RUTHLESS BOND

...Chapter 1 — Escape...

The city never slept.

Even at two in the morning, distant sirens echoed through the streets while neon signs painted the wet roads with shades of blue and red.

For most people, night was a time for rest.

For Riven Hale, it was just another shift.

The cold wind bit against his skin as he stepped out of a convenience store carrying two paper bags filled with groceries. His shoulders ached after fourteen straight hours of work, but he ignored the pain.

Pain didn't pay bills.

Money did.

And money was something he never had enough of.

Riven adjusted the strap of his worn backpack and continued walking through the narrow street toward the small apartment he shared with his younger brother.

A smile appeared on his face as he remembered Eli's message from earlier.

"Don't forget the noodles."

Riven had laughed when he read it.

No matter how difficult life became, Eli somehow always managed to make him smile.

Their parents had died six years ago.

Since then, everything had fallen on Riven's shoulders.

School fees.

Rent.

Food.

Medicine.

Every responsibility belonged to him.

And he carried them without complaint.

Because Eli was all he had left.

The apartment building finally came into view.

Old walls.

Broken windows.

Rust-covered railings.

Home.

Riven climbed the stairs quietly before unlocking the door.

The moment he stepped inside, the smell of instant noodles greeted him.

Eli was sitting at the small table with a textbook open in front of him.

"You forgot the noodles, didn't you?" Eli asked immediately.

Riven rolled his eyes.

"I literally carried them all the way here."

Eli grinned.

"Then you're officially my favorite brother."

"I'm your only brother."

"Exactly."

For a brief moment, the room filled with laughter.

A rare sound.

A precious one.

Riven unpacked the groceries while Eli continued talking about school.

Normal things.

Simple things.

The kind of things Riven worked so hard to protect.

Hours later, Eli had fallen asleep.

The apartment became silent again.

Riven sat near the window, staring at the city lights.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on him.

But sleep refused to come.

His mind was crowded with unpaid bills and growing worries.

The landlord wanted rent next week.

Eli's school payment was overdue.

And recently something else had begun bothering him.

A strange feeling.

As if someone was watching him.

Following him.

Waiting.

He shook the thought away.

Maybe he was simply tired.

Outside, rain began falling softly.

Riven closed the curtain and finally went to bed.

He had no idea that this ordinary night would be the last peaceful night of his life.

---

The next evening arrived with dark clouds hanging over the city.

Riven had just finished another shift when a shortcut through the industrial district caught his attention.

Normally he avoided that area.

Tonight, he was too tired to care.

The streets were almost empty.

Only the sound of rain accompanied him.

Then—

A gunshot echoed through the darkness.

Riven froze.

His heartbeat stopped.

Another gunshot followed.

Then shouting.

Instinct screamed at him to run.

Immediately.

But curiosity made him glance toward the source.

Big mistake.

At the end of the alley, several black vehicles surrounded a warehouse.

Men dressed in dark suits moved quickly while others aimed weapons.

This wasn't a street fight.

This was something far worse.

Something organized.

Something dangerous.

Riven stepped backward carefully.

One step.

Two steps.

Three—

A loose metal pipe rolled beneath his shoe.

CLANG!

The sound echoed loudly.

Every head turned toward him.

Silence.

Terrible silence.

For one horrifying second, nobody moved.

Then someone shouted.

"THERE!"

Riven's blood ran cold.

Without thinking, he turned and ran.

Fast.

Faster than he had ever run before.

Footsteps thundered behind him.

Voices shouted.

The sound of engines roared to life.

They were chasing him.

Because he had seen something he was never supposed to see.

Rain poured harder as Riven sprinted through the maze of streets.

His lungs burned.

His legs screamed in protest.

But stopping meant death.

And dying was not an option.

Not while Eli was waiting at home.

Not while his brother still needed him.

A sharp turn.

Another alley.

Another desperate sprint.

The city blurred around him.

Then suddenly—

A black luxury car appeared in front of him.

Riven stumbled backward.

The rear door slowly opened.

Someone sat inside.

Hidden in shadows.

Watching.

Waiting.

For the first time that night, genuine fear crawled down Riven's spine.

Because whoever was inside that car felt far more dangerous than the men chasing him.

And somehow...

The stranger's eyes were already fixed on him.

As if they had been waiting for this moment.

To Be Continued...

...Chapter 2—Midnight Between Us...

The silence inside the car felt heavier than the rain outside.

Riven’s breathing was steady now… but his mind wasn’t.

The door remained open for a moment longer.

Outside, footsteps were still approaching.

But something stopped them.

Not fear.

Not confusion.

Something else.

Respect… or warning.

Riven didn’t move.

He wasn’t shaking.

He wasn’t begging.

He was just calculating.

A habit built from survival.

Then a voice came from inside the car.

“Get in.”

Calm.

Controlled.

Not loud.

Not emotional.

Just final.

Riven didn’t answer.

For a second, he studied the situation instead of reacting to it.

The men behind him were still there.

Closer now.

Decision made.

He stepped inside.

The door closed behind him with a soft, expensive sound.

Silence swallowed everything.

Only the dim city lights passed through the tinted windows.

Riven slowly turned his head.

And saw him.

Kael Alaric.

No introduction.

No warning.

Just presence.

Leaning back calmly like the world had no permission to disturb him.

Sharp suit. Relaxed posture. Cold eyes that didn’t show curiosity or fear.

Only control.

Riven’s gaze hardened.

“Who are you?” he asked.

Kael didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he studied Riven.

Not like a stranger.

Like a decision he hadn’t finalized yet.

“You ran from them,” Kael said finally.

Riven’s jaw tightened.

“I don’t run without reason.”

A faint pause.

Kael’s expression didn’t change.

But his attention sharpened slightly.

“So you do think,” he said quietly.

Riven frowned.

“What is this? An interview?”

Kael didn’t react to the tone.

Outside, engines roared somewhere in the distance… then slowly faded.

The chase had stopped.

Riven noticed it immediately.

His eyes narrowed.

“You stopped them.”

Kael adjusted his cuff slightly.

“I didn’t need to.”

That answer made no sense.

And yet it felt true.

Riven leaned back slightly, still alert but not panicked.

He wasn’t scared.

But something about this situation felt… wrong.

Not dangerous in a direct way.

But unfamiliar.

Like stepping into a place that had rules he didn’t know.

He glanced at Kael again.

“You’re not one of them,” Riven said.

Kael finally looked at him properly.

This time… direct.

“No,” he said. “I’m not one of them.”

A pause.

Then softer—

“I’m the reason they don’t make decisions alone.”

The car started moving.

Smooth.

Silent.

Powerful.

Riven turned his head toward the window.

The city was passing too fast now.

Too organized.

Too controlled.

He looked back.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Riven said.

Kael leaned slightly back again.

“You didn’t ask the right one.”

Riven’s eyes narrowed.

“Then tell me the right one.”

Kael’s gaze held him for a moment.

Not intense.

Not emotional.

Just measuring.

Then he spoke.

“Ask yourself why you’re still alive.”

That question landed heavier than any threat.

Riven didn’t reply immediately.

Because he didn’t like questions he couldn’t solve instantly.

The car turned into a restricted underground route.

Lights above flickered in cold patterns.

Riven finally understood.

This wasn’t escape.

This was transition.

From one world…

to another.

Kael opened the door first.

Before stepping out, he glanced once at Riven.

Calm voice.

“No fear suits you better than confusion.”

Riven didn’t react.

Kael paused slightly.

Then added—

“And next time… don’t run if you plan to stand.”

He stepped out.

Riven followed after a second.

Rain echoed faintly above them through metal structures.

And in that moment…

Riven realized one thing clearly.

He hadn’t been saved.

He had been noticed.

And that was far more dangerous.

Because survival was something he understood.

But being seen by someone like Kael…

was not.

...INTRODUCTION...

...🖤 MC — Riven Hale...

...Age: 25...

...Strong, disciplined and emotionally controlled man shaped by a hard life. He is intelligent, highly practical, and doesn’t trust people easily. His survival instincts are sharp, making him dangerous when needed. Behind his cold nature, he is deeply loyal and protective toward his family. He lives more in responsibility than emotion....

...^^^🖤Eli Hale^^^...

...Age: 17...

...Bright, sensitive and determined high school student. He is intelligent, emotionally aware, and quietly strong despite his weak health. Eli focuses on his future goals and never gives up easily. He has a soft but resilient personality that hides his inner fears. His strength is his calm mindset and his will to keep going....

...To be continued......