Chapter 33

-Three Days Ago-

Miles had a bad feeling as he sat in his study flipping through the pages of his book. He knew this sensation too well and it was not paranoia. It was this slow, creeping weight in his gut that came before the bad news. Ever since his last conversation with Adrian, he began to hear whispers in the underground. There were murmurs of an infamous man reappearing where they shouldn’t be.

At first, Miles chose to ignore them.

Adrian was reckless, but not stupid. Or at least that was what Miles believed back then. Adrian had a career and a life outside the bloodstained world they used to run in. Miles wanted to believe his old friend had meant it when he said he was done, that he’d finally left the underworld behind for good.

But deep down, he knew better.

Until he received a certain call.

“Calix.” He muttered under his breath.

A name he hadn’t seen in a long time—one he’d hoped to never see again.

For a moment, Miles consid