William, Cain, and Jane moved silently between the rocks, avoiding the dim torchlights from the guards. Ahead of them, three men stood by a side entrance to the wall, smoking and chatting carelessly.
With a quick signal from William, Jane moved first. His movements were ghost-like, completely silent as he approached the nearest guard, his short blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. Before the man realized what was happening, he collapsed, lifeless.
Cain appeared behind the second guard in an instant, covering his mouth to prevent him from screaming while sinking a dagger deep into his throat. The third guard turned to call for help, but an arrow from William struck his neck, sending him to his knees, choking before he fell motionless.
Cain looked at the bodies, then at the uniforms the guards were wearing. He turned to William with a smirk. "Well, we've got our disguises now. But do you really think they won't recognize you if you keep your hair like that?" He gestured at William's neatly kept hair, which stood out against the gang's rough, unkempt appearance.
William ignored his comment but ran a hand through his hair, messing it up slightly. Then, without a word, he took a knife and cut off a portion of it. Cain let out a short chuckle while the three of them put on the guards' clothes and dragged the bodies into the shadows before slipping inside.
⸻
Inside the Colony, in the Dark Alleys
The three moved cautiously, pretending to be part of the gang while listening to the conversations around them. The scattered talk carried certain words that kept repeating: "the children," "the sects," and "training."
They positioned themselves at a corner where they could observe without drawing attention. In the inner courtyard, a large iron cage held several children. Their faces bore a mix of fear and emptiness. Some were bleeding, while others stared blankly as if they had lost all hope.
"Those kids… Where did they take them from?" Cain muttered, his voice laced with restrained anger.
Jane, who had been eavesdropping on two gang members nearby, answered calmly, "They take them from their families, but it's not just about kidnapping… They train them to become killers."
Cain and William exchanged looks before Jane continued in a low voice, "Their minds are broken and reshaped, turning them into merciless soldiers. Once they are ready, they are sent to kill their own families—especially those from the righteous sects."
Cain clenched his fist tightly, while William tried to grasp the horror of it all.
"So… this gang isn't just a bunch of criminals. They're weapons in the hands of the Phoenix sect," William whispered.
"The real question is…" Cain smirked slightly, but his eyes burned with anger. "Do we keep sneaking around… or do we start the party now?"
William glanced once more at the cage, then at the guards nearby before replying firmly, "We gather more intel. We need to know who's leading them. And then… we burn this hell to the ground."
⸻
Hidden in the darkness, the three continued their mission, drawing closer to the truth—step by step, inch by inch—toward the inevitable explosion to come.