PROLOGUE (Draft 1)

Growing up, Ashlynn Speed belonged in the shadows of her own home. Her elder sister, Alexandra seemed to own the spotlight in their family.

She was the golden child, the achiever, the topper - the apple of everyone’s eyes.

Although Ashlynn matched her sister’s ambition with ease, her short temper, sharp tongue and addiction to trouble prompted people to overlook her talents.

She was a materialistic child, always craving what wasn’t hers - constantly sneaking things into her pocket or bag. And what began as petty mischief grew into something far more dangerous.

By the time she was a teenager, Ashlynn had grown into a skilled pickpocket and shoplifter, frequently ending up in juvenile detention and switching schools.

During this time, Alexandra graduated as valedictorian and left for Harvard to study political science; the spotlight following her overseas as Ashlynn faded further into the background.

Three years later, at seventeen, Ashlynn vanished. She packed her things and fled into the night without another word. No one would notice - or so she thought.

With nothing holding her back, she turned to a life of crime, stumbling upon others who shared her desire for more in a heartbeat. And thus The Shadows were born.

What started out as a small gang of thieves evolved into a developing network of all kinds of criminals. Together, they plotted top-tier heists, stole priceless artifacts and built an ill repute that struck fear into people’s hearts.

Ashlynn was their queen - the mastermind behind every successful heist, the one who always stayed two steps ahead. And the more they stole, the more their hunger for money grew.

Back home, Alexandra had returned, in hopes to celebrate her new future, only to find her sister gone. The police had claimed that Ashlynn had left the country, and that she would never come back. Alexandra wanted to believe it - until the infamous Shadows rose to power.

She knew her sister’s style. Her goals. Her ambition. Deep down, Alexandra knew the truth: Ashlynn hadn’t vanished. She had transformed.

Even so, suspicions weren’t concrete evidence. Without any substantial proof, Alexandra kept quiet: watching powerlessly as her sister’s crimes escalated from theft to threats, then to kidnapping… and murder.

Ashlynn’s empire flourished. Alexandra, who went on to become the city’s youngest mayor, finally had the power to try and stop her.

Until, without warning, silence.

No more heists. No more missing persons. No more bodies to find. Only whispers. Whispers on what could have happened to them: they had disbanded, grown bored, or betrayed each other.

Eventually, the city moved on. They forgot about the darkness that once shrouded them. But Alexandra couldn’t.

She knew her sister too well. It was no happily ever after. It was the calm before the storm.

Ashlynn was plotting something - something big - and Alexandra knew that whatever it was… her sister would not stop until she got her way.