Apocalypse: becoming the hidden Ruler

Sure enough, Declan's words made a few of the gang's inner circle frown. A heavy silence settled in.

"I was just passing by," Blackstone muttered weakly, but no one was buying that. Not even close.

Truth was, Declan had expected something like this. He knew Blackstone wouldn't just roll over and hand Axel a piece of his empire. He had already started thinking of ways to clean up the mess *if* Axel slipped.

But now? Axel had flipped the script—and Declan couldn't be more satisfied.

"The gang got this far because we stand together," he said, voice calm but firm. "Let's drop it. But this doesn't happen again."

Blackstone didn't argue. He just turned and left, shoulders stiff, face dark with resentment. As he walked out, Axel casually greeted some of the gang members, even laughing with a few of them. The mood had done a full 180. From outsider to rising star—just like that.

Esme, still standing to the side, was completely stunned. What the hell just happened? She'd been prepared to kill or die. She'd even crushed a fighting pill in her palm, ready for a last stand if things went sideways.

But now… Axel had defused the whole crisis like it was nothing. He was even friendly with Lucas? Since when?!

Esme stood frozen, watching as the room cleared out. Soon it was just the three of them left—Declan, Axel, and herself.

Declan's easygoing smile had vanished. His eyes lingered on her, calculating. He's not fooled. Even if Blackstone had jumped the gun, something had triggered that suspicion. And if it hadn't been for Lucas showing up alive… things could've gone very differently.

"Who is she?" Declan asked, tone sharp.

"Mr. Declan, she came into the city with me. You remember what you said—she's proof of that."

He gave a half-smile, half-shrug. "If I were on my own, maybe I'd be tempted by what offer she was dangling. Might've gone to the Hollow District, maybe picked a fight. But I'm not alone."

"Now I've got the gang behind me. Every move I make reflects on the Serpents. I'm a newcomer, sure—but I'm not stupid."

He gestured toward Esme. "She didn't get that. Tried to pressure me. And when that didn't work…" He gave Declan a look. "She pulled this bullshit."

Declan looked from Axel to Esme. The temperature in the room felt like it dropped a few degrees.

Esme's eyelids twitched as she listened to Axel speak with such smooth, effortless conviction. Was this guy even an Awakened? Or just a damn good actor?

It finally clicked. Back when they were talking, he must've noticed someone eavesdropping outside the door. That's why he suddenly changed his tone, played it up.

"Fits their style perfectly," Declan continued, calm and steady. "A few third-level Awakened acting like they're gods. Yeah, I've seen that before."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Axel's tone was honest, loyal—and Declan loved it. That attitude was exactly what he wanted to hear. He hated people like Blackstone, who acted like the whole gang should revolve around them.

Esme knew the smartest move now was to shut her mouth. So she just stared at the two of them warily, arms crossed, expression cold.

"Get lost," Axel said bluntly, shooting her a look of pure disgust. "You're not welcome here. And don't come looking for me again."

If this had been under any other circumstance, Esme would've gone off on him right then and there.

"That's right," Declan added, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "Axel's one of us now—part of the Steel Serpents. If you want to threaten him again, you better think real hard about the consequences."

Even though Esme was also a level three Awakened like Declan, this was his turf. And in his eyes, someone with raw power but no brains wasn't worth shit.

Esme's jaw clenched. "Fine, Axel. I'll remember this. I won't forget the humiliation."

The situation had ended peacefully, but Esme still left pissed. From her perspective, all of this could've been avoided if Axel had just agreed to help her in the first place.

So it's his fucking fault. She shot him one last glare, cold and sharp, then turned on her heel and stormed off.

Axel watched her go, then sighed. Is this really my fault? he shook his head in disbelief. Thanks to her, he'd nearly had his cover blown. And in the end, it was he who had to clean up the mess. She didn't thank him, didn't apologize—instead, she left blaming him?

With that kind of mindset, there's no way I'm ever working with her. His gaze drifted toward the shadows where Blackstone had vanished earlier. His eyes narrowed.

A false alarm... but not a waste. Now I know exactly who's got their eyes on me. And after this stunt, Blackstone wouldn't dare try the same trick twice.

"Level two… I need to hit it fast," Axel muttered to himself. He hadn't clashed with Blackstone directly yet, but he wasn't stupid. He knew how level two Awakened operated—tough as hell, and built to outlast you.

Blackstone was already at the peak of level two. Even with Axel's raw energy and new abilities, a head-on fight would be reckless.

But once he broke through? That would change everything.

He already had three Awakening skills: Recharge, Healing, and Turtle Body. All of them made him a damn tank. Not flashy, not glamorous—but nearly unkillable.

The kind of guy who could wear you down while grinning through your best shots.

Axel sighed again. "Damn it… I wanted to be a warrior. Now I'm turning into a walking meat shield."

"That bastard… I should've just killed him." Another crash echoed through the room as Blackstone hurled a chair against the wall, splinters flying everywhere. The desk was already cracked, and the benches weren't faring any better.

Watching him lose it, Caden could only sigh heavily. Honestly, the plan wasn't bad. Blackstone had played it well—better than expected, really. The opportunity had come, not exactly as planned, but close enough. And Blackstone had pounced.

Whisper Syndicate. If they could've pinned that on Axel, there'd be no need for tricks or schemes. In Sin City, that accusation alone was a death sentence. But things had spiraled fast.

"He has to be from the Whisper Syndicate," Blackstone growled, pacing. "There's no other explanation!" He looked like he was about to tear the place apart.

"Maybe... maybe you walked right into a setup," Caden offered cautiously.

Blackstone froze. "What are you talking about?"

"Think about it," Caden said, leaning forward. "We may have underestimated him. Maybe he knew you were watching him from the beginning—and played along. Lured you into that scene on purpose."

Blackstone looked like he was going to laugh it off. Then his expression shifted. His eyes narrowed, and he stopped pacing.

He had noticed something odd about Axel's behavior earlier—like performing rather than reacting. But the idea that Axel had outmaneuvered him was a bitter pill to swallow.

"No way… his power level…" he muttered. He was a peak-level 2 Awakened with over 700 Force—he shouldn't have been fooled so easily.

"I think that Esme woman was in on it too," Caden said, deep in thought now. The more he unraveled it, the more it made sense.

"You really believe he'd go that far?"

"He's a snake," one of Blackstone's guys.

"Yeah, venomous little shit." The third man chimed in.