"Good morning, Mark. Late again today? The manager's not going to be happy. Third time this week already."Gavin leaned against the office partition with a grin that practically begged to be punched.Mark dropped his bag onto the desk and shot him a tired look."Gavin, quit the sarcasm. Today is the third day of the week. You're acting like I've been late for half the month.""Details." Gavin waved dismissively. "Anyway, the manager's waiting for you."The moment Mark heard those words, his expression stiffened."…You could've led with that."He hurried toward the manager's office like a prisoner marching toward execution.The door shut behind him.A few seconds later, the muffled roar of a middle-aged man echoed through the workplace.Everyone in the office silently lowered their heads and pretended to work harder.After what felt like an eternity, the office door finally opened.Mark stepped out looking like a man who had narrowly escaped death row. His shoulders sagged in relief as he in

Three vehicles were going along a muddy stretch of land up the mountains suddenly came to a stop . " Stop , from here we go on horseback . Get the parcel out of the car ." A burly man , his face covered by a black cloth and his body covered in black tight body hugging clothes said . Six people stepped out of the car wearing similar clothes like the burly man . One of them opened the trunk of one of the cars and took out a person or rather a child from the trunk and put it on his shoulder. " Hey , who are you guys . Why did you suddenly kidnap me . Did that old geezer borrow from you too . Are you trying to harvest my organs . I am telling you it is not use . I have regular stomach aches since I was young , i have asthma too , difficulty in breathing so my lungs are rotten . Grandpa took me to a doctor in the city when I was young , the doctor said that my heart was weak and have multiple defects , so I would not survive after the age of 18 , and my kidneys have problems too. I regu

The alarm never rang.It hadn't in three years.Still, at exactly 5:17 a.m., his eyes opened to the dim gray light leaking through the thin curtains. No panic. No confusion. Just awareness—sharp and immediate, like a blade drawn from its sheath.For a few silent seconds, Matk lay still on the narrow apartment bed, staring at the cracked ceiling above him. The old fan rotated lazily, clicking once every turn. Click. Click. Click.His hand had already moved beneath the pillow before his mind fully caught up.Empty.Right.No gun anymore.The realization came every morning like an old habit refusing to die.Outside, rainwater dripped from rusted balconies onto the alley below. Somewhere nearby, a tea vendor pushed open his cart with a metallic screech. A motorcycle coughed to life. Ordinary sounds. Civilian sounds.Mark sat up slowly, rubbing a hand over the scar crossing on his chest. The room smelled faintly of detergent and cigarette smoke from the neighbor downstairs. On the chair bes

Three Years Before the Present DayNine young people stood in silence inside a dimly lit hall.They were dressed entirely in tight black garments, their faces hidden beneath featureless masks. Rows of candles flickered along the stone walls, casting distorted shadows that danced across the chamber.Before them stood a middle-aged man clad in dark robes."You nine are the finest candidates of your generation," he said calmly. "You survived the competition for the position of the Shadow."His sharp gaze swept across them."But there cannot be nine Shadows. Only one may inherit the title."The atmosphere in the hall grew heavier."The rest of you," he continued, "will become the pillars supporting the Shadow Village. Yet before any of you can ascend to the position of Shadow, you must complete one final test."He paused."One final mission."None of the nine moved."The one who successfully completes this mission will become the next Shadow."A faint smile appeared on the man's face."Yo

Mark's boots echoed softly through the underground corridor as he walked alone toward the administrative wing of Shadow Mountain.The mission briefing had ended less than an hour ago, yet the atmosphere across the mountain had already changed.The competition had begun.Even the air itself felt sharper.Disciples hurried through the stone corridors carrying sealed documents, weapons cases, and coded messages. Silent observers lingered in the shadows pretending not to watch the remaining candidates.But Mark knew better.Inside Shadow Mountain, someone was always watching.He eventually stopped before a massive black iron door engraved with the symbol of the organization—a faceless figure standing beneath a crescent moon.The Deacon's Office.Without knocking, Mark pushed the door open and stepped inside.Warm air greeted him immediately, a stark contrast to the freezing corridors outside. The office walls were lined from floor to ceiling with shelves containing scrolls, intelligence f