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As he approached the familiar sight, he stopped short, staring at it for a moment. Memories flashed through his mind. The cramped space inside, barely large enough for three or four adults, yet it had been all he\'d known.

This was where he\'d lived with Ian and his sister, huddled together in the cold nights, sharing what little food they could scrape together. Now, it stood in front of him, small and unimposing, a far cry from the world he had been thrown into just weeks ago.

"Things change so quickly," Levi muttered under his breath, his thoughts wandering.

A month and a half ago, he\'d been just another slum boy, stuck in this fragile home and scraping by. Food had always been scarce, their bellies rarely full, yet they survived.

Now? now, he was an E-rank mercenary, strong enough to defend himself and no longer burdened by hunger. His life had changed more in a few short weeks than in years of struggle.

"Unpredictable… life is truly unpredictable," Levi mused, his expression hardening.

Shaking himself from his reverie, Levi called out with a grin, eager to reunite with his friend, "Hey, Ian! Come out—your daddy\'s here!"

He stood still, listening. Expecting to hear the familiar shuffle of feet or the sound of his friend\'s voice. But there was nothing—no response, no movement.

Levi\'s brow furrowed as he waited a little longer, then called again.

"Ian?"

Still nothing.

Concern prickled at the back of his mind as he slowly stepped forward, pushing aside the tattered plastic sheet that served as the door. As it fluttered back in place behind him, Levi\'s eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light inside.

And what he saw made his heart freeze.

The inside of the makeshift home was in chaos. The torn and worn mattress, which they\'d scavenged from the garbage, was covered in muddy footprints.

The small clay pot they\'d used to store drinking water lay shattered on the ground, its contents long since dried up. Clothes were strewn about as if someone had rifled through them in haste.

It was a mess. It was wrong.

Levi\'s blood turned cold, a knot forming in his stomach. Ian was nowhere to be seen, and the house bore signs of something far worse than neglect.

His voice was low and dangerous when he spoke again.

"Noir."

The shadows at Levi\'s feet stirred, and from them, a black raven materialized, gliding up to perch on his shoulder. Its beady eyes scanned the chaotic scene with silent understanding.

"Can you find him?" Levi asked, his tone now sharp with barely restrained urgency.

The raven tilted its head, studying the surroundings for a moment longer before letting out a soft caw.

Without hesitation, a dozen more ravens rose from Levi\'s shadows, each one silent as it took to the sky, scattering in all directions.

Levi stood alone in the wrecked remains of what had once been his home, fists clenched, his gaze cold and distant.

Whatever had happened here, it wasn\'t good. And Levi would find out who—or what—was responsible.

***

An abandoned building stood at the far edge of the city, a place so forsaken that even the government didn\'t dare to enter. It was the perfect hideout for D-Company, the most notorious gang in the region.

Despite their name sounding like a corporate entity, D-Company\'s strength lay in their formal, organized approach to crime—a structure so rigid and disciplined that it had allowed them to expand their reach far and wide, even making authorities think twice before crossing them.

The branch operating in Bengaluru wasn\'t their main hub, just a small faction handling their smuggling operations between cities. But even here, in their decrepit hideout, a familiar scene was playing out once again.

"Hey, Dadua! You\'re wasting time again? We haven\'t even finished the job!" One of the gang members, his tone full of frustration, shouted at the man known as Dadua.

Before him, two captives were bound to chairs. The first was a young man, about eighteen, with unremarkable black hair and average features. He didn\'t stand out in any way, except for the blood running from a fresh cut on his lip.

Beside him sat a girl no older than twelve, her delicate features suggesting she didn\'t belong to the slums, unlike the boy. Though her clothes were tattered and dirt-smudged her face, she looked like someone from much more privileged background. In stark contrast to the young man, she seemed out of place.

And in front of them, looming like a grotesque predator, was Dadua. His large, bulbous nose twitched as his thin, wiry mustache failed to hide a wicked grin. His wide eyes gleamed with malice as his rough, goblin-like face contorted into an unsettling expression that seemed to stretch ear to ear.

"What\'s your problem, Chota? You gotta enjoy life when you can!" Dadua barked back with a sneer, his voice deep and gravelly. He pointed at the unconscious boy tied to the chair. "Besides, this punk had the guts to mouth off in front of me."

The commotion seemed to stir the boy, his eyelids fluttering open. Confused and groggy, he groaned as he tried to move his hands to his face, only to find them tied securely to the chair.

"Ugh… what…?" His words were slow, his mind still catching up to the reality of his situation. His eyes darted around until they landed on Dadua\'s hideous face.

"Holy—! A goblin!" Ian, the boy, yelled instinctively, recoiling in shock at Dadua\'s grotesque features.

---***---

Thank you allcat_gaming for the Magic Castle.