The afternoon sun poured through the theater windows, casting golden beams onto the wooden stage. The atmosphere was light, voices echoing as the group laughed over nothing in particular.

  Kai sat among them, his usual distant gaze softened as Brandon cracked a joke.

  ”—and then she actually thought the prop sword was real!” Brandon finished, laughing hard enough to nearly fall off the chair.

  Lila smirked, shaking her head. “I swear, Brandon, you make that story worse every time you tell it.”

  “Because it gets funnier every time.” Brandon grinned. “Come on, Kai, tell me you remember that day?”

  Kai let out a small, genuine chuckle. “Barely. But… yeah. That was a good one.”

  Naomi leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “So, Kai, what about you? Any embarrassing moments you’re hiding?”

  Kai gave a rare smile. “Plenty. But I’ll save them for when I really need to bribe you all.”

  Lila rolled her eyes. “Typical.”

  The conversation drifted between future roles, the upcoming local play, and what they’d do once school ended. For a while, Kai let himself relax — laughing, teasing, just being a student.

  But it never lasted.

  As Kai exited the theater, the golden glow dimmed — replaced by the sharp air of reality.

  Across the school courtyard, his team waited. Evan leaning against a tree, Felix scrolling on his phone, Jonah fidgeting as usual.

  Felix was the first to notice him. “Kai. We need to talk.”

  Kai’s posture shifted immediately. “What’s wrong?”

  Felix looked around before speaking low. “The dealer… he’s back at it.”

  “I thought we scared him enough.” Kai’s eyes narrowed.

  “He stopped for a while. But not anymore,” Felix said. “Jonah’s been watching. The guy’s careful but… he’s still pushing.”

  Kai nodded slowly. “Alright. I’ll handle it.”

  That night, the quiet hum of his computer filled Kai’s room as he sat in the dark. He stared at the number Felix had sent him.

  With a deep breath, Kai grabbed his phone and dialed.

  The line rang once… twice… then connected.

  Laughter, music, and the chatter of voices bled through.

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  “Who the hell’s this?” the dealer answered, his voice cocky.

  Kai’s voice was calm. Cold. “I see you didn’t take my warning seriously.”

  There was a pause.

  “Wait… who—?”

  “You know who.” Kai cut him off. “We had a deal. You stop dealing, you stay safe. You broke it.”

  The noise quieted on the other end. The dealer must have stepped away. “I… I’m sorry. I tried, man. But… it’s not that easy.”

  “Explain.”

  “It’s my boss,” the dealer muttered. “He’s on me. Says I either move product or I’m done. And not just… done. You get me?”

  “Name.”

  “I… alright. It’s Logan. Logan Reyes. He dropped out. Now he runs… things.”

  “Good.” Kai hung up.

  His expression didn’t change as he sent the name to Felix.

  The Next Morning

  The team gathered behind the school, out of sight.

  Felix’s face was grim as he looked up from his laptop. “Logan Reyes. I ran the name. You’re not gonna like this.”

  “Go on.”

  “Ex-student. Dropped out two years ago. Word is, he runs a crew now — low-level stuff, but he’s growing. Drugs, small-time extortion, maybe worse. He’s got a few guys loyal to him — muscle.”

  “He’s dangerous,” Felix added. “If the dealer’s scared, it means this Logan has reach.”

  Kai stood silent for a moment, eyes distant.

  “Then it’s time we meet Logan Reyes,” Kai finally said. “And show him what it means… to cross the Illuminatii.”

  The group exchanged glances, the weight of the moment sinking in.

  The next evening, Kai sat at his desk, staring at the soft glow of his phone screen. The number was already dialed — the same dealer from before.

  Darren.

  His finger hovered, then pressed Call.

  The line rang once, twice — then Darren’s voice came through, cocky but uncertain.

  “Yo… Hello?”

  Kai’s voice was calm, precise. “Listen carefully. Right now, get up. Go to the school library — aisle fifteen, row five.”

  Darren hesitated. “What? Why?”

  “No questions. Just go.”

  A pause. Then Darren sighed, cursing under his breath, but Kai could hear him moving.

  Minutes passed. Then — “I’m here. What now?”

  Kai smiled faintly. “There’s a shirt tucked between the books. Take it.”

  Darren scanned the shelf, fingers brushing the dusty spines until he found it — a simple black t-shirt, neatly folded.

  “I got it. What the hell is this?”

  “Wear it,” Kai said flatly. “Next time you meet Logan — wear that shirt. No questions. No hesitation.”

  ”…Why?”

  “Do it. If you want to live.”

  Silence on the other end. Then — “Alright… Alright, I got it.”

  Kai hung up, staring at the dim reflection of himself in the black screen.

  The next day at the villa Kai sat calmly in the villa’s main room, the others gathered around Felix’s workstation. The soft glow of multiple screens lit their faces — each one focused, silent.

  On the center screen, the feed streamed from the hidden camera embedded in the black shirt — worn now by Darren.

  They watched as Darren, shoulders tense, approached a large abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city.

  “There,” Felix whispered. “That’s the spot.”

  The warehouse door creaked open — rusted metal grinding against metal — and Darren disappeared inside.

  The camera angle shook slightly as he walked.

  Through the screen, they saw him turn a corner — and there he was.

  Logan.

  Leaning casually against a crate, his cold eyes locked on a battered boy kneeling in front of him — his shirt stained red, one eye swollen shut.

  “You know how this works,” Logan’s voice was calm, almost bored. “I gave you product a week ago. You sell, you bring my cut. No stories.”

  The boy whimpered, trembling. One of Logan’s men — a huge figure — landed another brutal punch to the boy’s ribs.

  “Next time, it won’t be your ribs.” Logan’s words were ice.

  Then his eyes drifted — spotting Darren.

  “Well, look who’s early,” Logan smirked. “Come here.”

  Darren walked forward slowly, hands shaking as he reached into his bag. He pulled out a stack of cash and handed it over.

  Logan took it, eyes scanning the bills before nodding.

  “Good work… maybe you’re not as useless as I thought.” He snapped his fingers, and another bag was brought over — packed with colorful pills.

  “Same deal. Don’t screw this up.”

  Darren nodded, trembling. Logan turned back to the bleeding kid.

  “Get lost, Darren. I’m busy.”

  The feed flickered slightly, Darren backing away until he slipped out the door.

  The room was silent.

  Everyone had seen it. The violence. The money. The drugs. The reality of what Logan was.

  “Shit,” Jonah breathed. “This guy’s a monster.”

  Kai leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, eyes sharp but calm.

  “Now we know.”

  Without waiting, Kai grabbed his phone and called Darren. The connection was instant.

  “You did good,” Kai’s voice was steady.

  On the other end, Darren’s voice cracked. “You… you saw everything, right?”

  “Yes.”

  A heavy breath, then Darren’s voice broke — desperate, panicked. “I can’t do this… I’m telling you, Logan’s dangerous. I’m only alive ‘cause I lie to him. I use my own money, make it look like business is good — so he doesn’t…” Darren trailed off.

  “So he doesn’t hurt you,” Kai finished for him.

  Darren didn’t answer — but the silence was loud enough.

  Felix looked at Kai, eyes wide. “Logan’s not playing… If we make the wrong move—”

  Kai raised a hand, silencing him.

  “I know. That’s why we don’t move… until I decide where the first crack will be.”

  He glanced back at the frozen screen — Logan standing like a king over a crumbling kingdom.

  Jonah swallowed hard.

  “So… what now?”

  Kai leaned back, his mind already racing.

  “Now… we build the noose. And when it tightens, Logan won’t even know he’s choking until it’s too late.”

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