Storms Beneath the Surface

The skies were dark and painted in heavy grays and thunder rolling through the clouds as Rikushi stepped into the neon-drenched alleyway leading to Reiku's club. The air was sharp with tension. Inside the Club, the Music pulsed with life, a drastic contrast to the cold words that were waiting for him.

Reiku, lounging at her private booth, gave a sly smile. "You're a dangerous man, Rikushi," she purred, her voice like velvet. "You broke into a shop, stole a dozen ancient artifacts, and walked away unnoticed. That's talent."

She leaned in, her fingers lazily tracing the rim of her drink. "You should join my clan. We take from the rich, and we don't apologize for it."

Rikushi's face didn't flinch. "I'm not a thief. Not your kind, at least."

Her smile thinned. "Shame. I was hoping you'd be fun." Her tone sharpened. "Then again... I could always make a call. Say you were responsible for some missing 'priceless magical relics'."

Before tension could boil, Rikushi rose, cold and composed. "Then I'll give them a reason to come find me." And with that, he walked out, the fire of defiance in his steps.

Weeks passed. The group trained hard. Rikushi, Blaidd, and the others scavenged and recovered more relics--long-lost pieces of a forgotten time. Each item brought them closer to the truth, to power, and to the danger lurking in the modern shadows.

Then came the storm that would change the direction of their lives for good.

It was late into the night when pounding shook the door. Blaidd, cautious but curious, opened it to reveal a man soaked to the bone, carrying two frightened girls.

"Please--help. They're after us," the man gasped.

Without hesitation, Blaidd pulled them in, shutting the door hard against the rain.

"I'm Valentine," the man said, kneeling. "These are my stepdaughters, Kandy and Sori."

He looked up, his voice shaking with rage and grief. "I came home from work and... my wife--she was gone. Killed. Blood everywhere. Kandy and Sori were hiding in the bathroom. One of the robbers came back... I didn't wait to fight, I just ran off with them."

The Group offered them shelter. For the next few days, they pooled their strength, took on quests and dungeons for coin, and eventually bought an old, abandoned village far from the city's eyes. They built homes, farms, labs, and defenses--balancing old magic and new tech. A place where they could live and grow strong. They named it: NT Village, and together, they became the NTG (NT Gang).

Peace never lasts long though.

Late one night, a knock echoed through the hall. Then, before anyone could answer it, the door slammed open with force. Men rushed in, armed, masked, aggressive, and looking for something.

Glonk stepped into the light, calm but firm. "Hide. Now."

The gang scattered to the shadows, hearts racing.

Valentine, staring from behind a half-closed pantry door, froze. He saw a familiar figure among the intruders. An unmistakable face. One he had seen only once but sees it every night in his nightmares--bathed in the blood of his wife.

"...Davie," Valentine whispered, hate burning in his chest.

But something was off.

That face... was metal underneath.

Davie wasn't a man.
He was an android.

Built not for fun, or for peace, but for violence and destruction.