UNDENIABLY DESTINED

CHAPTER 30

The night was an eerie abyss, shrouded in a palpable air of foreboding. It wasn't just dark; it felt like the very essence of darkness had swallowed the stars and the moon, leaving the sky an inky void. The pervasive gloom hung in the air like a silent tempest, poised to unleash chaos in an already turbulent world.

Aadaya moved through the treacherous streets of this forsaken neighbourhood with her head held low. Her hoodie concealed most of her face, its excessive length causing passersby to instinctively shy away from her as if she exuded an aura of dread. Only her chin protruded from the hood's deep recesses. Her emotions teetered precariously on the edge of anger and irritation as she carved her way through the tumultuous crowd, slicing through it like a blade through flesh.

Her very presence seemed to register only with those unfortunate souls whose paths she obstructed, and many of them were too inebriated to recall the brief, unsettling encounter. Others recoiled instinctively from her overwhelming aura, an invisible forcefield that surrounded her, repelling the human world. Her attire, an all-encompassing shroud of black, did nothing to alleviate the unease. Instead, it marked her as a solitary sentinel of the night, a harbinger of unseen terrors.

She traversed the nocturnal streets like a ghostly spectre, imperceptible and unremarkable. Neon lights bathed the darkest hours in an ethereal glow, while the thundering music from a nearby club infused the atmosphere with a surreal, hypnotic quality. Women, scantily clad in provocative attire, strutted with unabashed audacity, many of them ensnared by the tendrils of intoxication. Couples revelled in unabashed public displays of affection, heedless of their own dignity.

A group of young women had congregated along the wall of a shop adorned with a neon-pink sign, its design depicting a sinuous, snake-shaped ballerina. Their shrill catcalls and flagrant flirtations assailed the senses, their screeching giggles reverberating through the bustling street like dissonant echoes of chaos.

Aadaya's gaze lingered on the girls, her expression inscrutable, though none had ever caught a glimpse of her face to decipher her emotions. Instead, her attention was eventually drawn to a small, pitiful figure seated on the curb. The child's hair was a tangled mess, her clothing reduced to tatters, and her face bore the cruel, hollowed look of profound malnutrition—a living testament to her abject suffering.

With great effort, Aadaya tore her eyes away from the small, wretched girl. She let out a deep, soul-weary sigh and resumed her solitary journey through the maelstrom. Her footsteps led her through the gradually thinning crowd, and she retrieved a pair of glasses. To the untrained eye, they appeared as transparent lenses, but to her, they revealed a meticulously mapped path, guiding her way through the labyrinthine streets.

As she ventured deeper into this sinister nocturnal realm, each step brought with it an escalating sense of danger and disquiet. The once-thick crowd slowly ebbed, replaced by a more opulent and ostentatious populace. Expensive, high-end cars now dominated the road, and the street transformed into a well-maintained, two-lane boulevard. The people she encountered exuded opulence and privilege, their ostentatious appearances a stark contrast to the earlier scenes of debauchery and despair.

The properties lining the street gave way to meticulously planned houses, and Aadaya's journey led her to a momentary halt before an imposing set of black gates, marked her intended destination. The grand house beyond those gates was nothing short of colossal, and a teeming crowd of partygoers had amassed outside. Their voices reverberated through the night, blending with the pulsating music within. Brilliant spotlights sliced through the darkness, revealing a raucous party in full swing.

This establishment was renowned far and wide as the most notorious club on the entire continent—a veritable hive of paid assassins, murderers, black money launderers, and countless other unspeakable dealings. If there was even the slightest possibility of finding him, Aadaya knew someone here would possess the information she needed.