Chapter 1: Clanless

As winter grips Janloon, Bero, a Double Double hotel employee with a grudge against the clans, exploits his insider access to stage an attack. He times the strike for a gap in No Peak Green Bone security and meets three Oortokon collaborators—Tadino, Guriho, and Otonyo—in the parking level, equipping them with gas masks, spray paint, crowbars, handguns, and tear gas.

Using his keys, Bero ushers the men through service corridors. Tadino and Otonyo deploy tear gas into the kitchen and casino floor, triggering panic, stampedes, and gunfire amid choking smoke. Bero stays hidden, prioritizing self-preservation over joining the chaos, aware Green Bones will retaliate swiftly.

When the attackers retreat, Bero guides them back down, blocks elevator return traffic, and facilitates their escape. They agree to lie low and regroup later. Bero dumps the incriminating gear down a garbage chute, straightens his uniform, and returns to the scene as authorities and No Peak Green Bones arrive.

Outside, stranded guests mill in the cold, while a bold, spray-painted declaration spans the entrance: “THE FUTURE IS CLANLESS.” Bero conceals his satisfaction, having struck at No Peak while avoiding detection, and the action signals a burgeoning, anti-clan agitation aimed at undermining the Green Bones’ dominance.