A city that never slept.

  Even at night it breathed: lights always on, hurried footsteps, distant engines, and voices locking together like moving gears.

  It wasn’t the chaos that made it unsettling.

  It was the invisible order holding everything together.

  Sky and Shark walked through streets lit by flickering signs, the smell of fried food in the air and laughter echoing from one alley to another.

  Everything looked normal.

  And that was exactly the problem.

  They spotted a small shop that sold practically everything: blankets, tools, canned food, even strange metallic artifacts hanging on the walls.

  As soon as they stepped inside, a bell chimed above the door.

  The man behind the counter, with a kindly expression, lifted his gaze.

  ?Greetings, good sir!? Sky began enthusiastically.

  ?Hello, boys! Looking for something in particular?? the shopkeeper replied with a gentle smile.

  Shark went straight to the point.

  ?Yes. Could you tell us where we can rest? An inn, a hotel… something like that.?

  The man burst out laughing, as if the answer were obvious.

  ?Are you joking? This city is full of places to sleep: hostels, inns, hotels. Here in Hellington, you’re spoiled for choice!?

  Sky’s eyes widened with excitement.

  ?Hellington?! Wow! Sounds like an amazing place!?

  Shark, instead, turned pale.

  His heartbeat skipped for a moment.

  ?Oh… damn.?

  He added nothing else. He thanked the shopkeeper quickly, grabbed Sky, and dragged him outside.

  Once back on the street, Sky stopped him with a confused look.

  ?Hey, Shark! What’s wrong with you?!?

  ?We’re doomed,? Shark said quietly, scanning the surroundings. ?Completely doomed.?

  Sky frowned.

  ?Okay… but do you want to explain why??

  Shark inhaled slowly.

  ?Hellington is under total Imperial control. Not partial. Total.?

  He gestured vaguely toward the city around them.

  ?There are no gray zones here. Every street, every district, every business is monitored.?

  Sky stayed silent, listening.

  ?The city is ruled by a chief captain,? Shark continued. ?Benjamin. Same rank as Sharlok.?

  Sky blinked.

  ?Another captain??

  ?Yes.?

  Shark’s jaw tightened.

  ?And that’s the problem. Sooner or later Sharlok will find out where we are. It’s only a matter of time.?

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  Sky swallowed.

  ?And if that happens…?

  ?If it happens,? Shark cut in, ?we’ll have two Imperial captains in the same city. Coordinated. With the entire Empire behind them.?

  A brief silence followed.

  ?This isn’t a hunt,? Shark concluded. ?It’s a sentence.?

  Sky lowered his gaze for a moment, then spoke, more serious than usual.

  ?Then we can’t stay here long.?

  ?No. We can’t.?

  ?And we can’t draw attention.?

  ?Exactly.?

  Sky nodded slowly.

  ?That means we’ll have to think… not act on instinct.?

  Shark glanced sideways at him.

  ?You?? he scoffed. ?Think??

  He shook his head slightly.

  ?We’re doomed.?

  Sky let out a small sigh.

  ?I’m just trying not to get us captured before it’s time.?

  They said nothing else.

  They resumed walking, swallowed by the noise and movement of the city.

  In that anonymous crowd, they looked invisible.

  And precisely because of that, far from there, someone had already begun retracing their every step.

  Within the cold walls of Castel Rock, Captain Sharlok sifted through reports, testimonies, and maps like a predator searching for the faintest trace of blood.

  Every sheet was an attempt, every note a promise of truth.

  Yet the more he examined the reports, the more unsettling the emptiness became: the intruder who had attacked the pirates had left nothing behind.

  No footprints.

  No reliable witnesses.

  No useful leads.

  Commander Surez appeared in the corridor of the operations room, breathless, his face tense with urgency.

  ?Captain! The ship sent with the recruits found nothing. However… some fishermen near Hellington City reported an Imperial fishing vessel abandoned on the shore.?

  Sharlok narrowed his eyes.

  Hellington.

  That single name filled his mind with unpleasant images and potential disasters.

  ?What? In Hellington?? he growled. ?It must be the boat those idiots used to escape — the same one that vanished from the dock.?

  ?Right in Hellington… where, unfortunately for us, they can hide like rats in the sewers.?

  Surez stepped forward, measuring his words with disciplined calm.

  ?If I may, sir, the fact they went there could work in our favor. We can alert the Hellington garrison. They mobilize patrols and help us sweep the coast. Two recruits won’t escape a coordinated hunt.?

  For a moment Sharlok remained still, jaw clenched.

  Involving Hellington’s authorities meant losing control and risking the news spreading beyond command.

  One single mistake — and his reputation would shatter.

  ?Absolutely not.?

  ?We reveal nothing. I don’t want rumors spreading: two recruits escaping under my command is a personal disgrace.?

  ?Send the ship with the recruits to Hellington. The order is to track and capture those two at any cost. Understood??

  Surez hesitated, his disagreement evident, but hierarchy left little room for protest.

  ?Yes, sir.?

  Despite his doubts, Surez carried out the orders: he issued commands and initiated the maneuver.

  The reconnaissance vessel received precise instructions — head toward Grey Wall harbor, inspect the coast discreetly, and intercept any trace.

  No publicity, no official communication with local authorities: Sharlok wanted fast, silent results before his mistake turned into the kind of gossip capable of destroying a long, hard-earned career.

  Another Imperial ship left the port of Castel Rock, and Sharlok remained by the window of his office, the recently extinguished cigar clenched between his fingers.

  Every passing minute tightened around his throat: this was no longer just an operational matter.

  If those two were not captured quickly, the consequences would extend far beyond the battlefield.

  Shortly after, Captain Sharlok and Commander Surez boarded a fast craft and sped toward the city where they hoped to corner Sky and Shark.

  The wind lashed the central sea, raising cold spray; waves crashed violently against the hull.

  Sharlok stood at the bow, face tense, gaze hard and fixed on the horizon as if he could pierce it through sheer will.

  Beside him, Surez gripped the helm, pushing the vessel to its limits.

  The engine roared; the boat sliced through the waves like a blade.

  The wind lifted Sharlok’s military coat and scattered the smoke from the still-warm cigar between his teeth.

  Silence hung heavy between them, broken only by the roar of the sea and the growl of the engine.

  At last Sharlok broke it.

  ?Grey Wall… Hellington City…? he said, voice cold.

  ?If those two idiots are really there, we must take them before anyone else notices.?

  His tone hardened further.

  ?This matter stays between us.?

  Surez nodded, eyes fixed on the route ahead.

  ?Sir, it’s risky to act without informing the Hellington base. If something goes wrong, we won’t have reinforcements.?

  Sharlok turned, his gaze sharp as a blade.

  ?I don’t want reinforcements. I want discretion.?

  ?A mistake like this must leave no trace.?

  ?We’ll take them ourselves. Quietly. No witnesses, no rumors.?

  Surez pressed his lips together, swallowing any objection.

  Reluctance was clear, but obedience came first.

  Sharlok turned back toward the sea, fist clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

  The dark silhouette of Hellington emerged on the horizon: industrial towers spewed smoke, massive cranes loomed like claws, and dim lights trembled across the water’s surface.

  The city seemed to breathe corruption — alive, chaotic, dangerous — where every street could become a trap and every alley might hide an enemy or an informant.

  Sharlok watched without moving a muscle, his voice low and cold, more to himself than to anyone else.

  ?Rats… you’re good at running. But this time I’m on your trail.?

  ?There will be no escape.?

  The craft accelerated, cutting through the waves like a bullet.

  The hunt was nearing its climax.

  Within those narrow streets and that oily darkness, the decisive game would be played.

  —

  Next Episode — Where No One Smiles