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▪ NO P.O.V. ▪

Earlier...

"Shit!" Adrian turned around together with his swivel chair and he immediately stood up at the speed of light. 

"This must be some mistake! Maybe she just looks like your sister--"

"Not trying to argue but that's really Ayana in that room," Fawck cut Rushton off as both of them also stood up. 

The two of them followed Adrian towards the door and the latter is in such hurry and desperation that they couldn't even match his pace. 

"I mean no one looks like his sister after all," Fawck added with hand gestures while walking. "With that pretty face--"

"Are you really doing this right now?" Axe stopped and sighed as he looked at his friend who is basically a Love God even in bad times. 

Fawck raised his shoulders as he curved his lips down while his palms are in the air, making a 'well you know me' body language.

Axe glanced at the door that was recently shut close, he realized that Adrian probably already left the room a long time ago. They both came back to their senses.

"Go follow him quick!" Fawck is the one who initiated Axe.

Axe didn't think any second as he rushed towards the door as fast as he can. 

"What's happening here?" 

Head Carreon's voice echoed throughout the entire room. Axe Rushton already got out of the Clevers office.

Fawck glanced at the Head of Clevers. Carreon is on his swivel chair with his head turned to him as well. The leader has a confused expression. 

Fawck scratched his head. "Adrian's family problems, sir." He answered with a nervous chuckle. 

"Let me guess, a family member as one of the new recruits?" A voice of a woman spoke on Fawck's right side. 

The teen glanced at the woman sitting in her workplace near where he stood. She is Brie Diaz, The Righthand of Clevers.

"Precisely, Miss," Fawck answered with respect. 

Brie turned around to her computer screen as she typed something on her keyboard. A few moments later, lots of CCTVs showed up on her screen. "Which one here?"

Fawck immediately noticed the porcelain-skinned girl with features similar to his friend. "There, that's her." He pointed to Ayana's cam. 

Brie clicked the cam as Fawck gasped once again. "Shit, it's really her." Ayana is already on the ground floor with a nervous face together with other recruits.

"That's unfortunate for the twins." Brie said with a bit of empathy. 

The pixie-haired woman checked the CCTVs one by one. When they checked the hallway cams, they noticed two girls and two servants looking like they are in a hot talk.

"That's Lily Margaux, right?" Brie spoke.

Fawck chuckled. "You mean the hottest girl in Dark Dragons?" 

"You say that to almost every woman in here." Brie sighed, the teen seemed to give so many people a headache with his flirtatious mannerisms.

Fawck gasped dramatically as he noticed someone else. He can actually pass as a soap opera actor for his dramatics. 

"That's the intruder from the bar?!" He unbelievably asked. 

"Who? This girl?" Brie zoomed into the girl wearing a white silk suit. The lady is in between the two servants. 

"Yes, if I'm not mistaken she is the intruder that Asher slapped in the back of her head that made her unconscious," Fawck explained. "I gotta go follow Adrian now, Ms. Brie. But can I request?"

"Nothing biggie 'kay?" Brie glanced at the teenager.

"Yes. Uhm, can you call Lily and ask her who that recruit is? I just wanna make sure."

The woman didn't respond but she typed on her keyboard once again to contact Lily's earpiece. 

"Calling Margaux, hello, hello," Brie spoke on the mic of her headset, as both Fawck and her are looking in the hallway cam Lily is in.

A few moments later when Lily Margaux answered. ("Yes?")

"Is that the last recruit left?"

("Yes, Ms. Diaz. I've already delivered nineteen recruits on the ground floor. This is the last one.")

"Sweet! Ask her the name of that recruit," Fawck ordered with excitement. The woman disgustingly looked at him, but the jerk is just focused on the monitor. 

Brie sighed in annoyance as she glanced back at her computer. This kid had the audacity to order someone with a higher position than him. "Great, what's her name?"

("Misty Alexia Valdez.")

"That's it, I knew it! Oh, this is gonna be fun!" Fawck excitedly said.

"Alexia Valdez? Okay, bring her now." Brie rolled her eyes in the process. 

("I will.")

The call already ended as the jerk on the back clapped like a seal. At this point, he is literally throwing a birthday party in his exact standing position. "Hey, kiddo, you said you're following your friend." She reminded.

"Shit, right!" Fawck immediately came back to his senses. 

He immediately ran to the door, but before that, he turned around and aggressively waves his hand at Brie.

"Gotta go, Ms. Diaz! Thank you for accepting my sweet 'lil req req!"

■ ■ ■ ■

■ ALEXIA ■

"Alexia! Goodness!" 

Kumaripas ng takbo si Molly papunta saakin. 

Agad kong sinalubong ang mahigpit na yakap saakin ni Molly.

I hugged her as tight as I possibly can. We can barely breathe at this point and I don't fucking care. I missed her, and seeing her alive is the only good thing that happened here.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I managed to whisper in her ears as a tear escaped. I immediately wiped it off my cheeks.

Molly sniffed as I felt some teardrops on my shirt. She's crying. "Same to you. I thought you were dead." She said in between her sniffs. She sobbed in my shirt for a few seconds as I rub her back gently. 

"I really thought something happened to you, considering how dumb you can be." Molly blurted out in between her sobs.

"Shh, don't cry. It's all okay now," I reassured her. I went near her ears as I whispered. "I'm gonna find a way to get us out of here, so just stick by my side." 

Molly nodded in response.

Hiniwalay niya na ang yakap saakin at doon ko nakita ang mapula at maga niyang mukha. Agad niyang pinunasan ang mga luha niya.

"Ass cheek." I put up a strong facade as I cussed at her. 

Her friend laughed while wiping her tears. "Ass hair."

"Hey! You two!"

Someone shouted at them from afar. We both glanced at her.

A long-haired girl with red lipstick and long-winged eyeliner shouted at us. She's wearing a bright red suit jacket, leather skirt, and black sleeveless top. 

She gotta thank the magic work of eyeliner and heels for making her look a bit intimidating 'cause without it, she's giving raw biscuit. 

If I'm not mistaken, her name was already introduced earlier, she is Eliana Montreal. Siya na ang assigned para dalhin kami somewhere.

We followed Eliana's order and we stood up properly in the last line. All of the remaining recruits are in front of us. There are servants on each of our sides. We're being isolated like some bunch of animals.

We all walked forward. Magkahawak kami ng kamay ni Molly in case someone will threaten to break us apart. Can't let that happen again.

I suddenly remembered what happened earlier. That never left my mind and I'm certainly sure I won't forget about it for a while.  

"Lily is so different now, huh?" Molly spoke. 

I looked at her. "Don't get me started with that bitch. I still don't know why she's even here." I looked around the whole place and, the people. 

"Akala ko sinabi niya na sayo since you're both more close?" She asked. 

I stopped to look at her. "Did you already know, Molly?"

Molly shook her head. "Course not. Why didn't you know about this, eh diba mas close kayo?" She clarified. 

I scoffed. "I'm confused, what do you mean mas close kami? Don't act like you're not our best friend too?" I furrowed my brows.

She sighed. "Mas nauna kasi kayong nagkakilala, diba? What I'm trying to say is between the two of us, ikaw ang mas makakakilala sa kaniya." She explained. "Subukan mong alalahanin yung past, see if there's something that made her upset that made her go down this hole."

"Stop combining Tagalog and English words, dammit! You sound stupid," I hissed. "I literally didn't see this coming, "

"But like, did she open up to you about her problems for once?" Molly asked again.

Is this bitch interviewing me or something?

"What about you? Baka mamaya ikaw pa 'tong mas may alam, Molly ha." I returned the question to her.

"Geez, are you on your period? I'm just asking!" 

"No 'cause you're literally like the Ellen show at this point!"

"Can you brats be quiet? Damn, you sound exactly like my female classmates." 

A kid suddenly spoke in front of us, interrupting me. It was Akio Oliveros or Olivares, whatever the hell he is. We both glanced at his back.

I crossed my shoulder while we proceed to walk. "A 14-year-old just called us brats, huh? And why did someone as young as you decide to join this group? Mommy didn't get your fave toy this time?" I gave the favor back.

He still didn't face us. "Not your business, Daisy Duck." 

I scoffed. Did he just call me Daisy Duck?!

Molly chuckled. "Just let the kid go, Alexia. We're not in school anymore, this is a different place."

Akio suddenly faced me with an emotionless expression and his glasses almost falling off his flat-ass nose. "Yeah, why don't you listen to your mature friend over here? Between the two of us who's really acting like a 14-year-old." He said it more like a statement.

I furrowed my brows as I glare at him. 

The bitch beside me cracked a laugh. "I'm sorry, gotta let it out," Molly struggled between her words as she was busy opening her mouth and spreading her bacteria all over the air.  

This bitch did not even defend me?! 

FROM A 14-YEAR-OLD?!

"Pag di ka talaga tumigil Molly, I'll rip your face off together with this kid!"

Akio smirked. "And here you are looking stupid now as you mixed Tagalog and English words in a hate speech, who set that rule again?"

Molly proceeds to laugh but even louder than earlier.

I raged out. "SHUT. UP. STUPID KID!!!"

"What's the commotion in the back again!"

We all stopped as Eliana's Peacock voice echoed. 

Ngayon ko lang napansin na kanina pa kami nakatigil sa harap ng malaking pintuan. We are now on the second floor. From Molly's left side, there is a terrace where we can see the view of the ground floor we've been to earlier. 

Tiningnan ko ang hallway papunta sa lugar namin kanina where all of the great chaos dramatically happened. 

Tapos na ba silang mag-usap doon? Weird feeling but I wanted to be there to answer some of my biggest questions in mind. But at the same time, my head just can't process this enough bullshit going on. 

Lily and Preceptor Lowell were left there. Ayana was also left behind 'cause she was basically the epitome of that situation. Adrian, Axe, Fawck, and that mysterious blonde guy were all in that place.

I came back to reality when the servant beside me pulled my arm to move forward. I glanced in front. 

We're all entering the big wooden door I was talking about earlier. 

Molly and I intertwined our hands.

We entered the room. As I take a look everywhere, all of the lights are dimmed and there are no windows in sight for natural light, unlike the ground floor which is surrounded by glass windows.

We already walked inside and since I'm not wearing shoes with me, I gotta suffer the basically-iced floor. I honestly don't know where my gold heels went, or when did it even slip off. I can only smell the stinkiness of my feet from up here.

I saw the long wooden tables and chairs up until the back as we proceed to walk. We're like in a cinema slash college classroom because of its dimmed lights. 

The servants basically threw the recruits' asses on each of the chairs, but me and Molly being on the last line got thrown on the last row. The servants are now standing behind us having their guns prepared if anyone moved a single muscle.

"Recruits."

A woman cleared her voice in front.

I was busy observing the whole place and finding a possible escape at the same time, kaya hindi ko napansing pumasok ang babaeng ito. 

"Montreal, you may leave now." She proceeds to say as she glanced at the bitch standing at the door. Eliana nodded in response as she opened the door to walk out. 

I looked at the woman once again. Her hair is tied up in a ponytail and her full bangs covered her forehead. She has a very serious and intimidating aura that reminded me of my college teachers, but the difference is, this woman only had minimal makeup. 

She's wearing a white turtleneck, a black pencil skirt, and ankle boots. Her turtleneck also had the small insignia of Dark Dragons. 

The intimidating woman is standing in front of her own table. This gives me awful memories of being in school.

"I'm Drea Curtis, the Preceptor of Western languages. And here I'm going to explain to all of you about this organization called the Dark Dragons."

■ ■ ■ ■

A while ago...

We all jumped in surprise when the unknown blondie kicked the glass door in the harshest way possible, making both of the doors swing open for him. We felt the hot and fresh air coming from outside hugging our skins in an instant, as the latter made his grandest entrance.

Tall and broad-shouldered guy wearing a white suit, a loose red tie, black pants, and a colorful bandana mask covering half of his face. His shiny but messy blonde hair didn't escape my sight as his cold eyes wandered around us.

Those eyes... Why does it look sort of familiar too?

I looked at Adrian beside me, then I looked over at that mysterious blonde once again... What the...?

"Why's she here?"

My jaw dropped when the blonde guy spoke mysteriously while facing Ayana.

The voice... The voice!

He sounds just like Adrian!

And they both look just like each other, even if the blonde hasn't taken his mask off yet.

Preceptor Lowell crossed his shoulders. The majority of people here are sure as hell scared and confused and intimidated all at the same time because of the blonde guy's presence, but Lowell is the only one who looks calm and proper. "Are we gonna forget the fact that you almost destroyed the glass door, Cadeau?"

I gasped.

Cadeau?!

So they are all siblings? The three of them?

"S-shall we prioritize the recruits first, Preceptor?" Lily butted in as she glanced at the Preceptor.

Adrian walked towards the Preceptor while Axe and Fawck followed him.

Lowell seems very confused as well. "Margaux, call Montreal. Assign her instead to lead the recruits to Curtis."

■ ■ ■ ■

Naalala ko nanaman yung nangyari kanina. 

That blonde guy sounds and looks exactly like Adrian. I can't be wrong.

But for the sake of my remaining sanity and the amount of information I have in mind right now, I don't ever wanna know about him, at least not yet. 

Drea Curtis spoke. "Mateo Lowell may have already explained some of our motives but I will expound the roots more for all of you to understand." 

I proceed to listen. 

"Our group is involved in the dark side of the world. All of the members of this organization contribute by working, cooperating, and being exposed to the crime scenes or making the crime scenes themselves. You may think this is bad, and yes, it is indeed bad. This is to defeat our supposed enemies such as other organizations, politicians, cult groups, and many more. That is the motive of our group, we eliminate those people as much as we can while gaining their money and profits at the same time. We also kill innocents if it is needed and required.

But of course, we don't win every time. We endure lots of losses when the mission is complicated which now depends on you if you're good enough to handle the battles outside or end up dead as meat. So if I were you, Recruits, thicken your skull and skin from now on, for that is the future set for you now that you're here. I'm gonna say the truth that you are never getting out of here anymore if you insist, at least not alive. Let's go to the Ranks now."

Goodness, gracious...

What the entire fuck did I just hear.

I held Molly's cold palms on the table as I looked at her pale face. She looked surprised as well.

Curtis proceeds to talk.

"The highest position is the Head. I'm not allowed to introduce you yet because to her command, you can only meet her if you're already notable enough. She is not only your leader but our leader too. All of the commands, missions, and next actions and steps come from her.

We have Superior I as the second highest. If you reach this rank, you're now both respected and followed here. Your ideas and suggestions will be heard by the Head and you can also lead the missions at times. If you're in this rank, you will also find out the true motives and the History of Dark Dragons, which is strictly forbidden for the recruits and for the lower ranks to know. This is to prevent those who are planning to betray this group.

Superior II is the third highest. We, the Preceptors, and many more are included in this rank. We almost have the same advantages as Superior I but we still have some limits to follow. 

Elite I. Most of the people who're in this rank are very skilled members who always venture and fight outside. Elite II and Elite III. They are the teammates or the right hands of Elite I members, so many of our losses come from these ranks. This fate is inevitable though because Superiors aren't the only ones who have to shoulder some big responsibilities. This is called the Bloody Ranks for some because almost every day, somebody dies in this rank.

Now to the First Class. This is by far the most chill rank to be, in my opinion. I spent my days in this rank slacking off doing nothing. But it's different for everybody of course. We have someone named Asher, who is a First Class member but is already one of the Captains in Swords. However, he can't move up ranks yet until January. I'm pretty sure if you meet him, you'll take him as an inspiration to be as good. 

Second-Class. This might be the second-lowest rank but this is where you will be working the hardest. This rank will determine whether you're good enough to move up, or bad enough to stay on this rank forever being either one of the servants, cleaners, or members with the bare minimum payment. Choose your fate wisely.

The lowest is Third-Class. You can't get out of the headquarter yet if you're in this rank, which means, you have no freedom to go outside, this is to prevent any rookie mistakes that will pull Dark Dragons down the hill. You're gonna be trained inside the headquarter in the meantime. But you think it's that easy?" The woman smirked. 

I was, without a doubt, intrigued by the next things she's gonna say.

"Third-Class is classified as the Death