The Damned Path: Chronicles of Damien

I never thought I'd be standing side by side with a stranger in the middle of a battlefield, but here we were—two men surrounded by the aftermath of a war neither of us had started.

"Ghost, huh?" I muttered, my voice low as I finally lowered my gun—though I wasn't about to holster it yet. "You always make this much of a mess when you show up?"

Ghost chuckled, a quiet, hollow sound. "Only when people get in my way." His eyes scanned the fallen men around us, sharp and calculating. "You're not one of Kross's boys. That much is obvious. So, what's your stake in this?"

I debated telling him the truth. Trust wasn't a currency I handed out easily. But something about him felt... familiar. Like someone who'd been through hell and crawled back, just like me.

"Let's just say Kross and I have unfinished business," I said, watching his reaction closely.

Ghost tilted his head slightly, studying me like I was some puzzle he was trying to solve. "Personal?"

"Very." My jaw tightened. The memories of Kross's betrayal were still raw, even if I buried them deep enough to keep moving.

Ghost smirked faintly. "Good. That makes two of us."

I raised a brow. "So what's your story? You don't strike me as a Good Samaritan out here cleaning up the streets."

He glanced away for a moment, the smirk fading from his lips. "Let's just say Kross destroyed someone I cared about. Now I'm returning the favor."

Revenge. The one thing that made sense in this broken city.

For a long moment, we stood in the dim light of the alley, the tension between us heavy but not hostile. Two men chasing ghosts—him literally, me figuratively.

"Maybe," I said finally, "we're better off not stepping on each other's toes. At least for now."

Ghost looked back at me, eyes dark beneath his hood. "You're thinking alliance?"

"Temporary," I clarified. "I don't trust anyone long-term. But you seem to know things I don't, and I've got my own ways of getting close to Kross. We might as well use each other before this city eats us alive."

Ghost gave a slow nod, as if weighing my words carefully. "Alright. But don't forget—if you cross me, Damien, I'll end you before Kross ever gets the chance."

I smirked despite myself. "Wouldn't expect anything less."

He turned to leave, but before he could disappear into the shadows, I called after him. "Where do I find you when I need you?"

Ghost paused, glancing over his shoulder. "You don't find me. I find you."

Then, like smoke, he was gone—vanishing into the dark corners of the city.

I stood there for a while, listening to the sirens in the distance as the city swallowed up the night's violence.

A part of me knew this alliance could go up in flames. But for now, in a world where every move could be your last, Ghost might be the one card I needed to finally bring Kross to his knees.

"Let the games begin," I muttered to myself, turning away from the carnage.

Because if Kross thought he owned this city, he was about to learn that ghosts weren't the only things lurking in the dark.