We had been in intense training for a month. From our arms to our legs, every part of us was pushed to the limit in brutal tests. Sometimes people fell asleep right where they stood, unable to make it to bed. Crawling, climbing, running… even these had begun to feel easy. Slowly, the difficulty of the game was increasing.
According to Karahan, in six months we would develop as much as an ordinary soldier. I had grown used to this place. I missed home. I hadn't thought I would long for my father this much. I wondered what he was doing. And Alara… the only friend I had among the nobles I met in such a short time. I even missed seeing her.
What was she doing now? Was she waiting for a servant to return?
The thought kept me awake. I went down to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water, and stepped out onto the balcony. I murmured to myself:
"That weak servant is gone, and so is the powerless Alpay. No more falling. Always forward."
I watched the sun filter through the mountains and trees. Its warm rays bathed my body. I went back to my room, changed clothes, and headed to the ranch's stable.
Bassam had already started cleaning the stable. He had learned broken Turkish from the people here. I took the horse standing in the far corner—his name was Kara. He had come here with me. I had cared for him since birth; with his long black mane and jet-black coat, he was the ruler of the night. A bit wild and rough, but he understood me. That's why I had named him after my uncle—Kara.
I prepared him for riding, led him out of the stable, and mounted. We started off at a calm pace. After circling the ranch for a while, Kara slowed, ate a few tufts of grass from the ground, and looked toward the fence ahead.
"You want freedom too, don't you, boy? Then what are you waiting for?"
Suddenly, Kara reared and began to run. He leapt over the fence like an arrow and kept going. You could feel his freedom in both his neighs and his stride. We raced toward the forest at full gallop. When I saw he was tiring, I didn't push him. We stopped in a high, beautiful spot. I let him drink from a trough. The sunlight felt so good it made my eyes squint.
After a short rest, we set off again.
"Freedom ends here, my Kara. But I promise, I'll take you out again," I said, kissing him before tying him back in the stable.
I showered and went down for breakfast. As we ate with the team, Karahan entered, flanked by guards. By now, we could fight, use weapons, and defend ourselves as well as they could.
Karahan sat down and began to speak:
"Enjoy your meal, friends. Starting today, you have one month left. I congratulate you all. Some of you have become sharpshooters, some demolition experts, others specialists in your own fields."
After a brief pause, he continued:
"Your new mission will be to complete your training. This path may be long or short for you. There's no telling when assignments will come. But those who pass will no longer be students in the system."
Levent looked at him intently.
"And what happens to those who fail?"
"They die. These missions are more than training—they're serious tests for you. Win or lose."
A heavy silence fell over the hall. Everyone began fidgeting with their plates. Karahan tapped the table twice, and we all looked up.
"But there is one more option…" he said."You can walk away now. But the system will demand one thing from you, just once."
"Like what?" Caner asked.
"I don't know. It could ask for your death, or for money. Anything. But the system never remains in debt, and it never forgets to collect what it's owed."
Karahan gave us twenty-four hours to decide. He didn't say when the mission would begin, but he told us to be ready at all times.
As we sat there, Yaman stood up.
"Come on, let's at least train. Whether we accept or refuse, something will happen to us. Better to be prepared."
Yaman and Caner had been getting along lately, and Caner accepted the suggestion. I still needed a partner—or I would have to work alone.
I told them I needed to rest. In my room, I grabbed my bag and quietly went down to the armory. I took two pistols and plenty of ammo—same caliber for both pistol and rifle. I also grabbed a map, compass, baton, and other essential gear. I changed the battery in my watch.
On my way out, I noticed the security camera. I was already caught. I had to think fast.
You've been watching me for months, Karahan. I don't know why you chose me, but I have to protect myself. I can't trust anyone.
Back in my room, I packed the bag: clothes, a first-aid kit, phone charger. I would need to get a new device and SIM card soon, to avoid being tracked. And I needed money.
I loaded the pistol at my waist and lay down. I fell asleep thinking about what kind of mission might come tomorrow.
Around three, I woke up. It was midnight. My sleep was in fragments; I was always on alert. I saw a shadow pass in front of the door. I slipped my gun into my pocket and quietly opened it. The old Alpay was gone. He was dead. No more fear—only strength.
I moved quickly down the corridor. The shadow entered a room we hadn't been in for months. The door closed with a thin click that echoed in the hall. I released the safety and chambered a round.
The moment I burst in, two men attacked me. I shoved off the one my height, but the bigger one punched me, sending me slamming into the door. Pain shot through my face. I could have fired immediately, but that would have woken the whole place.
I locked the safety again and slammed the pistol's butt into his nose. A kick to his groin followed, then I clasped both hands together and smashed them down on his head. The blow slowed him. I struck the other man's nose twice with the pistol grip. Grabbing the knife from his belt, I stabbed him in the stomach, then the heart. He collapsed in a pool of blood.
The other man caught me in a chokehold from behind. I could barely breathe. I reversed the knife and drove it into his hand. He jerked it back, the blade still in him. I kicked him in the stomach, making him stagger. I snatched the pistol from the floor, released the safety, and fired.
The bullet entered dead center in his forehead, spraying blood. He fell.
From behind a bookshelf came the sound of clapping. Karahan stepped out slowly.
"Congratulations, son. If you hadn't fired at the end, you wouldn't have given away your position. But he was heavier than you—that's what saved you."
"You made me kill your own men, Karahan! What the hell is this?"
"Your test, son. The first test. I wanted to see your potential as a killer."
"You've wanted me for something else all along, haven't you?"
"That's why you're different—because of your mind. You're a man of the future."
Before leaving, Karahan handed me an envelope. On it was a location. He told me to go there, open the envelope, and then carry out the execution. He also left a file in front of me.
"Your first mission for the agency… Congratulations. Twenty-four."