As Ochieng stepped out of Professor Eunice's office, he could feel her eyes lingering on him for just a moment longer than necessary. The air between them carried an unspoken tension—one that blurred the line between authority and something far more dangerous.
Outside, the campus was alive with gossip. The incident from earlier in the lecture hall had made its way around the university like wildfire. Students whispered as Ochieng walked past, some watching him with curiosity, others with envy. He was no longer just a student—he was a phenomenon.
He barely had time to breathe before Linet appeared at his side, her arms crossed.
"You just can't help yourself, can you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ochieng smirked. "Jealous?"
Linet rolled her eyes. "You're playing a game you don't fully understand. If she's connected to Richard, you're walking into a trap."
Ochieng's smirk faded slightly. Linet was rarely wrong about things like this.
Just then, his phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: Tonight. Midnight. The Emerald Club.
Ochieng stared at the message for a moment before slipping his phone back into his pocket.
Linet caught the look in his eyes. "What now?"
Ochieng exhaled. "I think it's time we visit the underworld."
---
By midnight, the city was cloaked in neon and darkness. Ochieng pulled up in a matte black Aston Martin, its custom "OCH 001" license plate gleaming under the lights. Linet, dressed in a stunning black dress, sat beside him.
The Emerald Club was no ordinary bar. It was a kingdom of the elite—a place where money spoke louder than words. Inside, men in tailored suits and women draped in silk sipped on thousand-dollar drinks, their conversations full of power and danger.
Ochieng's eyes scanned the crowd until he spotted a familiar figure.
Kaito.
A powerful underworld broker, feared and respected in equal measure. The older man sat at the VIP section, swirling a glass of whiskey. Beside him, a woman in a deep red dress—a face Ochieng had not seen in years.
Sophia.
His ex. The girl who once claimed to love him. The same girl who left him for Richard.
His blood ran cold.
"Long time no see, Ochieng," Sophia purred, standing gracefully.
Ochieng's jaw tightened, but he forced a smile. "Some things never change."
Sophia stepped closer, her perfume intoxicating. "And some things do."
Then, before he could react, she whispered in his ear:
"You need to leave. Richard knows."
Ochieng's pulse spiked.
Linet saw the flicker of tension in his expression. "What did she say?"
Ochieng exhaled. "We're walking into a trap."
And then, the doors locked behind them.
The underworld had finally made its move.
---
Ochieng's instincts kicked in immediately. He scanned the room. The bouncers who had been standing near the entrance were no longer there. Instead, a group of men in black suits had replaced them—Richard's men.
Kaito took a slow sip of his whiskey, completely unfazed. "I told you, Ochieng. You can't keep dancing between two worlds forever. Eventually, one side will claim you."
Ochieng clenched his fists. "And which side do you stand on, Kaito?"
The older man chuckled. "The winning one."
Before anyone could move, Ochieng grabbed Linet's wrist and spun around, just as the first shot rang out. A silencer. They weren't here to make noise. They were here to kill him.
Ochieng ducked behind a table, flipping it over just in time as another bullet embedded itself in the wood. Linet pulled out the compact pistol strapped to her thigh and returned fire. The club erupted into chaos.
Sophia screamed, diving for cover, but Kaito remained seated, watching the fight unfold like a bored spectator.
Ochieng knew he had to get out.
He signaled to Linet, and together, they made their way toward the back exit. But the moment Ochieng pushed the door open, he found himself staring at another gun.
Richard.
Flanked by two of his top enforcers, the man who had stolen everything from Ochieng stood there, his lips curling into a smirk.
"Going somewhere?"
Linet raised her gun, but one of Richard's men was faster, knocking it out of her hand.
Richard stepped forward, his gaze locking onto Ochieng's. "I gave you a chance to walk away. But you never learn, do you?"
Ochieng's jaw tightened. "You're afraid."
Richard chuckled. "Afraid? Of you?" He leaned in closer. "You're nothing, Ochieng. Just a student playing gangster."
Ochieng remained silent, his mind racing. He needed a way out. Fast.
Richard raised his gun. "Goodbye, Ochieng."
And then—BANG!
But the shot didn't come from Richard's gun.
One of his men crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
Everyone turned.
Standing there, gun still smoking, was Professor Eunice.
Ochieng's heart stopped.
"Run," she ordered.
And that was all Ochieng needed to hear.
He grabbed Linet's hand, and together, they disappeared into the night.
Behind them, Richard's furious screams echoed through the air.
The game had changed.
And Ochieng was no longer just a player.
He was the king in the making.