Under the Streets

The dark streets of London looked as if someone had taken the light out of them. The city seemed to be sleeping, covered by a blanket called Night. The moon was shining brightly above the park, but it wasn’t the only light disturbing the peaceful darkness. There was a light coming from the window of the room. A room that resembled a home for one curious reporter. Lily sat at her desk, skimming through notes, typing quickly and trying to gather all the information she could. Paper covered the table and if you walked into the room, you wouldn’t be able to tell what color the table was. She was searching, or, as she liked to call it, investigating. All she knew were rumors and lies, and she had to know the truth. Luxury Red had been haunting her for weeks. She had a strange feeling about the bar; there was something undiscovered beneath it. Everybody in the city avoided that place and there was nothing good about it. Yet she was pulled there like by a magnet. Why, she didn’t know. She just knew that there was more of a story behind the locked rooms. She rubbed her eyes, and with a tired yawn decided that tomorrow is another day. Without sleep, she couldn’t function. Tomorrow, she will try again.

Across the city, Leo wrapped tape around his bruised knuckles. He was no longer afraid of pain, he didn’t feel it. The locker room smelled of sweat, metal, and blood. It was his routine and he was used to the smell. He loved the adrenaline in the air, the excitement he felt every time he entered the ring. The precious victory and the pride that came with it. He knew it wasn’t right. He knew that if his sister knew about it, she would be angry. But that couldn’t stop him. He had to fight. As he started to get lost in his thoughts, a voice suddenly brought him back. : ‘Where’s Mark at? Does he not know how much I hate it when someone’s late?’ Nobody answered. Mark was like a family to everyone. He was the brother you always wished you had. Yet that night, nobody had seen him. Leo started to worry, Mark was the only familiar figure here. Leo was new to this business, and here, you couldn’t trust anybody. Showing dependence on someone was considered a weakness, and this place isn’t for the weak ones. When Leo began to drift off into his thoughts again, he was interrupted by a loud scream. One of the guys had found a body slumped against the lockers, blood contrasting sharply with the concrete floor. Mark’s eyes were open, but his expression was blank. He was staring at nothing. This wasn’t part of the deal. You fight, you win, you heal. Murder was never a part of the plan.

Leo backed away, his heart pounding so loudly he couldn’t think clearly anymore. He knew this wasn’t an accident. In this kind of business, accidents never happen. Someone had planned it. Someone had chosen violence. And if they took Mark, who would be next? Would it be him?

Hours later, Leo nervously stood before a black door. In front of the apartment whose lights had been on the whole night. His hands were shaking as he rang the bell. When the door opened, a small brunette with a calm expression stood there. ‘Leo! What happened?’ He was too exhausted and scared to talk. He just looked into her eyes and waited for her next move. He didn’t know what to expect, he just wanted to be with his sister, in his home. ‘There’s something I didn’t tell you,’ he said as he walked inside. ‘And you’re not going to like it.’ Once Lily brought back tea, they sat across from each other and talked. Words tumbled across the room, mixed with moments of heavy silence. Lily didn’t even notice she had been holding her breath the whole time. The fights. The club. The money. And the body. It was everything she had wanted and everything she had feared. She had to tell him. She feared his reaction. What if he felt betrayed? ‘Leo, I have to tell you something too. The club, Luxury Red, I’ve been investigating it for the past few weeks. It kept me awake all those nights.’ He froze, not knowing what to say. ‘What?’ ‘I didn’t know you worked there. We both kept our secrets, and what happened, happened. But what now? I don’t want you to go back there.’ For a while, there was silence, interrupted only by the sound of rain. ‘They killed him,’ Leo trembled. ‘And what if I’m next or worse, what about you? What will they do to us?’ Lily knew she had to be strong. And even though she was horrified by what her brother had been doing. she moved closer, sitting right next to him, comforting him. Yet there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes. She knew that even though she was shocked, this was the missing piece of her puzzle. She needed to dig deeper. Now everything made sense. ‘We need to get away. What if they attack me or you?’ Leo started to panic, trying to sound protective, yet the fear in his eyes betrayed him. ‘Running was never an option,’ Lily said calmly. ‘We need to face our fears. In this family, we don’t give up. We fight back.’ Leo nodded, thinking about the situation he was in. ‘I know the place. I know the rules. And most importantly, I know the people. If we combine our minds, we can find who did this.’ Lily tightened her grip. ‘Good. Because we’re going to need every advantage we can get.’ They had no idea what dark miseries were waiting to be uncovered, and turning back was no longer an option. After this decision, they decided to call it a night. Leo headed for the sofa while Lily curled up comfortably in her bed. Accompanied by the soothing sound of rain, they eventually drifted off to sleep.

When Lily woke up, she quietly slipped into the living room and began making breakfast, careful not to wake her brother. But as soon as she opened the fridge and found only a single yogurt, and the harsh reality of student life hit her. As she tried to figure out how she could feed them both, despite it seeming impossible, she remembered exactly how polite her brother is when hungry and she wasn’t ready to face that. Before she could even start thinking about alternatives, she heard Leo waking up. ‘Please tell me you have more than the yogurt,’ he mumbled sleepily. ‘We really need to work on your eating habits.’ ‘You can always pretend this is a nightmare,’ Lily replied jokingly, ‘and when you wake up, the breakfast of champions will be waiting for you.’ But she knew she couldn’t let things go on like this. ‘Grab your shoes. We’re going to the store. I’m paying.’ The mention of actual food made Leo’s eyes light up, and he hurried toward the door. Lily smiled at the sight, relieved that this childish side of her brother was still there. It broke her heart to see everything he had to deal with, and even though she was the younger one, she was determined to protect him no matter what.

Their conversation grew more serious once they started walking. The destination was the grocery store, but they deliberately chose the longer route through the park to finally talk things through. Neither wanted to be the one to talk first, yet it was obvious they couldn’t keep delaying it. ‘We need to talk,’ Leo said at last. Lily nodded. They had to. She laid everything out, every piece of evidence she had gathered, every photo, every media article, everything. Leo filled in the gaps, explaining how the system worked, the rules, and how fighters were paid based on rankings. He talked about power and how those with money decided what would happen and who would fight. With every story he told, Lily’s appetite faded. Food no longer mattered. All she could think about was her brother and the weight he carried. Her emotions were on a roller coaster, and she was so lost in thought that she accidentally bumped into someone. The impact snapped her back into reality. She looked up at the man and immediately began apologizing. Even Leo stopped walking, sensing that something was wrong. The tension in the air thickened. The man looked familiar, too familiar. Lily was sure she had seen him before. Her mind raced through all the photos she had studied. ‘Don’t mind it. ‘, the man said curtly before quickly walking away. The encounter left Lily unsettled. She turned back to Leo, only to find him frozen in place, his face drained of color. It was obvious that he knew exactly who the man was.

Interested in knowing more? Check out the next part of Under the Streets in Edition 3 of the OG Chronicle!