The sun blazed in the sky as birds soared across the horizon.
"It's so hot today, but that's no excuse to skip meeting the boss," sighed a fit-looking teenage boy as he stepped out of his apartment building.
"Hey, Kai, don't you think your red hair makes you stand out a little too much?" another teenage boy teased, draping an arm around Kai's shoulders.
Kai smirked. "Well, I've got yellow eyes too, and that's not exactly common either. So technically, I can keep my red hair."
The boy rolled his eyes, releasing his hold. "You always have an answer for everything, don't you?"
"And you always have a question or suggestion that needs one, don't you, Anton?" Kai shot back as he strode forward, Anton trailing behind him.
As they moved past the bustling streets into a quieter, more deserted area, Anton broke the silence. "This whole runner thing doesn't suit you, but you do it anyway."
Kai halted, tilting his head back to look at the sun. His father had died when he was young, and his mother was hospitalized with a rare, incurable illness. As the eldest, it was up to him to take care of her medical bills and provide for his younger siblings, Henry and Lily.
"There you go, spacing out again. It's like your freakin' talent," Anton grumbled, nudging Kai. "You're not the only one with a rough story. Everyone in this part of the Union has their reasons for doing crappy jobs like these." He pulled a face, a rare look of sadness crossing his features.
Kai snapped out of his daze. "That's the first time I've ever seen you look like that."
"No need to bother with my story. Let's just get to the clubhouse," Anton said, shaking his head.
Kai smiled. "And that's why you're my best pal."
"I'm your superior, goddammit!" Anton pouted, stomping forward. "We have a job to do, and we'd better not be late unless we want the boss to have our heads."
Some years ago, the world was plunged into chaos, a period now known as the Wrath of Nature. Unprecedented natural disasters struck, and not even the most resilient nations were spared. Towering tsunamis unearthed hidden parts of the ocean, revealing rare resources. Earthquakes merged land masses, exposing new species—both benign and deadly. It is said that nearly half of the human population was wiped out.
But as the saying goes, "Every cloud has a silver lining." In the aftermath, continents were joined—not into a perfect shape, but into a unified world. A new government, the Union, emerged. Scientists experimented on the newly discovered stones and resources, unaware that some of the evolved creatures would soon become a threat. This forced humanity to advance technologically at an unprecedented rate, with companies like GULAC spearheading the revolution. With their innovations, GULAC became the dominant force in the world's technology sector.
Arriving at their gang's clubhouse, Kai and Anton strode past other members, heading straight for the boss's office. They ignored the hisses and glares from the gang members, who had never liked them. They were seen as weak from the start, yet they managed to complete missions faster than most of the lower-ranked members. As a result, they had been entrusted with an exchange mission by their boss, Kenzo. But things had gone horribly wrong. Though Kenzo had let them off the hook, rumors spread like wildfire, painting them as thieves who had scammed him out of a fortune.
"I can't believe Lucas let these guys walk away with their heads intact," one gang member whispered.
Kai remained indifferent, but Anton clenched his teeth in frustration.
"They even owe the boss 100,000 MP," a woman sneered loudly, her voice dripping with venom.
Anton snapped. "Eve, you bastard! Why don't we take this outside?!"
Kai grabbed Anton's arm and pulled him toward the hallway leading to Kenzo's office, ignoring the laughter echoing behind them. "They're not entirely wrong," Kai muttered. "We were set up, and my goodwill was used against me. That's what being a good person gets you in this wretched city."
At the bar, the gang members erupted into cheers, applauding Eve for provoking Anton. The customers, both civilians and members of other gangs, were intrigued by the commotion. "Did someone win 100,000 MP in a lottery?" one man asked.
"No, idiot! Someone owes the owner of this place 100,000 MP," his friend corrected him.
"Damn, that's a huge amount. That guy better be ready to sell a kidney," another joked.
A hooded man sitting at the bar smirked to himself. "Interesting. Looks like Kenzo has a debtor. But this one's nothing compared to mine."
A while later, the door to Kenzo's office swung open. Lucas, a man with green curly hair falling to his jawline, stepped out, wearing a jet-black suit and a glove on his right hand. As Kai and Anton passed him, he showed no hostility, yet an icy chill ran down their spines. They both knew what would happen if they failed this time.
Inside the office, the first thing that caught their eye was Kenzo's massive golden desk. Behind it sat the towering, muscular gang boss, his back turned to them as he watched a show on his hologram television. Sensing their presence, he switched off the screen and spun his chair to face them.
"So, I see you lads have come for redemption," Kenzo said, exhaling a puff of smoke from his cigar. "Despite your betrayal, you're still some of my top men. So, as a generous leader, I'll give you a chance."
"What's the job, sir?" Anton asked, arms crossed.
Kenzo pressed a button on his desk, and a black briefcase emerged from a compartment. "Deliver this to the Blood Brotherz. They're business partners of mine. I'll send you the location for the exchange. You are to collect nothing less than 500,000 MP."
Kai stepped forward and took the briefcase.
As they turned to leave, Kenzo's tone darkened. "If my money is not complete, I will hunt down everyone you love. The longer you take to pay me back, the more of them will die—one by one. And you will be the last."
A heavy silence filled the room. Kai and Anton swallowed hard before exiting. As they passed through the hallway, Lucas escorted them, silencing the mocking gang members, including Eve.
Outside, Lucas transmitted the location to their wristbands. "Don't screw this up," he said before disappearing back into the clubhouse.
Kai and Anton exchanged nervous glances. The thought of failure was too terrifying to voice aloud.
They entered the slum district, a place where survival meant doing whatever was necessary. A man was getting beaten and robbed nearby.
"Keep your head down," Anton whispered.
"I could take these guys on," Kai muttered.
"This is Black Cat territory. It won't end well if we start a fight."
Kai reluctantly lowered his gaze.
As they passed, two beautiful women called out, "Hey, handsome, want some company?"
Kai scoffed. "It's noon."
Anton, meanwhile, was gaping.
"How about later tonight?" one of the women purred.
"Never. Desperate hookers," Kai replied, dragging Anton along.
"He didn't mean that!" Anton called back.
Anton sighed. "This is why you're still single."
Kai smirked. "This is Whiz Mob territory. Stay alert."
Anton straightened. "Let's go."
TO BE CONTINUED...