A neon sign flickered above a rusted steel door, casting garish light onto the alley's swirling mist. A bouncer built like a refrigerator, blocked the entrance, arms folded, eyes sharp. Evan, dressed in a sleek black suit and mask, approached with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
The larger bouncer stepped forward, voice low and gravelly. "Invitation?"
Evan held up a black poker chip. The wiry bouncer snatched it, inspected the mark, then nodded. "Bag."
Evan unzipped the duffel just enough to show the glitter of diamonds, then zipped it shut. The bouncer exchanged a quick, greedy glance. The big one patted Evan down, rough but professional, before grunting and stepping aside.
Inside, the air was thick with sweat, smoke, and the tang of ozone from exposed wiring. The market was a maze of makeshift stalls and shadowy figures-faces half-hidden, deals whispered in corners, everyone watching everyone else. A heavyset man in a stained suit blocked Evan's path as soon as the door closed behind him.
"Mask off," the man barked. "No faces, no deals. House rules."
Evan kept his tone cool. "I'm just here to sell something. No trouble."
A second man, tattooed and sneering, stepped up. "You think we're stupid? Take it off, or you're not selling squat."
Evan's grip tightened on the bag. "I'm not looking for problems."
The tattooed man lunged, grabbing for the duffel. Evan twisted away, but two more thugs closed in, reaching for his arms. The crowd edged back, hungry for violence but not wanting to get caught in it.
Evan let the bag drop, then moved. He slammed an elbow into the tattooed man's jaw-bone cracked, the man reeled. The heavyset man tried to grab Evan's shoulder, but Evan spun, driving a knee into his gut. The man doubled over, gasping.
A third thug swung a metal pipe. Evan ducked, swept the thug's legs out from under him, and sent him crashing into a stack of crates. The wiry bouncer from outside rushed in, knife flashing. Evan caught his wrist, twisted, and forced the blade to the floor. With a sharp jab, Evan's fist connected with the bouncer's nose-blood
As the last thug hit the ground with a groan, the crowd fell silent, eyes wide with a mix of fear and grudging respect. Evan dusted off his suit, straightened his mask, and reached for his duffel bag-now lying in the middle of the chaos like a prize in a demolition derby.
Suddenly, a familiar digital chime echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Disrupting the black market – 100 Sin Points earned.]
Evan blinked, then looked up at the flickering lights above, as if the system were hiding in the ceiling. "Wait, hold up-so beating up a bunch of criminals gets me Sin Points? I mean, come on, am I the bad guy here"
He slung the bag over his shoulder, muttering, "Next thing you know, I'll get Sin Points for jaywalking and bonus XP for stealing candy from babies. Moral ambiguity, thy name is System."
The crowd parted, unsure whether to applaud or call security. Evan just grinned under his mask."Good thing or bad thing? At this rate, I'll need a lawyer just to check my karma balance."
Evan approached a table at the back, where a sharply dressed man waited with a practiced, oily smile.
The man gave a curt nod. "Sorry for the… disruption, sir. How can I help you today?"
Evan set the bag on the table and unzipped it, letting the diamonds catch the dim light. "Seventy-three diamonds. All clean. Let's talk business."
The man's eyes widened as he carefully counted and examined the stones, his fingers moving with the speed of someone who'd done this a thousand times. After a moment, he looked up, voice low. "These are quality stones. At current black market rates, I can offer you about $365,000 in cash for the lot."
He reached under the table, producing a battered metal case stuffed with stacks of bills. "All cash, as requested. No questions asked."
Evan shrugged, "Works for me. Just don't try to shortchange me, or next time, I'm charging extra for crowd control."
Wait a second, with a sly grin he reached back into the duffel bag and pulled out a single, flawless black diamond-about 1 carat in size, its deep, glossy surface catching the dim light.
"This one," Evan said, holding it up like a trophy, "I'm keeping it. A little souvenir from our little adventure."
The man raised an eyebrow. "A keepsake, huh? That'll cost you."
Evan chuckled. "Nah, it's on the house. Consider it a down payment on future business."
He slipped it into his pocket, feeling it's cold weight, and nodded. "Sometimes you've got to keep a little sparkle for yourself, you know?"
The man chuckled nervously, sliding the case across the table. "Pleasure doing business. And, uh, maybe next time, try the front door?"
Evan scooped up the cash, his mind already calculating Sin Points "No promises. I like to keep things… interesting."
----
Evan slipped out of the black market, the battered metal case of cash in one hand and his single keepsake diamond in the other. The alley was empty, shadows pooling around his feet. He glanced over his shoulder-no one was watching.
Suddenly, a small black hole, swirling with inky darkness, appeared in front of him at chest height. The air rippled with cold energy as the system's voice chimed in his mind:
[Shadow Vault activated. Spatial storage linked to Kingdom of Dark Shadows.]
Evan grinned, eyes reflecting the swirling void. "Finally, some inventory space."
He held out the cash and the diamond. The black hole widened-about the size of a small room, maybe three meters by four, just enough to walk around or stash a car if he ever needed to. Evan tossed the case and diamond inside, watching them vanish into the darkness.
After the Spell System activated, Evan unlocked the Shadow Vault-a shadowy pocket dimension about the size of a small room where he could store any non-living items and even enter himself. Connected to his Kingdom of Dark Shadows, it offered secure storage but came with a critical flaw.
He felt the pull, the strange sense that he could step inside himself-a private vault, a hidden pocket in reality, safe from prying eyes. But then the system's warning flashed:
[Caution: Shadow Vault Exit is fixed. You must exit from the same location you entered. Spatial anchor cannot be moved if you are inside. Use with care.]
Evan winced. "So you're telling me I get a magical walk-in closet, but if I go in, I have to come out the exact same spot? That's… not ominous at all. Nothing says 'great escape' like returning to the scene of the crime."
He shook his head, letting the black hole swirl shut. "One day, System, you'll give me something without a giant catch. Until then, I'll keep my getaways strictly old school."
----
Evan stepped into the warm, familiar kitchen, dropping his bag by the door. "Aunt May, I'm home!"
Aunt May looked up from her tea, smiling gently. "Welcome back, Evan. Peter's out for his club activities, he asked if I wanted anything special. Such a thoughtful boy."
Evan's smile faded as he grew serious. "Aunt May… where's Uncle Ben?"
Aunt May replied gently, "He's working overtime today at the plant. Said he had to cover some extra shifts."
Evan's heart skipped. Wait… is this the day? Is this when Uncle Ben… no, no, no, it can't be. I have to find him. I can't let it happen, anxiety gnawing at him. "Aunt May, I just remembered-I promised Tessa I'd help her with a school project. I'll be back soon, okay?"
Without waiting for her reply, Evan slipped out the door and ducked into a quiet alley. His mind raced. If this is the day Uncle Ben… I can't let it happen.
He clenched his fist, summoning the system interface. "System, spend 100 Sin Points. Summon 100 Shadow Ninjas."
A ripple of darkness swept through the alley as one hundred shadowy figures materialized, silent and swift. They bowed, awaiting orders.
Evan's voice was urgent. "Fan out across the city-report back the moment you spot either Uncle Ben or Peter. Go!"
In a blur, the Shadow Ninjas melted into the night, racing across rooftops and through alleys, determined to find Uncle Ben or Peter before fate could strike.
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A/N: Hey Everyone, If you are liking this fanfic please throw some power stones at your dear author. It's what keeps me motivated. Please share you review about the chapter.