After witnessing their tempting offer and their twisted methods, I knew what had to be done.
"I must strike back with equal force."
I had been snatched in broad daylight and cast out in the dead of night. I found myself in a warehouse near the docks. The moon was full, the tide was high, and a gentle breeze brushed past, but I was lost—no sense of location, and not a cent to my name.
As I was weighing my escape, Nino's phone suddenly rang.
I jumped. I had completely forgotten I was carrying it.
I answered. It was Nino. Her voice was a fractured mess of sobs and screams; I couldn't make out a single word through the static of her panic.
"Slow down..." I interrupted, my voice low. "Take a breath. I need one coherent word from you. Why are you crying?"
She fell silent, fighting to catch her breath before the words spilled out:
"They told me... they told me Tai was cleared by the court. He's innocent. I was so happy I could barely breathe... but then they said there was an accident. Tai and the officer with him... the officer is dead, and Tai... he's been kidnapped."
She stifled another sob. "I panicked. Then I heard voices outside my house. I tried to run, but they caught me. They said things... so many things I didn't understand. I don't even know who they are."
They must have a death wish, I thought. They've made a grave mistake.
"As long as you're safe, nothing else matters," I assured her, my tone softening. "Forget about them."
"They tied me up," she whispered, her voice trembling. "They were... they were going to... but then someone called '0' intervened. He stopped them. He killed the one who started it."
"And now? Are they going to kill you?"
"In their dreams," she snapped, a flash of anger returning to her voice.
I calmed her down, sent her my coordinates, and hung up. The veins in my temple were throbbing. I nearly crushed the phone in my grip when an unknown number flashed on the screen. I picked up.
"What do you think of the offer?" a voice drawled. "We aren't playing games here. The girl was just a warning."
"So, she's just a bargaining chip to you?" I replied. "Listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once."
"Oh? You're going to threaten me? Me?"
"I don't care who you are," I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous chill. "I don't care about your games. But if Nino is ever in danger again... know that you've sealed your own fate. Don't cross your boundaries. If you don't know where they are... I'll carve them into your flesh."
"Oh, how terrif—"
I hung up on him.
I reached into my pocket and found a pack of cigarettes. I lit one, took a long drag, and let the smoke settle my thoughts. Fifteen minutes later, Nino arrived to pick me up.
As we drove, my mind drifted back to the call. Zero? How could he be there? He was right in front of me, motionless. Was he an experiment?
Damn that White Lab. I will raze that place to the ground. I won't leave a single soul breathing in that organization.
Drowsiness began to pull at my eyelids. It was 11:00 PM. Nino was peppering me with questions, but her voice felt miles away. Moment by moment, the world faded until my head came to rest in her lap... and I fell asleep.
I woke up in front of her house.
"Listen," I whispered, still half-awake. "I have no money and no place to stay. I just need a place to sleep for the night. Is that okay?"
She stared blankly for a second, her face flushing crimson again. Why does she always turn red? She did it when I grabbed her neck out of fear for her safety, and when that woman with glasses mentioned a "date." I wanted to know why.
Silence filled the car until the driver chimed in: "He's your boyfriend, isn't he? Why wouldn't you agree?"
Nino practically short-circuited. Steam might as well have been rising from her head before she passed out cold. I shook her, even gave her a light slap, but she was unresponsive. I grabbed the keys from her purse, paid the driver, and headed inside.
I burst through the door and laid her on the first sofa I saw. I found the kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, and splashed it on her face.
She jolted awake like someone returning from the dead. I felt a lump in my throat. I pressed my hand to her forehead to check her temperature.
"Are you okay? You fainted in the car. I'm sorry for coming in without permission."
Her face burned red once more. "I... I'm f-fine."
"You scared me," I said, sighing. "And I've had enough of this blushing. Tell me, why does your face turn red every time you're with me?"
"T-that's none of your business! I'm going to my room to sleep," she huffed, scurrying away.
She left me alone in the living room. The place was a disaster—trash and clutter everywhere. To be honest, I didn't mind; I've lived in worse places just to stay warm.
A moment later, she came back down, having changed her clothes. She was wearing gloves and a cleaning apron. "Sorry about the mess," she muttered. "Don't worry about it, I'll clean it up."
"I'll help," I said. "I'm the one sleeping here, after all."
An hour of scrubbing later, we were finished. I was too exhausted to stand, so I collapsed onto the floor. No pillow, no blanket.
Nino woke me, holding out a pillow and a quilt.
"I don't need them," I grumbled. "I can sleep like this."
She let out a short laugh. "You're taking them. I don't care what you think. You're taking them whether you like it or not."
It was her house, so I didn't argue. As she headed to the kitchen for a drink of water, I asked, "Where are your parents?"
"They... they passed away," she said quietly.
"Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something painful."
"It's okay. I was prepared for it. My friends have asked before."
I fell silent, a heavy thought looming in my mind: Does she know? Does she know I'm the one who killed them? I shouldn't have asked. She looked devastated. I should stay with her so she isn't lonely, I thought.
"I'll sleep in your room with you. Is that okay?"
She choked on her water, her face turning a deeper shade of red than I thought possible. She stammered, her words a tangled mess. I walked over, took her hand, and looked at her.
"Do you agree? I can't let you sleep while you're this sad."
She remained silent, eventually pulling her hand away and setting the glass down. "It's fine," she said, her voice heavy with grief. "It's been days since they passed. I've gotten used to sleeping alone."
I insisted, but she refused every attempt. Eventually, she retreated to her room and turned off the lights.
I lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. Was killing her parents truly justified? Or am I just a murderer? I sank into the depths of my thoughts, plotting my next move against the Organization. Just as sleep began to take me, the sound of shattering glass erupted from Nino's room.
I sprinted to her door—locked. I kicked it open, only to find the room empty and the window smashed to pieces.
The veins in my head surged with rage. My fists clenched so hard that blood began to drip from my palms.
"You bastards... I swear, I will wipe every last one of you out."
(End of Chapter 31)