The Black Sun Syndicate

Scene 1: The Test Begins

(The underground chamber smelled of damp stone and iron. Dim lights flickered overhead, casting long, restless shadows on the bloodstained floor. The only sound was Elias' ragged breathing and the soft scrape of his boots against the cold concrete as he was led forward. Dominic Graves stood in front of him, watching with an amused expression, his silver hair neatly combed back, his posture effortlessly commanding.)

(Dominic's men flanked the walls like silent sentinels, their hands resting lazily on their holsters, their eyes void of concern. In the center of the room, kneeling and bound, was a man Elias had never seen before—his face swollen from repeated blows, his lips cracked and bleeding. His torn shirt revealed bruises blooming across his ribs. His chest heaved with every shallow breath, but his gaze still burned with defiance.)

(Dominic's voice was smooth, almost conversational, as he stepped closer.)

Dominic Graves: "Elias, do you know why you're here?"

(Elias swallowed hard, his fingers twitching at his sides. He already knew the answer, but speaking it aloud would make it real.)

Elias: (whispering) "You want me to kill him."

(Dominic smiled, as if pleased by his understanding.)

Dominic Graves: "I want you to prove your loyalty. You see, I don't trust words. I trust actions." (He gestures to the bound man.) "This man—Samuel Reese—thought he could cheat me. He took what wasn't his and now, well, he has to pay the price."

(Samuel coughed, spitting blood onto the floor before looking up at Elias, his bruised face contorting with desperation.)

Samuel Reese: "Please... don't do this. You don't have to—"

(Dominic cut him off with a sharp look before turning back to Elias. He pulled a sleek, black handgun from inside his coat and held it out.)

Dominic Graves: "One bullet. One choice. Do this, Elias, and I know you're truly mine."

(Elias stared at the gun. His hand trembled as he reached for it, his breath coming in short, uneven gasps. The metal felt cold and heavier than he expected. He had held a gun before, but never like this—never to take a life.)

(The room pressed in around him. His mind reeled, flashing back to Jacob's bloodied body by the river. To Mariana's lifeless form hanging from their bedroom ceiling. His fingers tightened around the grip as his vision blurred with unshed tears.)

Elias' Thoughts: This is the man who stole everything from me. And now, he's turning me into the monster he is.

(Dominic stepped behind him, his voice dropping to a whisper.)

Dominic Graves: "The first time is always the hardest, Elias. But trust me, it gets easier."

Scene 2: Pulling the Trigger

(Elias raised the gun, his arm shaking. Samuel's eyes widened, his breath hitching as he realized there would be no last-minute mercy.)

Samuel Reese: (hoarse) "You don't have to be like him."

(Elias hesitated. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to stop. But then—he saw Jacob again. The way his friend's body crumpled to the ground, the way Dominic had smiled as he ordered the execution. He saw Mariana, her wide, terrified eyes in that grainy recording before he had found her hanging, her children screaming.)

(And suddenly, the hesitation turned into something else. A cold resolve. A twisted understanding.)

(His finger squeezed the trigger.)

(A single gunshot echoed in the chamber. Samuel's body jerked before slumping forward, his forehead slamming against the concrete. Blood pooled beneath him, seeping into the cracks of the stone floor. Elias' breath came out in a shudder as the scent of gunpowder mixed with the iron tang of fresh death.)

(He lowered the gun, staring at what he had done. He had thought he would feel something. A wave of guilt. An unbearable grief. But instead... there was nothing. Just silence.)

(Dominic clapped slowly, stepping forward with an approving smirk.)

Dominic Graves: "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

(Elias exhaled shakily, his hands still trembling. He wanted to vomit. He wanted to scream. But he did neither.)

Elias: (hoarsely) "It was."

(Dominic chuckled, patting Elias on the back.)

Dominic Graves: "And yet, you did it anyway. That, Elias, is progress."

Scene 3: A Killer is Forged

(Elias stood frozen, his hands stained with blood. It didn't matter that it wasn't physically on him—it was there, soaking into his skin, into his soul. He had crossed a line he could never uncross.)

(Dominic walked around him, his gaze sharp, assessing.)

Dominic Graves: "Tell me, Elias, what do you feel?"

(Elias hesitated. The truth? He felt... hollow. He expected the weight of guilt to crush him, but instead, a strange numbness had taken its place.)

Elias: (quietly) "Nothing."

(Dominic's smile widened.)

Dominic Graves: "Good. That's how it should be."

(He turned to his men, nodding once. They moved swiftly, dragging Samuel's body away like discarded trash. The sickening sound of flesh scraping against the floor made Elias' stomach twist, but he forced himself to remain still.)

(Dominic leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper.)

Dominic Graves: "The more you kill, the less you feel. And soon enough, it won't bother you at all."

(Elias clenched his fists. The thought should have terrified him. But instead... it settled into him like a promise.)

Scene 4: The Second Test

(Dominic straightened, brushing invisible dust from his suit.)

Dominic Graves: "Now that you've passed your first test, it's time for the second."

(Elias turned to him, his jaw tightening.)

Elias: "Already?"

(Dominic laughed, shaking his head.)

Dominic Graves: "There's no time for hesitation in this world, Elias. You either move forward or get left behind."

(He snapped his fingers, and another man was dragged into the chamber. This one was different—well-dressed, his hands bound behind his back, a gag covering his mouth. His wide, fearful eyes darted between Dominic and Elias.)

Dominic Graves: "This one is special, Elias. He's a traitor—one of my own men who thought he could sell me out to the feds." (He tilted his head.) "But I'm not asking you to simply shoot him."

(Elias felt a chill run down his spine.)

Elias: "Then what are you asking?"

(Dominic's smirk turned cruel.)

Dominic Graves: "A knife, Elias. Up close. Personal."

(One of Dominic's men handed Elias a gleaming blade, its edge razor-sharp. The weight of it in his hand felt different from the gun—more intimate, more visceral.)

(Elias' grip tightened. His heart pounded as the man before him whimpered behind his gag, shaking his head desperately. Elias wasn't sure what terrified him more—the act itself, or the realization that part of him was already considering it.)

(Dominic's voice was smooth, expectant.)

Dominic Graves: "Let's see if you're truly ready to embrace what you've become."