The soundproof office was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that made every breath feel heavy. Two men faced each other one seated behind a sleek desk, a middle-aged executive in a tailored suit, and the other standing before him, his posture rigid with suppressed anger.
"Dante," the older man said coolly, "you're fired."
A bitter laugh escaped Dante's lips. "No wonder this country's failing its people. You fucking puppet. How much did they pay you?"
The executive didn't flinch. "Leave now, or I'll have security escort you out."
Dante's jaw tightened. "Years of loyalty, and this is how it ends? Just toss me aside like trash." He scoffed, shaking his head. "I'm dead anyway, aren't I? Too much knowledge for my own good."
As he turned to leave, the older man's voice cut through the tension. "That won't happen."
Dante chuckled darkly and strode out without another word.
Outside the office, he made his way to the elevator, leaning against the wall as he waited. The other occupants hesitated before stepping in, avoiding eye contact. They selected the same floor coincidence, or caution? He didn't care.
The elevator descended, and his phone buzzed. A smirk tugged at his lips when he saw the caller ID.
"What is it, Sam?" he answered.
A sheepish voice replied, "I, uh… need a ride. Missed my bus."
"You've gotta be kidding me." Dante sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Where are you?"
"Can you pick me up at my university?"
"Fine. Be there soon."
The line went dead before he could say another word.
Dante stared at his phone. "No goodbye. Just hangs up." He shook his head, stuffing the phone back into his pocket as the elevator doors slid open.
— — — —
Sam and his roommate, Ezekiel, are in their dorm room. Sam hurriedly shoves clothes and books into his bag, his movements sharp with irritation.
"Where are you going, Samson?" Ezekiel leans against his bedframe, watching him. "You missed your bus."
Sam shoots him a glare. "Shut up. Why didn't you wake me up, Ezekiel?"
"I forgot," Ezekiel admits with a shrug. "So, is your brother picking you up?"
"Yeah." Sam zips his bag with more force than necessary.
"He's not busy?"
"Probably." Sam hoists his backpack onto his shoulder, then grabs his duffel bag.
"Guess you're leaving, then." Ezekiel's tone is light, but there's a hint of reluctance underneath.
"Yeah."
Ezekiel extends a fist. "Take care, bro."
Sam hesitates for a second before bumping it. "Alright. You too."
Without another word, Sam steps out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him. He slips on his earphones, and the opening chords of Brave Shine by Aimer fill his ears a steady beat to match his restless energy.
Outside the university gates, Sam checks his phone, scrolling mindlessly as he waits for his brother. The afternoon sun casts long shadows, and the hum of passing cars blends with the music, leaving him adrift in the noise.
A few minutes later, a sleek black car pulled up near the curb. The window rolled down, revealing Dante in the driver's seat. His eyes scanned the area until they landed on Sam, hunched over his phone.
A smirk tugged at Dante's lips. "Ey, dumbass!"
No reaction. Sam kept scrolling.
"Ey!" Dante grabbed a scrap of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and lobbed it at Sam's head.
"The hell?" Sam whipped around, irritation flashing across his face until he spotted Dante's grin. Shaking his head, he strode to the car and slapped the trunk.
"Open it up."
The trunk popped open, and Sam tossed his bag inside before sliding into the passenger seat.
As Dante pulled into the street, he glanced over. "How long's your break?"
"Three days," Sam said.
"Perfect. We can meet up with Adam."
"Yeah, we should."
The highway was clogged with traffic, cars inching forward in an endless crawl. Bored, Sam pulled up a pirate site on his phone. "Any TV recs? Just finished Doctor Who."
Dante raised an eyebrow. "Damn, that was fast. Try Supernatural. Kinda similar, but different enough."
Sam typed it in and hit play on the first episode. With the car at a standstill, Dante leaned over to watch. Soon, both of them were grinning at the brothers' antics on screen.
By the time the episode ended, the traffic finally loosened.
"Not bad," Sam said, already queuing up the next one.
At the next red light, Dante braked only for a sudden crunch to jolt them forward.
"Son of a bitch!" Dante snarled.
"What the fuck?!" Sam's phone clattered to the floor. He snatched it up; cracked screen.
Dante twisted in his seat, glaring at the car behind them. "You've gotta be kidding"
"Dante!" Sam's voice was sharp.
Dante followed his gaze, a massive truck barreled toward them.
He slammed the gas, but it was too late.
Metal screeched. Glass shattered.
And then nothing.
Just minutes after the incident, police swarmed the area. Then a black car pulled up, and a middle-aged man stepped out. He flashed his badge to the officers before making his way toward Dante's wrecked vehicle. His face remained eerily blank just another routine day for him.
After a quick inspection, he turned away.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice devoid of remorse. "I can't stop them. They really want you dead."
He glanced at his assistant. "What about the little brother?"
"Already taken care of," the assistant replied.
The man gave a curt nod. "Good. Clean this up."