บท 1: Chapter 1: Prologue Part 1
It was late at night in the crime capital of the world, Gotham, yet the city remained loud and bustling as if it were still day. Numerous bars, nightclubs, and other late-night establishments were becoming increasingly crowded with all kinds of people searching for a break after yet another exhausting workweek.
One such establishment was Club Caesar, a posh bar where some of Gotham's wealthier residents went to spend money on cocktails and attractive women. The club was only open to people who appeared wealthy and carried themselves accordingly. Men dressed in their most dapper designer suits, while women dressed seductively, hoping to make themselves look beautiful enough to get inside. However, the bouncer stationed at the club's door was highly selective about who he let inside. If someone wasn't on the list, their fate rested solely on his opinion of them.
A young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, walked ahead, completely disregarding the line as the crowd patiently waited for their turn in a queue that didn't seem to be moving. He was dressed in an opulent black suit with a matching white shirt. His left hand was adorned with an exquisite silver watch as he walked, adjusting the sleeves of his suit. His stern demeanor exuded a threatening yet confident air, heightened by his icy gray eyes. As he walked, the chilly night breeze caused his medium-length dark hair to wave slightly. He was as good-looking as some of the gentlemen who had been arriving in pricey foreign cars, if not better.
The enormous bouncer, who stood around seven feet tall, gazed down at the young man as he arrived at the entrance. The young man himself was an impressive six feet and eight inches tall.
"Name?" the bouncer asked, frowning and crossing his arms as though assessing the individual.
"Arias Markovic," the young man responded in a quiet, deep voice that radiated confidence.
The bouncer gave him a long look, giving the bystanders the impression that he was about to be bounced. But the bouncer smiled and laughed the next second.
"Oh, you're Dmitri's friend! I've heard good things about you. Nice of you to finally stop by. Enjoy your night."
The bouncer's demeanor changed to one of friendliness, and he made way for Arias to enter. Arias smiled and nodded in response.
"You know how Dmitri can get; he wouldn't stop urging me to visit him here…" he added, his speech carrying a small yet noticeable Western European accent.
"That I do. Try not to let him get you wasted. Haha."
Before starting his shift again, the bouncer observed him enter, still laughing at Arias's remarks.
As soon as Arias walked into the club, he was greeted by a brilliant display of flashing lights and upbeat electronic music.
"Welcome to Club Caesar. Here's a compliment—"
He was greeted by a woman in a provocative costume holding a tray of beverages at the entryway, but she was interrupted by a loud voice before she could finish.
"Are my eyes fooling me? Arias! You son of a bitch, is that you?"
A young man with blonde hair and an accent resembling Arias's entered the room, dressed in an all-black suit and gold aviators. He promptly removed the spectacles and walked over to Arias with his arms spread wide.
'As energetic as ever, I see…'
As Arias raised his arms to embrace the hug, he sighed yet cracked a little smile. Before abruptly breaking their embrace, the two men gave each other firm pats on the back.
"Good to see you too, Dmitri."
"Is that all you have to say after disappearing for over four years? I was shocked when I got your call; I couldn't believe it. You have a lot of explaining to do," Dmitri urged, sporting an ecstatic grin.
On the outside, Arias could only grin back, but his thoughts were totally different.
'Unfortunately, I couldn't do this job without gaining entry into this club… well, good thing I left things on good terms with him.'
"I see you haven't changed your nosy nature and terrible sense of fashion, at least," Arias quipped, reaching for the woman's tray to fetch a drink as his mouth curved into a grin.
Dmitri, however, intervened and stopped him.
"Smh, whatever. Anyway, leave those free drinks. My dad owns this place; we're partying in the VIP section tonight. Let's go." The girl manning the bar was perplexed as Dmitri wrapped his arm around Arias's shoulder and dragged him to the second-floor VIP area.
When they reached the second floor, which was much airier and had more relaxed and mellow music, Arias focused on the bar and the people seated there.
"Well, welcome to the—huh? What's wrong, see someone you know?" Dmitri caught on to where Arias was directing his gaze and questioned him, but Arias shook his head.
"I was just looking at the beauties here. Am I not supposed to?" Arias handled it well, and his demeanor changed significantly.
Dmitri chuckled, gave him a pat on the back, and shook his head. "You used to be so stiff. Are you really Arias? Anyway, you can have any girl you want since you're with me, except that girl over there at the bar, seated next to the huge hairy dude."
Arias played it off and continued to ask questions, even though Dmitri was referring to the same pair he had his sights on. "Oh? How come, are they mafia or something?"
Dmitri flinched as he heard those words and gave him the shush sign while leaning in to whisper.
"Don't say that out loud; they really are mafia. Both of those two have fathers who are major players on the Gotham scene, like the dirty scene. Even my dad doesn't get involved carelessly, so just stay out of their way. Now, come this way."
Arias and Dmitri separated, and Dmitri motioned for Arias to follow. Arias pulled out his phone, read his messages, and then started typing before he continued.
"I'm in. Be ready."
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