"Thieves, huh? Are there thieves caught?" "Let's look at the post! They say there is a commotion!" Men wearing sleeping coats bringing lanterns, young men who were gathering, even mothers in nightgowns ran in throngs toward the Sheriff's post. Their curiosity was far greater than their fear. In a matter of minutes, the Sheriff's post yard was already packed by a sea of humans. They pushed against each other wanting to see who was caught. "Step back! Everyone step back! Do not get close!" shouted the fat deputy while stretching his arms, holding back the residents' push. On the post terrace, the five prisoners were sat on the floor with their hands handcuffed behind their backs. Their heads were still covered by balaclavas. They began to regain consciousness, groaning in pain because of their shattered knees and shoulders. "Mr. Deputy! Who are those, Sir? Cattle thieves or robbers?" shouted one of the residents. "Calm down! Calm down first!" The old deputy raised his hand. "We j

In the front row, Mr. Sobri suddenly pushed forward. His face was flushed red and his neck veins bulged. He was one of the residents whose child went missing a few days ago, and had not returned until now. "So he... he is the one who took the children?!" shouted Mr. Sobri hysterically. His eyes stared wildly at Kosim. "My child! My child is missing, maybe he is the culprit!" shrieked Mr. Sobri's wife in the back while crying hysterically. "Return my child, bastard!" The situation turned into hell in an instant. The residents' curiosity turned into unstoppable anger. "KILL!" "JUST BURN HIM!" "DIE YOU KOSIM!" The mass went berserk. The deputies' human barricade broke. Mr. Sobri who was already blinded by revenge snatched the wooden beam propping the post door. "You took my child!" he roared. He lunged forward ignoring the Sheriff's shouts. The wooden beam was lifted high ready to smash Kosim's head to pieces. Kosim the vile kidnapper saw death before his eyes. He saw the be

"Extra money?!" Brigadier General Herman gripped Ted's shirt collar. "Because of your insignificant greed, now Jack and Kosim are caught! The child distribution network that I had built neatly became a mess! Do you know how much my losses are?!" Ted could only tremble. He realized he had made a fatal mistake. He thought robbing Evelyn was an easy side job, it turned out to be a disaster that destroyed everything. "Forgive me General... please do not kill me," whimpered Ted. Brigadier General Herman released his grip and slammed Ted back into the chair. He puffed his cigar deeply trying to relieve his anger. What was done was done. He had to clean up this mess. "Your face has been seen by people. Your career in that village is finished. But you are still useful to me as a financial bookkeeper off the island. It would be a pity to throw away that cunning brain of yours." Ted's eyes sparkled. "So... General wants to save me?" "Of course. But there is a price." The General l

The entry bell rang loudly. Kaelan entered second grade class A and chose a third-row desk near the window. Brad immediately claimed the desk right behind Kaelan, making other students not dare to approach carelessly. The classroom atmosphere was quite crowded. In the front row, a female student sat with neatly tied ponytail hair. Her name was Vanessa. She was the school primadona, the District Chief's daughter, pretty, and always became the class champion before Kaelan came. Vanessa occasionally glanced toward Kaelan with a curious gaze. She felt challenged. Only this time there was a young man who did not chase after her, instead acting as if she did not exist. "Good morning everyone!" Mr. Gunther's baritone voice made the whole class fall silent instantly. The teacher entered carrying a long wooden ruler and a thick book. His fierce aura was felt immediately. "I am your new homeroom teacher. My name is Mr. Gunther. I also teach Mathematics. I heard this class is filled with s

Kaelan and Brad arrived at the edge of the basketball court which was already crowded with students from the first grade to the third grade. Usually, during the first grade, Kaelan never joined in descending to the court. He only sat quietly at the edge of the court with a bored face. For him, school material, both academic and sports, felt very trivial. He did not need to go to the library to study, because somehow, his brain seemed to have absorbed all knowledge. He only knew that all these Middle School lessons felt as trivial as a child's play. "Boss, sure you want to join sports? The weather is very hot," Brad complained while sipping a cold drink from a paper cup in his left hand, while his right hand held a fan made of notebook paper. "It's better we just sit as usual." "Move your body a little, Brad. Your fat needs to be burned," Kaelan replied casually. In the middle of the court, the atmosphere was boisterous. All eyes were fixed on one tall young man who was dribbling t