The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 91

Luis stood at the edge of the penthouse balcony, staring out at the city that sprawled beneath him like a living, breathing organism.

The beast he had fought so hard to control, the one he had bled for, was still hungry. Always hungry. Even now, with the empire in his hands, he could feel the pulse of it beneath him.

The constant power struggle, the endless game of dominance and submission.

But something had changed.

The victory no longer tasted sweet. The power he had sought for so long felt burdensome, like a weight on his chest. The fires that had once fuelled his ambition now felt like they were burning him from the inside out.

And as he stood there, watching the city’s lights flicker beneath the night sky, Luis wondered if he had given too much of himself. If there was anything left.

Maria’s presence was behind him, her silent support always a constant. He didn’t have to turn to know she was watching him, studying him. She could feel the shift in him too. The tension between them had been growing, not because of any external conflict but because the city had taken so much from them both.

“You’ve been quiet,” Maria finally said, breaking the silence. Her voice was low, careful as if she knew the wrong word could push him further into the darkness that had been building inside him.

Luis didn’t answer right away. His fingers gripped the balcony railing, his knuckles turning white with the force of it. He could feel the cold metal beneath his skin, grounding him and keeping him anchored to this moment.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said at last, his voice distant, as though he were speaking to himself rather than to her.

Maria moved closer, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched him. “About what?”

Luis exhaled slowly, his breath fogging up in the cool night air. “About all of this. The city. The power. Everything we’ve fought for.”

Maria’s gaze sharpened, and she stepped beside him, leaning against the railing. “And what conclusion have you come to?”

Luis glanced at her, the weight of his thoughts clear in his eyes. He looked tired, not just physically, but in a way that went deeper—like a man who had carried too many burdens for too long.

“It’s all slipping away,” he said quietly, his voice heavy with resignation. “We’ve won, but I can feel it. The city’s already starting to turn on us. The power we’ve built—it’s fragile. It’s always been fragile.”

Maria didn’t flinch; she didn’t try to offer false reassurances. She knew better than anyone how quickly power could slip through your fingers in this city. It was part of the game. The only rule was survival.

“You knew this when we started,” she reminded him. “Nothing lasts forever. Not here.”

Luis nodded, his gaze drifting back to the city. “I just thought it would feel different. I thought... I don’t know what I thought.”

Maria was silent for a long moment, her expression unreadable. She had been with him through it all—the rise, the fall, the rise again—and she understood better than anyone what drove him. But even she couldn’t give him the answer he was looking for.

“You’ve got everything you wanted,” Maria said, her voice calm. “And now you’re questioning it?”

Luis’s jaw tightened, and he turned away from the view, pacing back into the penthouse. “It’s not that simple. This city... it takes everything. And no matter how much you give, it always wants more.”

Maria followed him inside, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched him. “It sounds to me like you’re tired.”

“I am,” Luis admitted, running a hand through his hair. “I’m tired of fighting. Tired of watching our backs every second, waiting for someone to make a move. We’re kings now, Maria. But what does that even mean in a place like this?”

Maria’s expression softened slightly, though her gaze remained sharp. “It means we survived when no one else did. It means we’re still standing.”

Luis let out a humourless laugh, shaking his head. “Surviving isn’t living.”

Maria didn’t argue, but she stepped closer, her voice firm. “You’re right. But if you stop now, if you let this city take everything you’ve built, then what was it all for?”

Luis looked at her, his eyes filled with something that bordered on desperation. “I don’t know, Maria. I don’t know if any of it was worth it.”

Maria’s gaze softened, but her voice remained steady. “Then maybe you need to decide what comes next.”

Luis stared at her, his mind racing. What came next? They had fought so hard to get here, to build this empire, to rise above the chaos of the city. But now, standing on top, all he could see was the endless void beneath him. The endless hunger of the city, waiting for him to fall.

“What if we walked away?” Luis asked, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Maria’s eyes widened slightly, but she quickly composed herself. “Walked away?”

Luis nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. “What if we left all of this behind? The city, the power plays, the constant fighting. What if we just... stopped?”

Maria studied him, her expression unreadable. For a moment, she said nothing, her mind racing through the possibilities and the consequences. Could they leave? Could they walk away from everything they had built?

“And go where?” Maria asked quietly, her voice filled with doubt.

Luis exhaled slowly, turning back towards the window. “I don’t know. Somewhere else. Anywhere else.”

They stood in silence for a long moment, the weight of the decision pressing down on both of them. The city had been their life for so long. Walking away from it felt impossible. But staying... staying meant continuing to feed the beast, to give more of themselves until there was nothing left.

“You’re serious about this?” Maria asked, her voice softer now.

Luis nodded. “I am.”

Maria’s gaze flickered with something like understanding, though it was tinged with uncertainty. “If we leave, we can’t come back.”

“I know,” Luis said quietly. “But maybe that’s the point.”

Maria looked at him, her eyes filled with something unreadable. She had always been the pragmatic one, the voice of reason when Luis’s ambition threatened to consume him. But even she had started to feel the weight of it all—the endless fight, the constant need for control.

“If we do this,” Maria said, her voice firm, “there’s no going back.”

Luis met her gaze, his expression resolute. “I know.”