The place reeked of mold, cigarette smoke, and desperation.
Rusty pipes lined the low ceiling, dripping occasionally onto the stained concrete floor.
Sophia stitched a cut across Elias's arm with trembling hands, while Callum attempted to disinfect what looked like an ancient, moldy mattress for him to lie on.
"You're going to get tetanus just breathing in here," Callum muttered under his breath.
Elias smiled faintly.
"Luxury compared to my last safehouse. That one had rats the size of cats."
Sophia shook her head, her voice tight.
"You think everything's funny."
"I think if I stop laughing, I'll break," Elias answered quietly.
The moment hung between them.
---
Character Focus: Sophia Rivera
Age: 27
Profession: Ex-military field medic turned underground resistance fighter
Skin color: Light brown, faint freckles on her nose
Hair: Thick curly dark hair tied into a messy bun
Personality: Tough, quick-witted, secretly nurturing
Flaws: Short-tempered, struggles with authority
Appearance: Athletic build, sharp brown eyes, always carrying a combat knife at her hip
---
Sophia finished bandaging him, biting her lip.
"You shouldn't be doing this alone, Elias."
"I'm not," he said simply.
Callum tripped over a loose floorboard and hit the ground with a groan.
"He's... moral support," Elias added, grinning.
Sophia snorted despite herself.
---
Meanwhile, Across the City
Kane wasn't licking his wounds.
He was hunting.
Through surveillance, through informants, and worst of all — through bait.
A news flash hit the city by evening:
> "Wanted Criminal Elias Ward — Armed and Dangerous — Reward: $1 Million for Information Leading to His Capture."
Elias's face was everywhere.
On every screen.
On every street corner.
He wasn't just hunted now.
He was the public enemy.
---
Back in the Hideout
Callum panicked first, pacing furiously.
"We can't stay here. Every two-bit thug in the city's gonna be after us!"
Sophia remained calm.
"We move at night."
Elias was silent, staring at the flickering TV.
The news anchor's voice droned on, painting him as a terrorist, a murderer, a traitor.
It hit him harder than he expected.
The sadness wasn't immediate — it was a slow, bitter ache.
All his work. All his sacrifices.
Turned into headlines and propaganda.
Sophia saw the look on his face.
She sat next to him, silent.
Sometimes, the greatest comfort wasn't words.
It was just being there.
Callum eventually dropped beside them, too, arms crossed stubbornly.
They were a sorry little trio.
But a team nonetheless.
---
Late at Night
The watch buzzed.
[New Task: Survive the Hunt.]
[Reward Upon Success: Urban Stealth Mastery (Lv. 1)]
Elias chuckled bitterly.
"Of course," he muttered.
He touched the watch face.
"Bring it on."
Outside, the streets were already whispering his name like blood in the water.
And the sharks were circling.
---