Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler[English]

Axel’s words sent ripples through the crowd. Some people started murmuring among themselves, reassessing their choices. Meanwhile, Esme’s expression grew darker by the second.

She snapped. ”So what? Time is tight. Who has the luxury to make everything perfect?”

Axel shrugged. ”No one does. Which is exactly why if you can’t do it right, you shouldn’t force it.”

Esme’s face turned pale, then flushed with anger. She clenched her fists, regretting ever engaging with him. She could see it—some of the others were swayed by Axel’s words. If she had just ignored him and let him walk away, this wouldn’t have happened.

Now, she wanted nothing more than to tear that smug look off his face.

”Well, that’s that. I’m out.” Axel turned on his heel and walked off, ignoring the heavy silence behind him.

More people hesitated now. Even with Esme and Elijah trying their best to keep everyone in line, nearly half of the group still chose not to form teams. It was far worse than they had anticipated.

Once everyone had finally dispersed, Esme stood there, seething.

Elijah frowned, glancing at her. ”Relax. He’s just a weak little Level One. He’ll get eliminated early anyway. Why let him get under your skin?”

”I’m just pissed off. Who the hell even is he?”

Esme had been a prodigy all her life. With a powerful family backing her, she had walked into the Whisper Syndicate through direct recommendation. She was used to getting her way. This was the first time someone had challenged her like this—and in front of a crowd, no less.

Elijah sighed. ”Forget about him. We got what we needed.”

As for Axel? Elijah didn’t spare him another thought. He wasn’t even worth getting mad over.

Later…

”Hey! Brother, wait up!”**

Axel was halfway to his room when he heard a panting voice behind him. He turned to see a chubby guy jogging to catch up—Gabriel.

Axel remembered him. ”What do you want?”

Gabriel caught his breath before flashing a sheepish grin. ”Take me with you. I’ll follow whatever you say, I swear.”

Axel raised a brow. ”That’s a sudden change of heart. Weren’t you calling me a small fish earlier? Shouldn’t you be teaming up with them?”

Gabriel scratched his head awkwardly. ”Yeah… I, uh, might’ve misjudged things. Turns out, I’m the small fish. You? You’re at least a cutlassfish—you’ve got some bite.”

Axel’s eyebrow twitched. A cutlassfish? That’s the best you’ve given compliments.

Gabriel grew serious. ”Look, the thing is… what you said back there made sense. My dad’s always told me I don’t use my brain enough, and honestly? He’s right. That’s why I’d rather follow you than those guys.”

Axel studied him for a moment. He didn’t want to team up with anyone, but this kid…

Thinking back to Wesley’s reaction yesterday, Gabriel was probably the son of some high-ranking official. He might even have secret bodyguards watching over him.

Maybe… it wouldn’t be the worst idea to keep him around.

................

The old train rattled violently along the dirt road, its worn-out wheels groaning against the uneven tracks. Gabriel clung to Axel’s shoulder, his face turning a sickly shade of green. His eyes rolled upward as if he were about to pass out.

Under the Whisper Syndicate’s directive, they had been divided into small groups and sent to different locations. Their destination? A gathering point where fugitives from the gray world paid their way into Sin City. Clearly, the Syndicate had its own people inside, ensuring their passage would go smoothly—at least for now.

Inside the train car, more than a dozen passengers sat in silence. As the train pushed farther north, the air grew colder, seeping through the gaps in the worn metal. Most travelers buried their faces in their collars, occasionally sneaking glances at the others.

Axel sighed, shifting uncomfortably as Gabriel’s grip tightened. “Can you keep it together?” He was beginning to regret teaming up with the guy.

Gabriel, still looking queasy, moaned, “I think I left my soul back on the last turn…”

Axel sighed again. With Gabriel looking like easy prey, their odd pairing made them a target—even if Axel kept his expression cold and unreadable. He could already sense a few passengers sizing them up.

After two rough transfers, Gabriel finally seemed to regain some color. Axel, too, felt relieved—not from concern for Gabriel, but because he no longer had to worry about the passengers strangling them.

Finally, a voice called out, “We’re here! Get off, and move fast. We need to enter the city before nightfall—mutant beasts roam after dark.”

Gabriel froze. “Wait—mutant beasts?!”

Axel shook his head. “You forgot—we’re not in Krythos anymore.”

They followed the crowd off the train, and in the distance, a massive city loomed. Its gray-black structure stretched high, though Axel couldn’t see the legendary Cursed Eye from this vantage point.

Gabriel, apparently over his nausea, grinned. “Brother, we finally made it! Tonight, we eat good, drink hard, and—hell, let’s even pick up some girls!”

Axel raised a brow. “That easy, huh?”

Gabriel chuckled. “Trust me, Krythos is a prison compared to this. This? This is paradise.”

Axel watched as other travelers were picked up in small groups, welcomed by familiar faces. Most of them clearly had connections in Sin City—unlike him and Gabriel. That made them stand out.

As they stepped past the city’s massive gates, Axel’s instincts sharpened. The walls were even thicker than Krythos’s, scarred with dried blood and deep claw marks. Inside, there were no towering skyscrapers—only heavy stone buildings and neon-lit streets lined with criminals, merchants, and gang recruiters.

Gabriel whistled. “Damn. This place is wild.”

Mutant beast parts were sold openly. Gangs openly recruited on street corners. Women in lavish dresses called out to potential customers from dimly lit doorways. Yet, despite its reputation, Sin City wasn’t as chaotic as Gabriel had imagined. There was order—an unspoken law that governed the underworld here.

Axel remained quiet, his gaze scanning every shadowed alley and unfamiliar face.

Gabriel nudged him. “Hey, I got an idea.”

Axel exhaled. “That’s never good.”

“No, listen! I packed a lot of food—enough compressed rations to last us weeks. This place looks way too dangerous. What if we just find a cave and hide for twenty days?!”

Axel stared at him, genuinely at a loss for words.

This guy… is serious.

For a moment, Axel questioned his own judgment. Was Gabriel really some privileged rich kid… or just an idiot?

But before he could say anything, his instincts flared. His gaze sharpened.

“Let’s move,” Axel muttered, gripping Gabriel’s arm. “We’re being watched.”

Gabriel stiffened. “Who?!” He spun his head around, scanning the crowd, but saw nothing suspicious. People were just going about their business.

Axel kept walking, lowering his voice. “Don’t look around. Just follow me.”

Sin City wasn’t what he expected. It was worse.

According to the Whisper Syndicate’s mission briefing, all Axel had to do was survive for twenty days. Before arriving, he had expected Sin City to be a chaotic, lawless wasteland—maybe not a constant bloodbath, but at least something more unstable than what he was seeing now.

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