The evening sun dipped low over the city park, painting the sky with streaks of orange and violet. Eric, Maria, Feriha, Elisa, and Ravihan were seated on a bench, pretending to blend in with the small crowd. They had come to observe a location Maria suspected was connected to the Circles Gang's movement routes. 👀
But none of them expected him to be there.
A sudden hush fell over the park.
Footsteps;slow, deliberate—echoed behind them.
Feriha stiffened first. "Eric… someone's watching us."
They turned just as a tall man stepped out from behind a row of trees. A black coat. A black mask.
A symbol etched onto the glove on his right hand,a perfect dark circle.
Eric's heart dropped.
"Black Circle…" he whispered. ⚫
The leader of the Circles Gang himself.
Before any of them could move, he snapped his fingers.
Shadows emerged from every corner;his men, surrounding the five of them in a tightening ring. 🙌
"Following my trails, hmm?" the Black Circle said, voice low and taunting. "Brave children." 😆
Maria pushed Eric behind her instinctively. "We're not afraid of you."
His laugh was sharp, cruel.
"Let's see." 😅
The first attack came fast,a metal pipe swung at Ravihan's head. Ravihan ducked and countered with a punch that sent the attacker staggering backward.
Elisa grabbed Feriha's wrist and pulled her aside just as two gang members lunged. Feriha kicked one in the stomach while Elisa jabbed her elbow into the other's jaw. 👊
Eric charged at a third man, tackling him to the ground.
Maria fought fiercely;years of suppressed anger burning in her fists. But in the chaos, one gang member struck her forehead with a blunt object.
"Maria!" Eric shouted, rushing toward her.🔊
Blood trickled down her temple, but she pushed herself up with a glare. "I'm fine—keep fighting!" 💪
The Black Circle observed the battle with cold amusement.
"Impressive. But this ends here."
He raised his hand,preparing to enter the fight himself. ⚒
But Ravihan grabbed a handful of sand from the ground and threw it at him.
The leader staggered, momentarily blinded.
"Now!" Ravihan yelled.
Together, the five of them broke through the ring of attackers,dodging blows, pushing through the chaos, sprinting across the grass. 🏞
"Go! Go!" Elisa urged, pulling Maria with her.
They didn't stop running until they reached the outskirts of the park, lungs burning, feet pounding. Then, with adrenaline still spiking through their veins, they made their way back to the safehouse. 🏚
Only when the door shut behind them did they finally breathe.
Maria leaned against the wall, wiping the blood from her forehead. "That… could have gone worse." 🤦
Ravihan hurried over with the first-aid kit.
"Hold still," he murmured gently as he dabbed medicine onto her cut.
She winced but didn't pull away. "It's just a scratch." ⚡
Eric sank onto the couch, head spinning from everything that just happened.
"The leader knows who we are now."
Feriha sat beside him, hand trembling slightly. "Which means… he'll come again."
Maria took a deep breath, her eyes sharper than ever. 🌬
"Good," she said. "Let him come. We're not backing down."
The five of them exchanged a look,fear mixed with determination.
They survived the first clash.
But the war had only just begun. 🎬