Alpha Phantom didn't celebrate the pact.
He trained.
The boxing gym became his anchor. Nights bled into mornings. Rex didn't ask questions—he watched, learned, adapted.
Alpha pushed his body past comfort.
Past pain.
[Body Tempering: Phase One — Refinement.]
[Stability: Increasing.]
Punches landed harder. Footwork tightened. Shadow Sense crept deeper into his instincts.
Not flashy.
Efficient.
The gym changed around him.
Men stood straighter. Voices lowered when he entered. Not fear yet—respect.
Rex approached him one night. "There's a block near Dockside," he said. "Underground fights. No protection. Money moves fast."
Alpha nodded. "We take it."
No speech. No hype.
They moved.
The warehouse smelled like oil and blood. Shouts echoed as Alpha stepped into the circle.
A man lunged.
Alpha dropped him in three moves.
Another came.
Two seconds.
Silence followed.
[Territory Influence Gained.]
[Power Base Progress: 19%]
No one challenged him again.
Outside, as the crowd dispersed, a familiar presence brushed his senses.
Nyx stood across the street.
Hands in her coat. Eyes sharp.
"You claimed territory," she said.
Alpha shrugged. "Someone had to."
She stepped closer. "You're drawing lines."
He met her gaze. "So are you."
A beat passed.
"Be careful," she said again.
Alpha leaned in slightly. "If you keep following me, people will notice."
Nyx smiled faintly. "Let them."
She turned and disappeared into the night.
[Relationship Status: Tension — Stable.]
Alpha watched her go.
Then turned back to the warehouse.
"This stays clean," he told Rex. "No drugs. No kids. No noise."
Rex blinked. "That cuts profit."
Alpha's eyes hardened. "It builds loyalty."
Rex nodded slowly.
[Rule Established.]
The city didn't feel it yet.
But the ground beneath it had shifted.