## Chapter 3: Aftermath and Revelations

The cafeteria was a tableau of stunned silence. Trays lay forgotten, half-eaten meals congealing on the tables. Seth stood frozen, his heart hammering in his chest. Shane, clutching his jaw, glared at him with a mix of fury and disbelief. The rest of the Grizzlies looked on, a mixture of shock and dawning aggression spreading across their faces.

Suddenly, the cafeteria doors swung open with a bang. Principal Roy, his face flushed with anger, stormed in. "What's the meaning of this?!" he roared, his voice cutting through the stunned silence.

Seth braced himself for the reprimand, for expulsion even. However, Roy's initial rage seemed tempered by a flicker of recognition when he saw Seth. "Mr. Seong, what have you gotten yourself into?" he questioned, his voice laced with a hint of concern.

Seth mumbled a confused explanation, but it was Shane who cut him off, spitting out threats through his throbbing jaw. "You'll pay for this, Seong! The Grizzlies don't take kindly to new blood drawing first blood."

Ignoring Shane's empty threats, Roy ushered Seth out of the cafeteria, his face grim. Potential suspension loomed large, a complication Seth hadn't anticipated.

Later that evening, after narrowly escaping expulsion thanks to Roy's old friendship with his father, Seth found himself on the rooftop. The setting sun cast an orange glow over the sprawling cityscape, painting the buildings in a kaleidoscope of colors. He was lost in thought, replaying the day's events, when a figure materialized beside him.

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"Nice punch," said Ryuhei, his voice laced with a hint of amusement.

Seth turned to him, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "You shouldn't have let me do that," he said, a touch of regret in his voice.

Ryuhei shook his head. "You did what most wouldn't dare. You stood up to the Grizzlies, stood up to Paradise Limited, in a way."

He paused, his gaze flickering across the cityscape. "I have my own reasons for disliking Paradise Limited," he confessed.

Seth looked at him, intrigued. Ryuhei hesitated for a moment, then launched into his story.

"Before coming here, my family was in Japan. My father, a brilliant scientist, was offered a dream job at Paradise Limited. We moved to Samarat, excited for a new beginning. But within days, my father vanished. Disappeared without a trace. Paradise Limited claims he walked out, but I know better."

A spark of anger glinted in Ryuhei's dark eyes. "Samarat is a city divided," he continued. "There are four major gangs vying for control. The Grizzlies rule the center, the Monsters hold the north, the Revengers control the south, and the Alphas dominate the east and west."

Seth digested this information, a sense of the city's complex power structure starting to form.

"And you think Paradise Limited is pulling the strings?" he asked, a question hanging heavy in the air.

Ryuhei nodded grimly. "They have their claws in everything. They control the gangs, the businesses, even the schools."

Then, Seth felt compelled to share his own story. He spoke of his brother, Liam, a police officer investigating a secret drug operation run by Paradise Limited. He spoke of the night Liam and their mother were murdered by Jaebom, the leader of the Novacrest Parasites, a crew backed by Paradise Limited.

A tense silence descended upon them as Seth finished his story. He looked at Ryuhei, his eyes filled with a burning desire for revenge.

To his surprise, Ryuhei met his gaze with a newfound respect. "You have guts, Seong," he said, a hint of admiration in his voice. "And an enemy we both share."

A spark of understanding passed between them. In that shared moment, a tentative alliance was forged, a bond solidified by a common enemy and a thirst for justice. The fight against Paradise Limited had just begun.