A few days later, classes had already begun. Theo stepped out of the classroom late in the afternoon, just as the introductory business law lecture concluded. He took the faculty's back hallway, a route rarely frequented by regular students.He walked at a steady pace, deliberately avoiding the main rectorate corridor where Danu Handaya or Rian might still be lingering. Beneath his denim jacket, the brace wrapped around his right shoulder felt restrictive and uncomfortable, a constant reminder that he was not yet ready for any extreme reflex movements.Theo kept moving, passing through the campus side gate guarded by digital sensors, heading toward an old bus stop located a few hundred meters outside the university grounds. The clean and orderly environment of Sector 2 gradually bordered a middle-class commercial district. There, a black sedan with heavily tinted windows was already parked under the dense shade of a mahogany tree.As Theo approached, the rear door slid open automatica

The aroma of damp water vapor and lingering chlorine from the indoor pool hung thick in the air of the Law Faculty locker room corridor. Theo walked with slow steps, his left hand carrying a worn canvas bag filled with a change of clothes. Every time he took a deep breath, the gauze wrapping his right ribs rubbed against his skin, leaving a constant burning sensation that had persisted since his self-directed, light physical training session in the corner of the gymnasium two hours ago.Just as the fingers of his left hand brushed the handle of locker number 104, a heavy mechanical click echoed.The neon lights on the locker room ceiling suddenly died out in unison, leaving only the dimness filtering from the high clerestory windows bordering the outer corridor. The cool air from the air conditioner abruptly shut off, replaced by a humid heat that rose rapidly from the concrete floor.Three broad-shouldered figures stepped in through the main entrance, slamming the thick oak door shut

The giant crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the Sector 2 Grand Ballroom cast a golden glow that reflected across the surface of the marble floor. The clinking of silver spoons against fine porcelain plates mingled with the strains of classical music drifting from the corner of the room. Every man in the room wore a custom-tailored tuxedo, and the women were draped in silk gowns encrusted with jewels.Near a support pillar toward the back, Theo stood tall.The black, classically cut suit loaned by Yanuar felt a fraction too tight around his chest. The white linen fabric of his shirt pressed firmly against the elastic bandage securing his right ribs. Every time Theo shifted his weight to his left foot, the edge of the brace in his chest dug into his skin, forcing him to maintain a straight chin and shallow breaths so the collar of his suit jacket wouldn't be seen trembling.Pinned to his lapel was a small silver emblem bearing the logo of Armagenda University—an absolute fo

The acrid smell of burnt wiring hung heavy inside the back room of Rouza Grill. The restaurant's front glass windows had been shattered to pieces, leaving sharp shards scattered across a floor half-drenched in fire-extinguishing water. In the middle of the cluttered room, the atmosphere felt scalding hot—hotter than the flames of the sabotage that had been put out just an hour ago."Twenty minutes! It took those uniformed bastards a mere twenty minutes to drag three of our men from the back gate!"Bima slammed his fist onto the oak table, cracking the wood. His breathing was ragged, causing the veins in his neck and burly arms to bulge rigidly. His right hand moved down, gripping the handle of the short-barreled firearm tucked beneath his tactical jacket. "The sector police never patrol this district at two in the morning unless they’re on Valen’s payroll! We march on their headquarters right now, shatter those bars before our men are transferred to Sector 2!"The four senior members

The sound of magnetic locking echoed in unison along the second-floor corridor of the Law Faculty Building. Above the bulletproof glass doorframe, a red indicator light glowed solid, followed by the immediate shutdown of all the main hall illumination. The massive room suddenly plunged into darkness, leaving only the pale, sickly glow of a green emergency light in the corner of the ceiling.Theo stood frozen in the middle of the library's deserted macro aisle. His left hand gripped his device, its screen suddenly flashing static text: “Network Access Terminated – Administrative Sector Isolation.”The building’s digital lock system had been overridden from the inside by someone holding master campus authority. Exit access was absolutely sealed.The cold air from the central ventilation suddenly bit into the skin of Theo’s neck. From the direction of the main staircase at the end of the corridor, the sound of tactical combat boots echoed—light, measured, and unhurried. More than one pai