Vino pressed his back against the cafeteria chair while letting out a long sigh. In front of him, the fried rice that was only half eaten had started to get cold because he was too busy talking. His eyes sparkled every time he mentioned the word "system," as if that word had its own magical power that could change the world."Crazy, bro. Can you imagine if we could get a system like that?" Vino said while tapping the cafeteria table with his index finger. "Like the main character in the novel I read yesterday. An ordinary person, suddenly gets a system, instantly becomes great. Can do martial arts, can do business, can do anything."Bimo, who was sitting across from him, immediately lifted his head from his plate of jumbo portion Padang rice that was almost finished. His chubby cheeks were still full of rice when he started talking."If I got a system like that," Bimo said while chewing, "I would date all the girls on this campus. One by one. Then when I got bored, I would leave them.

Nothing happened for several seconds. Vino swept his gaze around his room, waiting. No change. No sound. He began to think that the system was only bluffing.Then he heard a scream.The scream came from outside, from the direction of the corridor. One voice, then two, then more. Vino got up from his bed and ran to the front door. He opened the door and found several of his neighbors already out of their units. Their faces were pale, confused, frightened. They were all moving in the same direction, toward the corridor balcony facing the outer side of the building.Vino followed them. On that balcony, seven or eight people had already gathered, all of them looking down below. Vino pushed through them and followed the direction of their gaze.Down there. Nine floors below. A body lay on the asphalt. Its position was unnatural, stiff, with both arms spread out and a head bent at an impossible angle.Vino recognized that shirt. The dark green checkered shirt he often saw every time they cr

Vino swallowed his saliva. Luna did not resist; instead, she enjoyed it. It was the green light he needed, yet also a curse for him. His heart pounded hard, a mix of fear, guilt, and a strange sensation he could not define. The threat of the next victim felt very real, and he had to keep going."Auntie..." Vino whispered, his voice choked. He brought his face closer to Luna's ear, his damp hair brushing against the skin of her ear. His hand, which had been massaging her shoulder, slowly and very carefully slid down her arm, stroking it gently. He could feel Luna's steady breathing, indicating that she was truly relaxed.He gathered all his courage. His warm fingers began to creep from her upper arm, then slid along the side of Luna's body, approaching her chest area. Every millimeter felt like a huge step over a chasm. He could feel his own heartbeat thundering in his chest. Slowly, the tips of Vino's fingers touched the side of Luna's breast, over the thin clothing she wore. He held

Plates and glasses scattered to the floor. Rice and soup spilled everywhere. Vincent lay among the wreckage of the table with his eyes wide open in disbelief.The entire cafeteria froze. No one moved. No one spoke. They all stared at that scene with mouths open like people watching a scene in a movie with the wrong genre, one that was supposed to be drama suddenly turning into an action film.Bimo, who was sitting at their table, let go of the fried chicken he was holding. The chicken fell back onto the plate but Bimo did not even notice. His mouth gaped wide, his eyes bulged, and for several seconds he forgot how to breathe. This was Vino, his best friend who did not even dare to greet a minimarket cashier, had just kicked the most feared thug on campus until he flew across one table.Beside Bimo, something that had never happened in the entire history of their friendship happened. Bram shifted his gaze from his phone screen. Not because of a game notification or because the battery

The humiliation in the cafeteria this afternoon had destroyed everything. His pride, his reputation, his position as the most feared person on campus, all of it had been torn apart by Vino's kicks in front of dozens of students. And Vincent was not someone who could accept defeat. Not someone who could let his throne be taken from him.Rio accelerated the motorcycle slowly. The sound of its engine was muffled by the evening wind blowing. They got closer and closer to Vino who still did not realize anything, Vino's thoughts still drifting between sending a chat to Lina or Fenita.When the distance between them was less than two meters, Vincent jumped off the motorcycle that was still moving slowly. His feet landed on the asphalt without a sound. Two wide steps brought him right behind Vino.Then his hand moved.The knife pierced Vino's back below his left shoulder blade. The pain came before his consciousness processed what was happening, a burning heat that spread from one point to hi