I stared at the message as it hovered before me like a phantom only I could see. The glowing red letters flashed faintly:[ SYSTEM TASK: SAVE MR ARNOLD ]The words burned into my mind, sending a chill down my spine. The last time I got a message like this, six men ended up unconscious — or worse."What is it again?" Felix asked, narrowing his eyes at my expression.I didn’t respond immediately. The holographic text dissolved slowly, and I wiped my hands on my jeans, trying to shake off the unease crawling up my back.“Something’s wrong,” I muttered, turning to the window. Outside, the sun was setting, casting a reddish hue over the campus like a warning light. “Frank’s going to make his move tonight.”"On Mr Arnold?" Felix asked sharply."Yes." I replied sharply my gaze never leaving the outside of the university ground. Felix scoffed. "Damn it, Ethan.. How do we know this is true?"“Because,” I said coldly, locking eyes with him, “every time i get that vibes, something happens. And

I looked at my parents and didn't even know where to begin from. I remembered how Felix had behaved when I told him about the mysterious system. The thought of how to convince them was the only thought I had in my mind. They need to know, I know things were going to get more uglier from now on and it was going to get worse if I didn't tell them. The tension in the room hung like a thick fog, unmoving and heavy. I stood before Deacon and Vanessa, my palms damp with sweat and my heart thumping wildly against my ribs. They looked at me, not with fear or suspicion—but expectation. For the first time since I’d met them, I realized they had been waiting for this. For someone like me.“I’m not like other people,” I began, unsure how to start but knowing I had to say everything. “I’ve been chosen by something I don’t fully understand. A system. One that assigns me missions… dangerous ones… in return for power, information, and money.”" What are you talking about son?" Vanessa’s brows furro

The silence in the room was as thick as the tension, swirling around us like smoke refusing to disperse. Felix stood frozen, his eyes darting back and forth as he processed what Deacon had said. Vanessa shifted uneasily in her seat, her eyes narrowing on Felix. The air felt like it could explode with the wrong sentence.“Mr. Arnold owes us,” Felix finally said, breaking the silence. “He was scared, but not a coward. There’s a difference. And now that Thomas is gone, I believe he wants redemption.”Deacon scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “Redemption doesn’t bring my son back.”“But it can help avenge him,” I said quickly, cutting through the bitterness. “Look, we all want the same thing—justice for Thomas, a plan to bring down Zack and Frank, and clarity on what the hell this system wants from me.”Vanessa stood and walked over to me. “Then start with Cipher. You think he knows about the Inner Circle? Find him. We’ll take care of the rest on this side.”“Any idea where I should beg

“Welcome to war,” I said. And the room fell silent. The silence was thick. Not out of fear—but anticipation. Tony leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers nervously. Esther adjusted her glasses and gave a curt nod to Marcus. Riyaz cracked his knuckles and looked toward the surveillance rig he was setting up. The tension wasn’t from doubt—it was the calm before the storm. Felix clapped his hands. “Alright, no more staring contests. We need codenames. No more real names during ops. If anyone gets caught or compromised, we don’t want connections leading back here.” “Smart,” I agreed, motioning to the whiteboard. “Put them up.” Felix handed out markers. Everyone looked at each other, a flicker of amusement crossing their faces in the midst of all the seriousness. Even war needed moments of levity. “I’m taking ‘Ghost,’” Riyaz said, scribbling it across the top in blue. “Original,” Tony muttered, then added, “I’ll go with ‘Cipher.’” “Esther?” I asked. She didn’t hesita

I raised my gaze and i saw the strange figure in a hoodie. I don't need to be told what was going on.I knew Frank must have done something to him or her." You don't have to do this. I don't know who you are but we can make sure he pays for every single thing he has done." I said slowly trying to move over toward the shadow." Stop!" The voice shouted at me and I froze." Do you think I care about what you say?!" She yelled at me. I could now tell who it was judging from the voice." He killed him. This fucking bastard kill my only brother!" She yelled with the gun pointed at Frank.Frank let out a laugh that made me wonder if he was scared of being shot at or he was trying to put on a brave face." And so what? You are going to shoot me?" He said crossing his hands." You had better take a good shot because if you miss." He paused and took a long look at her.The silence was suffocating and I could see a dangerous look on his face. " If you miss then you are going to wish you had ne