The Damned Path: Chronicles of Damien

The city didn't sleep that night.

Russo's body was barely cold when the first calls started coming in—some were from Kross's old associates, testing the waters, trying to see if I'd play nice. Others were from men like Russo, arrogant fools thinking they could step into his place.

They were wrong.

Razor and Leo sat across from me at the auto shop, maps spread out across the table, marking the key locations left in the power vacuum.

"We burned Russo," Razor said, lighting a cigarette. "Now his people are scattered. Some will run, some will try to fight."

Leo tapped his pen against the table. "What about the others? The Russians, the Triads, the Cartels? They won't just let you take over."

I smirked. "They don't have a choice."

Leo sighed. "Yeah? And how do we convince them of that?"

I leaned forward, pressing my palms against the map.

"We hit them first."

The Fall of the Old Guard

Step one was information.

Kross ran this city for years, and I knew he kept records—dirty deals, bribes, blackmail. The kind of ammunition that could bring down entire organizations.

And I knew exactly where to find them.

2:30 AM – The Vault

Kross never trusted banks. He kept his secrets locked away in a hidden vault beneath one of his old clubs—The Velvet Room.

Breaking in was the easy part. A few bribes, a few broken bones, and the security system was ours. The real challenge was getting past the failsafe—a timed security lock that would alert the remaining loyalists if we took too long.

Ghost knelt beside the vault door, tools in hand. "We've got three minutes before this thing sends a distress signal. After that? All hell breaks loose."

Razor cracked his knuckles. "Then let's move fast."

The lock clicked, and the vault swung open. Inside, stacked files and encrypted drives lay in neat rows. I grabbed as many as I could, my eyes scanning the names.

Mayor Donovan. Chief Harland. Judge Mercer.

Kross owned them all.

Now, so did I.

Ghost shoved the last hard drive into his bag. "We're clear. Let's go."

As we slipped back into the night, I couldn't help but smile.

The city wasn't just mine in blood—it was mine on paper.

A War Without Bullets

The next morning, I sent out the first message.

To the Russians, I sent a list of their offshore accounts—accounts that could be wiped out with a single keystroke.

To the Triads, I sent video evidence of their most trusted enforcer selling them out to the feds.

To the Cartels, I sent a simple picture—their last shipment, up in flames.

I didn't need to fight them. I didn't need to kill their leaders.

I just needed them to understand one thing.

I was the new power in this city.

The Meeting

They came to me that night. Not in a boardroom, not in a club—but in the ruins of the Crimson Den, Kross's old headquarters.

A long table was set in the middle of the burnt-out remains, and at its head, I sat, waiting.

One by one, they took their seats. The Russians, the Triads, the Cartels—men who had spent years carving out their own pieces of the city.

They all looked at me.

Waiting.

Expecting.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table.

"This city has been run by cowards for too long," I said, voice steady. "Men who hide behind money, behind hired guns, behind politics."

I met their eyes, one by one.

"That ends now."

The Russian boss, an older man named Viktor, scoffed. "And you think you can change that?"

I smiled. "I already have."

I tossed a stack of files onto the table. Their secrets. Their weaknesses.

"You can work with me," I said. "Or you can lose everything."

Silence.

Then, Viktor chuckled. "You remind me of Kross."

My smile faded.

"No," I said, standing. "Kross played the game. I'm changing it."

I turned to leave, but before I could take a step, Viktor spoke again.

"So what's your plan, Damien?"

I paused.

And without turning back, I gave him the only answer that mattered.

"Watch and see."

The New Era Begins

That night, the old world died.

The city had always belonged to men like Kross. Men who played by the rules, who thought power was about money, drugs, and guns.

They didn't realize that true power wasn't in the streets.

It was in the shadows.

And I?

I was the darkness they never saw coming.