Secrets beneath the city
1277 Words
Sophia spent the rest of the day unable to focus.
Every brushstroke she painted in class looked wrong. Every color seemed duller than before. Thompson’s warning replayed endlessly in her mind like a song she couldn’t escape.
“Raven Hill destroys good people.”
What did that even mean?
By evening, the sky had darkened once more, heavy clouds hanging low above the city. Sophia sat alone inside her apartment, surrounded by unfinished paintings and charcoal sketches scattered across the floor.
Her small living room smelled faintly of coffee and thick paint. Soft music played quietly from an old speaker near the window while rain tapped gently against the glass.
She stared at the business card the strange man had given her earlier.
Blackwood Gallery.
The offer seemed real. Important, even.
For a young artist struggling to survive, an exhibition sponsorship could change everything.
Yet Thompson’s reaction had terrified her.
A sudden knock echoed through the apartment.
Sophia froze.
Nobody visited this late except Luna.
She approached the door carefully and opened it halfway.
Luna stood there holding two bags of food.
“You looked stressed earlier,” Luna said, stepping inside. “So I brought emergency noodles.”
Sophia laughed softly for the first time all day.
“You’re the best.”
“I know.”
Luna placed the food on the counter before noticing Sophia’s expression.
“You’re thinking about him again, aren’t you?”
Sophia sighed.
“He acts like he knows something.”
“Maybe he does.”
“That’s the problem.”
Luna crossed her arms.
“Sophia, listen carefully. The Greg family isn’t a normal rich-people drama. My brother worked security at one of their clubs two years ago.”
Sophia looked up.
“What happened?”
“He quit after three weeks.”
“Why?”
Luna hesitated.
“He said strange people visited there at night. Politicians, business people… dangerous people.”
Sophia frowned.
“That could mean anything.”
“He also said Thompson scared everyone.”
For some reason, that bothered Sophia more than it should have.
Because Thompson had never frightened her directly.
Confused her? Yes.
Intimidated her? Definitely.
But underneath his coldness, she sensed something else.
Loneliness.
Before Sophia could respond, her phone buzzed suddenly.
Unknown Number.
Luna immediately looked suspicious.
“Answer it.”
Sophia hesitated before pressing accept.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then Thompson’s voice.
“Are you alone?”
Her heart skipped unexpectedly.
“Yes.”
“Lock your doors.”
Fear instantly crept into her chest.
“Why?”
“I’m outside.”
Sophia rushed toward the window.
Across the street, a black car waited beneath the streetlight.
Thompson leaned against it wearing a dark coat, one hand in his pocket.
Rain fell lightly around him.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered.
“I need to show you something.”
Luna grabbed the phone immediately.
“Absolutely not.”
Thompson paused.
“And,are you?”
“Luna. Her best friend. Also, the person stopping her from getting murdered.”
To Sophia’s surprise, Thompson almost sounded amused.
“Reasonable concern.”
“You’re not taking her anywhere.”
“Then both of you come.”
Luna blinked.
“That’s somehow more suspicious.”
Thompson ignored the comment.
“Sophia,” he said quietly, “if you want answers, come now.”
The line disconnected.
Silence filled the apartment.
Luna stared at Sophia.
“You’re not actually considering this.”
“I need to know what’s going on.”
“You barely know him!”
“I know.”
“And that doesn’t scare you?”
Sophia looked back toward the rain-covered window.
“Yes.”
Ten minutes later, they entered Thompson’s car.
Luna sat in the backseat with her arms crossed aggressively.
“If we die,” she announced, “I’m haunting both of you.”
Thompson drove through the city without responding.
The deeper they traveled into Raven Hill, the more strange the streets became. Neon lights flickered above crowded bars while distant sirens echoed through narrow roads. Eventually, Thompson stopped near an abandoned underground train station hidden beneath the city.
Sophia stared at the entrance.
“What is this place?”
“Truth,” Thompson answered simply.
The station looked ancient. Rusted gates blocked parts of the stairway while graffiti covered the walls.
“This feels illegal,” Luna muttered.
Thompson led them downward into darkness.
The air underground felt colder, heavier somehow. Sophia stayed close behind him while Luna whispered nervous complaints the entire way.
Finally, they reached a hidden steel door.
Thompson entered a code.
The door opened slowly.
Sophia’s breath caught.
Inside stood an enormous underground art gallery illuminated by golden lights.
Paintings covered every wall.
Hundreds of them.
Portraits.
Landscapes.
Sketches.
All breathtaking.
“All these belong to artists from Raven Hill,” Thompson explained quietly.
Sophia stepped forward slowly, stunned by the beauty surrounding her.
“Who owns this place?”
“My family.”
She turned sharply toward him.
“The Greg family collects art?”
“We preserve people.”
“That sounds creepy,” Luna said immediately.
Thompson ignored her.
Sophia studied the paintings more closely.
Many were signed by artists she recognized—artists who had mysteriously disappeared years ago.
A cold feeling settled inside her stomach.
“Thompson…” she whispered, “Why are these hidden underground?”
His expression darkened.
“Because most of these artists are dead.”
Silence.
Luna looked horrified.
“What?”
“They accepted sponsorships from the wrong people,” Thompson continued calmly. “Blackwood Gallery recruits talented artists, then uses them to move money through illegal auctions.”
Sophia’s hands trembled slightly.
“The man today…”
“Works for them.”
Fear spread through her chest slowly.
“Why are you telling me this?”
Thompson walked closer until only inches separated them.
“Because they want you now.”
Sophia looked into his cold blue eyes and saw something unexpected there.
Not manipulation.
Not cruelty.
Worry.
Real worry.
“Why do you care what happens to me?” she asked softly.
For the first time since meeting him, Thompson seemed uncertain.
His voice lowered.
“Because I’ve been watching you for months.”
Luna nearly choked.
“Sophia, that is not romantic.”
But Sophia couldn’t look away from him.
“Why?”
Thompson’s jaw tightened slightly.
“You paint emotions exactly the way I feel them.”
The confession stunned her.
“I don’t understand.”
“You will.”
Suddenly, footsteps echoed somewhere above them.
Thompson’s expression instantly changed.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
He turned toward the hallway.
“Stay behind me.”
Three men entered the gallery wearing dark clothing.
One of them was a man from campus.
The man smiled coldly.
“Well,” he said, “this is disappointing.”
Luna whispered nervously, “I officially hate tonight.”
The stranger looked directly at Sophia.
“You should’ve accepted our offer.”
Thompson stepped forward protectively.
“She’s leaving.”
The man laughed softly.
“You can’t protect her forever, Thompson.”
Tension filled the room like smoke.
Sophia’s heartbeat pounded painfully inside her chest.
Then the stranger said something that changed everything.
“She deserves to know the truth about her parents.”
Sophia froze completely.
“What?”
Thompson’s face darkened instantly.
“Enough.”
But the man kept smiling.
“Ask him how your parents really died, Sophia.”
The room suddenly felt too small.
Too cold.
She turned toward Thompson slowly.
“What is he talking about?”
Thompson remained silent.
That silence terrified her more than any answer could have.
- Writer
