'Suspicious.'
Before she realized it, Cindy had been staring at Jack the entire class. Every time he answered, every time his eyes focused, every time he acted.
'And who was that girl he was with that day?' she thought, remembering the scene at the food courtyard—Jack attempting a pitiful escape as she left a beautiful girl that she was apparently having a conversation with. After that, Jack had disappeared. He had said he had been hospitalized, but it didn't add up that he looked so healthy that time.
'He seemed very sick the day before, but he's clearly hiding something.' She thought.
After class, Jack went through his usual routine. He stayed at school for a while, chatting with classmates before heading with them to the ramen shop—dinner for some, snacks for others.
Then he caught the community bus home.
There were no developments yet about the situation.
Two Association agents still patrolled the area, keeping watch over Joe Carlos and any suspected members of GraveAsh.
Jack could sense their presence easily now—the faint signature of awakened individuals pinging in his mind thanks to the map and his appraisal skill.
Joe Carlos, according to briefings, was a former member of the GraveAsh Syndicate—currently hunted by both his own group and the Association.
Sharon, the woman who fought Lucy, was in GraveAsh as well… but simultaneously in secret communication with Joe Carlos apparently.
'GraveAsh Syndicate,'Jack thought as he walked.
'It is a charity organization on paper and is listed as an organization of awakeners by the Association, but at the same time, they are suspected of engaging in drug-dealing activities beneath the surface, and is especially active in the lower districts.'
'This isn't the first time I've heard their name, but they are dangerous.'
Another group surfaced in his mind.
'Cries… They're basically the worst and biggest terrorist organization in awakened society.'
He exhaled quietly.
'If they're connected to Joe Carlos or those experiments with Substance 56…'
The thought alone tightened his chest. He doesn't know a lot about the awakened society, but based on what everyone was saying, the existence of Cries itself was a big deal. Any country that they enter to was usually embroiled in severe conflicts later on and was a grave threat to national security.
x---x
The next day was a holiday.
The private agency remained operational. But they have the day mission-free at the moment. Everyone was simply on immediate on-call status.
'…'
Soon, Jack and Lucy arrived at a small park and walked toward a set of benches. A lot of people was already there, finishing what looked like morning drills.
"Older brother! Older sister! You're early!"
A large teen in training clothes waved as he jogged over.
It was David.
He eyed their outfits—Jack in a hoodie jacket and Lucy in her usual tight training gear.
"Older brother… you're planning to work out in that?" David then asked, confused.
"No," Jack sighed. "I have to check up on Shadow first, so I'll change later."
"Ah. Got it." David immediately understood what he was referring to and nodded. "I'm done with my run. Give me a sec."
After greeting them, he quickly jogged off to rinse his face at a nearby community faucet.
Even without trying, David's body reminded Jack of a seasoned athlete that has sharp form and powerful strength. His build and height alone could intimidate anyone, despite him still being a teenager.
'When I was a teenager, I worked out too and was pretty confident in what I looked like, but he beats me by a mile. That kid.' He laughed at himself.
When David finished, the three of them began walking.
They didn't ride any vehicle today since GH Securities was only a few streets away from the park.
Only employees and clients with schedules get to enter the GH Securities tower, but they were technically employees. Thus, they passed through the building's entrance and entered the elevator, which carried them down into the underground levels.
Their first stop was Sector D—specifically, Sector F within it. The restricted zone for medical trials and scientific experiments.
Though unauthorized personnel were never allowed inside, Shadow had been kept here since the incident.
Unfortunately for everyone, Jack was the only one who could make the cat behave—even a little, so he had been mandated to visit two days a week to assist the caretakers.
Because of Substance 56, Shadow had become an extremely important research subject. He was, after all, the final survivor of grueling experiments.
Entering one of the rooms, a woman in her late twenties then welcomed them. The woman's name was Riza, a researcher in a crisp white lab coat, and also an awakened.
Jack had visited twice a week, and while progress was slow, it was steady.
Shadow remained unfriendly to everyone except him. And since he was too fast, too alert, and too unpredictable to safely handle, the team mostly left food and basic necessities inside the enormous white containment cubicle that served as Shadow's temporary habitat.
Jack's role was simple:
Calm Shadow down, stay with him during tests, and make sure things didn't get out of hand. The cat, despite being little, after all was actually very dangerous.
"How are you?"
"Meow."
"Eat well, huh? And don't trouble the others. They are just protecting you after all."
The cat stared at him with its colorful shining pupils which was a side effect of the Substance 56. Then it turned his head to the side as if it disagreed.
Jack just chuckled.
Eventually, the cat rubbed itself to his hand again. 'Thankfully, while they did experiments, Shadow wasn't hurting at all.' Jack just thought to himself. 'I was quite worried when they said they'll be doing experiments, but it seems that my worries is unfounded.' Jack said to himself, as he used the appraisal skill to check on Shadow's health.
He had scanned Shadow with appraisal several times he visited and the cat was fully healed now, healthier than ever.
"Thank you for your assistance again, Employee Jack," Riza then said warmly.
"No, no, it's my pleasure," Jack replied with a gentle smile, stroking Shadow's head one last time before leaving.
He wasn't close to Riza, but she seemed like a genuinely decent person. And considering the system identified her as a top-tier awakener, Jack made sure to stay polite and never get on her nerves.
'…'
Once done, Jack joined David and Lucy outside Sector D, and the three headed toward the Training Sector.
Jack changed into training gear before entering.
The first time he saw the massive facility, he had been amazed.
It was a gigantic cave-like dome—almost the size of a football stadium—filled with equipment, simulated terrains, and specialized arenas.
'Ever since I saw this, I had wanted to try it for myself. And with the system's level up, this is the right time!' he thought as they stepped inside, swallowed by the echoing chamber.
'I can't wait. I want to test a lot of things.' He said, opening the visual interface on his mind as the the loud rhythm of training—grunts, impacts, bursts, clashing exercises—filled the air as they walked deeper inside.
x---x
If you're enjoying the story, feel free to drop some Power Stones, Golden Tickets, or even a review. It really helps the book gain more exposure, and I'd appreciate it a lot!