Key’s Point of View
We haven’t had a proper night’s sleep in two days. Not with Gio and the others missing. There were too many of them—too many places they could’ve gone. We stayed at headquarters, trying to trace their location, but nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“Fuck it! I swear I’m going to kill those damn Carters and Albion if they’ve laid a hand on my Devon!” Bolt shouted, his voice sharp with frustration.
He was hammering away at his keyboard, eyes glued to the monitor in front of him.
From my seat, I could hear Yvo muttering curses under his breath as he ruffled his hair in exasperation. “Damn it.”
Merville was visibly pissed off too, judging by the way her fingers slammed into her keys. I kept shaking my head, sighing unconsciously. I could feel exhaustion clawing at me, but I wasn’t about to let it show. Not now.
Two days of tracking, analyzing, monitoring—and still, nothing. I dropped my mouse with a frustrated clatter. We’d been at this since morning, and it was already past nine in the evening.
“Have you ever tried tracking their phones?” I asked, rubbing my chin.
All I got in return were collective sighs of disappointment.
“We already did. But there’s barely a signal,” Yvo answered, leaning back in his swivel chair and looking up at the ceiling of the Information Room.
Something clicked when he mentioned the signal. I straightened in my chair and stared back at the computer screen. I had a classmate—tech-savvy, a real computer geek. If Gio and the others were trying to escape, I was sure they’d be making their own move by now.
“Lorence!” I burst out.
My eyes lit up as I saw a signal flicker to life on a previously blank database. Lorence Bayno. Gotcha. I even clapped in delight, causing the others to glance in my direction.
“What?” Bolt asked, frowning.
“Where’s Baldrin Oxin City?” I asked, squinting at the monitor.
“That’s in the next city,” he answered lazily.
I stood up and straightened my jacket. “Time to save them. Let’s move.”
Just as we were about to leave, the computer I had used earlier pinged—a recorded video. We all paused and exchanged wary looks. I crossed my arms as the video began to play.
“Hi there, stupids!”
Ingrid Carter’s smug face filled the screen, followed by her cackling laugh. I knew it wasn’t live, but that didn’t stop the irritation bubbling in my chest. If I could yank her out of the screen and torture her myself, I would.
“What took you so long? Duh,” she sneered, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, to make things easier for your sorry asses, I’ll just tell you where we are.”
She flipped her hair dramatically. “Baldrin Oxin City. You guys move so slow it’s tragic. Get your asses here already—I’m itching to finish all of you off. Oh, and don’t even think about bringing the police, SWAT, or any other backup. If you do—swear—you’ll find nothing but smoke. HAHAHAHAHAHA.”
I yanked the computer’s wire from the socket, cutting her off mid-laugh. My jaw clenched. “Fuck you, Ingrid Carter.”
We left the Information Room and headed straight to the Weaponry Room. No time to change outfits—we skipped the Apparel Room entirely. We grabbed everything we needed—high-tech, auto-loaded firearms—and I stuffed extra rounds in my pockets, securing a balisong on my thigh.
Then we hit the elevator and descended to the Automobile Base. I made a beeline for my high-tech, upgraded Lamborghini Aventador. As soon as I climbed in, the steering wheel slid into position.
“Welcome back, Agent Key,” the robotic voice greeted. “Control or Service?”
“Control,” I replied.
The brake and accelerator pedals emerged from beneath the dashboard. I smiled and gripped the wheel.
“Please drive safely, Agent Key.”
Bolt led the convoy—he was the only one who actually knew how to get to Baldrin Oxin City. It was already past ten at night, so traffic was light. We sped through the roads like our lives depended on it. I was behind Bolt, followed by Merville, then Yvo at the rear.
I noticed Bolt constantly overtaking other vehicles. The rest of us followed his lead. He was in a rush to save Devon—I could feel it. And honestly, so was I. Not just for Gio, but for all of them.
Suddenly, Bolt’s car screeched to a halt, and I slammed on my brakes so hard I nearly hit the steering wheel. I cursed under my breath.
“Checkpoint,” Bolt’s voice came through the earpiece. “I forgot my ID and badge. Fuck.”
“I got it,” I said, annoyed as I stepped out of the car.
Damn it. We were in a hurry.
Two officers approached me—a man and a woman, both heavily armed.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but the boundary between Baldrin Oxin City and Filedian City is under checkpoint. You are not allowed to cross,” the male officer said.
“Please return to Filedian City with your companions,” added the woman.
I pulled out my Agent ID and my Highest Rank Badge. “I’m Key Summers, Highest-Ranking Agent of the Secret Agent Organization Agency. We’re on a mission. Let us pass.”
Their eyes widened in recognition, and they immediately stepped back, bowing slightly.
“We’re sorry, Ma’am—”
“It’s fine. Stay safe,” I said, turning away.
I heard them instruct their team to remove the barrier. I jumped back into the car just as Bolt’s car began to move again.
He was driving fast, so I did the same. Normally, it would take around three hours to reach Oxin City, but with zero traffic and our speed, we cut it down to barely an hour.
The further we drove, the fewer houses we saw. The road became more isolated, the surroundings pitch-black. Only the headlights from our cars lit the path.
“Are you sure this is the right way?” Merville’s voice came through the earpiece.
“Yes. For your information, Baldrin Oxin is a fucking secluded city,” Bolt snapped.
When Bolt’s car stopped, so did ours. I glanced at the abandoned building ahead of us—it was a good distance away.
“They must be inside,” Yvo said, drawing his gun and loading it.
I pulled out mine as well—it had a built-in scanning device to detect hostiles. We walked quietly toward the building, hunched low.
“There are enemies,” Merville said, peering through her binoculars.
I aimed and started picking them off one by one. The four of us took cover behind a large, rusted drum. I winced at the foul stench emanating from it.
“The outside perimeter is clear. We need to hurry,” Merville said, already moving.
We followed her. After several meters, we stopped in front of a massive, rusted door. I held up a hand to stop them.
“What?” Bolt hissed. “Mavis, we need to—”
“Don’t you remember this place?” I asked softly.
Yvo frowned. “Remember what?”
“This is where the transaction happened—between Nikolai and Arturo’s men. Remember?” I said.
“I don’t care. What matters is why we’re here now,” Bolt snapped, then shoved the door open with such force it nearly broke.
We entered. No one greeted us—just a blinding spotlight focused directly on us, and complete darkness beyond it. But I could feel something… off.
“Damn. Why is there no one he—”
Merville was cut off as several massive men emerged from the shadows. There were six of them, all muscular and tank-top-clad. Bouncers from hell. I swallowed hard as they cracked their knuckles menacingly.
“Well, well. Hello there, little flea,” boomed the bald one in the middle.
I tightened my grip on my gun and aimed straight at him.
“Where are the Carters? And that bastard, Albion?” Bolt growled.
They all burst into laughter, loud enough to shake the building. A shiver ran down my spine. I took the chance to fire, but my bullets were too weak against their enormous bodies. One charged at me—already bleeding, but still standing.
He kicked my gun out of my hand, sending it flying. I dodged his next move and used his imbalance to shove him backward. When he fell, I climbed onto him and injected him with a syringe of powerful sleeping serum—enough to knock him out for three days.
I retrieved my gun and shot another in the leg twice, making him drop to his knees. I injected him too.
“Fuck!” I heard Yvo scream, but I couldn’t focus on him. We were all engaged in our own battles.
I gasped as I was thrown across the room. A massive man stalked toward me and gripped my throat, lifting me off the ground. I parted my lips, desperate for air. As he choked me, I reached into my pocket, grabbed another syringe, and stabbed it into his neck.
He dropped me instantly. I hit the dusty floor, coughing and nearly vomiting from the lack of air.
“Shit,” I wheezed, clutching my throat.
I got up, grabbed my gun, and fired at the last two until they collapsed. All four of us were drenched in sweat, catching our breath. Bolt threw down his gun—empty.
“Get out here, assholes! Face us! Cowards!” he shouted, scanning the dark.
More men appeared. Leaner than the first batch, but three times our number. They weren’t done with us. Not even close.
I ducked as one rushed at me, slid between his legs, stood up, and kicked him into his comrades.
I clenched my fists, ready for round two. No more bullets—just fists. We circled, waiting for the first strike.
They roared and charged. I jumped, kicked one, then snapped his arm. He screamed. Another kicked me in the ribs—I stumbled back in pain, rage building.
I punched one in the nose, kneed his face, and spat blood after a hit to my lip. My anger flared—I was past my limit. I blocked a flying arm and twisted it until I heard a satisfying crack.
I stood up and was about to turn away when a sharp slap landed across my face from a man. My head snapped to the side, and my jaw tightened. Infuriated, I punched him back with all my strength, sending him flying and unconscious.
What followed was a relentless flurry of punches and kicks between all of us. I paused, gasping for breath, and glanced down at my fist—my wounds had gotten worse. The stinging pain was unbearable, and my knuckles throbbed with a deep ache.
I staggered backward when someone lunged at me. I braced myself for a blow, but to my surprise, the man was suddenly thrown back, coughing blood. I turned to see where the bullet had come from—and it was Yvo. I could feel how exhausted we all were by the heaviness of our breathing. My fingers ached to the bone, nearly immobile.
My ears twitched when I heard faint sobbing from the dark side of the building. I quickly grabbed my other gun and aimed into the shadows, even though I couldn’t see a thing. I wished I had my gun with a scanning device—but that was broken earlier by that bastard thug.
“Damn it! Show us your faces, losers!” I yelled, frustration and anger boiling over.
Suddenly, the entire area lit up, forcing me to bow my head and squint as my vision adjusted. When I could finally see again, my heart clenched at the sight before me.
Tears welled in the eyes of our classmates. All of them were bruised, beaten, and gagged. Their hands and feet were bound, forcing them to remain seated on the floor.
It was a pitiful sight. They didn’t deserve to be here. They were never supposed to be dragged into this. But those three witches… they had no shame. Five armed men guarded them closely, rifles in hand.
“M-Mavis,” I heard Yvo’s voice.
But he wasn’t looking at me. I followed his gaze upward—and there I saw Gio and the others. Chains wrapped around their necks, gags on their mouths. Their hands were tied behind their backs. Gio and I locked eyes.
I couldn’t decipher the emotions in his stare. I scanned the room and froze in shock when I saw Kuya McPhee. His face was swollen and pale with weakness. Like the others, a chain was fastened around his neck, held by one of the guards.
How Kuya McPhee ended up here—I had no idea. Gio’s sister was here too. Kuya Chord, Luna, and even our subject teachers.
A storm of emotions stirred in me. Exhaustion. Sorrow. Resentment. Fury. But above all, it was rage that consumed me. They’d been here all along, watching us suffer. I turned back to our classmates and saw the tears flowing from their eyes.
“This is your fault, Summers!” cried my classmate, Jonas. But before he could say more, a guard slammed the butt of a rifle against his head, knocking him unconscious.
My fury exploded—I shot the guard in retaliation, causing our classmates to scream. The guards immediately pointed their weapons at us.
“Where are your bosses? Where?!” Merville shouted, her grip tightening on her gun.
“Are you looking for us?” came the grating voice of Ingrid.
She descended the staircase with her brother and cousin, walking toward us with an irritating calm. My grip on my gun tightened as I aimed it directly at her.
Ingrid laughed. “So sweet. No backup?” she sneered. “Didn’t know the four of you were such obedient little soldiers.” She laughed again. Then she looked me in the eye and grinned.
“What a waste. You’re missing one. HAHA. How’s your teammate doing? He was supposed to be the one to die, you know,” she said almost sadly. “But your stupid brother had to play hero… so I finished him off instead.”
Rage surged through me again.
She killed my brother. She killed Dash.
And she better hope she never ends up in my hands—because I’ll rip her insides apart. She’s a plague.
I was about to pull the trigger, but Bolt quickly stopped me. He shook his head, silently telling me not to act impulsively. I looked at Shaun and Spiro standing beside Ingrid—both were holding guns, aimed right at us.
“What did we ever do to you to deserve this?” I asked Ingrid.
Ingrid laughed—loud and unhinged. Then, her demeanor darkened. She pointed her gun at me and gripped the trigger.
“You don’t know, Summers? You don’t know?” she barked. “Don’t you even remember this place, Summers? This is where you killed the only family Shaun and I had left.” Tears welled in her eyes.
My brows furrowed. I couldn’t remember what she was talking about. Then Spiro turned his gun toward me and spoke.
“This is where you killed my father. The assassin,” he said—and I froze.
I couldn’t speak. My gun lowered as shock overtook me. I couldn’t believe it. None of us could. The others stared at me, stunned.
Damn. What did I do?
“Well?” Ingrid shouted. “Speechless now, Summers? Because you’re a murderer! You shot our father again and again until he died!”
That American… was he their father? I stared at Ingrid and only now realized the resemblance.
Shit. This can’t be.
It hit me like a wave. I raised my gun again—this time pointing it at Spiro. “You ambushed Bolt before,” I said, and I could feel Bolt stiffen. “You broke into my condo, and the reason you disappeared for weeks was because I shot you and you needed time to heal.” I aimed my gun at Ingrid now.
I smirked—finally piecing it all together.
Their revenge wasn’t just about their father. It was more than that.
“That failed transaction in this building? We stopped it. I killed Arturo’s men—your father included. And I took down Nikolai’s only trusted operative: the assassin. Spiro’s father.” My jaw clenched. “That fucking Nikolai was behind every kidnapping case in this country. He knew Arturo was building a facility, and he sold kidnapped children to him.”
They were silent now, listening.
“We recovered a flash drive during that mission—and it helped us immensely. During the festival, Gio went missing. He was kidnapped in the parking lot. I saved him. Along with the other kids held captive in that mansion—and that’s where I found my missing brother, Dash Lyfid.”
My chest tightened.
“Rescuing those children was a huge loss for you. No more victims for Arturo’s facility. You even tried taking the Lewis twins, but Merville stopped you. Then at the school’s last event—you spiked the drinks with hard liquor to get students drunk and take them.”
My jaw clenched again. “To put it simply, you three are working for our enemies.” My finger tightened on the trigger. “And now Hayes is still in critical condition. My brother is dead because of you.” I looked directly at Ingrid, seething. “You involved my classmates. You dragged my siblings into this—Kuya McPhee, Denim, and Devon. You’re despicable.”
“It was part of our vengeance!” Ingrid yelled. “Hurting the people around you is our vengeance so that—”
“Fuck you, Ingrid! Fuck you!” I screamed, my voice cracking. “Wasn’t it enough that you already took my brother’s life?”
My chest ached with so much pain I could barely breathe. “Ha?! You’re a fucking asshole—all of you! My brother was too innocent to die! He had no idea about the world I lived in. He didn’t deserve to be caught in my mess!” A tear rolled down my cheek.
I let it fall.
But I wouldn’t let another one follow.
"Now prove to me that what you're fighting for is right," I said, then dropped my gun.
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