After several turns, they entered an alleyway so tight that two people could barely walk side by side.
Laundry lines stretched overhead between leaning buildings. Cracked walls pressed in from both sides, and puddles of murky water reflected the dull gray sky. Sowhere nearby, rats scurried through trash piles.
"This is it, boss," Reth said quietly.
At first glance, the place looked like nothing more than a dead end. Broken crates were stacked against one wall, and old posters peeled off the bricks. But Harlan stepped forward with confidence, brushing aside a hanging cloth near the corner.
Behind it was a narrow wooden door, so weathered it blended almost perfectly with the surrounding wall.
If you didn’t know it was there, you’d walk right past.
Kain glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one had followed them.
Harlan raised his hand and knocked.
Not loudly.
Just three soft taps, spaced evenly.
They waited.
Aiden studied the door in silence. There were no markings, no signs, nothing to suggest this was anything special. Yet the way the brothers stood, alert but calm, told him this wasn’t their first ti dealing with this place.
A few seconds passed.
Then more.
Just as Aiden was about to speak, he heard it.
A faint scrape from the other side, followed by the muted sound of a bolt sliding free.
The door opened a crack.
A single eye appeared in the darkness beyond, sharp and wary, scanning their faces one by one.
Harlan leaned forward slightly. "We’re here about the property."
The eye lingered on bone fist and Aiden’s masked face for a mont longer than the others.
Then the door slowly opened wider.
They were greeted by a massive man the mont they stepped inside.
He was built like a walking wall, broad shoulders stretching his sleeveless vest, thick arms crossed over a chest that looked harder than stone. A long scar ran from his jaw down to his neck, and his eyes carried the dull calm of soone who had broken plenty of bones without feeling a thing.
He didn’t speak at first.
He simply looked them over.
The hidden door creaked open just wide enough for a massive figure to step through.
The man was huge.
Broad shoulders stretched his sleeveless vest tight, and thick scars ran across his arms like pale ropes. His neck was almost as wide as his head, and his shaved scalp glead faintly in the dim light. One look was enough to tell that this wasn’t soone who talked much, he was the kind who solved problems with his fists.
His cold eyes swept over Harlan, Reth, and Kain before settling on Aiden.
Then they shifted to Bone Fist.
The big man paused.
Bone Fist stood silently behind Aiden, his mask expressionless, posture straight. Fully equipped in leather armor, with wrapped hands and reinforced boots, he looked like a seasoned martial artist acting as a personal bodyguard. There was nothing about him that suggested he wasn’t alive, no sll, no stiffness, no hesitation in his movents.
Just quiet pressure.
The big man felt it imdiately.
"...Follow ," he said gruffly.
He turned without waiting for a reply.
They stepped inside.
The door shut behind them with a heavy thud, sealing out the alleyway noise. Inside was a narrow corridor lit by oil lamps set into the walls. The air slled faintly of incense mixed with sweat and old wood. Their footsteps echoed softly as they walked deeper in.
The big man led from the front, moving with the confidence of soone who knew every corner of this place. Harlan and the others followed closely, while Aiden walked in the middle, Bone Fist half a step behind him like a shadow.
They passed several closed doors along the way.
From behind so of them ca muted voices. From others, only silence.
Aiden kept his gaze forward, committing every turn to mory.
After a short walk, the corridor opened into a wider hall. At the far end stood another door—larger, reinforced with iron bands. Two guards flanked it, each holding short blades. They straightened when they saw the big man approaching.
"He’s inside," one of them said.
The big man gave a single nod.
He pushed the door open.
Warm light spilled out, along with the scent of expensive tea.
"Boss," the big man announced. "We have a costurs wanted to talk."
Aiden stepped forward calmly, Bone Fist following without a word.
Inside the room, warm lantern light reflected off polished wooden floors and silk curtains.
A fat man lounged on a wide chair at the center, dressed in expensive robes trimd with gold thread. Rings crowded his fingers, and a thick jade pendant rested against his chest. One arm was draped lazily around a beautiful woman sitting on his lap, her red dress cut just enough to show smooth shoulders and long legs. She fed him grapes one by one, smiling softly, clearly used to this kind of life.
This was the boss.
His small eyes lifted as Aiden entered, sweeping over the group with practiced calm. They lingered briefly on Bone Fist, narrowing just a little before returning to Aiden.
The boss chuckled.
"So," he said, his voice smooth but heavy, "what kind of business brings you to my place?"
Aiden stepped forward without hesitation. "I’m here to buy one of your hideouts in this district."
The boss raised an eyebrow, then laughed, patting the woman on her waist.
"Oh? Buying property from isn’t cheap," he said. "That’ll cost you a lot of gold coins."
Aiden nodded once. "That’s fine."
He then nad the location.
For a mont, the boss looked thoughtful. Then realization crossed his face.
"Oh," he said slowly. "Now I rember."
His gaze shifted past Aiden, settling on Reth and Kain.
"You two," the boss said, pointing with a thick finger. "Didn’t you co here yesterday?"
Reth stiffened. Kain swallowed.
"Yes, sir," Reth replied carefully. "We asked about that place."
The boss leaned back in his chair, eyes half-lidded, studying them like rchandise.
"I rember you three brothers," he murmured.
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