The Marked; Absolute peak of Chaos

Unexpected announcement

"Shit! They escaped through the window. What a creepy rat!" the one eyes man grunted, pointing toward the narrow window high up on the wall.

The window was barely wide enough for an adult to squeeze through. However, considering Kent and Mika's frail bodies, it wasn't surprising that they had managed to escape through it.

Enraged, the officer hurled the sledgehammer in his hand with all his strength. It struck a framed award hanging on the wall, shattering it into pieces.

"That's my office! You can't just do whatever you want in here!" the shop owner yelled. "I told you where the kids went, you broke my office door, and now you've destroyed my precious award!"

The officer barely spared him a glance. Instead, he shoved the man aside and strode toward the exit.

"Office, my ass."

The shop owner stumbled to the ground, completely speechless as he watched the two men leave his shop.

Perhaps this was the worst day of his life. Who knew?

---

Meanwhile, Kent and Mika had managed to cover some distance after escaping through the window. However, while they were still running, Mika suddenly stopped.

She bent forward, holding her knees as she struggled to catch her breath. Her face had turned pale, and sweat trickled down her forehead.

"I'm tired, Kent. I can't run anymore."

Kent stared at her helplessly. He wanted to put as much distance as possible between them and their pursuers, but forcing Mika to continue in her condition would only make things worse.

"Alright, we'll take a break. Let's find somewhere to rest."

He turned and scanned their surroundings for a suitable place.

"Grrrr...!"

The rumbling of Mika's stomach made him turn back toward her.

She held her stomach, offering him an embarrassed smile.

"You don't have to hide it, Mika. I know you must be hungry by now."

Kent sighed and glanced at the single Credit in his hand. His gaze then shifted toward a cafeteria nearby.

"Let's go get you something to eat."

He took Mika's hand, and the two of them walked toward the cafeteria.

Upon entering, Kent was greeted by a neat and orderly interior. Rows of wooden tables stood evenly spaced throughout the room, with chairs arranged around them. Large glass walls surrounded the cafeteria, offering a clear view of the streets outside.it was a beautiful place, one that seemed completely out of reach for people like them.

The moment they stepped inside, however, several customers turned to stare.Some looked at them with disgust, others with pity, while a few exchanged mocking smiles.

"I guess we've become celebrities in just a few seconds, Mika," Kent said with a faint smile.

Mika shrugged, seemingly unconcerned about what anyone thought of them.

The siblings found an empty table and sat down but yet the stares continued. Some customers who had been approaching their table changed direction, while others picked up their food and moved elsewhere.

But who cared?

Kent certainly didn't.

Before long, a chubby waitress with long black hair and sharp blue eyes approached them. She appeared to be in her forties, and unlike the other people in the cafeteria, her expression was calm and welcoming.

"What would you like to order, sir? We have plenty of delicious dishes on our menu."

Kent scratched his head awkwardly before accepting the menu she offered. Scanning the prices, his expression gradually changed.

Most of the dishes cost five Credits or more. The cheapest option was a simple bowl of rice for two Credits.

Unfortunately, he had only one Credit.The waitress stood patiently beside their table, waiting for him to make his choice without showing the slightest sign of irritation.

However, a senior waiter standing a few metres away had been watching them with growing displeasure.

"Boy, if you have nothing to order, I'll have security throw you out right now!" she yell and countiue

"Your presence has already attracted enough unwanted attention. Don't tell me you're here to fool us just to get attention without buying anything. People have tried that trick before, but I'll make an example out of you today!"

Kent remained silent having heard far worse insults throughout his life. A few harsh words from a stranger were hardly enough to surprise him.

The senior waiter turned toward the chubby waitress.

"Are you joking with your salary? Get the hell away from there and attend to the other customers!"

The waitress shook her head with a faint smile before turning to Kent.

"Looks like I'll have to leave you for now. I'm sorry."

As she turned to leave, Kent lowered his gaze toward the Credit in his hand as he couldn't even afford the cheapest meal.

Just as he was about to give up, he felt something inside his right pocket.

At first, he thought it was his catapult, but whatever he was touching felt much smaller.

Curious, he slipped his hand into the pocket and pulled out a Credit, his eyes widened.

"Wait... why do I have another Credit? How did it get here?"

He stared at the one credit for a moment, but there was no time to dwell on the mystery.

"Miss! Please wait!"

The waitress turned around.

"I'd like to order a bowl of rice."

Her face brightened as she collected the Credit and headed toward the counter.

A few minutes later, she returned with the steaming bowl and placed it on their table.

"Enjoy your meal."

With a warm smile, she left to attend to another customer.

Kent watched her walk away.

"What a nice woman. But is she doing this to win favour with the customers? Whatever the reason, at least she's not rude like those other fools in Veyra City."

He sighed and pushed the bowl toward Mika.

"Here, you can eat now."

Mika stared at him for a moment

"What about you, Kent? Let's share it."

Kent immediately shook his head.

"I'm not hungry. You can have it all."

His stomach, however, seemed determined to betray him. Hunger gnawed at him, but he refused to let it show on his face.

Mika wasn't convinced. She knew his brother well enough to recognize when he was sacrificing his own needs for hers.

"How could he possibly not be hungry after going two whole days without food" She thought, refusing to touch the rice place in her front

After much pleading from Kent, she finally picked up her spoon and took a mouthful.

Her lips tightened slightly as she chewed.

"Are you alright?" Kent asked.

Mika shook her head and continued eating. Once she had finished, the siblings stood up and waved cheerfully at the waitress, who returned their gesture with a smile.

After leaving the cafeteria, Kent found himself wondering where they should go next.

Then he thought of watching a football match.

Mika didn't object. Holding hands, they headed toward the stadium.

After several minutes of walking, they finally arrived.Kent looked around, his expression turning puzzled.

"Why is there no one here?"

He searched the surroundings, hoping to find an explanation, but the place appeared deserted.

Unable to figure out what was happening, he turned toward Mika.

"Good grief. Looks like we're not watching any matches today. Let's go."

The siblings left the stadium and continued along a stony pathway beside the road.

Darkness was gradually settling over Veyra City. Judging by the fading light, Kent estimated that it was around seven in the evening.

However, as they continued walking, he began noticing something strange.

Cars speed past at alarming speeds, as though their drivers were desperate to reach their destinations. Pedestrians hurried along the sidewalks with tense expressions, and within minutes, the streets began emptying.

Kent frowned.

"What the hell is going on? Why is everyone in such a hurry?"

Spotting a broad-shouldered man walking briskly ahead, Kent hurried after him with Mika until they caught up.

"Excuse me, sir. Can I ask what's going on? Why is everyone panicking?"

The man turned toward him with an irritated expression.

"Are you not from this city? Or were you blind and deaf when the announcement was made earlier this evening?"

Kent glanced at Mika, who merely shrugged. She knew nothing about the announcement either.

"Then could you please tell me what the announcement was about?"

The man hissed in frustration.

Without answering, he resumed walking, moving even faster than before.

After covering some distance, he suddenly shouted without looking back.

"If you want a painful death for yourself and that skinny girl, stay outside!"

Mika's expression darkened.

"Who's he calling a skinny girl?"

She glared at the man's retreating figure, but he was already too far away to hear her complaint.

Kent, meanwhile, had fallen deep into thought.

The man's words kept repeating in his mind.

" A painful death..."

His expression changed as a terrible possibility crossed his mind.

"Shit! Mika, let's go! If we don't hurry, we're dead meat!"