The moon cast a silver glow over the city, its light reflecting off the towering skyscrapers of Skyline City. From the penthouse suite of the Emerald Grand Hotel, Ochieng stood with a glass of whiskey in hand, gazing at the metropolis that was both his battlefield and his inheritance.
Tonight had been a victory. He had secured an alliance with Zhang Wei, shaken the foundations of the underworld, and humiliated his uncle, Don Sebastian, in front of the most powerful mafia families. But the war was far from over.
A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," he said.
The door opened, and Linet stepped inside, wearing a crimson silk dress that clung to her curves. Her eyes held a mixture of amusement and curiosity.
"You're unusually quiet tonight," she observed, pouring herself a glass of wine before settling onto the leather couch.
Ochieng smirked. "Just thinking."
She raised an eyebrow. "About Sebastian?"
Ochieng nodded. "He won't take this lightly. He'll retaliate."
Linet leaned forward, her voice soft but firm. "Then let him. He's a relic of the past. You… you're the future."
Ochieng chuckled, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "Then let's give the world something to remember."
---
The following morning, Ochieng returned to Skyline University, blending once again into the life of an ordinary student. His disguise as a 'nobody' was still intact, but whispers about his mysterious background were starting to spread.
"Alicia really dumped him for Daniel? That's hilarious!"
"Did you see his shoes? Bro must be struggling to afford lunch."
Ochieng walked past, unfazed, his plain hoodie and jeans a mask for the empire he controlled.
As he entered the lecture hall, Professor Evelyn Carter, the youngest and most beautiful professor on campus, paused mid-lecture when she saw him. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment—long enough for the tension to be felt by everyone.
Students exchanged knowing glances.
"Do you think something's going on between them?"
"Nah, she's way out of his league."
"But why does she always look at him like that?"
Ochieng smirked internally. They had no idea.
---
That evening, as Ochieng left campus, he found Alicia waiting for him by his car—a black Bugatti Divo with a platinum number plate: "GHOST01".
Alicia's expression was unreadable. "We need to talk."
Ochieng leaned against the car, arms crossed. "Talk? I thought we were done talking when you chose Daniel over me."
She bit her lip. "I made a mistake."
Ochieng's smirk faded. "No, you made a choice. And now, you have to live with it."
Before she could respond, the roar of motorcycles echoed down the street. A gang of masked men on black Kawasaki Ninjas skidded to a stop in front of them.
One of them pulled out a gun.
"Get in the car," Ochieng ordered Alicia.
She hesitated. "What's going on?"
"Now!"
As she scrambled inside, Ochieng's calm demeanor disappeared, replaced by the cold, ruthless efficiency of a trained killer.
The leader of the gang stepped forward, removing his helmet to reveal a scarred face and piercing blue eyes.
"Ochieng," he sneered. "Sebastian sends his regards."
Ochieng exhaled slowly. So it begins.
---
The first bullet whizzed past his head.
Before the second could be fired, Ochieng was already moving.
He sidestepped, grabbed a metal pipe from the ground, and swung it at the nearest attacker, shattering his jaw.
Another thug charged with a knife, but Ochieng caught his wrist, twisted it, and slammed him against the hood of his car.
A third attacker lunged—only to be met with a brutal roundhouse kick to the ribs.
Alicia, watching from inside the Bugatti, was frozen in shock.
This wasn't the Ochieng she had known.
Within seconds, the entire gang lay groaning on the pavement.
Ochieng grabbed the leader by his collar and slammed him against a streetlight.
"Tell Sebastian," he said coldly, "if he wants a war, I'll bring him a massacre."
With that, he let go, watching as the battered man stumbled away.
Alicia finally found her voice. "Ochieng… what the hell was that?"
He turned to her, his expression unreadable.
"Just a reminder," he said, opening the car door. "That I'm not the same man you left behind."
---
That night, Ochieng met with his closest allies—Felix, Linet, Jeff, and Wendy—at an underground warehouse.
Felix folded his arms. "Sebastian made his move."
Ochieng nodded. "Which means it's our turn."
Linet smirked. "What's the plan, boss?"
Ochieng's eyes darkened.
"We take Skyline City for ourselves. And then… we burn his entire empire to the ground."
The warehouse fell silent after Ochieng's declaration. The air was thick with tension, but there was also something else—excitement. The war had officially begun, and everyone in the room knew that by the time it ended, either Ochieng or Sebastian would no longer exist.
Jeff was the first to speak. "We have control over five major districts, but Sebastian still owns the docks. If we're going to take him down, we need to cripple his supply routes."
Wendy, who had been scrolling through her tablet, nodded. "Sebastian's cash flow depends on three things—illegal shipments, casino revenue, and bribed politicians. If we target those, he'll have no choice but to crawl out of his hole."
Felix leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. "And when he does, we strike."
Ochieng smirked. "Not just yet."
They all turned to him, confused.
"We're not just going to take Skyline City," Ochieng said slowly. "We're going to make Sebastian watch as everything he built crumbles around him. We'll leave him with nothing. And only when he's at his weakest… then we finish him."
Linet's lips curled into a wicked grin. "I like the sound of that."
Ochieng took a sip of his whiskey. "Then let's begin."
---
Over the next three weeks, Ochieng's empire expanded at an unprecedented rate.
The Skyline Casino—once one of Sebastian's biggest money-makers—was now under new management.
The docks, where millions of dollars in contraband had once flowed freely, were now ghost towns.
The politicians Sebastian had bribed? They suddenly found themselves exposed, their dirty secrets splashed across the headlines.
With every loss, Sebastian grew more desperate. And a desperate man is a dangerous man.
---
The final blow came on the night of the Grand Gala, an extravagant event hosted at the Celestial Tower, the tallest building in Skyline City.
It was a night of luxury—red carpets, expensive champagne, and designer suits. But behind the glamour, war was brewing.
Ochieng arrived in a custom Lamborghini Aventador, his black suit tailored to perfection. On his arm was Linet, wearing a breathtaking sapphire dress that made every head turn.
But the real spectacle was Sebastian.
For the first time in weeks, he was out in the open, surrounded by his guards. He still held his head high, but there was a new look in his eyes—fear.
Ochieng walked straight up to him, his voice smooth and composed.
"You look tired, Uncle," he said. "Losing sleep?"
Sebastian's jaw clenched. "Enjoy your little victory while it lasts. You think you can take everything from me?"
Ochieng smirked. "I already have."
The moment the words left his lips, an explosion rocked the city.
From the massive windows of the Celestial Tower, flames erupted from multiple locations—Sebastian's last remaining warehouses, his private estate, even the underground vault where he had stashed his remaining fortune.
Sebastian turned, his face draining of color.
Ochieng leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Checkmate."
Sebastian let out a strangled cry, reaching for his gun—but before he could pull the trigger, Felix's blade was already at his throat.
"It's over," Ochieng said coldly. "You lost."
Sebastian's hands trembled. He had spent his entire life building his empire, and now… it was gone.
"Please," he whispered.
Ochieng studied him for a long moment, then turned to Felix.
"End him."
A single slash.
Sebastian collapsed.
The reign of the old king had come to an end.
And in his place, a new king had risen.