Secrets Of Underworld | LingOrm GxG

XVI

The night air was thick, the darkness broken only by the distant hum of city lights. The alley where Ling Ling had ended Lei’s life felt like a tomb now, a place where the ghosts of her past would forever linger. Orm stood by her side, but the weight of what had just happened made it hard for Ling Ling to breathe. Every step back from the scene felt like she was walking further into the unknown.

But she didn’t have time to dwell on it.

A new threat was rising.

Crimson Fang, a name whispered in the darkest corners of the underworld, had been lying in wait, watching as Ling Ling and her empire fought their wars, made their alliances, and tore their enemies apart. He was a ghost in the night, a figure of fear, and a myth to many. But now, he was real, and he had decided that the time was right to make his move.

Ling Ling’s hands tightened into fists as she paced in her office, the adrenaline from her confrontation with Lei still coursing through her veins. Orm sat across from her, watching her friend with a mix of concern and apprehension.

"We can't ignore it anymore, Orm," Ling Ling said, her voice low but firm. "Crimson Fang is coming for us. He’s been waiting for the perfect moment, and with Lei gone, we’ve just given him an opening."

Orm nodded, her eyes darkening at the mention of Crimson Fang. "He's been in the shadows for too long. But Ling, if we go after him now, we’ll be playing his game. He's been planning this. He knows how to turn the city against us."

Ling Ling stopped pacing, her gaze hard as steel. "Then we’ll change the rules. If he wants a war, we’ll give him one."

Later that night, as Ling Ling and Orm sat in a quiet, dimly lit corner of a safehouse, they received an unexpected visitor.

A man with piercing, crimson eyes and a cold demeanor stepped into the room. He moved with the grace of a predator, his long coat brushing the ground as he approached. He was flanked by two figures, both silent and equally menacing. Ling Ling had heard the stories, but nothing could have prepared her for seeing the Crimson Fang up close.

"Ah, Ling Ling," the man said, his voice smooth yet laced with danger. "I’ve heard quite a bit about you."

Ling Ling stood her ground, her face betraying nothing. "And I’ve heard enough about you to know I don’t have time for games."

Crimson Fang chuckled, a dark, unsettling sound. "Games? Oh no, this isn’t a game. This is survival. You’ve had your time, Ling Ling, but the tides are turning. You’ve lost your way, and now, your empire is crumbling."

Ling Ling’s eyes flashed with fury, but she didn’t rise to his bait. "You think you can take what I’ve built? You think you can walk in here and threaten me?"

Crimson Fang’s smile widened. "Threaten? No. I’m here to offer you a choice. Surrender your territory, step down quietly, and I’ll spare what’s left of your people. Continue to resist, and you’ll force me to take everything from you, piece by piece."

Ling Ling’s hands itched to reach for her weapon, but she stayed calm. "You’ll have to kill me before I ever give up what’s mine."

Crimson Fang’s eyes gleamed in the dim light. "Oh, I don’t need to kill you, Ling Ling. The city will do that for me. They’re already turning on you. Lei was just the beginning. You think his betrayal was the only one? Your people are losing faith. And soon, they’ll turn on you too."

Orm, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "We won’t be broken by your lies. Ling Ling’s people are loyal. They know what she’s done for this city."

Crimson Fang’s smile faltered for a moment, but then he shrugged. "Loyalty is a fragile thing. When the streets run red, they’ll remember who was strong enough to stand. And I intend to make sure they know exactly who that is."

Ling Ling stepped forward, her voice ice cold. "Get out. Before I change my mind about letting you leave alive."

Crimson Fang’s smile returned, but this time, there was a hint of respect in his eyes. "Very well. But remember this, Ling Ling—war is coming, and when it does, there will be no mercy."

With that, he turned and left, his figure disappearing into the night like a phantom. But the weight of his words lingered in the room long after he had gone.

As the days passed, Ling Ling could feel the tension in the air. Crimson Fang’s influence was spreading, and rumors began to swirl through the city. People whispered of his power, his ruthlessness, and the inevitability of his victory. And as much as Ling Ling hated to admit it, her own forces were growing uneasy.

Orm approached her one evening, her face set in a deep frown. "We need a new plan, Ling. The people are scared. They don’t know if we can win this."

Ling Ling stared out of the window, her jaw clenched in frustration. "We need to show them that we’re still in control. We need to hit Crimson Fang hard—make him realize that we’re not backing down."

"But how?" Orm asked. "He’s too well-protected. We don’t even know where his base of operations is."

Ling Ling turned to face her, her eyes burning with determination. "Then we find it. We track him down, and when we do, we take the fight to him."

Orm hesitated. "And if we can’t find him in time?"

Ling Ling’s voice was quiet but deadly. "Then we lure him out. We make him come to us. And when he does, we end this."

The battle lines were drawn. Ling Ling knew that the coming confrontation with Crimson Fang would be the most dangerous fight of her life. But she was ready. She had faced betrayal, heartbreak, and countless enemies before, and she had always come out on top.

Now, as the city braced itself for the bloodshed to come, Ling Ling stood at the center of it all, unyielding.

Crimson Fang may have been the deadliest enemy she had ever faced, but he had made one mistake: underestimating her will to survive.

This was her city. And she was ready to fight for it until the very end.

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