The siren cut through the night like a blade.
Sharp. Urgent. Relentless.
By the time it reached the stadium, the chaos had already begun to settle into something heavier—fear, confusion, and silence layered over the battlefield.
Dominic Vance lay on the ground, unmoving.
For the first time since the war began—
The Beast of VK looked… human.
"AMBULANCE! NOW!" one of the VK members shouted, his voice breaking through the tension.
Within moments, a group of VK members rushed forward, lifting Dominic carefully. The same people who had been fighting moments ago now moved with desperation, their aggression replaced by panic.
Blood still stained the ground where he had fallen.
The ambulance arrived quickly.
Too quickly.
As soon as the paramedics examined the wound, their expressions changed.
"This is a stab wound," one of them said seriously. "Call the police."
That single line made everything worse.
Dominic was taken inside immediately, the doors of the ambulance slamming shut as it sped away.
As Dominic was taken inside. We heard the siren of police.
And I and Rylan were taken as the main witnesses.
At the station, the officer questioned us. Rylan spoke calmly:
"We were there as a football club. We were selecting and watching the performances of each player. But when it was Dominic's turn, someone came and stabbed him. We were terrified."
The officer gave a strange look but didn't argue. Instead, he said,
"Fill these forms properly. No false details."
We were asked to write our witness statements, including name, address, contact, time, and incident details, and then sign them. After checking briefly, the officer said,
"You can leave. We'll call you if needed."
As we stepped out, Rylan stretched and smirked, "Handled."
I replied, "You made it sound like a school event."
We walked away calmly, like nothing had happened.
Somewhere else, a man in a suit asked,
"Who is this new guy with Rylan?"
The spectacled man replied, "He's Bryce Dalton, from Jaspera Hill School. He lives in Green Haven. His father's—"
"Stop," the suited man cut him off. "I just asked who he is."
"…Sorry, Sir," he said, bowing his head.
"Interesting," the suited man said. "Keep an eye on him"
And just like that—
The war ended.
Not with victory.
Not with defeat.
But with uncertainty.
The hospital corridors were crowded.
VK members filled every corner, their usual confidence gone, replaced with restless silence. Some stood leaning against walls, others paced back and forth, while a few sat with their heads down, unable to process what had happened.
Even the strongest looked shaken.
We stayed outside.
Gang A didn't enter.
Not because we didn't care—
But because we knew we weren't welcome inside that moment.
Minutes felt like hours.
Then finally—
The operation room doors opened.
A doctor stepped out.
Everyone rushed toward him.
"What happened?"
"Is he alive?"
"Will he make it?"
The doctor raised his hand, signaling them to calm down.
"Relax," he said firmly. "He's stable now."
The entire corridor froze.
"He was very lucky," the doctor continued. "The knife missed vital organs by just about an inch. If it had gone any deeper, the situation could have been much worse."
Silence.
Then relief hit like a wave.
"He will recover," the doctor added. "But it will take a few weeks. For now, he needs complete rest."
That was enough.
Cheers didn't erupt.
But the tension broke.
Some sighed in relief.
Some laughed quietly.
Some just stood still, eyes closed.
Dominic was alive.
Outside, we got the news a few minutes later.
And strangely—
We felt relieved too.
Even after everything—
Even after he had almost crushed us in that fight—
We didn't want him dead.
Because we weren't monsters.
And even monsters—
Care.
But peace didn't last long.
A group of VK members suddenly rushed out of the hospital.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Angry.
Their eyes locked onto us.
"You!" one of them shouted, pointing straight at Jonathan and Ryan.
"This is because of you!"
Before we could react, they charged forward.
The tension exploded again.
Rylan stepped slightly ahead, ready.
Sean cracked his knuckles.
But Jonathan raised his hand.
"Stop."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it carried authority.
"This wasn't us," Ryan added quickly. "You saw it. Someone else did that."
The VK members hesitated.
Confusion flickered across their faces.
"Think about it," Jonathan said calmly. "If we wanted Dominic gone, we had enough chances during the fight."
Silence.
That was the truth.
Slowly, the anger faded.
Not completely—
But enough.
"…Then who did it?" one of them muttered.
That question—
No one had the answer.
Later…
We got something unexpected.
Dominic was awake.
And he wanted to talk.
We didn't expect it.
Not at all.
But when we saw him—
Lying on the hospital bed, weak but still smiling slightly—
It felt unreal.
"I owe you guys one," Dominic said casually, as if he hadn't nearly died hours ago.
Rylan crossed his arms. "You almost killed us."
Dominic laughed lightly. "And you guys almost took me down. Fair enough."
Then his expression changed.
Serious.
"That guy… the one who stabbed me," Dominic said. "He's not VK."
We exchanged looks.
"I know," I said slowly. "And… I saw someone else."
Everyone turned toward me.
"At the top of the stadium," I continued. "Another guy. He wasn't fighting. Just watching."
Silence filled the room.
"And the hooded stranger disappeared right after the stab," Sean added.
Rylan nodded.
"He's not with the killer," he said firmly. "If he was, Dominic would already be dead. He didn't need help."
That made sense.
Too much sense.
Which only made things worse.
Because now—
There weren't just enemies.
There were unknowns.
Dominic leaned back slightly.
"…Then let's find them," he said.
Rylan looked at him.
"You're teaming up with us?"
Dominic smirked.
"Don't get used to it. This is temporary."
But that was enough.
The War Arc ended there.
Not with victory.
Not with defeat.
But with a question.
Who were they?
Because now—
We weren't looking for one enemy.
We were looking for three.
Three strangers.
No names.
No faces.
No identities.
Only shadows.
And the hunt—
Had just begun.
Days later…
A man in a suit stood alone under dim streetlight.
Blazer. Formal pants. Clean shoes.
An ordinary man.
Or at least—
That's how he looked.
But his eyes…
Were watching something.
Observing.
Waiting.
Elsewhere—
Rylan stood over Steve.
Bruised.
Broken.
"You set this up?" Rylan asked coldly.
"I didn't know!" Steve shouted desperately. "I didn't even know she was related to VK's Squad A Captain!"
The truth came out slowly.
This wasn't planned by Steve.
Not completely.
Dominic later confirmed it himself.
He wasn't fighting for power.
He was fighting—
For someone.
And strangely—
He wasn't what we expected.
Dominic Vance—
The Beast of VK—
Was just a university student.
A reckless, childish guy.
But with power…
Enough to destroy an entire gang alone.
Days later—
Vinod Kumar called.
From an unknown number, as always.
"You need help?" he asked Dominic.
Dominic didn't hesitate.
"Unite everyone."
A pause.
Then—
"Done."
Near Jaspera University field—
They gathered.
VK — more than 600 members
VR — 400
KRC — 150
FOS — 70
More than 1200 people stood together.
Men.
Women.
Fighters.
All for one purpose.
To find the truth.
To hunt the shadows.
And to uncover—
The strangers.
Far above—
Someone watched again.
Silent.
Unseen.
Waiting.
[TO BE CONTINUED — STRANGERS ARC]