The students who had ended up in the hospital didn't return for the day, leaving Max's classroom noticeably empty.
Several seats sat vacant, and yet Max could still feel nearly every pair of eyes on him.
Some students silently wondered how he was even allowed to remain at school, but most had convinced themselves it wasn't Max's fault. Surely the teachers must have seen it that way too, why else would he still be here?
Still, after witnessing what he had done, their nerves were on edge. Every time Max so much as moved in his seat, stood up, or turned his head, others would twitch or flinch instinctively.
Max had even noticed how, when he walked past other students' desks, they would become oddly possessive over their pencils, either slipping them back into their cases or pushing them far out of reach, away from Max entirely.
'This is good,' Max thought as he rested his head on the desk and closed his eyes. 'Now I don't have to focus on school or deal with anything. I can just rest.'
It was clear to everyone that Max was completely checked out, sleeping in the corner of the classroom, not paying attention to a single thing.
Some of the students were even pointing it out to Mr. Macanzie using hand signals, too afraid to speak in case they accidentally woke Max up. Yet, Mr. Macanzie chose to leave him alone, acting as if Max wasn't even there.
Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and Max was free to head home. He turned around to glance back at the school building.
'I have a feeling things are going to start changing tomorrow. Now that I've made my move, it's bound to ruffle some feathers around here... I need to prepare as much as I can with the time I have.'
For Max, that meant heading to the gym once more, to stay sharp, keep his edge, and work out exactly what moves he could make without alerting the family member watching him or having the entire school turn on him.
To get back into the shape he was in before, it would take him at least six months.
Max's instincts were right. As night fell and the city lights took over, movements were already underway in the background.
Downtown, in the lively streets brimming with energy, bars, restaurants, pool halls, karaoke lounges, and all kinds of youth-centered entertainment buzzed with life. The majority of people in the area were university students, so Dipter and his two companions, Jay and Snide, blended in perfectly.
That's when they spotted the place they were looking for—The Cube.
It was a nightclub that was impossible to miss at night, with a giant Rubik's cube protruding from its front facade. Well-known as one of the most popular clubs in the area, it had a reputation for drawing in large crowds.
Even now, at 10 PM on a weekday, not even a Friday, the queue outside stretched down the street. That alone was a testament to the venue's popularity.
But for Dipter and his friends, they walked straight past the velvet rope, heading directly to the entrance.
"What the heck? Who do they think they are, just skipping the line like that?" one man muttered from the queue.
Immediately, Dipter turned to look at the man and offered nothing but a smirk. As he moved forward, the two bouncers at the door nodded in acknowledgment, allowing him through without a word.
"Make sure that guy never gets in, ever again," Dipter said loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. "He should learn to mind his own business."
The man in the queue clearly heard every word, and his friends began to protest.
"What are you saying that for? We were already at the front of the line!" one of the girls complained.
"Of course, if they're walking straight to the front, the bouncers wouldn't stop them unless there was a real issue."
His friends gave the man a hard time, even though he was just venting his frustrations aloud.
As Dipter entered the club, the interior was dimly lit and still mostly empty, people were only just starting to arrive. Red lights scanned over certain areas of the room, casting eerie shadows, but Dipter knew exactly where he was headed.
The three of them made their way upstairs to the second floor, where a private room with a glass booth awaited them. Upon entering, they noticed several men and women in suits scattered around the room, their presence adding a distinct air of importance.
One man stood alone, his back turned to the others as he looked out through the glass window at the club below. Due to the low lighting, it was hard to make out even the color of his clothes.
Dipter took a seat alongside the other two and waited, as they usually did.
"Let's start with the good news first," the man said, still not turning around. "I heard you've been able to expand the product into several new areas. Now that you're pushing into different territories, have you run into any problems yet?"
"There was the usual mess here and there, but we dealt with it quickly," Dipter said casually. "But I'm guessing that's not why you called us in for a personal meeting, just because of that."
"No," the man replied instantly. "I want to ask you a question, am I not paying you guys enough?"
"You're paying us more than enough," Dipter answered without hesitation.
Immediately, the man turned around.
"Then why the hell am I hearing that there are problems?!" he screamed, flinging the beer bottle in his hand across the room.
It flew right past Dipter's face, smashing into the wall behind him. Despite the close call, Dipter didn't flinch. He remained calm as the man stood visibly fuming, his chest rising and falling rapidly with rage.
"Do you really see it as a problem?" Dipter replied coolly. "He's in the same position he was in from the beginning. He's no threat. But judging by how you're acting, you must be at least a little worried about him.
"So I'll ask, what exactly do you want us to do?"
Without a moment of hesitation, the man raised his hand and pointed directly at the three of them.
"I want you to get rid of this headache. Do whatever it takes to deal with him. Use whatever method, whoever you need, I never want to hear that name again!" the man barked. "I don't even care if you kill him. Just eliminate the problem, or I'll get rid of all of you!"
Hearing those words, Dipter stood up, and the other two followed suit.
"Very well," Dipter said coldly. "If you want me to act, then I'll act. Just make sure you don't end up regretting your words."
With that, he turned and left the room, already preparing himself for tomorrow.