chapter 7
Jessica stared at Magnus from the passenger seat confused, maybe even terrified. He drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily on the window, his bloodstained suit unbothered by the night's brutal events. His eyes were focused, calm. Too calm.
"How are you this... relaxed?" she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Where are we going now?"
Magnus smirked, his eyes on the road. "We're headed to Montreuil. Outskirts of Paris."
"And what's in Montreuil?" she pressed.
He turned, grinning like a predator.
"Payback, honey. Just a little overdue payback."
As he took the next turn, his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror and narrowed.
They were being followed.
"Strap in," he said. Calmly.
Jessica obeyed without question.
In the blink of an eye, Magnus slammed his foot down. The tires screamed as the car shot forward like a missile. The black SUV behind them sped up in pursuit. He cut through the late night traffic with precision, drifting through narrow alleyways, ignoring horns and shouts.
Then, a sudden right turn. Then another.
Smoke, tire screech, and silence.
By the time they reached a quiet, rundown stretch of highway, the tail had vanished.
Magnus eased off the accelerator, letting out a breath."Now that's handled," he said, passing Jessica a battered burner phone. The one he took from the man he executed. "Check the last number dialed."
Jessica unlocked it with shaking hands. "It says... Martin." Magnus's smirk grew sharp. "Thought so. The Martin Syndicate."
"But they're... they deal with politics, don't they?" she asked, confused.
Magnus gave a low chuckle. "Oh, sweet Jessica how pure can you be. Every good lie is hidden behind politics."
Montreuil – 2:21 AM
The car rolled to a stop outside an old neon-lit building. Faint music thumped from inside. A club, but not an ordinary one.
"In this place, everyone's a killer," Magnus muttered. "Even the janitor might slit your throat."
He stepped out of the car and approached the door. One of the bouncers moved to block him.
Big mistake.
Without a word, Magnus drove a quick palm strike to the man's throat. The bouncer collapsed, gasping. Magnus stepped over him, adjusting his tie like nothing had happened.
Inside, the club pulsed with bodies, smoke, and bass. Magnus slipped on his red-and-grey mask and scanned the room. His eyes locked onto the target: a round man in an expensive white suit, flanked by guards. Martin, the human trafficking boss.
Magnus moved as screams broke out. Panic surged through the crowd as he began cutting down anyone in his path. Innocent or not, it didn't matter. Fear was the message.
He grabbed a random man by the collar and threw him at Martin's feet.
"You," Magnus said. "Record this."
He tossed the man a phone.
The trembling civilian raised the camera. "R-recording..."
Magnus sat next to Martin, calm as ever, the nightclub bathed in chaos.
"Greetings, children of the shadow world," Magnus said coldly through the mask.
"Tonight, one of your own attempted to kill me. The 'demon' lives. And war... has officially begun."
Without hesitation, he drew his pistol and emptied ten rounds into Martin's gut. The last seven went through his skull. The sound was deafening. People screamed and ran, but the message had already been delivered.
He pulled out a small card—half red, half grey, and placed it gently against Martin's blood-smeared forehead.
"This is your invitation."
Minutes Later – Dark Web Upload
The video was posted to a secured network. A blacksite only the elite mafias could access. Access was restricted to new bloodlines.
Within the hour, every major crime syndicate in France had watched it.
They didn't shake. They didn't panic.
But one man smiled.
A lean figure with short crimson hair spun slowly in a leather chair. His cold blue eyes glinted with amusement as the video ended.
"Well, well... a demon walks among us."
He stood up, reaching for a gold lighter.
"Welcome to hell, Reinhart but I bet you've been places worse."
Back in the Car
Jessica stared at the man behind the wheel. Magnus adjusted the rearview mirror, mask still on.
She couldn't believe it. That the same person she met in a hotel lobby just hours ago had just murdered a kingpin in broad daylight (since AM is considered morning.)
"Where are we going now?" she asked, voice soft.
Magnus lit a cigarette, eyes focused on the road ahead.
"Oh... just a little ride," he replied, smiling under the mask."And then we start burning the rest of the house down. It's time they know the true ruler is back."