The heavy oak door to the pub creaked open, its rusted hinges groaning under the weight of time and neglect. Zariya stepped inside, her silhouette framed by the dim light filtering through the cracks in the wooden walls. The old pub, located on the very edge of Dahlia, looked worse for wear. Dust clung to every surface, cobwebs draped lazily across corners, and the stench of stale beer lingered in the air. But Zariya wasn’t here for pleasantries or aesthetics, she was here to regroup. This was her city now, even if no one else quite realized it yet.

The vampiress's dark boots clicked against the wooden floor, each step accentuated by the tension in the air. The pub was nearly empty, save for four men scattered around a broken table in the far corner. Their faces, half-blanketed in shadow, snapped toward her the moment she entered. Eyes widened, jaws slightly slack in shock. Zariya had been gone for five months, ever since the collapse of the Akudama Syndicate,--the empire she had built with her blood and ambition, alongside Erebus and other people who didn't earn the honor of being thought about.

She offered them no smile, just a cold gaze that swept over each one of them as she approached. Their surprise didn’t stir any warmth in her. Why should it? They were still alive because of her. They should’ve expected her return.“So you’re still standing,” she said, her voice cutting through the silence like the edge of a blade.

There was no need for formalities. Not now. These men--her men--had been with her during the rise of Akudama and had benefited from the riches and power that came with it. And now they sat before her, faces lined with the wear of holding together what was left after the fall.

One of them, a burly figure with a grizzled beard, finally spoke, his voice rough and hesitant. “We weren’t sure if you’d ever come back.”

Zariya arched a brow. “And you thought I'd do what? Fold? Scatter into the wind?” She stopped just shy of the table, her presence a force that weighed heavily on the room. “We’re not done. Far from it.” The man’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. Zari could feel the tension simmering in the air. The stench of resentment, doubt. It was to be expected. She had let them rot in the shadows while she maneuvered behind the scenes. Now, it was time to show them what she’d become. “Give me an update on the weapons manufacturing,” Zariya ordered, crossing her arms over her chest. Her gaze was steady as it fell on each man at the table.

A shorter, more wiry man, Nick, cleared his throat before speaking. “It’s… going fine, mostly. We’ve got the production lines still running. Smuggled a shipment through Dahlia last week, but there’s been a problem.”

Zariya’s eyes narrowed with the slight tilt of her head. “Go on.”

“The Scalas,” he said, leaning forward. “They’re moving in on our trade. They’ve got a deal going with a vampire coven up north, in Fiore. Haven’t made any direct moves against us yet, but their influence is spreading. More and more buyers are going to them. It’s only a matter of time.”

The Scalas. A rival faction, and one Zariya had little patience for. They were sloppy, loud, and far too eager to make themselves known. But they were also effective, and that made them dangerous. The Desiertan filed the information away, already crafting a strategy in her mind. She would deal with them in time, but not yet. The Scalas were likely the easy part. “And what about the drug op?” she asked, shifting her focus. The drug operations had been critical after the fall of Akudama, especially after Nana left. It was the backbone of their income now.

One of the other men, lean with calculating eyes, responded. “Going well. We’ve cornered the market here in Dahlia. The people can’t get enough of our product.” He allowed a smug grin to tug at his lips. “We’re making good money.”

Zariya nodded, satisfaction glinting in her eyes. “Good. That’ll keep us afloat for now.” For a moment, silence settled over the room, heavy and awkward. Zariya’s gaze swept across the four men once again. Something was off. They should’ve been thrilled to see her return, to hear her plans for their future. Instead they seemed hesitant, like they were holding back. Her eyes narrowed as she waited for someone to speak up.

“And Erebus?” Her voice cut through the silence, sharp and demanding. “Where is he?”

The burly man from earlier shifted uncomfortably before answering. “Still in prison. But… he’s doing well, considering. His influence inside has grown a lot. He’s got half the inmates working for him.”

Zariya let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She hadn’t seen Erebus since the fall. His imprisonment had been another weight on her shoulders, another complication in the tangled web of her plans. But she knew Erebus—knew his strength, his cunning. He would survive, and thrive, even behind bars. That was what he did.

Zariya didn’t say anything for a moment, her thoughts lingering on him. Erebus had been more than just a partner in the Syndicate. He’d been one of the few people she could say she trusted, though she doubted that trust would still exist when they saw each other again. He likely hated her by now, blamed her for the fall and for leaving him behind in prison. It didn’t matter. She would find him, and when the time came, she’d deal with whatever anger he held. For now, her focus was on Dahlia.

“Good,” she said finally. “Keep tabs on him.” The vampires words should have settled the tension in the air, but the atmosphere remained thick with something unsaid. She could feel it in the way they shifted in their seats and avoided eye contact. She wasn’t one for niceties, but she wasn’t an idiot. Something was off. “What’s the problem?” Zariya asked, her tone turning colder. “Speak.”

There was a long pause before the wiry man, Jost, finally gathered the courage to speak. “It’s just… you’ve been gone a while, Zariya. Things haven’t exactly been smooth since the Syndicate collapsed. It felt like… we were trying to hang on to something that was slipping away.” She tilted her head slightly, watching him closely. His words weren’t surprising...she knew they’d been struggling without her. What she didn’t expect, however, was the audacity to admit it to her face.

“So you think I abandoned you.” Her voice was dangerously calm, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees.

“No! That’s not what we—” one of them began, stumbling over his words, clearly regretting his decision to speak up. “We just—” Another man, sitting at the far end of the table, slammed his fist down, silencing them all. His face was red with anger, eyes blazing as he glared at Zariya. He’d been quiet for most of the meeting, but now his fury was boiling over.

“You left us, dammit!” he shouted, rising to his feet. “We bled for you! We fought for you! And when things went to shit, where were you? Huh!? Hiding in the shadows, pulling strings while we were out here risking goddamn everything! You’re weak, Zariya. You abandoned us, and now you come back like nothing happened!?”

Zariya didn’t flinch as the man’s rage poured out. She stood perfectly still, her eyes locked on him, cold and calculating. He had no idea what he’d just done.

In a single, fluid movement, Zariya closed the distance between them, her hand shooting out to grab him by the throat. The bold idiot barely had time to react before her fingers tightened around his neck, cutting off his air. His eyes widened in shock and fear as her fangs gleamed in the dim light. Zariya’s lips curled into a predatory smile, and without hesitation, she sank her fangs into his throat. The taste of blood filled her mouth as she drank deeply, savoring the warmth of it, the power that surged through her with each gulp. The man’s body convulsed in her grip, his eyes rolling back as his strength drained away. When she had taken her fill, she pulled back, licking the blood from her lips.

Then, with a quick, brutal twist, she snapped his neck and let his lifeless body crumple to the floor. The remaining three men stared in horror, frozen in place. The silence that followed was thick with fear, the stench of death hanging heavy in the air. Zariya looked down at the man’s body, her expression cold and impassive. “Weak...” she echoed softly, more to herself than to them. “No. Not Zariya.”

The Phantom lifted her gaze to the remaining men, her eyes hard and unyielding. “Let that be a lesson. I didn’t abandon you. I was preparing. I was making sure that when I returned, we would be unstoppable.” They said nothing, their fear filling the atmosphere. She could feel it radiating from them. But she didn’t need their fear, she needed their loyalty.

And yet...

“I built this!” Zariya hissed, "Me!" her voice heavy and commanding. “I found you when you were nothing! When you were no more than beggars and peasants with nothing to live for, and I made you powerful! I gave you wealth, influence, purpose, respect!" She roared, her eyes glaring into the souls of each and every one of them. For a moment she was filled with enough frustration to rip all of their heads of, but she collected herself. "And I’m not done. Dahlia is ours. The underworld is ours. And anyone who stands in our way...anyone who dares to challenge us...will end up just like him.” She nudged the dead man’s body with her boot for emphasis.

The men exchanged nervous glances, but she could see the subtle shift in their eyes. The fear was still there, but now it was mixed with something else. Hope...? Ambition...? The promise of power. Zariya allowed the silence to linger watching as the weight of her words settled over them. The room, still heavy with the scent of blood was now charged with a different type of energy. It was a mixture of fear and renewed purpose. These men were hardened, accustomed to the dark realities of the underworld, but even they needed something more than brutality to stay loyal. They needed vision. And Zariya knew how to paint it.

“Look around you,” she said, her voice a low, hypnotic melody  pacing slowly before them. “This city is broken. The people are desperate, the streets ruled by fear. The Sagrada Church can pretend they’ve got control, but we know the truth. Dahlia is a battlefield, and the ones willing to get their hands dirty are the ones who survive.” She stopped in front of the table, her gaze locking onto each man in turn. “But surviving isn’t enough, is it? Akudama aren't just survive. We’re conquerors.”

The Queen of Akudama stepped closer, softening her tone by just a fraction. “I know I’ve been gone. I know things haven’t been easy. But I’m here now. And I promise you, we are going to take this city. We’re going to crush the Scalas, expand our territory, and make more money than you’ve ever dreamed of. You’re not just my colleagues, you’re my family. I want what’s best for all of us. But you need to trust me.”

Her eyes glinted with something darker and more dangerous as she leaned in slightly. “We have the power, the resources, and the will to take everything. Our rivals are amateurs. Mere distractions. We are the future of Dahlia. And soon, this city—every fucking inch of it—will bend to us.” Zariya straightened, a confident smile curling at the edges of her lips. “You’ve seen what I’m capable of. I’ve built a kingdom before, and I’ll do it again." She paused, letting her words sink in. “This is just the beginning. Have faith in me, and I’ll lead us to victory. Together.”

There was a long silence, but when the wiry man, Nick, finally nodded, the others followed suit. They believed her. She could see it in their eyes. The fire had returned, the spark of ambition reigniting. Zariya allowed herself a small smile, knowing that she had them. They were hers again, and this time, she wouldn’t be pulling strings from the shadows. This time, she would lead them to glory.

Dahlia was hers.