One explosion after another shook the ground, tearing apart the school building. Dust filled the air as huge pieces of walls and ceilings crumbled, falling like rain. Half of the school was already destroyed, and the rest looked like it could collapse at any moment.
Amidst the smoke and falling debris, a girl with short white hair stumbled out, gasping for air. Her legs were shaking so badly she could barely keep standing, but she forced herself to run. Every step was painful, her shoes slipping on the rubble, but she didn't stop.
It was Alena — the same girl who had confessed her feelings to Daniel just a few days ago.
Her breath was heavy, chest rising and falling fast as her heart pounded in fear and hope. Tears mixed with dust rolled down her face as she saw four blurry figures ahead. One of them was running toward her with something in hand, but her vision was too hazy to see clearly.
And then... she saw him.
Her heart skipped a beat.
It was Daniel.
A smile broke across her tired, dusty face. Her eyes lit up with relief and happiness.
"Daniel! Thank God you're okay!" she shouted, stopping just a few steps away. She bent forward, placing her hands on her knees, panting hard. "I thought I'd lost you... but now I know. After everything, after almost dying—I realized how much I like you..."
She tried to laugh, her voice trembling.
"I forgive you for everything... Let's start again, okay? We'll make a great couple—"
Before she could finish, Daniel—now going by the name Predictor—lifted his axe without hesitation.
With one clean swing, he brought it down on her face.
There was no scream. No last words.
Her body dropped lifelessly to the ground, blood spreading on the broken concrete.
Daniel smiled, as if nothing had happened.
"In your next life, baby," he said cheerfully, wiping the blood off his axe.
After that, the group moved quickly. They searched every corner of the ruined school, checking for anyone still breathing.
Only eight people had managed to survive the explosions.
Six of them were barely alive, injured so badly they couldn't even move. Sophie and Diana finished them off without any trouble—slashing their throats or stabbing them through the heart.
The last two tried to crawl away, but Fable and Predictor hunted them down and killed them with cold eyes and steady hands.
Soon, everything went quiet.
No more screams.
No more sounds.
Only the four of them were left standing in the middle of the destroyed school.
Sophie looked around, her face pale.
"Now what?" she asked in a shaky voice. "What about the police? Won't they come after us?"
"There's no need to worry," Diana said calmly. "They told us to kill all five teams... and we did."
Fable glanced at his watch. "It's been more than thirty minutes since the first explosion," he muttered. "Still not a single cop... not even a nosy neighbor."
The group turned their eyes toward the outside world. Everything was quiet. There was no crowd, no sirens, no rescue.
Only smoke, fire, and the smell of burning bodies.
"This is crazy..." Sophie whispered, goosebumps running down her arms. "The underworld has way too much power."
----------
After that day, they were soon picked up by underworld people and were told that they had actually passed the test.
As for the explosion they caused, the news reported it was done by some terrorist organization.
Since there was still one more test left, Fable and Predictor continued working together as a team. For the next one and a half years, they were given different types of jobs—nothing too big, mostly low or mid-difficulty level. They were also allowed to use guns now. Their targets weren't very high-profile people but rather middle-class, middle-high class, or sometimes domestic merchants.
By completing each mission, they earned something called "Continental Coins." It was a special kind of currency used only in the underworld. With it, they could buy illegal things, stay at certain hidden hotels, and get help from other criminals. Of course, they didn't earn too much. So far, they could only afford around four pistols with what they had saved.
—
Right now, it was nighttime. They were standing in a quiet parking area, as if waiting for someone.
Both had changed a lot. They were about nineteen years old now. Their bodies had become stronger and taller. Sometimes Predictor still thought about Sophie and Diana. He felt a little sad, but when he remembered Sophie's true identity, he told himself he never wanted to meet her again.
Both of them were looking at a smartphone screen. On it was a photo of a fat man wearing a tight t-shirt.
"Is he gonna be here?" Predictor asked.
"That's what the info says. He always parks here at 8 PM," Fable replied.
Just as he said that, they heard the sound of a car entering the lot. A man was inside—not fat, but not very fit either. He had slightly dark skin and drove his car slowly into a spot.
"His face is kinda familiar. Is he the one or someone else? Killing the wrong guy will only get us in trouble," Predictor said with a sigh.
But Fable didn't say anything. He walked straight toward the car. Once he reached the driver, he showed him the photo and asked, "Is that you?"
The driver looked at the photo and chuckled. "Yeah, that was me a while back. I used to be that fat, but I finally hit the gym and lost like fifty pounds. Haha…"
"But why do you ask—"
BANG!
Before the man could finish his sentence, Fable raised his gun and shot him in the head.
Blood splashed against the car window. The man's eyes stayed wide open for a moment before he collapsed forward, lifeless.
Fable turned back calmly, sliding the gun into his back holster.
"Job done," he said, expressionless.
Predictor rolled his eyes and walked up next to him. "By the way, when are we going to get our second test? It's already been a year."
"Who knows," Fable said with a shrug. "They mentioned giving grades. That means they're watching us closely… seeing how we act in different situations and how we solve problems. Maybe it'll take another six months."
As they walked out of the parking area and onto the quiet streets, the soft yellow lights from the street lamps lit their way. The surroundings were calm, with barely anyone else walking around. The silence and emptiness of the street made it feel like they were two vampires strolling around at midnight, even though it was only 8 PM.
They kept walking until the road ahead split into two different directions. That's when Predictor suddenly stopped and turned around with a grin on his face.
"Well, I'm feeling horny again. Gonna hit the red light district tonight!" he said casually.
Fabel gave him a sharp glare. His eyes were cold, and his voice even colder. "You should control yourself. I heard you were in a foursome the other night, and then you killed one of the women? If you keep doing reckless things like this, you'll attract attention. It'll leave behind evidence too."
Predictor's smirk faded. His face turned a bit red in embarrassment.
"That's just some idiot spreading lies," he said quickly. "Someone actually hired a man to kill me while I was having fun. I noticed in time and killed him. But now, everyone's saying I killed one of the women. Ugh, I swear I'll find whoever started that rumor!"
His hands clenched into fists as anger filled his face.
"Oh… okay," Fabel said awkwardly. He didn't really know how to respond. Without saying anything else, he turned right and went his own way, disappearing into the distance. Meanwhile, Predictor headed straight toward the red light district, eager to enjoy his night.
But as he walked through the dim and quiet streets, something unexpected caught his attention.
An old woman was sitting at the corner of the road, crying in pain. Her sobs echoed in the silence. The street was so dark and empty that Predictor wasn't sure if she was real or just a ghost. It felt strange… What was an old woman doing here in this quite alley?
He didn't scare easily, though. With a curious expression, he walked over to her.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.
The grandma looked up at him with eyes full of shock and hope, as if she had just seen a savior.
"M-My granddaughter…" she cried, her voice shaking. "Those bastards took her away… They're going to hurt her! Please, save her! Please!" She suddenly grabbed Predictor's leg, sobbing and begging desperately.
Predictor was surprised. "Who did it? And why?"
The old woman wiped her tears and tried to speak through her cries. "My granddaughter… she reported a man who molested her… but he was the police chief's son. He didn't get punished. And now he's even more angry! He and his friends kidnapped her! Police won't help either… Please, you're my only hope!"
Her tears fell nonstop as she pleaded.
Predictor stood still, staring at her. He sighed deeply.
"Urgh… what kind of side quest is this?" he muttered, annoyed. All he wanted was to spend the night with some hot women. Instead, he now found himself dragged into something that felt like a random mission in a video game.
"I could give you money, but right now I only have these!" the old woman said, showing the few coins in her trembling hand.
Predictor stared at her in silence. His expression was blank, but in his mind, he actually wanted to slap the woman and just walk away. However, seeing her so desperate, kneeling and pleading with teary eyes, he let out a long sigh and rolled his eyes.
"Alright, fine. Just tell me where they are. Make it quick," he said sharply.
The old woman's face immediately lit up with hope. "Yes, yes! They're actually very close by!"
-----------
At the same time, in another part of the city, a very similar scene was unfolding—this time with Fable. He came across a woman who looked like she was in her late fourties, sitting by the roadside, crying quietly.
Out of curiosity, Fable asked, "What's wrong?"
As soon as he spoke, the woman started begging him desperately. "Please, my daughter has been kidnapped! I have no one else to turn to!" Her voice cracked with emotion as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a few small coins. "I only have this much right now, but I'll do anything to repay you. Even if I have to sell my organs, I will! Please, just save my daughter!"
Fable looked at her coldly. His eyes had no pity in them. For a moment, he even felt like putting a bullet through her head. But instead, he let out a deep breath and pulled out his gun.
"Here, take it," he said, holding the gun out toward her. "If you can really do anything, then go and shoot them yourself. Save your daughter."
The woman's eyes widened in fear. She trembled violently and backed away from the weapon. Sweat started forming on her forehead.
"N-No… I can't… Even if my daughter was dying right in front of me, I just… I can't do it…" she said, shaking her head in panic.
Fable stared at her for a few more seconds, then turned around. "It's that building over there, right? I'll do it myself."
He walked off without waiting for a response. As his figure grew smaller in the distance, the woman slumped down onto the ground and let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Phew… He's finally gone. That guy was seriously scary," she mumbled under her breath.
All of her crying and pleading had just been an act. The truth was, both Fable and Predictor were taking part in a test, and the women they met were part of it too.
She chuckled to herself softly. "Me and my daughter were kidnapped a long time ago and forced into this weird job. At first, we were terrified… especially my daughter. But after all these years, we've become pretty good at acting. And to be honest, I've started to enjoy it. There's so much easy money in this gig. If we keep working for a few more years, we might be able to live a rich and comfortable life."
---
Meanwhile, Predictor had already completed his mission. He had tracked down the location—an abandoned warehouse where a group of college students had been hanging out. They looked more like thugs than students.
He didn't even need to use his gun. He simply beat them up one by one with his fists. It wasn't easy—they had knives, and he took a few cuts—but nothing too serious. In the end, he rescued the girl they had kidnapped.
The girl was young, probably in her mid-teens, with blond hair just like her grandmother's. As soon as she saw her grandma waiting outside, she ran to her and hugged her tightly, bursting into tears.
Predictor just stood a little distance away, watching them. His face showed no joy.
"What a happy reunion," he thought bitterly. His narrowed eyes stared at them for a few seconds longer.
"I thought I'd get a girlfriend today... but turns out she's underage. Great," he muttered to himself. "Maybe in the future."
He turned to leave, staring at the coins still in his hand.
"Fought a group of knife-wielding idiots, risked my life, rescued a girl who could've been used as a hostage… and in return, I got this? These worthless little coins?" His fingers closed around them tightly, and he sighed again.