… you interest me. I'm in."
By nightfall, Rayon's new recruits had been integrated into the organization. Drevan and Lyra welcomed them cautiously, aware of their skill, and already beginning to test their loyalty and compatibility.
Rayon stood above the city from a rooftop, strings flicking in the cold night air. Each recruit was a thread. Each thread was a weapon. Together, they were a web, stretching across the city, unseen but unavoidable.
The Hunters were aware. They had begun watching. But now, Rayon had more than a handful of threads capable of cutting through the opposition.
He smiled, faint and cold. "Let them come. Let them see what a true web looks like."