CHAPTER 79: CRIMSON AUCTION CARD

"This place was only left alone due to the sheer fact that we saw nothing of worth here, and it wasn’t worth the trouble, and so we allowed you to do what you wanted to do," Roger said, his grin getting wider.

"This is Lady Crimson’s side of the gutter! You can’t just come in here!" Lucas shouted, his voice sharp with anger.

"Ha! Ho, ho, ho, ho!" Roger let out a deep, booming laugh, clutching his belly with one hand while holding his massive blade over his shoulder with the other. His laughter echoed through the space.

"Oh, little boy," Roger sneered, his grin spreading. "Lady Crimson isn’t here anymore. She left over two months ago, chasing her dreams and whatever else she thought was worth leaving for. And you... you’re still clinging to her past glory."

His tone turned cold. "Without Lady Crimson, everything in these gutters belongs to me now."

With a sharp motion, he swung his blade down, the sound of metal cutting through the air ringing out — clang! The weapon hit the ground and drove straight into the cracked stone, embedding itself deep. His eyes narrowed, a predatory glint flashing within them.

"So do as I say," he warned, "or you’ll suffer the consequences."

He stepped forward, boots crunching against the floor. His gaze shifted to the group standing before him, Raze, Gavin, Ella, and Riker. He studied them one by one, his eyes sliding up and down their clean clothes and upright posture.

"You’re not from here," he said, his tone darkly amused. "What’s a bunch of pompous little rich kids doing in my side of the city?"

Then his eyes landed on Ella. He stopped. His gaze lingered on her face, recognition flickering behind his grin. Slowly, he turned to the scar-faced man beside him.

"Hey," Roger said. "Doesn’t she look familiar to you?"

The man squinted, peering at Ella for a long second, then his eyes went wide. "Oh, yes. That’s her! She was one of Lady Crimson’s favorites, the talented little mage who vanished suddenly."

Roger’s grin widened, teeth flashing. "Ohhh... so the runaway finally comes home."

He stepped closer, his shadow falling over Ella. "You see, no one ever really escapes the gutters. The gutters, they’re a part of you. No matter how far you run, they’ll always pull you back."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice dripping with malice. "And now here you are again... right where you started. Under my rule. Under my control."

He tilted his head, eyes glinting cruelly. "Maybe I’ll do to you what I couldn’t do to Lady Crimson, enjoy that pretty little body of yours... and then cast you aside when I’m done."

His grin grew wider, filthier, as the tension in the air thickened around them.

The moment Gavin saw that Roger was too close, he gripped his sword tightly in a threatening manner. Roger’s eyes flicked to Gavin’s blade and then to his face, and for some reason, he felt wary of this kid. He stood straighter.

"Be warned, kid. I’ll cut you down the moment you make a move," Roger said. His threat carried weight—he would do it at a second’s notice.

Ella swallowed hard and spoke up. "I’m not here to return, Roger. I’m leaving now."

Roger looked at his men, then back at her, and let out another hearty laugh. "And what makes you think I’ll let you live when I finally have the opportunity to grab you?" he sneered.

"She’ll be living, whether you like it or not," Raze said suddenly, stepping forward with his signature grin. "There are times when even a bully must learn to step back. I don’t know the Ella you knew before, but she isn’t that person anymore. Things have changed. If you touch her now, she’ll probably get you exterminated in a matter of seconds."

Roger frowned at the audacity of this smiling kid. "What the hell are you saying, kid? Are you threatening ol’ Roger?" he shot back, eyes burning, waiting for Raze to confirm so he could cut him down instantly.

Raze kept that irritating grin he always wore when he had the upper hand, even though he didn’t exactly look dominant. "The backing Ella has now is far too great for your feeble, boorish mind to understand," he said. "You could take the risk of killing us and lose everything you’ve worked for. After all, that is all your life is worth."

"Ho ho ho, this kid has some mouth," Roger scoffed. "And how would anyone know if I cut you down, all of you, and ensured not a single word is left?"

Raze smiled, hearing that. He knew Roger: someone who wouldn’t back down, someone who’d call on men to stand with him. He wasn’t trying to piss Roger off for sport; he was forced into this stance. If he sounded scared or weary, Roger would see through him.

"If you kill us all here, someone will tell. The story will leak, somehow, somewhere. And if the story of our deaths gets out, you can say goodbye to the east end of the entire city," Raze said calmly.

Tsk. Roger clicked his tongue. "And you want me to believe a little brat like you has such influence? Ha! Do you take me for a joke?" His aura flared, trying to pressurize Raze.

Raze didn’t flinch. He looked Roger straight in the eye. "You could try. You could take the risk. And you could see what happens when you do," he said, the smile still on his face. Then he pulled out the VIP card and flashed it at Roger. "This was given to me because of the tight relationship I have with the Crimson Auction House. I personally know the daughter of the owner," Raze said, his gaze getting cold, his eyes shining. "And I can say for sure, she would kill a hundred people for me."

Roger looked at the card in Raze’s hand, he could tell instantly it was a real one.