Through an Underground Way...

The woman, silent, her swords in their scabbards, her muffler still on, led the way. A bit farther behind followed Zak, with Sunny carrying Miko, who sat on his shoulders. Their path was illuminated by a red smoke torch.

The air inside the underground passage was dense, thick with dampness and the warmth radiating from the brick walls. The darkness pressed in around them, swallowing everything beyond the torch’s reach. Ahead, there was nothing—just a yawning abyss. Their steps squelched in the muddy, slightly flooded floor, the sound blending with the distant chittering of rats. Water seeped into their shoes, numbing their feet. The air carried a damp, earthy scent, tinged with mildew and something metallic—perhaps rust, or blood.

“She seems to know her way around,” Sunny remarked.

“I’ve never heard of these underground passages before,” he added.

“I’m not surprised… she’s a stealth,” Zak said, watching the woman’s back, barely visible in the dim red glow.

“Yeah, definitely. The explosion up there… what do you think it was?” Sunny’s voice held curiosity, but his eyes stayed wary as he sought an answer from Zak.

Zak opened his mouth, then hesitated, his brows furrowing. “I have no idea… but I’ve seen it before. The Taeitia Island people…” He trailed off as Miko suddenly spoke breaking the silence that had held him until now.

“The vial contained a chemical mixture... very reactive substances... I smelled phosphorus...” Miko’s voice was even, interrupted simultaneously by Sunny and Zak.

“How do you that...?”

“What’s phospho... phosphorus?”

But Miko remained silent and Sunny who was pleased the boy had finally spoken, smirked slightly.

“Is that all?” He quickly asked hoping to keep the conversation going, but curiosity still flickering in his tone.

“When she threw it away, the chemicals mixed quickly…The reaction generated a lot of heat and light—a mini explosion. The light was so intense that it blinded everyone temporarily, as did the smoke.” Miko finished.

Zak glanced at Sunny, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Ah, really? Well done, kid,” Sunny marveled, patting Miko’s leg.

“The lady… she’s hurt—I smelled blood on her,” Miko added.

Sunny blinked, his brows knitting together.

“What? Are you sure?”

“No Dodd’s men touched her!” Zak reminded him.

“Go and talk to her. We need to know where she’s leading us,” Sunny said as his eyes lingered on the woman.

Zak took a breath, stepping forward plunging into deep thinking.

“Hey…” The woman’s voice cut through his thoughts as he reached her side.

“How did it happen that they had your child?” she asked without looking at him.

Zak hesitated, caught off guard.

“Um… I don’t know… What? The boy? No… no, he’s not my child!”

She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable beneath the muffler.

“Figured you were his father… I mean, look at both of you.”

Zak let out a breath, his gaze shifting.

“No… I’m saving him, actually.” he said fugitively studying the woman but her expression was veiled by her muffler.

“If it’s not personal, then why are you playing hero?” Her voice came out calm, but there was something behind it—an edge.

“I thought you guys only kill... not waste time saving people...”

Zak’s jaw tightened. He met her eyes, his voice full of confusion.

“What do you mean by ‘you guys only kill’?”

“You’re a bounty hunter, aren’t you?”

Zak’s frown deepened.

“From the Hunters Brotherhood?” She questioned.

Zak’s face lit with a nervous smile.

“How do you know that?”

She exhaled lightly.

“Clean clothes, arrogant… solve any situation with guns…”

Zak let out a dry chuckle.

“Whoa, alright… you must’ve known one.”

“My father used to have a lot of bounty hunter friends from the Eastland,” the woman informed him softly her voice carried something distant as a brief silence settled between them.

Zak broke it.

“What were you doing in there… in the room?”

She didn’t answer. Her eyes remained forward, locked on the tunnel ahead. Zak followed her gaze, staring into the consuming darkness.

“Where does this lead?” he asked, trying to catch any sign of a passage opening.

“Where are you guys going?” she asked instead.

“Um… uh… the dock…?” Zak hesitated.

“East dock!” Sunny called from behind, his voice bouncing slightly off the tunnel walls. He had been listening the whole time.

“In that case, you should continue in this tunnel. Take the next right… then another right. It’s straight forward—you’ll find your way out to the east dock,” she instructed, her voice steady as the smoke torch burned lower.

“Won’t you come with us? Your familiarity with these tunnels would be helpful,” Sunny quickly suggested, his tone shifting slightly as he tried to catch her gaze.

“No… I’ve got unfinished things in the town. To be sure you’re going the right way, listen for the sound of the waves. The tunnel leads directly to the shore, passing under the dock…” she replied, igniting another smoke torch and handing it to Zak.

The red glow painted them in dim light, shadows flickering over their faces. The woman’s black, predatory eyes glistened.

Zak attention quickly shifted to Sunny as he swallowed, gathering his courage.

“My name is...” he said his gaze back to the woman.

But the woman was gone!

The woman disappeared into the darkness, not even the sound of her steps on the muddy floor was heard. Sunny was impressed, and Zak’s expression said the same. They resumed their walk, with Zak leading the way.

In a room at the hotel, The Papel...

Dim candlelight flickered across the room, casting restless shadows against the walls. The late-night black market host sat stiffly at his desk, his fingers drumming impatiently on the wooden surface. Before him stood two men—one of them recognizable as the late commander, his face pale and drawn. He clutched his aching head with one hand, his jaw clenched tight against the pain.

“…are you telling me that The Specter is currently in Verghertown?” the host asked, his voice taut with indignation.

“She was with them…” the commander reported, his words sluggish. His breath hitched as he shifted his weight, his discomfort evident in the twitch at the corner of his eye.

“The bartender seemed to be leading the group…” the second man began, but his sentence was cut short by a sudden voice that thundered through the room as the three men flinched of fear.

“That bastard bartender!...”

From a shadowed corner of the room, a figure stirred.

“Lari, how could you let this situation get so out of hand?” the voice severely called out again tearing trough the darkness before the man himself emerged—standing from his seat abruptly.

The two standing men stiffened, their shoulders drawing inward instinctively.

“Sir! I didn’t know you... you were visiting us today,” Mr. Lari stammered, shooting up from his seat.

The man stepped forward, his face hardened, his demeanor commanding as he eyeing the men.

“I entrusted you with the task of selling my guns, not losing them, gentlemen,” he thundered as he approached the desk.

“Sir… it’s entirely my fault…” The commander said quickly, his voice laced with fear.

“They disappeared down a dead-end street just as a blinding light and smoke engulfed them,” the second man reported.

“Smoke?” The man’s eyes gleamed.

“Camouflage!” he muttered, almost to himself, before his face hardened again.

“Look for an exit… this time on the ground,” he snapped, his frustration manifesting in the sharpness of his tone.

“There are underground passages running all through the town. You should have informed them,” he added, his gaze locking onto Mr. Lari.

“Hurry!” he ordered slamming his hand on the desk, his voice slicing through the room like a blade.

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“Everyone, on it. The Specter must meet her end tonight. She dares to return to Verghertown!” His nostrils flared, his fists clenching at his sides, the commander and his man already at the door.

Mr. Lari hesitated for a moment before speaking, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Dodd, if I may say… I think our top priority should be the boy,” he suggested, swallowing hard.

Dodd’s gaze snapped to him, his expression rude.

“Of course, you fool! I want the boy alive—and The Specter, dead or alive,” he bellowed.

From a rooftop...

The Specter lay prone on the rooftop, peering through a small spyglass at Mr. Lari’s office on the hotel’s upper floor. She didn’t linger on the other occupants’ faces—only Dodd’s.

The sky was clear, the almost-full moon rose steadily, casting a silvery glow across the roof tiles, illuminating her silhouette as she turned the spyglass back to Dodd’s face frequently, until she finally had the courage to linger on it for a moment. At first, she wasn’t nervous, but as she watched the slightly older man, a wave of emotion washed over her.

She witnessed all the scenes that took place in Mr. Lari’s office. When the commander and his men left, she grabbed a small outstretched crossbow. The moment she pulled the trigger, a grappling hook shot forward a rope trailing behind it as it flew whistling. On impact, it lodged into the wall. She checked the rope, pulled her muffler back, then grabbed onto it and began to slide toward the hotel building.

As she slid, her speed increased and she descended faster toward the building. When she got too close, she aimed her legs forward and burst through the office’s window as it wooden frame and the windowpanes exploded, glass scattered in thousands clinking.

In the Underground Passage...

Zak led the way, right following him Sunny barefoot, his pants folded up revealing his prosthetic. Miko walked with difficulty beside him, struggling in his oversized boots.

The passage became narrowed, the floor slightly flooded as they walked in silence.

After a moment, the sound of waves faintly reached them.

“Hold on!” Zak called out. Sunny and Miko halted immediately.

“The water level’s still rising…” Zak observed, concerned, his boots now completely submerged. His voice echoed through the tunnel.

“What are you seeing up ahead?” Sunny asked.

“Nothing… it’s all darkness.” Zak’s concern was visible. He took a few more steps and noticed the water climbing higher, creeping up his legs.

Zak stopped. The water was now at his knees.

“The waves sound far, but we’re close to the exit. Let me see,” Sunny said. He waded forward, passed Zak, and dove into the darkness.

A few moments later, he reappeared, shivering with amusement, his clothes soaked.

“It might be high tide… the exit is submerged in seawater,” Sunny informed them.

“We’ll need another way out,” he added.

“I think this is the quickest way to reach the dock…” Zak surmised.

“Besides, none of us are familiar with this underground passage.” Zak’s voice carried his unease.

“Even if we reach the exit, we’ll have to swim past a cell door,” Sunny said, turning his attention to Miko.

“Can you swim?” he asked.

Miko remained silent. The men took it as a “no.”

“Don’t worry…” Zak reassured Miko before turning to Sunny.

“I’ll have to find another way out. It might be a good idea if you go and prepare our means of transport,” Zak suggested.

Sunny nodded in agreement.

In Mr. Lari’s Office...

“Holy shit!” cried Mr. Lari, ducking behind his desk as the window glass shattered violently when the Specter made her entrance. The Duke remained in place, shocked by the woman’s dramatic and violent arrival.

Lari quickly pulled open a drawer of his desk, the clatter of wood alerting the woman. Her hand moved in a blur as she threw a small knife that found its mark in Mr. Lari’s shoulder, making him cry out in pain. As he bled, Dodd immediately abandoned any thought of moving.

“How dare you!” he said, standing in place, surveying the woman’s aimed sword.

“I must admit... I really admire your courage... your fearlessness... but not your temerity,” Dodd managed to say, struggling against the fear creeping in.

The woman motioned with her sword, ordering him to sit down. The Duke complied, his right hand trembling.

She stared at him, her eyes tracing his pale, aging features—his slightly chevroned and dark mustache, the wrinkles on his face betraying his advanced age, yet his hardened figure and rough exterior revealing his force, rigor, and life. His well-treated and neatly cut hair reflected a man still strong for his years. His body language exhibited authority—a dominant male, a predator.

As she stared, anger burned fiercely in her heart. Rage—perhaps from long years past—but amidst it all, there was a yearning for something else. Forgiveness? Maybe even love.

After all these years, he hasn’t aged a day. I’ll hate him for the rest of my life. Get to the point, then get away from that cruel face.

“So, are you just going to stand there and keep looking at me?” asked Dodd, having regained his composure.

But the woman seemed paralyzed, staring at him, her eyes glistening. Her hatred for the man was hidden behind her muffler.

“I didn’t know you admired me so much. Or is that why you keep looting my treasure rooms and stealing everything?” questioned Dodd, remaining on guard, his fear evident.

The young woman stood motionless, unable to utter a word as Lari’s grimaces filled the atmosphere. The temperature in the room seemed to rise as her face beneath the muffler began to sweat, her breathing becoming more labored. Her heart pounded irregularly, her muscles trembling as her anger surged.

Dodd, uneasy and cautious, kept his eyes on the woman’s sword pointed at him, desperately trying to find a way out.

“If you want us to be allies, you don’t need to hide your face anymore...” Dodd said cautiously.

“You’re talented at thievery, and I can offer you a position with me... Let us be partners.” His tone was sincere, yet uneasy, his eyes never leaving the sword she wielded.

“I built your reputation, you know... I gave you the name ‘The Specter,’” Dodd revealed. As his confidence grew, he added,

“Join me... my daughter.”

At Dodd’s last words, the woman’s heartbeat accelerated violently. Her sword trembled before she straightened her grip. Her movements were ruled by emotion as she removed her black muffler, her eyes filled with tears as she looked directly into Dodd’s eyes—and was immediately disappointed.

He doesn’t even recognize me. You’re wrong to think he would, my little girl. Finish him off and put an end to all the suffering he’s caused you and your mother. Come on, say something. You’re not a little girl anymore. Stop it! You’re pathetic!

The woman’s anger, which had momentarily subsided, resurfaced. With effort, she spoke, replacing her muffler, her voice weighed down by disappointment.

“Where’s the Seventh Book of Knowledge?” she asked sternly.

“What?” Dodd asked innocently, frowning.

“Don’t play with me!” she cried, stepping closer, her sword threatening.

“Calm down... calm down! You don’t want to do that...” Dodd tried to dissuade her.

“You have no idea what I want to do—especially to you!” she snapped, her voice loud with rage.

“Honestly, I don’t know the book you’re talking about. I can take you to my library if that’s what you want,” Dodd offered cautiously.

“You seem troubled, your heart weighed down by a burden... I don’t know what you really want from me, but I can offer you my help... my daughter—”

“Stop calling me your daughter!!!” She screamed, making the man flinch in his chair.

He seems to be telling the truth, or he’s using his manipulative skills on us. Oh, believe me, he’s going to regret this!

“Calm down, calm down! I don’t want to hurt you... I’m trying to give you—”

“The young boy, the one you claim is your cousin—who is he? Why have you gathered an entire army to get him back?” she demanded, her voice raging.

“You mean the boy you helped take away?” Dodd asked with a nervous chuckle.

“Believe me, I had nothing to do with kidnapping a child. But I suspect these gentlemen aren’t the bad guys. It’s you!” she declared, her anger not waning in the slightest.

It’s always you!

“You can help me get the boy back... and I’ll also share what I know about the book.... My old man’s memory is fading... I think I’ve heard of this book,” Dodd admitted, his expression conflicted.

He’s manipulating you. I don’t know why we’re still here. I think he’s telling the truth. What, are you losing your mind? He knows the whereabouts of the book, you know that. Don’t tell me you’re believing a word from that man! Do you think he’ll just hand you the book? I never said I wanted to take it from his hand.

Approaching Dodd cautiously, she asked,

“Now, before I resort to violence, tell me why this boy is so important to you.”

The man remained silent, but the expression on his face betrayed his deepest thoughts.

The boy is obviously very important to him—perhaps even indispensable. Maybe he holds the key to discovering the book’s whereabouts. Maybe you’re right.

She stepped forward violently, striking Dodd over the head with the pommel of her sword, leaving him unconscious in the chair. She then turned and left the room, Mr. Lari still grimacing in pain.

In a street near the east dock...

Zak pushed open a rusted circular metal cover of an exit, giving him access to the outside world. He glanced cautiously outside to observe his surroundings. Everything seemed normal: unconscious pedestrians shuffled in the distance, horse-drawn carriages... He dashed forward, leaping into the void.

“Careful! Climb the ladder rungs one by one,” Zak told Miko.

Once Miko had joined him, Zak quickly replaced the cover. But as he stood up, a group of armed men was already approaching, surrounding them. Without hesitation, he shielded Miko and drew his guns in a blur.

“It’s confirmed! You don’t know me!” he exclaimed, wearing a calm smile, clearly aware that the situation could get out of hand.

“I don’t know who you are, and frankly, I don’t care!” barked the commander, his men snickering.

Zak furrowed his brows.

“I thought you were dead!” Zak was genuinely astonished.

“Well, you’re about to be,” the commander retorted as his finger pressing on the trigger.

Suddenly, from the nearest building’s rooftop, The Specter descended from a rope, jumping in mid-air to the ground as her swords danced in blur of silver. The bullets were deflected instantly as she landed beside Miko and Zak.

Most of Dodd’s henchmen were shocked, but the commander seemed unsurprised and prepared to fire his next shots when the woman’s voice reached out.

“Before you try anything, check this,” she said, pointing the pommel of her sword, tainted with blood.

“The Duke is wounded and unconscious, and his accountant is losing blood. I suggest you go and check on them...” she added.

The commander held his fire, his gun still aimed, briefly thoughtful as his men’s eyes turned to him. One of them stepped closer, whispered in his ear, and after a brief nod of approval, the man left with two others.

“Now, I need you to listen carefully—I’ve exhausted my patience,” the commander began, directing his words at Zak.

“Hand over the boy, and you’re free to go—alive!” He spoke with a kind of sincerity in his voice, cutting off his men’s chuckles with a harsh hand gesture.

“How many can you shoot?” the woman quickly asked Zak, her voice almost a whisper.

“None!”

The woman frowned behind her veiled face at Zak’s response.

“The boy’s ears bled last time I—“ Zak began, but she interrupted him.

“I’d be quick to decide if I were you... I can change my mind anytime,” the commander warned.

“Where’s the big guy?” the woman questioned quickly.

“At the dock,” Zak replied, uncertain.

The woman frowned, confusion flashing in her sharp, dark eyes.

“Then I hope you can run...” she said as she moved with fluid precision.

“The dock is down the street!” she shouted furiously charging at Dodd’s henchmen.

Zak reacted immediately, turning his attention to Miko. He was astonished—and proud—to see the young boy already plugging his fingers into his ears. Zak swiftly grabbed him from the hip, Sunny’s boots slipping from the boy’s thin legs as he went in sprint, the henchmen busied by the woman.

The commander, caught off guard by the woman’s unpredictable and brutal move, responded with gunfire, but the bullets never reached her—deflected in rapid succession as she spun in mid-air, twisted through a series of acrobatic flips. Sparks flashed with every strike.

Fear seized the commander as the woman charged straight at him. He stepped back as his men surged forward to meet her. Small knives whistled through the cold air in rapid succession, finding their marks on some of them, who fell back in pain—or fell for good.

The commander reloaded his gun, but before he could fire, the woman abruptly changed direction as she noticed Zak and Miko already escaped the alley. She sprinted toward a nearby wall and in successive leaps she scaled a one-story building, reaching the rooftop with movements that defied natural physics.

Dodd’s henchmen, unable to keep up,

“Forget her! Get the boy!” Shouted the commander.

Quickly, they turned their attention to chasing Zak and Miko instead.

The sky grew a bit cloudy, and a single cloud veiled the moonlight as darkness plunged over the town. The few stars near the horizon flickered in the black sky as Miko, in Zak’s arms, ran toward the dock, Dodd’s henchmen hot on their heels.

For a moment, the dock was in sight. Zak glanced back, his heart racing. Suddenly, the woman reappeared, descending from a rooftop to join him. A smile lit up Zak’s face, but he quickly dismissed it.

On the quay’s protruding platform, Sunny stood at the bow of the only rigged ship in the dock. He noticed them and began waving to attract their attention. The dock hosted shacks, crates, barrels, rickshaws, but it was mostly deserted. One or two people moved between crates, planks, or newly crafted hulls, some restoring or repairing, their presence marked by faint lantern lights. The quay was plunged into darkness, the water at its edge nearly invisible, black, its presence only marked by floating wrecks—some newly built ships, others still under construction. The dock seemed to be used primarily for shipbuilding and repair. The rare sounds of hammering, sawing, or other metallic tools struggled against the noise of the waves softly crashing against the quay.

Just before they engaged in the dock, a convoy of cars arrived at full speed, the horses galloping furiously. The loud screech of wheels drifting left marks on the rocky ground. Men dressed in black suits, most wearing hats, leaped from the wagons even before the vehicles came to a full stop, joining the earlier group with the commander at the head. These newcomers carried rifles and pistols instead of blades.

“They brought more men!” the woman shouted, her muffler shifting with her rapid breaths.

They quickly wove through the shacks, Zak nervously scanning for Sunny. The few dock occupants eyed them warily, some seeking safety as Dodd’s henchmen charged through the area.

“There!” the woman shouted as she spotted Sunny, still waving. Zak allowed himself a small smile, while Miko lit up with a discreet delight at the sight of Sunny, with whom he’d seemingly forged a fatherly bond.

“This is where we part ways,” the woman said.

“I can buy you some time…” she added quickly.

“Goodbye, then… and good luck. My… my name’s Zak,” he said. But the woman seemed not to hear, already heading toward Dodd’s men—fearless.

Sunny jumped off the ship’s deck onto the quay, rushing to meet Zak. He took Miko from Zak’s arms and hurried back to the ship. Zak hosted, looked back—the woman was trapped. Dodd’s men were closing in, circling the area and advancing steadily, their guns aimed at her. The woman, standing a few steps ahead of Zak, drew her swords, ready to fight.

Sunny was already aboard the ship. From the deck, he observed anxiously.

“Put down your weapon now! It’s over, The Specter!” the commander shouted as his men advanced.

The woman quickly assessed her surroundings. Her chances were slim.

There are too many of them with guns… Fuck me!

“We have to go, Hunter!” Sunny shouted urgently.

“We can’t let her down, right?” Zak called from the platform. Dodd’s henchmen aimed their weapons at the woman, who stood defiant, swords drawn.

“She can handle herself… Didn’t you say she can stop bullets?” Sunny shouted, his voice cutting through the soft wind from the sea.

“I doubt it this time… There are too many of guns!” Zak’s response was followed immediately by action.

“Move the ship away from the quay! I want to give her a chance to flee,” Zak ordered as he pulled out his guns in one swift motion, firing at the men with unimaginable speed. Gunshots echoed in the distance, shattering the fragile calm of the dock.

Caught off guard, the henchmen returned fire. The simultaneous gunfire created a battlefield, and like a flash, the woman moved, her swords blurring as the sound of metal deflecting bullets rang out like metal raindrops onto a metallic ground. The dock became a war zone—two strangers fighting against an army.

The woman struck down the men within reach, her movements making their reactions sluggish. Her strikes were fatal. Zak’s incredible shooting ability made the gunmen look like amateurs. His shots were precise, each bullet aimed to kill. He used trick shots to take out difficult targets, his guns firing in perfect rhythm as he moved, spun, and calculated every adversary’s move with sharp precision. No bullets were wasted. But they were outnumbered, and even their unmatched skill wouldn’t be enough if they stayed too long.

On the water, Sunny’s ship was drifting away from the quay. When Zak finally glanced at it, through the darkness, he saw Sunny’s silhouette, illuminated by the dim moonlight at the bow, shouting words Zak couldn’t quite make out. But the message was clear.

Zak turned to the woman.

“Your best chance to flee is with us! And it’s now! Go!” he ordered, his shots still forcing some of the henchmen to take cover.

The woman didn’t hesitate. She darted past Zak and leaped off the quay into the freezing dark water, the salt stinging her eyes.

On the quay, Zak continued firing as he retreated toward the edge. At the perfect moment, he holstered his guns and dove. The nearest henchmen ran to the quay’s edge, shooting into the water.

Zak resurfaced at a distance, grabbing onto the rope Sunny had tossed into the water earlier. Back on the quay, the now cloudless moon shone brightly, casting its light on the commander, who stood in front of his men, standing with rage as he watched the ship slip away.