Nathan, Sindy, and Andrew anxiously awaited Alondo's return. His proposal weighed heavily on their minds. The word 'Assassins' rang in their ears like a bell. What kind of job was it? Did they have a choice? What would happen to them if they refused? So many questions partnered with so many unknowns.
Nathan stared at the blank white ceiling, his thoughts swirling like a storm he couldn't escape. The silence in the room only amplified his frustration. "Ugh!" he groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Man, this sucks! I mean, do I even want to be an assassin? Like, what the hell does that even mean here? Are they seriously expecting us to just… kill people?"
Sindy leaned against the wall, her fingers absently tracing the edges of her dead smartphone—the last connection she had to home. "I'm trying not to think about it, Nate. We need more information before we make a decision. The last thing we need is to get tied up in some huge mess."
"Are you blind, woman?" Andrew scoffed, throwing his arms in the air—bags hanging under his eyes from a lack of sleep. "We're already in a huge mess! We're lucky they don't just skin us alive or turn us into slaves! We're in their world now!"
A knock echoed through the cold metal door, piercing their conversation and amplifying the tension in the air.
"May I come in?" Asked a familiar voice.
The trio quickly fixed their postures—their eyes darting over to one another with extreme anticipation.
"Go ahead," Nathan answered, his voice riddled with nervousness.
The door slid open as Alondo let himself in, waving at the trio as if they were best friends. "Hello, I'm hoping you all slept well and were able to think about the offer I proposed."
There was a momentary pause—not one brave enough to speak up, fearing he would have their heads for declining. However, Sindy knew staying quiet for too long would be rude, and it didn't seem like Nathan and Andrew were about to get the words out of their throats anytime soon.
"Captain, about that…" Sindy spoke up gently, her voice soothing with a hint of fear. "I… I hope you understand that this is all new to us. We want to play it safe before making any crucial decisions. You all seem like friendly people, but you also call yourselves assassins. We… We're just afraid that a job dependent on killing isn't in our best interest."
Sindy grasped her shaking hands, trying to hide her anxiety. Nathan and Andrew thanked her quietly for her bravery. It was almost as if she were the one with the balls.
"Pfft!" Alondo suddenly doubled over and burst into laughter, clutching his stomach as tears streamed down his face.
"Captain..?" Sindy called softly, her confusion growing like a bad weed.
"Excuse my laughter," he said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I haven't been able to laugh like that in quite a while. But firstly, you can drop the formalities. It's always 'Captain this—Captain that.' Even though I'm your Captain, I prefer to have everyone call me by name. So you can call me Alondo," he paused before taking a deep breath and continuing. "Also, I understand your concern regarding our name, Assassins Agency. While I won't act like we're a perfect organization, we target mainly Demon Beasts. We're assassins of evil, to be precise."
"Oh! That's a relief!" Andrew said, letting out a breath of ease. "That had me worried! I thought we'd have to kill people for a second there!"
"Hehe... Right…" Alondo chuckled nervously, hinting he was withholding information again. "In any case, Assassins Agency is one of the many hero organizations across the Mind World. I won't act like all of the jobs we take are sunshine and rainbows, but you can be sure that what we do is for the betterment of society."
"Then what kind of benefits do we get if we accept?" Nathan inquired, sitting up on his bed to hear more. "Fighting Demon Beasts does sound pretty dangerous, so the benefits have to outweigh the risks."
"Good question," Alondo nodded. "If you work for me, not only do you get a free and clean place to stay, but you're also provided with free nutritional meals three times per day, lots of money and rewards for each of your missions, and many areas of leisure to kick back and relax when you have free time. You can also retire as early as thirty-five; the government will cover all your living expenses from the moment you join until your last breath."
Nathan's eyes widened slightly, but Alondo still wasn't finished. "Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the hefty signing bonus and free access to Safe Zones. And honestly, that's just scratching the surface of what you'd get."
The trio were more than intrigued by the offer. While fighting Demon Beasts held a considerable risk, they needed to find a way to survive. Even if Alondo didn't skin them alive for refusing, they doubted he would continue to host them at HQ. The last thing they wanted was to step back outside, where Demon Beasts prowled relentlessly, waiting for their next victim.
It was a sneaky offer—accept and gain guaranteed safety, or decline and be cast back outside, straight into the jaws of death.
"As far as offers go, I doubt we'll get a better one than that being outsiders," Sindy said, contemplating the offer.
"Right?" Andrew added, springing to his feet with excitement. "Working for a hero organization means we can save people, get rich, and then return home after two measly years. Worst-case scenario, we retire at thirty-five! The best part is that we don't have to kill anyone!"
Alondo's face dulled like a dying lightbulb, "I never said that."
Their celebration was grossly cut short. Their mutual hope quickly faded into a sea of worry and apprehension.
"Wait, but you said you aren't actual assassins. If you're a hero organization, why do we need to kill? It doesn't add up!" Nathan protested, his voice rising in frustration.
"Listen…" Alondo continued gravely. "Sometimes, while on missions, you will be confronted by dangerous enemies. To save yourself or someone you care about, you may have to harden your resolve to kill another. If you can't do that, you'll lose something valuable."
"I…" Nathan hesitated, contemplating the risks of declining the offer. "I don't know if I can do that. I'm not a killer. I understand we're faced with tough decisions sometimes, but I hate to say I'm a coward in that regard."
"Nate's right, man. I don't think I want to kill anyone," Andrew said, shaking his head in disagreement.
"Then you'll die," Alondo continued coldly, leaning against the metal door, eerily blocking the exit. "This is a very dark and unforgiving world. A moment of hesitation or misplaced sympathy could cost you your life or the life of someone close to you. Trust me, you've entered a world where even a three-year-old won't hesitate to slit your throat if they need to. You three are likely the only ones in this entire world who believe killing another is wrong. Killing is merely a survival trait here."
"Then what if we decline?" Sindy said, stepping forward, worried more for her friends than herself.
A cold gaze grew in Alondo's eyes—the air tinging with tension. "Then I'll kill every one of you right here."
A revolting feeling passed through their bodies like a powerful current. Their stomachs churned, and their knees buckled, almost causing them to double over in fear.
"That… That's not fair!" Sindy exclaimed defiantly.
"And do you think it's fair for me to have you decline after spending years preparing for this moment?" Alondo answered, his voice burning with dissatisfaction. "Besides, I'm not killing you out of some petty feeling of rejection. I'm doing you a favor."
"That doesn't make any sense! How are you doing us a favor by killing us?!" Nathan shouted, doubling his fist for a fight he knew he couldn't win.
Alondo raised a single finger, and an oppressive wave of invisible energy crashed down on them like a tidal force, driving them to their knees. The entire skyship groaned in protest, shaking violently as the lights flickered erratically, casting eerie shadows that danced like specters on the walls. The trio clenched their teeth, unable to breathe as Alondo's overwhelming Spiritual Force pressed down on them, heavy and inescapable, like the hand of a vengeful god.
"If I let you leave this place, do you have any idea what will happen to you?" Alondo's voice was deadly serious, each word cutting through the air like a blade. "You won't last a minute out there. No food, no water, and definitely no survival skills." He paused, letting the silence hang heavy before releasing his Spiritual Force completely. "You'll be on a one-way trip to hell, and I'm the one doing you a favor by cutting the journey short and sending you there myself."
Nathan clutched at his throat, taking ragged gasps of breath. He and the others felt sick to the point they almost wanted to throw up.
"Okay!" Nathan said, his breaths coming in heavy gasps. "We… We accept! But please… let me at least say one thing!"
"What's that?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I could kill someone even if I needed to. I… I'm just not capable."
"That's right," Andrew supported, rising to his feet. "Just because killing isn't considered a bad thing in the Mind World doesn't mean that any of us want to become killers. We'll find a way to do things our way."
A fleeting memory of Nathan's father flickered across Alondo's mind, and with it, a deeper understanding of Nathan's reasoning—one that Nathan himself didn't yet fully grasp. His gaze then drifted toward Sindy, catching the subtle nod of agreement she gave, as if silently siding with something unspoken, a quiet disagreement with Nathan and Andrew.
Alondo quickly feigned a smile, knowing there was no path without bloodshed. "Well, who am I to doubt you? I believe you three can bring something new to the Mind World," he lied, knowing that some of the world's greatest lessons came through pain. "I also beg your forgiveness for just now. I wasn't trying to hurt you. I just wanted you all to face reality for your own sakes."
"In that case, I have a question, Cap'n," Andrew said, raising his hand.
"Don't call me that. I told you to lose the formalities…" Alondo reminded.
"Right! Sorry, Cap'n!"
"You're still pretty daring despite getting a taste of my Spiritual Force…" Alondo sighed, giving up. "Though that makes me happy since I don't need any of you viewing me as some tyrant anyway. What's the matter, Andrew?"
"I've just noticed that everyone here has supernatural abilities," Andrew started, his eyes quickly regaining a flare. "Even Nate used this weird power back in the Dark Forest to kill the Demon Beast that attacked us. But what about me and Sindy? We're completely worthless, Cap'n..! I wanna be a badass! Not some lame side character who gets folded in every fight!"
"Sigh... Not to worry. Everyone has had some supernatural ability since birth. You're just unable to use these abilities in the Over World. You'll learn more during training, which will begin shortly."
"No way! So you're saying I could destroy HQ if I tried hard enough?!"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here…" Alondo paused, his eyes broadening as he recalled a memory. "That's right. I almost forgot," he mumbled, reaching into his pockets before pulling out three gadgets that resembled smartphones.
"Are those… phones?" Sindy inquired—her phone addiction quickly betraying her.
"I had these prepared for you last night," Alondo continued, handing each of them a gadget. "They operate like smartphones, so they should be easy to use. They have a map of HQ and another for the Mind World, so you should be fine finding your way around. Figure them out as you go along."
"Sweet! Does this come with some hot chick's phone number by any chance?" Asked Andrew excitedly.
"If you have enough game, you can secure a girl's number or two."
"I like the sound of that, my man!" he laughed, patting Alondo's shoulder like they were now best buds.
"Anyway, now that you have these devices, my work here is done. Welcome to Assassins Agency and… stuff. As usual, I have a lot of work to do, so I'll be taking my leave," Alondo explained, gesturing a goodbye as he quickly left the room.
They were still a bit shaken, but something about Alondo's presence instilled a sense of trust—enough to ease their initial unease. Soon, their lingering anxiety shifted into a gnawing hunger. Ten minutes later, they stepped out of the infirmary, drawn by the promise of a warm meal at the nearby cafeteria marked on their maps.
"Wow! This place is so beautiful!" Sindy gasped, her blue eyes sparkling with delight.
As they marched through the lobby, they couldn't help but admire the beauty around them. The air felt as fresh and pure as a rainforest breeze. Small fountains bubbled gently, and inviting relaxation areas were scattered throughout, perfect for soothing weary bodies. The hallways stretched wide, ascending like a staircase to the heavens. The soft hum of elevator music blended with the vibrant chatter of hundreds of assassins, creating an oddly serene atmosphere amidst the chaos. Assassins Agency HQ was nothing short of magnificent.
"So that's the Mind Hero?" suddenly said a distant whisper, piercing through the positive atmosphere. "I almost pity him, knowing he'll just be another failure."
The trio glanced at one another in confusion—their joy quickly cut in half.
"Uh… what was that about?" Sindy asked, raising her brow.
"No idea," Nathan replied, his gaze scanning the room with growing curiosity. Almost immediately, they noticed the subtle shift in the atmosphere. Every assassin seemed to recoil, creating an invisible barrier around them as if they were carrying some deadly, flesh-eating bacteria.
"Ridiculous!" Another assassin argued, his voice baked in resentment. "I mean, save the world? Alondo needs to be realistic here. A pathetic human from the Real World won't accomplish shit."
"He won't even get past his first mission. Just like all the other Mind Heroes, he'll die before he can even save a single life. A waste of oxygen if you ask me," scoffed another without caring if anyone heard her.
"Filth from the Over World should just die anyway," one more added rudely—his eyes flaring with disgust. "It's about time we all accepted that the only cure to our problems is to get rid of maggots like him from the Over World. We'll never know true happiness and peace until those scum die!"
The three friends listened in bewilderment. They hadn't expected such a nasty welcome. It was like BOOM! CONGRATULATIONS! EVERYONE HATES YOU FOR NO REASON!
"What the hell is their problem? Did everyone wake up with a 12-inch stick up their ass?" Andrew hissed, raising his voice, making sure the onlookers heard him.
"I don't know, but I sure don't feel welcomed here," Sindy murmured, lowering her gaze not to meet the eyes of the other assassins. "Let's just stick to ourselves for now. I'd like to avoid the drama if possible."