William sat in his small apartment, the faint glow of a streetlight filtering through the blinds.

  The silence was deafening, the kind that settled deep in your bones, gnawing at you like a pestilence. The apartment was sparsely furnished, a grim reflection of the man who inhabited it. A bed, a small couch, and a dimly lit desk were the only signs of life in the otherwise barren room. The walls were cracked and stained, the faint smell of stale air clinging to the atmosphere. It was the kind of place where you came to forget, or perhaps, to hide.

  His phone buzzed again, and for the hundredth time that day, he picked it up. The messages from Wayne and Marian were still on his screen, their words hanging over him like a dark cloud.

  “You don’t have to keep doing this.”

  “I’m not going to stop, William. I know there’s still good in you.”

  “You can keep running, but we’re not giving up. You don’t have to be this man anymore.”

  William stared at the screen, his fingers hovering over the keys. It would be so easy to respond, to engage in the back-and-forth that had become his silent battle with the officers. But he didn’t. Instead, he tossed the phone aside, ignoring the pang of conflict in his chest. The messages were a constant reminder of a life he no longer recognized, a past he couldn’t escape. They had once been his friends, his allies, but now they felt like strangers. They wanted him to return to the man he had been, the man he had killed long ago.

  He had no time for self-reflection. No time for doubts. He had a mission to complete.

  Scene 2: The Mission

  The job came shortly after. A new client, a new target. This time, it wasn’t just the usual business tycoon or corrupt politician. This one was personal. The target was a powerful crime lord named Victor Halstead, someone with ties to a much deeper criminal underworld than anyone could have imagined. The client was desperate, someone with enough clout to get William's attention, offering a hefty payout in exchange for the execution of this man.

  But there was a complication. Someone else had been hired to protect him.

  Her name was Kyoko, a feared assassin known for her speed and lethality. William knew of her—her reputation was well-earned. She was notorious in the underworld, an enigma wrapped in mystery and bloodshed. A few whispered encounters in the criminal world had left him with the understanding that she wasn’t someone to underestimate. Her swift strikes were like death itself, and her silent approach meant she left no traces, no evidence of her presence.

  Kyoko’s track record spoke for itself. She had taken down some of the world’s deadliest men, and now, she was standing between William and his payday.

  But William didn’t back down from a challenge. In fact, he welcomed it. This was what he lived for—the thrill of the hunt, the certainty that only one of them would walk away.

  Scene 3: The Encounter

  William tracked Victor Halstead to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, where the deal was supposed to go down. The warehouse was a perfect spot—isolated, dark, and full of hidden corners for anyone who wanted to disappear. Kyoko was already there, standing guard with deadly precision. She knew the stakes of the job, just as well as William did. She was calm, collected, her body a perfectly still silhouette against the dim, flickering lights of the warehouse.

  William moved swiftly, silently—this was no ordinary mission. This was a test of his abilities, a chance to remind himself why he did this, a chance to prove to himself that he was still capable of walking through the darkness without falling into it. He approached her from the shadows, his movements calculated and smooth, each step bringing him closer to the woman who would either end his life or be another victim in his wake.

  When he finally revealed himself, Kyoko was ready.

  She didn’t flinch. She didn’t even blink.

  They exchanged a few words, cold and clipped. There was no hesitation in either of them, just the understanding that one of them wouldn’t walk out of this alive.

  Kyoko: "You’re not the first to try. You won’t be the last, either."

  Her voice was sharp, but her body language was controlled, each muscle coiled and ready to strike. Her stance was perfect, ready to move at the slightest provocation. She wasn’t afraid of him. She wasn’t afraid of anyone.

  William: "Then it’s your turn to fall."

  Without another word, the fight began. Kyoko was a blur, a whirlwind of skill and speed. Her blades flashed in the low light, each strike a deadly dance, cutting through the air with precision and grace. William’s heart pounded, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he matched her every move. He wasn’t as fast as her, but he was stronger. His training in Muay Thai gave him the power to counter her agility with brute force, striking her with precision.

  Each hit was a gamble, a test of his resolve. He knew that one wrong move could cost him everything, but there was no room for fear. There was only the fight. The fight that had always been his life, the fight that had turned him into the man he was now.

  Kyoko’s strikes were like lightning, fast and fierce, but William wasn’t going to let her catch him off guard. His instincts were sharp, honed by years of brutal training and real-life experience. He absorbed the blows that landed and retaliated with vicious counterattacks, each one pushing her back a little more, but never enough to break her momentum.

  The battle raged on, a violent dance between two experts. William’s muscles burned with exertion, but he didn’t stop. His mind was focused only on one thing—completing the mission. He couldn’t afford to fail. He couldn’t afford to let her win. Too much was at stake. His life, his future, everything he had built was on the line.

  Finally, with a calculated strike, he disarmed her, sending her blades skittering across the floor. The warehouse echoed with the sound of metal hitting concrete. He took advantage of the opening, delivering a brutal kick that sent Kyoko crashing to the ground, her breath knocked out of her. She struggled to rise, but it was too late. William was already on top of her, his knife at her throat.

  William: "This is the end."

  With a swift, decisive motion, he ended it. Kyoko was no more. Her body crumpled to the floor, lifeless. He didn’t have the luxury of feeling anything—no victory, no remorse. It was just another kill, another obstacle removed from his path.

  Scene 4: The Target

  The target was still in the warehouse, unaware of the fight that had just unfolded. William moved quickly, methodically. He didn’t pause to admire his work; he had a job to finish. The target didn’t stand a chance. Victor Halstead was a powerful man, a criminal mastermind, but he was nothing compared to the precision and ruthlessness of William Jones—the Head Hunter.

  Victor’s ties to the criminal underworld had made him a target for anyone with a price on his head. Greedy and corrupt, he had built his empire on the suffering of others, exploiting every weakness and manipulating every system he could. He was a stain on the world, and William had no problem ending his life. With the same cold efficiency he had shown with Kyoko, the job was done. A clean kill, no mess, no fuss.

  Victor Halstead’s body slumped to the ground, his last breath escaping in a desperate gasp. William didn’t linger. No words, no remorse. He was a professional. A killer. And there was no time for hesitation.

  Scene 5: Mission Complete

  Back at his apartment, William received the call from the client. He could already hear the relief in the man’s voice as he thanked him for the job well done.

  Client: "It’s done? He’s really gone?"

  William: "Mission complete."

  The line went quiet for a moment, and William could almost hear the client smiling on the other end.

  Client: "Good. You’ll be well compensated. I’ll make sure the payment is transferred immediately."

  William hung up, not bothering with pleasantries. He didn’t need the gratitude. It was just another job, another kill. And yet, as he set his phone down, the same nagging feeling returned. He had done it. He had finished the mission. But for some reason, it didn’t feel like victory.

  The emptiness crept back, settling deep within him. It wasn’t the satisfaction of a job well done. It was the hollow echo of a life lived without purpose, a life where the only thing that mattered was the next target, the next mission, the next kill.

  In the silence of his apartment, William Jones—the Head Hunter—stared out the window, the rain falling in steady sheets. He could still hear their voices, Wayne’s and Marian’s, echoing in his mind.

  "You don’t have to keep doing this."

  He brushed it off. There was no time for reflection. No time to question who he was becoming. The work wasn’t done. Not yet.

  And so, he would move forward—one mission at a time, one life at a time.

  Scene 5: The Encounter

  William's footsteps echoed in the empty hallways of his apartment complex as he walked out of his place, the weight of the mission still pressing down on him. It had been a long night, and he needed to clear his head before the next job came in. But before he could make it past the building’s entrance, he was stopped.

  A figure stood in the shadows outside, leaning casually against the wall. The man’s presence was unsettling, the air around him thick with an aura of control. William’s instincts kicked in immediately. He had never seen this person before, but he knew he wasn’t here for casual conversation.

  The man’s voice was smooth, but there was an edge to it, something that suggested he wasn’t here to make friends. “William Jones. The Head Hunter. Always a pleasure to meet someone with a reputation.”

  William’s hand instinctively brushed the hilt of his knife. He wasn’t sure whether the man was a threat or just an annoying new player in town, but he didn’t like the way he was being observed.

  “What do you want?” William asked, his voice steady and cold.

  The stranger smiled. “I’m Victor Halstead. I’m sure you’ve heard of me. I run a different kind of operation—one that doesn’t involve petty kills for cash. We deal in... bigger matters.”

  William’s brow furrowed. He had heard whispers of Halstead—a man who operated outside the traditional bounds of the criminal underworld. Known for his elusive nature, Halstead was a shadow, a name whispered in certain circles, but little was actually known about him.

  “I don’t care for your kind of business,” William said, narrowing his eyes. “What’s this really about?”

  Halstead pushed off the wall and took a step forward. “It’s simple. I have a proposition for you. You’re good at what you do. But you’ve been working in the shadows for too long. There’s a bigger game, and I can offer you a place at the table. We could use someone like you.”

  William studied the man carefully, his expression unreadable. “I don’t take offers from people I don’t trust.”

  Halstead chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Trust isn’t necessary. What’s necessary is survival, and in this world, survival often requires alliances. I’m offering you a chance to be part of something that will change the way the game is played. You’ll have resources, protection... and an opportunity to rise above the rest. No more chasing after small-time targets.”

  The words hung in the air, and William’s mind raced. He had no love for alliances, no desire to join anyone’s organization. But something about Halstead’s demeanor made him hesitate. There was power there, a kind of quiet authority that suggested this man wasn’t someone who made empty promises.

  “Why me?” William asked, his gaze narrowing further.

  “Because you’re the best,” Halstead replied without hesitation. “And because, deep down, you’re tired of being just another tool in someone else’s pocket. I can offer you freedom, William. The freedom to carve your own path.”

  William didn’t respond immediately. His thoughts flashed to the messages from Wayne and Marian, the voices that had been echoing in his head. There was part of him that was sick of the cycle, sick of being just a killer for hire. But another part of him couldn’t shake the thought that joining someone like Halstead would only lead him deeper into the abyss.

  Halstead watched him with a knowing look, as if he could read the internal struggle on William’s face. “Think about it. We both know you can’t keep running forever. Sooner or later, you’ll need to choose: continue as you are, or step into something greater.”

  William’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t sure what game Halstead was playing, but he knew the man wasn’t one to back down. With a final look, Halstead turned and walked away, leaving William with a single piece of information that lingered like a heavy weight in his mind.

  “I’ll be in touch,” Halstead said over his shoulder.

  Scene 6: The Dilemma

  Days passed, but the encounter with Victor Halstead weighed on William’s mind. His world had always been one of blood and shadows, but now, the line between right and wrong seemed blurrier than ever. He had made a name for himself as a merciless assassin, a man who was known for his cold efficiency. But what if he could be something more? What if he didn’t have to keep running forever?

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  It was late one night when William received a message—just a single line of text from an unknown number:

  “The offer still stands. Make your choice.”

  He stared at the screen, torn. Part of him was repulsed by the thought of being tied to anyone, even someone as influential as Halstead. But the other part... the part that was tired of being a weapon, that wanted more than just another job... that part found itself tempted.

  He could continue down his current path, taking job after job, living in the shadows and accepting whatever scraps came his way. Or he could take a risk—join Halstead and rise above the petty criminals and politicians he’d spent his life eliminating.

  The silence in his apartment was deafening as he wrestled with his thoughts. He had always believed that a man’s worth was defined by the blood he shed and the enemies he destroyed. But was that all there was? Was there more to life than just surviving, just killing?

  William didn’t have the answers. But he knew one thing—he couldn’t stay where he was forever.

  With a final, decisive motion, he tapped a reply.

  “I’m in.”

  With that, William Jones crossed a line he could never return from, stepping into the world of Victor Halstead and whatever dark, ambitious plans he had in store.

  Scene 7: The Revelation

  William’s life had always been governed by the cold, brutal logic of survival. His decision to work with Victor Halstead seemed like a way to finally escape the endless cycle of killings for money. But as he delved deeper into Halstead’s world, something didn't sit right. The allure of power, the resources, and the promises of freedom had seemed so genuine. But there was a darkness lurking beneath the surface—a darkness that had been carefully concealed.

  It started with whispers. Discreet conversations, hidden files, and faces that spoke in hushed tones when they thought William wasn’t listening. The deeper he dug into Halstead’s operations, the more he uncovered about the man’s true nature.

  Victor Halstead wasn’t just a businessman or a criminal mastermind. He was a human trafficker. His operations weren’t just about power, control, or wealth—he was dealing in slavery. Men, women, children—all bought, sold, and traded like cattle.

  William had always known that the criminal world was filled with monsters, but this… this was beyond anything he could have imagined. Halstead wasn’t just a player in the game. He was the one pulling the strings, creating the very kind of suffering William had always despised.

  The final straw came when William discovered a warehouse on the outskirts of the city—a place where the innocent were held in chains, stripped of their humanity. They were just a small part of Halstead’s vast operation, but they were enough to break something inside William.

  Scene 8: The Massacre

  William didn’t hesitate.

  In the dead of night, with the shadows as his only allies, he launched an attack. His training, his ruthlessness—it was all focused on one goal: erasing Halstead’s empire. In one brutal, bloody sweep, he killed every last one of Halstead’s men. The sounds of gunfire echoed through the night as he methodically eliminated the guards, the enforcers, the brokers, and the people who had aided in the trafficking.

  It wasn’t just the usual cold execution of criminals. No, this time it was personal. William’s anger surged, flooding his veins like wildfire. He wasn’t just hunting men; he was hunting the system, the depravity, the very thing that had created this nightmare. Halstead had built a network of misery, a machine of human suffering—and William was going to tear it down, piece by piece.

  In less than 24 hours, William had massacred 500 of Halstead’s men. No one stood a chance. He moved through the buildings with the precision of a ghost, his knives and fists leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. There was no mercy, no hesitation. Just pure, unrelenting vengeance.

  Scene 9: The Confrontation

  After the chaos, William stood in the center of the wreckage. The bodies of Halstead’s men were piled around him, a gruesome testament to the destruction he had wrought. His breath came in heavy gasps, his heart pounding as the adrenaline slowly began to fade. He knew what had to come next. He had to face Halstead.

  William’s phone buzzed, and for a moment, he thought it might be a message from Wayne or Marian. But it wasn’t. It was a message from Halstead.

  “I knew you’d find out eventually.”

  The words hit William like a punch to the gut. He had no doubt that Halstead knew what he had done. The man was calculating, always watching, always one step ahead.

  “You’ve killed hundreds of my people, William. But you’ve only scratched the surface. This war isn’t over. You’ve made a mistake. And now, you’ll pay the price.”

  William’s jaw tightened as he read the message. Halstead was no fool. He knew this wouldn’t end with just the deaths of his underlings. But William didn’t care. He had made his choice. There was no turning back now.

  Scene 10: Halstead’s Counterattack

  Hours later, William stood at the edge of the city, watching the skyline. He knew Halstead would come for him. The man had resources, connections, and an army of loyal killers. William had just taken down the foundation of Halstead’s operation, but the kingpin himself was still a threat.

  Just as he was preparing to leave, a convoy of black SUVs rolled into view, their headlights cutting through the darkness. They didn’t stop. They accelerated toward him.

  Halstead wasn’t coming alone. He was sending his best. But William had no intention of running. If this was to be the end, then so be it.

  The convoy skidded to a halt, and from one of the SUVs stepped Halstead himself, flanked by a group of heavily armed mercenaries. The man was as calm as ever, his dark suit sharply contrasting against the wreckage of his empire.

  “William,” Halstead said, his voice smooth as silk. “I didn’t expect you to go this far. But I’ve always known you had it in you.”

  William gripped the handle of his knife tightly. “You’ve built a house of horrors, Halstead. And I’m going to burn it to the ground.”

  Halstead smiled, though there was no warmth in it. “You think killing my men makes you a hero? You think this ends here? You’ve made a powerful enemy, William. And I will make sure that you regret it.”

  Without warning, his mercenaries opened fire, but William was already moving. The night exploded into chaos once again, bullets and knives flying, but this time it was different. This wasn’t just about survival. It was about taking down the monster at the top.

  Scene 11: The Final Showdown

  The battle raged on, but William was unstoppable. The weight of everything he had learned, everything he had done—it fueled him. Halstead’s men fell one by one, but the real challenge was yet to come.

  Halstead himself stepped forward, a man who had orchestrated the suffering of hundreds, and now he would face the wrath of the one person who had dared to oppose him. His calm demeanor was gone now, replaced by a look of cold fury.

  “You’ll never win,” Halstead spat, his hands glowing with dark energy—something more than just a criminal mastermind. The fight became less about guns and knives, and more about a clash of ideologies, of survival versus corruption.

  William lunged forward, his blade aiming for Halstead’s throat, but the man was too fast. They fought fiercely, their movements a blur of violence and anger, each blow heavier than the last. But in the end, it was William’s resolve that won out.

  With a final, decisive strike, he ended it. Halstead fell to the ground, blood staining the earth. His empire was no more. The monster was dead.

  Scene 12: Aftermath

  The silence that followed the battle was deafening. The city was still, the weight of everything that had happened hanging in the air. William stood over the body of his fallen enemy, bloodied and bruised, but victorious.

  For the first time in a long while, he felt something stir within him—something that wasn’t just anger or emptiness. It was freedom.

  But the freedom came at a cost. William had killed hundreds, dismantled an empire, and taken down a man who had ruled from the shadows for years. The world was still filled with monsters, and William had just taken down the biggest one. But he knew this wouldn’t be the end. It couldn’t be.

  With a final glance at Halstead’s body, William turned and disappeared into the night, knowing that, no matter what, there was always another fight waiting.

  moving, a blur of motion in the darkness. He was ready for this—he had been expecting it. The bullets flew past him, but his reflexes, honed over years of battle, allowed him to dodge, duck, and weave through the storm of gunfire. His knife was already in his hand, glinting under the dim streetlights.

  With terrifying precision, William closed the distance between himself and Halstead’s men. One mercenary’s chest was sliced open before he even had a chance to react. A second fell with a gurgled scream, his throat slashed in a fluid motion that barely seemed to register in William’s mind. He moved like an unstoppable force—methodical, relentless, with no hesitation.

  The sound of gunfire echoed through the city, but William was an artist in chaos, using the environment to his advantage. The vehicles around him became obstacles for Halstead’s men, forcing them into confined spaces where William could strike from the shadows.

  Halstead, standing at the back of the convoy, was unperturbed. He watched with a cold, calculating gaze, as though this was all part of the plan. He had resources, men, and a presence that reached far beyond the city’s limits. But William wasn’t afraid of the odds. He had been outnumbered before and survived. This time would be no different.

  The last of the mercenaries fell, and William turned his attention to Halstead. His breath was steady, even though his body ached from the intense confrontation. Halstead remained calm, not even flinching as he stepped forward.

  “You’ve done well, William,” Halstead said, his voice unshaken. “But this is just the beginning. You’ve taken out a few pawns, but the game has only just begun. I will make you regret this.”

  William’s grip tightened on his knife, but he didn’t answer. He wasn’t here for words. He was here to end it. With a flick of his wrist, he dashed forward. The fight was on.

  Halstead was fast, but he wasn’t faster than William. With a deadly strike, William closed in on him, knocking aside the gun Halstead had drawn. A quick jab to the ribs followed by a low sweep sent Halstead stumbling back. William was relentless, pushing him toward the edge of the confrontation.

  “You think I’m the villain here?” Halstead spat, his eyes wild with rage. “You’re just another tool in this broken world. You’ll always be what they make you.”

  William didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His actions spoke louder than any words. With a swift, brutal punch to the face, Halstead staggered. But it wasn’t over. William was still in control. He had taken down an empire of suffering before, and now he would dismantle the man who built it.

  Halstead, despite his arrogance, was beginning to realize that he had underestimated the assassin before him. He tried to backpedal, but William was already on him, locking his arm behind his back, preparing for the final blow.

  “This is the end,” William muttered, his knife raised.

  Halstead’s eyes widened in fear, his calm demeanor shattered. But it was too late. With one clean strike, William ended the man’s reign of terror.

  As Halstead crumpled to the ground, William stood over him, breathing heavily, his heart pounding. The war was over, at least for him. But as he looked around at the wreckage he had caused, the countless lives he had taken, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of the decision he had made.

  He had taken down a monster, but in doing so, had he become something even worse? The silence that followed was deafening, and for the first time in a long while, William felt a cold emptiness settle in his chest. He had completed the mission, but he didn’t feel victorious.

  The question lingered in his mind: Was he really the hero of this story, or was he just another monster in a world that was beyond saving?

  He stood there in the darkness, unsure of what came next. The world had changed, and so had he

  Scene 13: The Beginning of the End

  The gunfire echoed through the streets as William sprang into action. His reflexes were honed, his mind calculating each move before it happened. Halstead’s mercenaries were skilled, but they were no match for the Head Hunter. As the first wave of bullets tore through the air, William moved with a fluidity that made him seem like a shadow—a blur in the night.

  He dodged, his body a perfect instrument of destruction, sidestepping the onslaught and closing the distance between himself and the nearest enemy. With a swift twist, his knife was buried in the mercenary’s throat, the blood spattering against the cold concrete. His other hand was already reaching for the next target, the next kill. He was relentless, moving with a precision that made it seem as if time slowed down around him.

  The second mercenary tried to adjust his aim, but William was faster. He delivered a crushing blow to the man’s chest, knocking the air out of him before driving a knee into his ribs. The sound of cracking bone was drowned by the deafening roar of gunfire. William barely registered the bullet that grazed his arm; the pain was nothing compared to the anger coursing through him.

  Halstead watched from a distance, his face unreadable. The Head Hunter was a force of nature, a perfect killing machine. But he was only human, and even the most skilled warriors could be overwhelmed.

  As William took down another mercenary, he could feel it—the weight of Halstead’s presence, the looming threat of the man who had orchestrated so much of the chaos in his life. But William was done with running. He was done being anyone’s pawn. He had made his decision, and now there would be no turning back.

  Halstead stepped forward, his demeanor calm despite the chaos unfolding before him. His mercenaries had already lost a good number of men, but he wasn’t concerned. He had something far worse prepared.

  “You’re good, William. I’ve always known that. But you’re out of your depth,” Halstead said, his voice carrying over the noise of the firefight. He wasn’t yelling; he didn’t need to. His presence alone commanded attention.

  William turned his eyes toward him, his grip tightening on the hilt of his knife. “I don’t need your compliments. You’ve created a network of misery, and now it’s time for it to end.”

  Halstead smiled, almost pityingly. “You think you can stop me? You really believe you’re the one who can bring me down? There’s no one like you, William. But even you can’t defeat a machine as large as mine.”

  “Then it’s your mistake,” William said with a cold finality. “I’ve been killing machines like yours all my life.”

  Without another word, the two men locked eyes—a moment of mutual understanding passing between them. William knew what had to be done. But Halstead had one last card to play.

  Scene 14: The Revelation of the True Enemy

  As the last of his mercenaries fell, William stepped toward Halstead, intent on ending this once and for all. But just as he was about to close the gap, something shifted. The ground beneath them seemed to tremble, and a low hum filled the air. It was subtle at first, but then it grew louder—like the sound of a massive engine warming up.

  Halstead’s expression flickered with something akin to satisfaction. “Did you really think I didn’t prepare for this?” he asked with a smirk.

  Before William could respond, the ground cracked open, and a hulking figure emerged from the shadows—a massive mechanical construct, towering over the wreckage of the battle. The machine was a monstrosity, its body covered in armor plates and steel, its eyes glowing red like hellfire. It was a war machine—a creation of Halstead’s genius and twisted mind.

  The mechanical behemoth began to move, its joints creaking with the sound of ancient gears turning. It was a machine made for destruction, built to crush anything in its path. And it was heading straight for William.

  William’s heart pounded in his chest, but he didn’t falter. He had faced impossible odds before. He had taken down armies, faced monsters, and survived battles that should have ended him. This machine would be no different.

  Halstead’s voice rang out again, cold and mocking. “You’ve killed my men, William. But this? This is a true challenge. You wanted a bigger game? Welcome to it.”

  The mechanical giant’s massive arm swung down, a heavy fist aimed directly at William. But he was already moving—faster than the machine could react. He dodged, rolling to the side and narrowly avoiding the blow. The ground shook as the metal fist collided with the earth, sending cracks racing through the pavement.

  William’s eyes narrowed. This wasn’t just a fight; this was a test of everything he had learned, everything he had become. His mind raced, calculating his options, his next move. He knew he couldn’t fight the machine head-on—not without a plan. But he wasn’t about to back down.

  With lightning speed, William dashed toward the machine, using its massive size to his advantage. He wasn’t trying to defeat it with brute force. He was looking for weaknesses—gaps in the armor, places where he could strike to bring it down.

  As he neared the machine, he could see it—the small panel on the side of its chest, the one that controlled the core system. It was exposed, just barely covered by a few layers of plating. If he could reach it, he could disable the entire machine.

  The giant’s arm swung at him again, but this time, William was ready. He ducked under the strike, using the momentum to propel himself onto the machine’s leg. He scaled the metal surface with agility, his body moving with precision as he climbed toward the exposed panel.

  Halstead watched, his smile slowly fading as William closed the distance. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.”

  But William wasn’t listening. He had one goal, and nothing was going to stop him.

  With a final, desperate leap, he reached the panel. He unsheathed his knife, the steel glinting in the moonlight as he drove it into the heart of the machine. Sparks flew, and the mechanical giant screeched in agony as its systems began to overload.

  Halstead’s face twisted with rage as he watched his creation begin to crumble. “No! You can’t—!”

  But it was too late. The machine’s core exploded in a burst of light, sending shockwaves through the air. William was thrown back, but he quickly recovered, rolling to his feet just as the wreckage of the giant collapsed in a heap of twisted metal.

  Halstead stared at the destruction, his eyes wide with disbelief. “No one has ever beaten me... no one.”

  William didn’t say a word. He had already made his decision. This was the end of Halstead’s reign. There was no room for mercy. No room for hesitation.

  As the dust settled, William turned away from the wreckage, his body bruised but unbroken. He had finished the job, and in doing so, he had taken down not just a man, but a monstrous empire built on suffering.

  But the cost had been high. He was no longer the same man who had started this journey. The weight of his choices would follow him, no matter where he went.

  As he disappeared into the night, the voices of Wayne and Marian echoed in his mind once again.

  “You don’t have to keep doing this.”

  And for the first time in a long time, William didn’t know if they were right.