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2024-10-29 19:42:56The days that followed Luis’s revelation felt surreal like they were moving through a dream where everything was too quiet, too calm.
The storm had not yet broken, but Luis could feel it building on the horizon. He had decided to walk away, to burn down the empire they had built. And yet, there was something inside him that resisted, something that whispered, "Stay."
Maria had grown more distant, her mind occupied with logistics and the careful dismantling of the empire. She had always been a strategist, always thinking several moves ahead.
But now, even she was uncertain about what came next. Once they left, there would be nothing. No power, no control, just the unknown.
“You’re still thinking about it,” Maria said one night as they sat in the penthouse, the city glowing beneath them like a battlefield waiting for the next strike.
Luis didn’t deny it. The city never stopped calling, even when you wanted to leave.
“I am,” he admitted, his voice quiet. “It’s not as simple as walking away.”
Maria sipped her drink, her eyes never leaving him. “It never is.”
Luis leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together as if he were holding something fragile. “I keep thinking about everything we’ve built. About what it means to just... walk away.”
Maria set her glass down, her fingers trailing along the rim. “And?”
Luis looked at her, his expression filled with doubt. “And I don’t know if I can do it.”
The silence that followed was thick and heavy with the weight of what they were about to do. The city had taken so much from them—their friends, their enemies, their sense of self. But walking away from it felt like admitting defeat. It felt like surrendering.
Maria stood, crossing the room towards the window, her back to him as she spoke. “If we don’t leave now, we’ll never leave.”
Luis nodded slowly. She was right, of course. The city was a beast, and it didn’t let go easily. If they didn’t walk away now, they would be trapped in this endless cycle of power and destruction until there was nothing left.
“I know,” Luis said, his voice barely above a whisper. “But I can’t shake the feeling that we’re leaving something unfinished.”
Maria turned to face him, her expression sharp. “We’ve finished everything we started. The empire is built, and the enemies are crushed. What more is there?”
Luis stared at her, his heart pounding. What more was there? They had fought for control, for power, and they had won. But now, standing at the top, it all felt... hollow.
“There’s always something,” Luis said quietly. “Always another threat, another challenge.”
Maria crossed her arms, her voice hard. “That’s the city talking. It never stops, Luis. It never will.”
Luis stood, moving towards the window beside her. He could see the city stretching out beneath them, alive with light and movement, always in motion, always hungry.
“And what if we don’t leave?” Luis asked softly. “What if we stay and let it consume us?”
Maria’s eyes narrowed, her voice cold. “Then we lose everything. The city will take us down, piece by piece, just like it does to everyone else.”
Luis nodded, feeling the weight of her words settle over him. She was right. The city would never stop, never let them rest. It would keep taking, keep demanding more. And if they stayed, if they didn’t walk away now, they would lose themselves completely.
“We leave,” Luis said, his voice firm. “We leave tonight.”
Maria’s lips curled into a small, dangerous smile. “Then let’s make sure we disappear without a trace.”
As the night deepened, Luis and Maria began the final steps of their plan. Everything was in place—the accounts drained, the businesses quietly shut down, the alliances severed. By the time the city realised what was happening, they would be gone.
The phone buzzed in Luis’s pocket. He glanced at the screen—Bones, his most trusted enforcer.
“It’s done,” Bones said, his voice gruff. “The Southside is already feeling the heat. Dockyard’s next.”
Luis nodded, a cold satisfaction settling in his chest. It was all falling apart. Just as they had planned.
“And Miguel?” Luis asked, his tone clipped.
“Handled,” Bones replied. “He won’t be a problem.”
Luis ended the call, slipping the phone back into his pocket. He turned to Maria, his expression unreadable.
“It’s time.”
Maria nodded, her eyes glinting with anticipation. “Then let’s go.”
As they stepped out of the penthouse and into the night, the city burning beneath them, Luis felt a strange sense of relief. The beast they had fought so hard to control was still hungry, still demanding more. But they were no longer its prisoners.
They were finally free.
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