The university classes had finally come to an end for the day. With the night sky rolling in over the campus, the streets naturally filled with students who weren’t ready to go home yet. Groups were meeting up at various local bars and restaurants, looking for any kind of entertainment to shake off the stress of their exams.
But one specific group of friends decided to steer clear of the usual spots. They headed to a small, low-profile venue on the edge of the district. It wasn’t popular with the university crowd because it lacked a real party scene, and the floor plan was tiny, only able to fit about thirty people maximum.
But that was exactly why they chose it. It was the perfect sanctuary for a group of students who just wanted to sit in a quiet corner and talk without being drowned out by music.
"Come on, guys!" Jono said, lifting his heavy glass mug high into the air. "If I knew you were all going to be this depressing, I would have just gone out clubbing with the mainstream crowd. When I go out at night, I want to forget about my worries, not drown in them."
Jono stared across the wooden table at Eric, the ace of the Wushu club, and Steve. After all the crazy incidents that had pushed them into the firing line at the university, the boys had become incredibly tight. They weren’t alone at the table, either; Yovan and Talia were sitting right beside them, looking equally drained.
"Well, things have definitely been better," Talia said, swirling the ice in her glass. "I mean, we’ve finally been able to focus on our studies, and no one from the local gangs seems to be causing us any trouble anymore. It’s just... I can’t shake it."
"You can’t stop thinking about him?" Yovan asked gently. "Honestly, I don’t blame you, Talia. And it isn’t just because you have a massive crush on the guy, either. We all feel it."
"Yeah," Steve muttered, leaning his elbows on the table. "It always felt like Max genuinely wanted to study here. He wanted to try his best to fit in and just be an ordinary kid. He saved our lives and helped us out when we were cornered, but we were never able to do a single thing for him in return."
Jono slammed his mug down on the table, the loud thud cutting through their heavy mood.
"Oh, come on, think about it logically!" Jono said, leaning forward. "You all saw what Max could do with his bare hands. Honestly, forcing a guy like that to live an ordinary life—going to lectures, graduating, and getting a boring corporate desk job—that would be like trapping a tiger in a cage. A normal life is way too boring for someone like him. He deserves a hell of a lot more than this place.
"I’m entirely certain that wherever he is right now and whatever empire he’s running, he’s doing incredibly well. So stop worrying about him."
Jono’s little speech actually managed to cheer the table up a bit. The group let out a collective breath and started to drink, the tension finally leaving their shoulders. But their peace didn’t last long. The sharp bell above the front entrance chimed, signaling the door opening.
Turning their heads toward the draft of cold night air, they spotted two guys they had become very familiar with since the campus lockdown.
"I hope you guys didn’t drink all the good stuff without us," Rick said, a casual grin on his face as he walked over.
"Please, you don’t have to worry about this crowd running up a tab," Aki replied, tossing his jacket onto an empty chair. "Look at them. After one light drink, they’re all going to be completely tipsy anyway."
Both Rick and Aki were frontline enforcers from the Billion Bloodline. After helping Max resolve the violent crisis at the university, they had been ordered to keep a discreet eye on the campus borders for a while. In turn, they had naturally grown closer to the students, sharing personal contact numbers and occasionally getting invited out for drinks.
After ordering a round at the bar, the entire table lifted their glasses into the center, clinking them together with a loud cheer as they began to share stories.
Every once in a while, the conversation would inevitably drift back to Max. Rick and Aki, who were obviously much closer to the actual situation, kept their expressions relaxed and repeatedly assured the students that their former classmate was doing perfectly fine.
In reality, the two enforcers knew something massive was brewing in the dark. The entire Billion Bloodline group had been under an intense, suffocating level of high tension for days. The upper management had issued several strict warnings to every ranger to be on high alert for a border breach, though Max hadn’t stated exactly what kind of enemy was hunting them.
But that was a syndicate problem for the Bloodline to handle, not something to dump on regular university students. Rick and Aki kept the threat matrix to themselves, choosing to just laugh and enjoy the evening.
The fun continued until one of the restaurant servers quietly walked up to their table, stepping right up to the edge of the booth.
"Is there anything else I can get started for you guys?" the woman asked, a bright, polite smile plastered across her face.
"No, I think we’re good for now," Jono answered, reaching for his wallet. "I think we’re going to head out and join some of the other students down the street. We’ve had enough of a pre-game here."
The woman’s polite smile didn’t fade, but she slowly started to shake her head, letting out a sharp hiss as she sucked air through her teeth.
"I’m afraid I can’t let you leave the building," the woman said, her voice dropping into a cold, clinical frequency.
Before anyone could ask if she was joking, her hand smoothly reached down to her waist. Slipping her fingers into a hidden container concealed beneath her apron, she pulled out a single, metallic assassination dart, holding it casually between her fingers.
"You see, my superiors have tasked me with bringing this entire table along with me for a little negotiation," the server whispered, her eyes locking onto Rick and Aki’s tensed frames. "I’m going to ask you all to please make this easy on yourselves. Stand up and follow me out the back door... otherwise, I’m going to have to make this transition rather painful."