Passion (BL Novel)

It was hot. While sitting by the window reading a newspaper, the golden sunlight streaming down directly onto my right cheek made half of my face burn, even though it was already nearing dusk.
Despite that, I continued flipping through the newspaper in silence, not paying much attention, until I felt a gaze on me. The intense sunlight was one thing, but the itchy, probing gaze was even harder to endure. I lifted my eyes from the newspaper and traced the direction of the stare that was aimed at me. A woman, seated a bit farther away, was staring at me while glancing at her watch as though waiting for someone. But as soon as I looked up, her gaze, which had been slightly off-center, landed on me, and it was then that I realized she wasn’t looking at me at all.

Her gaze was fixed on the thick, angular pillar next to where I sat. More precisely, she had been checking herself out in the mirror mounted on the pillar’s sides. She was simply inspecting her appearance, nothing more.
Unconsciously following her gaze, I looked at the pillar, only to find my reflection in the mirror. I frowned without realizing it.
"Quite the sight..." I muttered to myself.

The reason the woman flinched as soon as our eyes met became clear in the mirror. My face was horribly swollen and disfigured. My eyelids, temples, jaw, and every part of my face were bruised—red, yellow, and blue. My lips were split with dried blood clinging to them. The original shape of my face, which wasn’t particularly bad-looking and allowed me to hold my head high anywhere, had vanished completely. Now, it was barely recognizable.
And below this bloated face, I wore a ragged suit. At this point, I looked like the lowest-level pawn of some mafia. No one around here would believe it, but just half a day ago, my face had been perfectly fine. A few minor bruises or cuts from unavoidable situations were all I had, but this morning, I didn’t look like someone you’d want to avoid.
It takes a fair bit of time for the body to heal, but it can be ruined in an instant.

It was a late morning, with only an hour left before noon, when everything happened. I was resting in the lounge, listening to music, when two colleagues, who I wasn’t particularly close with, started fighting right next to me. They weren’t kids; they were grown men, so I had no intention of interfering. They were responsible for their own actions. When their scuffle caused my chair to rock violently and nearly throw me off, I didn’t even utter a word to stop them. All I said was, "If you want to fight, take it outside."
But then, one of them said, "That bastard is one of those European fuckers."
And just like that, in the middle of their fight, they turned their aggression toward me. Without realizing it, I got a few punches in return, and I couldn’t hold back my anger in the unjust situation. I hit back hard. The absurdity was everywhere. They suddenly teamed up to attack me, even though the person they hated was the "European bastard," not me. But they didn’t have the guts to face him, so they picked me as their target instead.

'Did these idiots eat something rotten, or did they throw away their common sense? Where did they leave it? Get it back, damn it!'
My shout, as I punched them back, wasn’t just directed at the two of them. It was also meant for the others standing around watching, not bothering to stop the fight. Some of them were even colleagues from my team. That was what really got under my skin.
In the end, after beating them up, I got my fair share of hits too. I got patched up in the medical room, but a little while later, my face swelled up and bruises began to form, a clear reminder of what happened. This was on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

If I had known this would happen, I would’ve preferred to just fight tomorrow instead. I rubbed my face, thinking about that. My swollen chin hurt just from the light touch of my fingers. I had an appointment tonight. A broker, whom I met through Alta, had contacted me to say that my order had arrived, so we scheduled a meeting for today. I planned to go out to Hong Kong on a boat later in the afternoon to meet him.
Although he wasn’t someone I had to be formal with, I still wanted to show respect. ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) The meeting place was at the lobby of a five-star hotel—though we were going to move to another location afterward. It wasn’t a situation or place where I should be showing my battered face, especially not after the fight.
"Damn it. If I was going to fight, I should’ve waited until tomorrow," I muttered, rubbing my face.

Though I wasn’t exactly proud of how I looked, I had never been called ugly before, and now my face was beyond ugly, to the point where it didn’t even resemble a human face anymore.
As I stood there in front of the mirror, I bitterly muttered and wiped my face. Just as I did, a man approached behind me like a shadow. His piercing gaze met mine in the reflection of the mirror.
"What's so pretty about that face of yours, looking at yourself from every angle like that?" he sneered.

"Did you get lost in the bathroom or spill something on your pants? What’s your problem all of a sudden?"
Just the movement of my mouth to respond made my temples throb in pain. It seemed my face had really been ruined. As I stared at the mirror, speaking indifferently, the man glared at me fiercely before sitting down on a nearby one-person couch.
"You dragged me all the way to Hong Kong and now you’re not even showing up to meet anyone, huh? If you’re just out here wasting my time, I’ll make sure you pay for it."
"I’m not here to waste my precious time playing with you, sorry, but I’d rather pass," I retorted, shaking my head dismissively.

I wasn’t interested in spending time with someone who was obsessed with guns and called himself my lover. Not in the least. The gun enthusiast, Moro, glared at me, his eyes burning with anger.
"I’m not some disease carrier, you know?! And I have no intention of sharing any love for my beauties with you! Damn it, on a precious Saturday like this, I should be cleaning and maintaining my beautiful guns, not wasting time with you. Hand over the Colt! I’ll go back as soon as I get it!"
"Just wait, he’ll be here soon… Ouch."

I was shaken roughly by Moro’s grip on my collar. The impact of my back hitting the chair caused pain to shoot through my face. I couldn’t help but grimace. After everything, my face, which had been severely bruised, was aching from the treatment. Moro, realizing the pain I was in, clicked his tongue and finally released his grip.
"I really don’t want to be with you. If I hang around a sharp stone, it’s bound to cut me eventually."
Though I knew I had thrown the boomerang first, his words pierced my heart like a dagger. I cradled my face in my hands and hunched my body. I wanted to scream that I wasn’t that type of person and that my situation hadn’t changed, but I knew it would sound hollow.

"Couldn’t we have just had a peaceful weekend without getting near the sharp stones? Why bring it up now, Moro, you bastard?"
I murmured as I covered my face with both hands. Now that I thought about it, I was always near the sharp stone during weekdays, but on weekends, the sharp stone would leave for Hong Kong right after finishing work on Friday and wouldn’t return until Sunday night—or sometimes Monday morning. That’s when I’d have my peaceful days away from the sharp stone. Still, I couldn't help but be reminded of it because of other people, constantly talking about the 'European bastard' and always bringing up the sharp stone when they saw me.
I had to admit to myself: they probably didn’t hate him. They probably liked him, and that’s why they couldn’t stop talking about him. But I couldn’t say it aloud, or I’d get into serious trouble.

Moro clicked his tongue as he stared at me with pity.
"You're smart in your own way, but sometimes you do stupid things I just can't understand. You walk right up to a cliff when the path ahead is clear, and you’re just asking for trouble."
"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, it doesn’t seem like you’re even trying to succeed. If that’s the case, you should at least stay away from the sharp stone and hide among the pebbles for your own safety. But why do you go to the sharp stone, get beaten by the pebbles, and then crushed by the stone too?"
I glanced at him, slightly annoyed by his words, but Moro didn’t let up. He wasn’t wrong though. I didn’t have anyone to support me, not anymore. Even the colleagues who used to be on my side were gone. And this 'league'... well, they didn’t see me as an ally anymore, that’s for sure.
Moro clicked his tongue again, his expression hardening.

"Do you really think that crazy guy, Rigor, sees you as an ally?" he asked.
Before I could answer, the broker, who had been leading the way, turned to look at me.
"Wait, what's with your face? I almost didn’t recognize you. Who’s the brave soul who dared to hit someone from UNHRDO like that?"

I kept my mouth shut, swallowed my words, and tried to stay calm. Of course, the person responsible for my physical pain wasn’t part of the team, but he sure had contributed to my mental torment. Moro clicked his tongue again, but I knew he wasn’t really worried about me.
We arrived at the hotel room, and as soon as the broker pulled out the Colt, Moro immediately moved towards it, as though the rest of the world didn’t matter.
In the lobby, while I absentmindedly stared at the boards with their simple, sleek lettering, my face swollen and bruised, no one paid attention to me. Busy people, dressed in suits, murmured into their phones in languages I couldn’t understand as they passed by. Only the neatly dressed security guard seemed to notice me, but he didn’t approach immediately.

"Can I help you, sir?" he asked, after watching me for a few minutes.
I pointed at the sign. "T&R Ine…"
"Oh, that place just opened recently," the guard said. "Do you need something from there? If you’re looking for someone, I can contact them for you."

"No, nothing like that... I’ll go up if I think of something."
His suspicious gaze was clear, but I just sighed and stepped back.
Moro and the broker were getting along too well. Both of them shared a passion for weapons, so they seemed like lifelong friends. Their conversation about guns stretched far beyond what I understood. I had some knowledge, but it was nothing compared to them. The world of enthusiasts was a deep one.

I left them to talk and stepped out of the room. There was no reason for me to stay any longer since the Colt had already been paid for months ago. Outside, I stood silently as I waited for the doorman to approach.
As I stared at the buildings, a strange feeling tugged at me. Something about the twin buildings across the way caught my attention.
I wasn’t sure why, but I felt like I needed to check them out. It was a small, almost insignificant feeling, but I couldn’t shake it off.

I had a good instinct. My uncle had always said I had a knack for picking up on things, and today, that feeling was telling me something.
I walked towards the twin buildings, not because I had a concrete reason, but because that small, nagging feeling in the back of my mind told me to. It wasn’t something I could easily explain, but it seemed important, even if it was just a fleeting thought.
As I walked closer, the buildings stood side by side, almost identical in their towering height. The sleek glass façades reflected the surrounding skyscrapers, and the bustling traffic below seemed distant, as though the world outside had no place within their steel and concrete walls. There was a coldness to them, almost too perfect, too symmetrical, and it bothered me in a way I couldn’t fully grasp.

It wasn’t until I reached the foot of the building, standing at the intersection where the sharp line of the sidewalk met the glistening glass, that I noticed something odd. The buildings were positioned at such an angle that from where I stood, they blocked the view of the streets behind them, as if they were intentionally constructed to obscure what lay beyond. I frowned, taking in the sight of the twin buildings side by side.
My attention shifted to the sign on the corner of the street: "T&R Ine." The name had caught my eye earlier, but now, standing at the base of the building, I felt an unfamiliar tension. The kind of tension that didn’t come from the obvious—no alarms, no obvious danger—but from something deeper, something more intangible.
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I stared at the two buildings. A small part of me told me this was simply paranoia, that there was nothing to worry about, that it was just a random coincidence. But another part of me, the part that trusted my instincts, told me otherwise.

I turned on my heel and walked back, trying to shake off the unease creeping up on me. The last thing I wanted was to get caught up in some unnecessary conspiracy or wild goose chase. But something about the twin buildings, the sign, and the way they seemed to loom over the street with an almost oppressive force stuck with me.
I reached the hotel entrance, the doorman nodding as I approached. I gave him a half-hearted smile, barely acknowledging him before stepping inside. The lobby was luxurious, but it felt distant, detached, as if the grandiose surroundings didn’t matter anymore. My mind was still on the buildings, the lingering suspicion gnawing at me.
The broker and Moro were already inside the hotel, their voices muffled by the walls as I entered. I was still shaken, trying to push the thoughts away, but they refused to leave. The buildings. The sign. The feeling. It all seemed connected somehow, and I couldn’t stop wondering what it meant.

I shook my head. "Focus," I told myself, walking towards the elevator.
As the doors closed behind me, I leaned against the wall, rubbing my sore face. The throbbing pain had settled a little, but it still lingered, reminding me of everything that had happened earlier. The fight, the bruises, the sudden mess that had come crashing into my day. But those thoughts seemed so trivial now compared to the lingering feeling of discomfort.
When the elevator reached the upper floors, I stepped out and made my way toward the room where the broker and Moro had gone. I knocked lightly on the door before entering. Inside, the atmosphere was different. There was a sense of urgency in the air, and as soon as the door opened, I could see the broker’s face. His earlier lighthearted demeanor had vanished, replaced by a more serious, focused expression.

"You're here," he said, glancing at me before looking back at Moro. "Let’s get to it."
I nodded, but my mind was elsewhere. The twin buildings. The strange feeling that had been growing since I first saw them.
"Everything alright?" the broker asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed me.

"Yeah, just... thinking," I replied, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. But even as I said the words, I knew my thoughts weren’t truly on the task ahead.
As they began discussing the details of the transaction, I glanced out the window, my mind drifting back to the buildings below. Something was off. I couldn’t place it, but I knew I couldn’t ignore it.
The broker continued talking, but his words became background noise as I tried to piece together the fragments of my thoughts. The feeling that something wasn’t right. The buildings. The sign. The connections I wasn’t seeing yet.

And then, as if to add fuel to the fire of suspicion, the phone in my pocket buzzed. I pulled it out, glancing at the screen. A message from Alta.
"Have you seen the new development in T&R Ine? You should check it out. Something big’s happening."
My heart skipped a beat.

I looked back at the broker, his back to me as he leaned over to discuss something with Moro. My thoughts raced. This was no coincidence. I had to find out what was going on at T&R Ine, and I needed to do it quickly.
I stood up abruptly, excusing myself from the room. The broker looked at me, his eyes narrowing, but I didn’t wait for him to say anything. I was already out the door, my mind set on the path ahead.
This wasn’t just a transaction anymore. This was something bigger.

Something was happening, and I was going to find out what it was.
I didn’t wait for the elevator this time. Instead, I took the stairs down, my steps echoing in the quiet hallway. My mind was spinning with thoughts. The message from Alta, the odd feeling about T&R Ine, the sense of impending danger—everything was converging into one tight knot of unease.
As I reached the lobby, I didn’t glance at the doorman or the bustling crowds around me. I was focused, intent on figuring out what was going on with that building, with the whole situation. The more I thought about it, the more the pieces didn’t add up. I could feel something significant happening, but I wasn’t sure exactly what.

I stepped outside, my eyes immediately scanning the street for any signs of activity, anything unusual. The twin buildings loomed over the city, their glass exteriors reflecting the fading sunlight, and it was as if they were calling to me. I couldn’t ignore them any longer. They seemed to hold some sort of mystery I couldn’t yet unlock, and it was gnawing at me.
I pulled my coat tighter around myself as I made my way down the street, the wind picking up slightly. My thoughts were still racing, but I was determined. I needed answers. I needed to understand why T&R Ine had caught my attention, why it felt like I was being drawn into something larger than I could comprehend.
The closer I got to the buildings, the more my pulse quickened. I could feel the tension in the air, a strange energy that seemed to emanate from the very ground beneath me. There was no denying it now—something was off. Something important was happening here, and I was about to step right into the middle of it.

As I reached the entrance to the building, I took a deep breath. The security guard from earlier was still there, watching the entrance with a sharp, cautious look in his eyes. He hadn’t moved, as though he was waiting for something—or someone. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it.
I approached him, my eyes scanning the entrance before I spoke.
“I’m looking for someone in T&R Ine. Can you help me?” I asked, my voice steady, though my mind was anything but calm.

The guard eyed me for a moment, his gaze lingering on my face. I could see the suspicion in his eyes, but he didn’t ask anything further. Instead, he nodded curtly and stepped aside.
“There’s a visitor’s sign-in sheet just inside. You’ll need to register,” he said, his voice low but firm.
I nodded, pushing the door open and stepping inside. The lobby was sleek, modern, with polished floors that reflected the bright overhead lights. The same cold, imposing feel that I had sensed earlier in the street was here as well. But now, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking into something dangerous.

I approached the front desk, where a woman sat, her eyes scanning the computer screen in front of her. She barely looked up as I approached, but her demeanor was professional.
“I need to see someone in T&R Ine,” I said again, trying to keep my voice calm. “Can you help me?”
The woman looked up at me, her eyes scanning my face briefly. She didn’t ask for my name or any details; instead, she just gestured toward a nearby hallway.

“Go down the hall, second door on your left. But you’ll need to check in with the receptionist on that floor,” she said.
I thanked her quietly and turned down the hallway. The corridor was eerily quiet, the only sound the soft tapping of my footsteps on the polished floors. I was so focused on the path ahead that I almost didn’t notice the subtle vibrations in the air, the sense that something was about to happen. My instincts were screaming at me to turn back, but there was no going back now. I had come too far.
I reached the door, the second one on the left, just as the woman had said. Without hesitation, I pushed it open. Inside, the room was dimly lit, the only illumination coming from a few scattered desk lamps. A single man was seated at a desk, his back to me, and there was an air of secrecy about the place. The walls were lined with filing cabinets and heavy-duty safes, giving the room a sterile, almost clinical feel.

The man at the desk turned slowly, his chair creaking as he did. I recognized him immediately—he was the broker, the one who had been meeting with me earlier. But now, he was different. His face was set in a stern expression, his eyes narrowed as if calculating something in his mind.
“You made it,” he said, his voice low and measured. “I wasn’t sure you would.”
I stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind me. “What’s going on here? What is T&R Ine?” I asked, my voice demanding answers.

The broker didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stood up, his movements slow and deliberate, as if weighing something in his mind.
“You’re not the only one who’s been asking that question,” he said finally. “But there’s a reason you’re here, a reason you’ve been pulled into this. And it’s not something you can just walk away from.”
The words hit me like a punch in the gut. My suspicions were right. I wasn’t here by coincidence. Whatever was going on with T&R Ine, it was bigger than I had imagined—and it was pulling me deeper into a web I couldn’t escape.

“Who else is involved?” I asked, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me.
The broker looked at me, his expression unreadable. "You’ll find out soon enough," he replied, his tone cold.
I could feel the weight of his words settle in the room like a heavy fog. Whatever was happening here, it was about to change everything.

It was a familiar name, though not one that would immediately come to mind for everyone. T&R Ine. The name brought a mix of recognition and confusion, and I couldn’t help but reflect on it. It wasn’t the name of a huge corporation, but it was well-established in certain circles. In the defense industry, it was known for dealing in heavy weaponry rather than personal arms, and though its scale wasn’t enormous, it was a company with significant clout.
The memory of the name resurfaced as I stared at the plaque. Tarten & Riegrow Ine. It had been a long time since I’d heard it, but it suddenly clicked in my mind as I sat there, lost in thought.
“That’s not exactly a common name, but it’s not completely obscure either…” I muttered under my breath, staring at the plaque.

I sat down on one of the benches near a small but well-kept flower bed, still pondering. It was strange to think that, despite my time in the military and my familiarity with the defense sector, I had missed something so significant. This company, the one my older brother helped run, was involved in arms dealing. He had casually mentioned helping with the family business, and I had assumed it was nothing more than selling weapons to small militant groups or getting involved in a few shady deals on the side. But T&R Ine was much more than that. The "Diamond Finger" of the business world, making tens or even hundreds of billions in profit annually, but if you weren’t into the economy or defense industries, you’d never even know their name. But for those in the field, even soldiers from other countries had likely heard of it.
“Wait, so this… Tiger in the cliff thing… yeah, sure, the name might be a curse to me, but I didn’t think I was that much of an enemy to their family,” I continued, muttering to myself. It was all a bit too much.
The name Riegrow didn’t seem to have much connection to the company’s lineage, but still, something about it lingered in the back of my mind. I rubbed my chin as I thought about the connection between the name and T&R Ine.

“Anyway, it’s not like I’ve ever crossed paths with them before,” I muttered, my words trailing off. My fingers unconsciously reached into my jacket pocket, tapping it as if hoping to find a cigarette, but I knew it was pointless. Damn it. I had been so busy that I hadn’t even thought to prepare properly for the evening.
At that moment, a white cigarette was suddenly thrust into my view, and I looked up to see the man who had approached me earlier—Moro—holding it out. I didn’t even look at him as I grabbed it from his hand.
“Right, Moro, you were right,” I muttered bitterly as I lit the cigarette. “It’s not about the name; it’s about where this guy’s been hanging around. A tiger’s den indeed. I didn’t realize you were leading me into something like this, but now I understand.”

I could almost feel Moro’s smug grin as I muttered to myself. I didn’t even look at him as I lit the cigarette and took a drag. He was still standing behind me, and I could hear him chuckling to himself.
"You look like a mess," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "You haven’t changed much in a day, but your face…"
"I’ve been getting used to it, you know," I replied dryly, the bitterness evident in my tone. "Since I got assigned a new trainer, it’s become routine to look like this."

He snickered, clearly amused. His eyes scanned me, lingering on my disfigured face. I could feel his gaze as I inhaled deeply, trying to focus on the cigarette.
“Well, I guess you have your reasons," Moro continued with an amused tone, his gaze flickering across me. “But, seriously, with that face of yours... how could anyone not notice the change?"
“I don’t think it’s all that noticeable,” I replied, throwing a half-hearted glance his way. He wasn’t interested in my answer, though. He was more focused on his own thoughts.

Moro leaned against the bench, still chuckling, and I could feel his amusement radiating off him. His laughter, though, was unsettling. I didn’t need to look at him to know he was enjoying this far too much.
"Why the hell are you even here, Moro? What do you want from me?" I asked, my patience running thin.
He didn’t answer right away, instead taking a drag from his own cigarette. "Just... you know, making sure you're not dead. Not that I care," he said, the sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Yeah, right. You don’t care, but you’re still here, huh?"
I heard him snort behind me. “Look, I told you, you shouldn’t be here. But since you are, why not make the best of it? Not everyone gets to wander into the middle of a mess like this. It’s not exactly something I’d call 'safe.'"
"Safe?" I muttered, flicking the ash off my cigarette. “Do you think I’m not aware of that?”

He nodded, tapping the cigarette against the bench. “So, what’s next for you? Just dealing with whatever comes your way? You’re really out of your league here.”
"I know," I replied, sighing deeply as I took another drag. “But I don’t have much of a choice.”
Moro, still leaning against the bench, eyed me closely. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that, but okay. You’re right. It’s your call. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

A part of me was grateful for his warning, though I hated to admit it. He wasn’t wrong. The path I had found myself on wasn’t one I could easily walk away from, no matter how much I wanted to.
We sat in silence for a moment, both lost in our own thoughts. The quiet hum of the city filled the air as the evening drew closer, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
Eventually, I stood up, flicking my cigarette butt onto the ground and crushing it with my heel.

“Well,” I muttered, glancing over at Moro, “I guess I’ll head back to work now. I’ve got more than enough on my plate already.”
Moro didn’t say anything, but the way he looked at me told me he wasn’t done with this. Not by a long shot.
“Yeah,” he said quietly, “work. That’s one way to look at it."

As I turned to leave, I couldn’t help but feel like I was walking into the eye of a storm—one that I wasn’t prepared for, but one that I couldn’t avoid either. It was a dangerous game, and I was in deeper than I ever expected.
I walked away from the bench, my steps steady but my mind swirling with a thousand thoughts. The night air was thick, heavy with the weight of everything I’d just learned. The city around me seemed to fade into the background as I processed the conversations, the ominous feeling that had followed me from the moment I stepped into this building, and the name that seemed to keep echoing in my head: T&R Ine. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was standing at the edge of something far more dangerous than I had ever imagined.
Diamond Finger.

The words resonated within me, each syllable a reminder of just how deep I was about to get pulled into this world. I couldn’t even say I was surprised anymore; after everything that had happened today, it felt like I had been heading toward this moment all along. But knowing something and understanding it were two very different things. And I wasn’t sure if I was ready for what came next.
I reached the building’s entrance, the harsh neon lights outside cutting through the fog of my thoughts. The doorman greeted me, his face impassive as always, but I barely registered his presence. My mind was too consumed by everything I had just learned, everything that was now in motion.
I didn’t stop to talk to anyone else as I made my way to the elevator, pressing the button with a little too much force. The doors slid open, and I stepped inside, my reflection staring back at me in the polished metal. My face, swollen and bruised, reminded me that I wasn’t the same person who had walked in here just a few hours ago.

The elevator hummed as it descended, and I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but this felt... inevitable. Like something was waiting for me, and I was being dragged toward it, step by step. The quiet buzz in the back of my mind told me that I was right to be uneasy, but I couldn’t stop myself from moving forward. Not now. Not after everything.
When the elevator reached the ground floor, I stepped out and walked briskly toward the exit, the cool evening air greeting me as I pushed through the revolving door. The city streets were busy, as usual, but everything felt distant. The noise, the people rushing by—they all seemed like they belonged to another world now, one that I was no longer a part of.
I needed answers. And the only way I was going to get them was to dig deeper, to get closer to T&R Ine. But that would mean playing a game with people who didn’t play by the rules I was used to. It wasn’t just about survival anymore; it was about understanding what this whole operation was really about. And that meant getting my hands dirty.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, staring at the screen. The message from Alta was still there, the words clear: "Have you seen the new development in T&R Ine? You should check it out. Something big’s happening."
It felt like a call to action, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a surge of determination. If Alta knew something I didn’t, if there was more to this than I was being told, then I needed to find out what it was. I had no idea what kind of game I was stepping into, but I knew that I couldn’t sit back and watch from the sidelines anymore.
I turned and started walking, my mind racing with possibilities. What was the connection between T&R Ine and the military? What did the weapons have to do with it? And why had I been pulled into this web?

A part of me wanted to call it quits, to turn back before I got too deep, but that was the coward’s way out. I wasn’t going to run from this. Not now. Not after everything I’d already seen.
As I walked down the street, I passed a few busy restaurants and cafés, the scent of street food filling the air, but it felt like I was walking in a haze, my thoughts too consumed by the chaos I was about to unleash. There was something dangerous brewing in the background, something I hadn’t fully grasped yet. But I would. I had to. I needed to.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed again. A new message.

This time, it was from Moro.
"If you're really going to dive into this, don't expect it to be pretty. Trust no one. Not even me."
I stopped dead in my tracks, the weight of the message sinking in. Moro wasn’t the type to offer advice—at least, not in this way. His words felt like a warning. And I realized that, as much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I couldn’t trust anyone—not even him. Not in a game like this.

I stood there for a moment, letting the reality of what I was about to do settle in. This was bigger than I had ever expected. But I wasn’t turning back. I couldn’t.
With a deep breath, I pocketed my phone and continued walking. I had a meeting to get to. And whatever was waiting for me there, I was ready to face it head-on.