Breathe, suck the air into your lungs, don’t lose consciousness this time, reassess the situation, and find a way out of this mess.

Only a dim light seeping through the small cracks on the wall at his back gives him an indistinct vision. His breathing is heavy and with every blood drip from his scars, his consciousness is also slowly giving up.

A creaking sounded as the wooden door opened and a group of men came in. Holding the baton, he whips it to the prisoner’s body. He grunts, enduring the pain.

“So, are you gonna talk?” His voice flares out and wakes the consciousness of the young man.

“Talk about what?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. You know what I am talking about.”

He again whips him with the baton.

“Who do you work for?” He asked.

He used the baton to lean up his face, showing the marks of the torture.

“I don’t work for anyone.”

“You have a sword and a communication device hidden on your clothes and you saying that you’re not working for anyone? I know that you’re a mercenary.”

“Then why bother asking?”

Not liking what he said, he slams the baton at his back. Snickering as he coughs blood

“Is something funny?” His voice implied being annoyed.

“Yeah.”

“What?” He asked not reaching to him the words.

“Come closer…” getting close enough, he smirks and head-butts him, followed by a thrust kick to his guts leading to stumbling along with the hooligan. The other hooligan picks up the baton and slams it into him, stopping in moving.

“You sure have the stomach to hurt a defenseless guy like me.”

“You’re the one to talk, playing dirty. If you just play nice, we could make some arrangements.”

“Nah, not interested. A guy like you would never keep a promise.”

The guard's fake smile is gone and whips him for another round.

After a few minutes of torture, he decides to leave him for another day of interrogation. “Make sure you keep an eye on him.” He ordered to his men.

“Yes, boss.”

Leaving the area, the hooligan came closer to him.

“Say, lad, why don’t you just slip out the name?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“There’s no using hiding, you’re a mercenary.”

“I’m not a mercenary.” He said in a cold tone.

“I’m a hunter, not a mercenary.”

“I don’t believe you. You know, I have other ways to make you talk.”

“Do your worst.”

Unraveling what’s inside the bag countless blades and other tools for torture.

“Let us begin.” He smirks as he starts to torture the man hanged man and the night ends with the wailing screams underneath of an unknown place.

Ɵ

Hearing the buzzing and sirens of the alarm clock – Alastor's heart fully grunts as he opens his eyes. He took a deep breath before finally deciding to stand up. He looks at the screen and read Linda’s message, Elevators are not available, please use the stairs.

As always, he proceeded at the bathroom, doing the same routine, brushed his teeth, bathing, and put on his favorite white and black stripes shirt and wore short black pants. As he proceeded outside of his room, he saw Sherry at the end of the hallway, staring aimlessly down beyond the window. She wore a white dress with a red lace tied onto her hair. The wind made her ponytail flew when she opens the window – met by a gust of wind.

He looks at her with a blank expression and decided to go down in the lounge when a voice reaches him as he steps towards the stairs.

“Hey,” Sherry called out.

“Yes?” He said without looking back at her.

“I just want to-to…”

“To what?”

“To thank you.”

He tilted his head with only his right side could see the face of the woman.

“Look, if you think that we save you out of goodwill, then I want you to rethink yourself as lucky because we just saved you for the reason that we might find a use of you.”

Sherry paused her movements and looked discouraged about what he said.

“Is that so?” She frowned.

“Yeah. If that’s all, then I will go downstairs.”

Alastor left Sherry with a worrying thought clinging into her head. She tried to toughen herself, but a single tear crept out and she shed it.

Proceeding at the lounge Alastor was met by the energetic man Ken.

“Yo! Have you seen Sherry?” Ken questioned.

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“Outside my room. She was staring at the window.”

Ken intervenes Al when he decides to go to the kitchen.

“You realize that it’s breakfast, right?”

“Yeah, that’s why I came down here to eat.”

“Then why didn’t you invite her?!”

“Must’ve slipped on my thought.” Alastor coldly said.

“Dude!”

Alastor didn’t respond anymore only with a grunt gesturing that he’s getting annoyed, but Linda came in and throws him a look as if she were, saying, Calm down. She sat down at the sofa holding a book and started to read it.

“If you want to, go upstairs and invite her.”

“You don’t seem to care about her, d’ya?” Ken said and he finally runs up the stairs.

When he finally left, Al decided to go to the kitchen, but Linda’s voice reaches out to him,

“You seem to in a bad mood.”

“Isn't he always?” Tin added as she walks towards the table holding a tray full of desserts and coffee from the hallway.

Al grunts as he walks without saying any word. Linda turns her attention to Tin, dragged because of the food she brought.

“Since when dessert qualified as breakfast?” Linda asked.

Tin looked at her without a trace of annoyance, only a display of poker face. “My tummy my rules.” She said and started to eat.

Ken pants as he reached the 8th floor where the Alastor room could be found.

“Damn, why the hell the elevator’s not working? So damn tiring,” He grunts, catching up his breath “Oh well, this is also a good exercise to me.”

Looking at the place where Al said to him, he couldn’t find the woman.

He walks towards the window and alters his direction to the right wherein he could see Sherry walking and he shouted “Sherry!” She heard the man and looked back at him with a blank expression, though he noticed it, Ken still greeted her with a smile as he runs towards her “Where are you going?”

“Uhm, just walking, catching up some fresh air.”

“Right, that’s good that's good. However, it’s eight o’clock in the morning, so our patient needs to eat.”

“I’m fine…” Without finishing the sentence her tummy’s growl.

“Uh-huh, well your tummy doesn’t look like fine, c’mon.”

“I don’t think I-I…” Sherry pauses as Ken grabbed her hands.

Ken sighs, “Is it about Al? Did that guy said something stupid to you?”

“No.”

“C’mon, don’t take it seriously what that guy said. I mean the guy eats pizza and burgers for dinner, weird isn’t it? Now, c’mon, it's bad to have cold food.”

“Alright.” She spoke.

The two of them sat down at the wooden chair in the round table full of foods, which varies in their standard. Ken sat at her side and Tin on her left where she’s still eating her dessert. Linda grunted at the woman and said “Tin, do you know that if you eat too many sweets it could lead your health into obesity or much worse heart failure, early high-blood, tonsillitis.”

“Yeah-yeah. Alright, I’m gonna eat something different. I just want to enjoy this while we’re still here ‘because I don’t know if I will be sending some random dessert or forest by order of the directors.”

Tin stops and carefully grabbed the bowl of salad and spoon a portion of it, she noticed the face of the woman and gestures her if she also wants to eat it. Sherry shakes her head. Ken is currently enjoying the pasta while Alastor is eating a piece of bread.

“Hey, you should try this.” Without asking Ken took a portion of pasta and fried meat and served to her plate.

Al looks at them and talks to Linda “Hey, is it alright if she eats like these types of food?”

“Don’t worry, her digestive system is still intact that means she still can eat as long she wouldn’t inhale nitrous sulfur; she will explode if that happens.”

All of them stares at Linda with an unexplainable reaction, “Relax, I’m just kidding.” She spoke and sap the coffee while reading a magazine.

Ken bites the chicken wings then to the pasta “mmm, this ish-good,” His mouth fully said “Who cook this?” he asked.

Tin claimed, proudly said. “That would be me.”

“You?!” Ken surprisingly reacts as he almost throws out the food on his mouth “The woman I know that who loves to over carry such guns when going into missions and that goes into her head was only the shooting range or cleansing guns?”

“Hey!” Tin yelled, “I know how to cook dumb ass before I got out in the Haven, I was taught different things.”

“This can’t be happening, you, of all people?!” He said and gulped down then again he stops and started to act “Ugh, guys don’t eat it, there’s a poison, ugh, ow! Ow! Cut it off-cut it off!” He shouted as Tin punch him and started to pinch his ears. “I’m just being silly!” He added.

“At least you could have appreciated my work before you trippin’ me! And if I would poison you, I would make sure that you will surely die instantly.”

Al didn’t mind the commotion and just continue eating quietly just as the same to Linda.

Ken fought back by pinching Tin’s cheek, but she counters it by slapping him. Fighting, they didn’t take caution they didn’t measure the force at the time and as a result, they hit the bowl of pasta and thrown off to the man they both agree not to mess. Continuing their fight, they started to feel the heavy ambiance, as they slowly tilt their head to him, his glare reached into their spines and grow cold in their body.

Al is glaring with an utter annoyance who had disturbed his gracious breakfast.

“Heh-heh, I kinda slip out - Eeeh”

The two of them squeal as Al cold glance creeps on their spine.

“S-sorry,” Tin utterly said, avoiding the gaze.

“Linda,” Ken mumble but it didn’t reach into Linda as she avoids her eyes to them pretending that she didn’t hear.

Oh crap! He spoke on his mind.

A few minutes later, Al is smiling at the two of them with his clothes clean up and now eating.

“We’re so sorry.” Ken and Tin said in sync.

“Nah, don’t worry about it anymore. It’s in the past, let’s forget about it. After all, you’re gonna take my duties, right.”

They sighed, the chores that Al was supposed for him to do was now passed to them a burden they must carry, because of the mistake they’ve done. Tin tried to raise her voice but stopped as she looked at Al’s eyes and then to his grin stretching ear to ear.

Oh, shit she swore.

“Any problems?” Al asked.

How we could say that there’s a problem when you’re grinning to us like that Ken said in his thoughts.

I shouldn’t fight Ken when this guy around, he’s the scariest shit I met in my entire life Their thoughts seemingly float out of the environment, but Al snapped them “Hey, you alright? Al asked.

“Huh? Yeah-yeah, we’re cool. We’re cool right, Tin?”

“Ah, yes-yes, I’m cool of it.”

“Good.”

They continued eating in silence until they finished. Ken then asked Sherry “So, Sherry, how do you feel? Does your head still hurt?”

“No, I feel light these days, though, my memory…”

“Alright, who agrees that we should go out and help her bring her memories back?”

Everyone stares at him.

“Seriously?” Tin said. “That’s not a good idea.” Alastor also added.

“Why not?”

“Dude, half-human, remember?” She frankly said, “No offense.”

“We’re the Glade, surely no one would suspect if we chose clothes for her undercover, right?”

“It’s too risky, we don’t know for sure that no one is looking for her.” Al retorts “You’re just compromising our security.” Al added.

“Hm, maybe if you shut your mouth and calm down. As I said, we’ll go undercover.”

Al sighs in disappointment, the same to Linda.

“Look, I know you just want to help, but it’s too risky.” Linda calmly said.

“Fine,” Ken grunted as they continue to eat. Sherry notices the change of contemplation “I understand, don’t worry, there’s a lot of ways to regain my lost memories.”

After that, all of them parted ways leaving Ken doing the washing. Tin is an underground basement in the practice shooting area, Al is in his room watching TV, and Linda in the lounge reading book.

Sherry came closer and attempt to help him, but Ken stops her.

“Sherry, you don’t have to help me. Besides, it’s my turn to wash the dishes.”

“I want to help, after all, you saved me.”

“You don’t have to thank me. To be honest, there were others like you, but I couldn’t save them and I’m one of the responsible for why they die, technically it’s not my decision, but still…”

Ken looked down and stopped, looking at the plate he is holding. Sherry sympathizes.

“You don’t have to feel bad about it,”

“It is still wrong,”

“I don’t think you made the wrong decision. Look, if you were able to save them, how do you think they will react seeing themselves, like me?”

“But you didn’t break down, I guess you are a tough cookie before you lost your memories.”

Sherry chuckles “I didn’t break down because I don’t have any memories. Without it, my emotions wouldn’t matter.”

Ken thinks deeply and continued to wash the last one.

“You seem calm about it. Are you not worried if someone is looking after you?”

“I don’t, because I don’t think things would go back to normal if they saw me like this.”

“Family, eh? Maybe they would still accept you even though you’re like that.”

“It’s not that simple, I cannot show myself to them, not, if those people who force and kidnapped me is still looking for me.”

He glances at her then returns his attention to the dish washes. “Even though your memory is gone, you’re attitude maybe the same as before.”

“You think so?” Asked Sherry.

“Yeah.”

After finishing the dish washes, Ken grabs two can orange juice and throws the other one to Sherry.

“You work for someone right, this organization you called Glade? What do you think will happened to me after this is all over?”

Ken looked down “I don’t know, but I will try my best to help you.”

“You promise?”

“I promised.”

It was like any other day, family’s outing, peers drinking, few couples walk, gazing at the sunset, vendors selling lucky charms, and staffs from different branches of offices hang their lanterns greeting the lantern festival when suddenly a loud explosion disturbed the mundane day. Al and Ken were ordered to do some groceries when a robbery happens at the 13th avenue just pass the grand mall they came in; they’re holding a plastic bag full of the things they bought. Nearby police spotted the incident and called for backup using his walky-talky.

He guided the near people to hide in safety in the state of panic. He pulls out his gun and head on his own.

“Should we help?” Ken asked.

“Are you seriously asking me that?” Al said.

“So, it’s a yes?” Ken questioned.

“Obviously, no.” He said as he turns away and started to walk, but Ken just stares at the police while exchanging shots with the robbers, when suddenly a loud siren recedes in everyone’s ears.

“Uhm, I think you might want to see this,” Ken said as he looked on top of the building, black mechanical robots began dropping from the building, encircling the robbers, and warned them with the mechanical tone,

“Surrender your firearms for you have violated the law in the article 43 under the institution, you are hereby…”

Al looks at the automated bots holding out a new type of weapon.

One of the robbers is still persistent and throws a bomb at the talking robot. But it didn’t go well as a shot came passed through the smoldering smoke onto his knees, he grunts, and it was followed by another gunshot aiming to their knees, immobilizing the robbers.

“Did you see what’s on the television?” Ken asked as he enters the lounge.

Linda in a white dress laces her hair in a red ribbon with pink shoes. She gently put her teacup at the tray. “Yes,” She simply said, “We might consider Theo’s eyeing on us now.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Tin said as she goes down to the round stairs. “This time, he’s not letting his guard down.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Ken asked.

“The plan is that we will still lay-low,” Linda explained.

“That’s the plan? What happened to figure out and stopped the bad guy?”

“We’re not heroes Ken, we never were. For now, we will wait for our directors’ order.” Al said.

“That means, we will do nothing until no further notice from our superiors?” Ken again asked.

“That’s right,” Tin said.

“Can I go out?”

Tin looks at Linda, waiting for her answer.

“Yes, you can, but you must come home early.”

Ken smiles, “Alright!”

“Just don’t do anything stupid, though.”

“You can count on that.” Ken leaves with a smile written on his side.

“Y’know, you’re gonna regret telling that to Ken,” Alastor said as he passed by.