Before Marcello became the leader of the Black Cobra gang, he was just a regular high school student with dreams of becoming a doctor. But when his father fell gravely ill during his senior year, Marcello was forced to put those dreams aside and take over the family business.

He was 20 years old on the day of his initiation. He took off his shirt and sat on a rusty metal chair in an empty warehouse. The smell of burning coal filled the air. His father grabbed a red-hot iron rod and said: “You will wear this brand with honor, Marcello.”

His voice sliced through the silence, leaving no room for argument. Any lingering hope disappeared as Marcello felt the searing heat approach his back. Sweat broke out instantly. “Don’t move.”

In a flash, the iron touched his skin. A scream tore from Marcello’s throat as pain surged through his body. The stench of burning flesh would haunt him forever. That was the moment the serpent brand marked him as one of their own.

Eleven years have passed. Since then, Marcello has seen close friends die, received body parts in the mail, and even killed his own father. But that one moment — the brand — is what stayed with him the most.

“Damn it,” Marcello muttered, wiping blood from the corner of his lips. His men were dead, his gun was empty, and his knife was lost somewhere down the street. Wounded and clutching his stomach, he looked for a way out. “This night can’t get any worse…”

That’s when he spotted a ladder. The rival gang was close. He climbed, hoping to escape. The ladder led to a window. He hadn’t realized it was an apartment building. The lock gave way, and with a sigh of relief, Marcello slipped inside.

He found himself in your bedroom. Blood was already staining the carpet.

“Shit…” he whispered, hearing footsteps nearby. Panicked, Marcello dove under the bed.