Silver Creek was silent that evening, the streets illuminated by the dim light of oil lamps. Grim, sitting alone on a bench near the river, thought about everything that had happened since the confrontation with Jessy. The weight of responsibilities weighed on his shoulders. The arachnids were disintegrating, the alliances fogged, and a larger shadow was looming in the distance: Vince Whitmore.

  A summit meeting

  At the other end of the city, in the luxurious Whitmore manor, Vince chaired a private meeting with his associates. Influential men, ranging from landowners to representatives of the law, were gathered around a large oak table.

  - Gentlemen, said Vince, calmly but with authority, it is time to consolidate our grip on Silver Creek. There have been too many disturbances lately.

  A man with a dark mine spoke:

  - Are you talking about kids of kids, like these arachnids?

  Vince nodded.

  - They are not only kids. These are rebellious seeds. And in a well -ordered field, we tear the weeds before they spread.

  Mason, who was standing out, smiled in the corner.

  - If you let me do it, father, I can crush them once and for all.

  Vince turned to her son, a cold look and calculating.

  - You have failed to prove your value so far, Mason. I don't want errors. If you want to take care of them, you have an interest in succeeding this time.

  ---

  Grim brings together his thoughts

  Meanwhile, Grim returned to the hideout of the arachnids. Stanley and Tom were there, chatting in a low voice. When he arrived, they looked up at him.

  "You look concerned, Grim, noticed Stanley.

  Grim sat heavily, putting his elbows on his lap.

  - Vince Whitmore. This name is constantly returning. This man controls everything in this city. He is behind the burned farms, the expenses expelled, and perhaps even behind what happens in Stanley to the orphanage.

  Tom frowned.

  - And Mason?

  Grim hugged his fists.

  - Mason is just a puppet. But it’s Vince who shoots the strings. If we want to change things, we will have to attack him directly.

  Stanley exchanged a worried look with Tom.Grim, do you realize that you are talking about a man who has the law, the weapons, and the money on his side?

  "Precisely," replied Grim, that's why he has to fall.

  ---

  The threat is getting closer

  At the same time, a man in uniform, paid by Vince, observed the hideout of the arachnids from the shadows. He noted their location on a notebook before fueling silently in the night.

  Back in the manor, he put his information back to Vince, who read them with a satisfied smile.

  -They are like rats in a hole, he said, closing the notebook. Let them know that I am aware of their little games.

  ---

  Fear settles

  The next day, a man from Vince appeared at the hideout. A sealed letter was given to Grim, under the worried gaze of other members. Grim opened the envelope and read out loud:

  > "Grim Williams,

  You are a gnat that believes that you can disturb a lion. This game will cost you dearly if you persist. Consider this as a warning. If you don't want your friends to suffer, stay for you. "

  Heavy silence settled in the room. Stanley got up, frowning.

  - He knows who we are. He knows where we are!

  LORRY broke out:

  - So what? Are we hiding like cowards?

  Grim hugged the letter in his hands.

  - No. We will prove to him that we are more than a simple fly.The tension was palpable in the hideout of the arachnids. Grim, standing in front of the worn table where cards and sketches were spread out, intensely fixed each of his comrades. The time was no longer for reflection: it was time to take action. Vince Whitmore, with his men and his tyrannical grip on Silver Creek, became a threat that they could no longer ignore.

  - It’s now or never, said Grim in a firm voice. If we do nothing, he will continue to crush everything he touches. His men are only intimidating and stealing honest people. Today, we show that we are not afraid of him.

  Stanley, still ready to support Grim, nodded with determination.

  "You have to hit quickly and where it hurts," he said. We start by tackling one of his provisions. Without that, he will not be able to feed his animals for a while.

  Lorry, sitting nonchalantly in a corner, launched a smirk.

  -Finally, a plan where we break things, he quipped.

  Melia, more pragmatic, intervened:

  - But you have to be intelligent. If we do that, he will try to take revenge. We must make sure that he cannot trace that to us.

  Mike added:

  - I know a path that leads to his warehouse, far from the patrols of his men. But once there, you will have to be fast.

  Grim turned to each of them, his gaze imbued with gravity.

  - We don't do that for us. We do this for those who have no voice in this city. Vince thinks he can buy everything and crush everything, but he will learn that we are not folding.

  ---

  The assault on the warehouse

  The night fell when the arachnids slipped into the shadows, advancing cautiously towards the main warehouse of Vince. Mike guided them through a network of slightly used trails, leading them to an observation point overlooking the warehouse.

  Two henchmen kept the main entrance, armed and visibly on their guard.

  -We take care of those first, Chuchota Grim. Lorry, Melia, you go from the back and look for a way to enter. Stanley, Mike and I distracted the guards.

  Stanley smiles.

  - Do you mean that we are going to kick their buttocks to them?

  "Exactly," replied Grim with a smirk.

  The diversion worked wonderfully. Grim and Stanley attracted the guards far fromThe warehouse, using noise and fast movements to disorient them. When they were sufficiently isolated, a fight broke out. Stanley, with his passion, quickly neutralized one of the men, while Grim was responsible for the other.

  Meanwhile, Lorry and Melia entered the warehouse. Inside, they discovered a real gold mine: bags of grain, toolbox and water barrels. But what attracted their attention was a box filled with documents. Melia examined them quickly.

  -These are registers, she whispered. Evidence of illegal transactions from Vince.

  Lorry nodded.

  - We take them. It could be useful later.

  ---

  Vince's return

  While the arachnids were about to finish their operation, horses were heard in the distance. Vince Whitmore, accompanied by several of his men, returned earlier than expected.

  Grim, alerted by the noises, signaled his comrades to fall back.

  - We have to leave now!

  But their flight did not go unnoticed. Vince, descended from horse, saw their silhouette in the shade.

  - Who dares to attack me? he roared, his voice resonating in the night.

  One of his men pulled towards the fugitives, shortly missing Stanley.

  - Run! shouted Grim, covering their retirement.

  The arachnids spread out in the dark, taking different paths to sow their pursuers. Vince, furious, swore to track them down and making them pay for this affront.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  ---

  The weight of consequences

  Back in the hideout, the arachnids were exhausted but proud of their success. The stolen registers were a real victory, but Grim's dark look betrayed his concerns.

  - We just declared war.

  He whispered. And Vince is not the type to forgive.

  Stanley put her hand on her shoulder.

  - No matter what he will do. We are ready.

  Grim nodded, but deep down, he knew that the fight had just started. Vince Whitemore, this ruthless man and calculator, would go back to nothing to protect his empire.Dawn got up on Silver Creek, but a shadow weighed on the city. Vince Whitmore, furious after the attack on his warehouse, mobilized his men to send a clear message to those who dared to challenge him.

  A hovering threat

  At the hideout of the arachnids, the atmosphere was tense. Grim, his arms crossed, listened to Melia read aloud the registers they had stolen. The documents revealed questionable transactions, bribes, and evidence of Vince's overwhelming influence on local affairs.

  - With that, you could drop his whole empire, said Stanley, excitement in the voice.

  "Not so fast," replied Grim, "thoughtful. If you move too fast, Vince will retaliate even stronger.

  LORRY, always impatient, retorted:

  - But he's going to fight back anyway! You might as well strike while he is busy looking for who attacked him.

  Melia shook her head.

  - He already knows that it is us. He will try to crush us one by one.

  Grim fixed the table, the thoughts turning in his head. He knew they had taken a huge risk, and that Vince would not take long to act.

  ---

  Farm attack

  Meanwhile, on the farm where Jessy, Alex, and Luva, the morning, was broken by the arrival of armed men worked. Sent by Vince, they demanded information on the attacks of the attack.

  Geovane, the grumpy but protective farmer, tried to reason with men.

  - No one here knows anything about what you're looking for! Leave my workers.

  But Vince's men did not want to hear anything. They began to ransack the farm, overturning carts and destroying harvests. Jessy, furious, tried to intervene but was brutally pushed back.

  Alex murmured in Jessy:

  - These are the consequences I was talking about ... Grim should have thought before I act.

  Luva, frightened, took refuge near Geovane, who swore not to let these men ruin his farm.

  ---

  Grim's dilemma

  The news of the farm attack reached the arachnids a few hours later. Gareth, who had contactsAmong the workers, arrived at the hideout.

  - Vince struck. He sent his men to the Geovane farm. They destroyed everything and threatened Jessy and Alex.

  Grim hugged his fists.

  - He starts to sow fear to make us go back.

  Stanley advanced.

  - You can't let them get out of it.

  Melia, more careful, intervened:

  - But if we react now, we play exactly in his game. He wants us to be able to eliminate ourselves.

  Grim remained silent, taken between two lights. He wanted to defend those who underwent the reprisals of Vince, but he knew that a direct confrontation would be suicidal.

  ---

  The unexpected visit

  As they debated the procedure to follow, an unexpected visitor appeared at the hideout: Mason Whitmore.

  He arrived on his horse, accompanied by two guards, a sly smile on his lips. Arachnids, alerted, began in a defensive position.

  - What a surprise, Mason launched from his mount. I suspected that you had something to do with all of this.

  Grim came out of the hideout to face him.

  -What do you want, Mason?

  Mason burst out laughing.

  - What do I want? Nothing. I just came to warn you. My father is not a patient man. And he is ready to do anything to find those who dared to attack him.

  Stanley, annoyed, intervened:

  - And you, what are you? A simple messenger?

  Mason, stung, approached Stanley.

  - I'm much more than that. Unlike you, I have power, money, and allies. You are just a bunch of kids playing heroes.

  Grim put a hand on Stanley's shoulder to calm him before answering.

  - We will see who will laugh the last. Tell your father that we are not afraid of him.

  Mason haus her shoulders, his smile always present.

  - Alright. You will want.

  He went up on his horse and left, leaving behind an even greater tension.

  ---

  Grim's promise

  Back inside, Grim gathered the arachnids.

  - Vince wants to divide us. But we won't let him do it. If he wants war, he will have it.

  The arachnids agreed, determined. But basically, Grim knew that this war would not be easy. Vince had money, men, and influence. But the arachnids had something more precious: the hope of changing things.The wind was blowing hard on Silver Creek that morning, and the air was heavy with tension. The consequences of the actions of the arachnids resounded through the city. Vince Whitmore intensified her intimidation campaign, forcing Grim and his group to make risky decisions.

  Jessy and Alex, accompanied by Geovane, inspected the damage caused to the farm. The fences were broken, the tools ransacked, and the crops reduced in crumbs. The old farmer growled by tightening his hat in his trembling hands.

  -They are not content to threaten, they destroy everything in their path, he launched, furious.

  Alex, his dark face, replied:

  - Vince does this to show that he controls everything.

  Jessy, pragmatic, shrugged.

  - Grim and his band play a game that they cannot win.

  Luva, observing all this from the steps, murmured:

  -Maybe they deserve a chance. What they do, no one else has the courage to try it.

  GOGNA GEOVANE.

  - kids against an empire? A joke. They will just cause more problems to people like us.

  At the hideout of the arachnids, Grim analyzed the information obtained on Vince. He had a card of his operations in front of him and tried to find a flaw.

  Stanley, the worried look, declared:

  - We cannot afford to act blind. Vince is more dangerous than ever.

  Melia nodded.

  - We must be methodical. Each error brings us closer to the disaster.

  But before the discussion can continue, Lorry hurriedly entered.

  - I have an info! A warehouse weakly kept tonight. This is our luck!

  Grim frowned, suspicious.

  - It smells like the trap.

  Lory insisted:

  - If we remain motionless, we show Vince that he can crush us when he wants.

  Despite Grim's doubts, he finally agreed, but decided to take only a small team: Stanley, Melia and Mike.

  At the warehouse, Vince's trap proved quickly. Whitmore's men surrounded the arachnids, led by Mason Whitmore himself.

  - You are even more stupid than I thought, launched Mason, a smilecruel with lips.

  Grim tried to fight back, but Vince's men were too numerous. A fight broke out. Arachnids, although courageous, could not compete with the brute force and the numerical superiority of their enemies.

  While Stanley and Melia were trying to fall back, Grim was seized by two of Vince's men. Mason approached, a satisfied smile.

  -Take it to my father. He will be delighted to speak to him in person.

  Stanley shouted when he saw Grim forcibly taken, but Mike stopped him.

  - We can't do anything here. We will come back to get him.

  Grim was dragged in front of Vince in his vast office, where the patriarch was waiting for him, sitting behind a large solid wood office. Vince did not even look up right away, pretending indifference.

  - So, is that you the chief of the arachnids? A pretentious kid who thinks he can upset my world?

  Grim, despite his injuries, replied with challenge:

  - Your reign will not last.

  Vince burst out laughing, but his gaze quickly became freezing.

  - I admire your courage, but you will learn what it costs to oppose me.

  He ordered Grim in one of the isolated warehouses in the city, a place that only his men knew.

  Back at the hideout, Stanley, Melia and Mike explained the situation in Lornry and the others. Lorry, upset, took it to himself for insisting on this mission.

  -Everything is my fault, he let go, frustrated.

  Stanley, although tense, retorted:

  - We must remain united. Grim needs us.

  Melia got up, determined.

  - So, we prepare a plan. Vince does not know what we are capable of.

  Thus, the arachnids began to develop a daring strategy to save their leader, uniting their strengths and preparing to take up their biggest challenge so far.The setting sun was bathed Silver Creek with a reddish light, but the city had never been so dark. Vince Whitmore, the absolute master of the region, seemed to have transformed the small town into a theater of cruelty, where each resident played a role dictated by his fear and obedience.

  In the large living room of their home, Vince was sitting on a leather armchair, savoring a glass of whiskey, while his wife Victoria, elegant and icy, was standing near the fireplace. Their son, Mason, a boy with an icy look, stood not far, observing with a disturbing calm.

  A barbaric act to sow fear

  Vince had just received a complaint from a farmer who had refused to yield his land. The man, a certain Henry Turner, had dared to challenge the abusive conditions imposed by Vince.

  - Does he think he can challenge me? GROGNA VINCE by placing his glass.

  Victoria, a cruel smile lips, approached and put a soft hand on her shoulder.

  -Make an example, my dear. People need a reminder of who has power here.

  A few hours later, Henry Turner was dragged on the public square, attached to a post. Vince's men, heavily armed, surrounded the crowd. Vince himself went up on a platform, accompanied by Victoria and Mason.

  - Look carefully! Tonna Vince with the crowd. This is what happens to those who dare to challenge my authority.

  He ordered Turner to be whipped in front of everyone. Victoria, still impassive, encouraged the crowd to look without looking at her eyes.

  "You have to learn," she said in an icy voice. To learn that to resist is to suffer.

  Mason, with cold precision, gave the final blow: he advanced and placed a blade against Turner's throat. With a disturbing calm, he turned his head towards his father, waiting for order. Vince nodded, and Mason completed the man coldly. The horrified crowd dared not say anything, quickly dispersing the act accomplished.

  Mason manipulation

  Back in their home, Vince and Victoria congratulated Mason.

  "You become a real Whitmore," said Vince, a smile satisfied with the lips.

  - You have our blood, said Victoria. And our blood knows neither weakness nor remorse.

  But behind her cold eyes, Mason seemed to fight with a spark of doubt. However, each hesitation was crushed by the manipulative words of their parents. Vince insisted that her role was essential to protect their empire, while Victoria played on her emotions, reminding her that showing weakness would make him useless in their eyes.A sinister plan

  In their office, Vince and Victoria discussed an even darker project:

  "We must ensure our control over this generation," said Vince. If we form them young, they will never rebel.

  - A private prison, suggested Victoria. And why not a school? We could shape their minds from an early age.

  Their idea was simple: forcibly recruit the children from farmers in difficulty, indoctrinate them and transform them into soldiers or loyal workers. Mason would be the perfect example to motivate them to submit, a symbol of "ideal" youth according to the Whitmore.

  Repercussions on Silver Creek

  Fear in Silver Creek reached an unbearable level. Residents no longer dared to discuss openly, even avoiding meeting spies by Vince. However, in this darkness, some murmurs of resistance began to be heard. People evoked the names of Grim, Stanley, and arachnids as figures of hope, although no concrete plan is in place.

  The monster that is Victoria

  Victoria, although she appeared to be a simple accomplice, showed every moment that she was perhaps even more dangerous than Vince. She manipulated her husband with an freezing skill, pushing her at ends that he sometimes dared to consider. She saw a perfect tool in Mason, but would not hesitate to get rid of him if he came to show a lasting weakness.

  One evening, alone in the reading room, she entrusted to one of her servants of confidence:

  - Mason must understand that he is only a pawn. And a pawn is replaced if it derails.

  A glimmer of hope?

  While the tyranny of Whitmore seemed unshakable, a group of farmers began to come together secretly. They knew they needed leaders capable of overthrowing the Vince Empire. The name of Stanley was mentioned, as well as that of Grim, although their current absence threw a doubt about their ability to challenge Vince.

  The chapter ends with a dark but intriguing note:

  Victoria held near Mason, a hand on her shoulder, while they observe the city from the balcony of their home.

  -Look at them, she said. All these insignificant insects. They only live because we allow it.

  Mason, silent, fixes the city with a mixture of pride and disorder.

  Their empire grew, but in the shadows, the revolt began to be born.