Tomas remained alone in the training space, the rubber floor darkened by sweat marks and scuffs. The practice knife moved in his hand again and again—short, precise strikes, controlled angles, no wasted motion. Each repetition burned into his muscle memory, a silent rhythm of violence.
I have one goal, he thought. NovaCure. Every corrupted person tied to it. Every collaborator.
There was no anger in the thought anymore—only focus. Anger was a distraction, a flicker of heat that could lead to a mistake. Here, in the quiet of the gym, he was cold.
I have nothing left to lose. Only myself.
The phone on the bench vibrated.
Viktor.
Tomas answered immediately. "Yes."
"Hello, Tomas," Viktor said. His voice was as level as ever. "I heard Mateo tested your skills. Come to my office. I want to talk face to face."
"I'll be there," Tomas replied.
He wiped the sweat from his neck with a towel, steadied his breathing, and headed back inside. The house was quiet, heavy with its usual controlled tension. As he reached the second floor and turned toward Viktor's office, the heavy oak door opened.
Mateo stepped out.
His expression was serious, unreadable. For a moment, the two men stood in the narrow hallway, the air thickening between them. Tomas lowered his head slightly and moved to pass, but Mateo spoke first.
"After you finish with Viktor—come see me."
Nothing more. Mateo walked away without waiting for an answer.
Tomas entered the office. The scent of cedar and old paper hung in the air.
"Sit," Viktor said calmly.
Tomas took the armchair across the low table. Viktor poured warm tea into a cup and slid it toward him. The steam rose in a thin, straight line.
"Mateo says you're exceptionally talented with a knife," Viktor continued, watching Tomas over the rim of his own cup. "Because of that, you'll receive your first assignment in a few weeks. You still have time to train."
Tomas nodded.
"There's more," Viktor added. "I want you to examine my people—those in this house and those returning from missions. Injuries, recovery. You'll work as a doctor."
"That's fine," Tomas said evenly. "I was going to ask you about something anyway."
Viktor leaned back, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Go on."
"NovaCure," Tomas said.
Viktor's eyes sharpened. "Valentin."
"Yes. You know who he is—and what NovaCure really does. Not the legal side."
"I know enough," Viktor replied. "Illegal pharmaceuticals. Expansion. Corruption. I've never met Valentin personally, but his reach is long."
"He knows me," Tomas said flatly. "He knows my face. I have information about their illegal operations—and who profits from them. He believes I no longer have proof. But if he sees me working openly with you, especially as security for Isabel Rojas, he'll suspect something."
Viktor was silent for a moment, the clock on the wall ticking rhythmically. "So you're saying your presence could complicate things."
"Yes."
Viktor studied Tomas's face, looking for a tremor of fear or a spark of hesitation. He found neither. "Do you still have evidence?"
Tomas's voice didn't change. "You want control of the port. Half belongs to NovaCure. The other to Amber Port Logistics. NovaCure won't be a problem. In three months, I'll start acting. I'll take care of them."
The room felt colder, despite the tea.
"And Amber Port?" Viktor asked.
"I'll work as Isabel's security. I'll help you there."
Viktor looked into Tomas's eyes—cold, steady, resolved. He saw a man who had already processed his own end.
"I understand," Viktor said finally. "We'll focus on Amber Port Logistics first. NovaCure—we'll leave to you. Or we will work separately."
"Agreed."
Tomas stood. "One more thing. I need a larger room tomorrow. Medical supplies."
He began to list the requirements with clinical efficiency: bandages, antiseptics, sutures, splints, and pain management tools. He spoke like the surgeon he used to be.
"Have everyone report for medical checks," Tomas finished. "Injuries, recovery, treatment."
Viktor wrote everything down on a notepad. "There's an office at the end of the second-floor corridor. Large, unused. Not very clean."
"Have it prepared," Tomas said.
"It will be done."
They nodded to each other—a professional understanding between two men who dealt in different types of death.
Outside the office, Tomas paused. Work, he thought. Finally. A way to be useful while he waited for his window to open. Then he remembered Mateo.
Tomas turned and headed back toward the training hall. Mateo was waiting, sharpening a blade under the dim bulb. The rhythmic scrape of steel on stone echoed like a whisper in the empty space.
"Ready?" Mateo asked, not looking up.
Tomas nodded, his eyes cold and focused.
Mateo stood, wiping the blade clean with a rag. He began to pace slowly, his voice steady, like a teacher reciting a deadly mantra.
"To become fast and undetected, to eliminate enemies one by one—you must rebuild yourself. Step by step. This isn't about brute force; it's precision, patience, and becoming invisible. Here's the plan. Follow it every day, without fail."
He took a piece of chalk and drew a rough grid on the floor—zones for speed, stealth, and strikes.
Step 1: Build Foundation – Body and Mind
"Start with your body. You need endurance to strike and vanish. Run daily—start at 5 km, build to 10. Not on tracks; in alleys, forests, uneven terrain. Mix sprints: 30 seconds full speed, 1 minute walk. Repeat 10 times. This trains explosive speed for closing distance.
For the mind: meditate 20 minutes daily. Sit in darkness, focus on breath. Visualize targets—see their routines, their weak spots. Imagine the kill: approach, strike, escape. No emotion. Emotion slows you.
Add strength: push-ups, pull-ups, squats—50 each, three sets. Keep your knife in hand during these drills to feel its weight as part of you."
Step 2: Master Movement – Speed and Silence
"Now, speed without noise. Train 'ghost steps'—walk on your toes, roll the heel last. Practice on gravel, leaves, creaky floors. The goal: cross 50 meters unheard. Use mirrors to watch your form—no sway, no rustle.
For undetected approach: learn the shadows. In low light, hug the walls, use cover. Drill: set obstacles like boxes and chairs, cross the room without touching the light. Time yourself—under 30 seconds for 20 meters.
Incorporate the knife: shadow box with the blade. Strikes in motion—lunge, slash, retreat. 100 reps daily. Feel the balance: the knife leads, the body follows. Speed comes from your hips, not your arms."
Mateo demonstrated—a fluid lunge, the blade slicing the air silently, and a retreat like smoke vanishing.
Step 3: Learn the Art of Elimination – One by One
"This is where you become the reaper. You already know anatomy—vitals: carotid in the neck, 5-10 seconds to blackout. Subclavian artery under the collarbone, massive bleed. Liver, where the pain shuts them down. Use a dummy: mark the zones, strike precisely. 50 per target, vary the angles.
For one-by-one: train chaining. Set three dummies in a room. Approach the first from behind—throat slash. Pivot to the second—heart stab. Roll to the third—kidney thrust. Time under 15 seconds. Practice in the dark—rely on touch and sound.
Undetected kills: use the environment. Hide in crowds, strike in blind spots. Drill: simulate a group with a circle of chairs as guards. Eliminate them one by one without alerting the others. If you make noise—start over."
Step 4: Integration – Become the Shadow
"Combine all. Full drills: infiltrate the zone, eliminate targets, exfiltrate unseen. Add variables—alarms, or me watching you. If you fail? Repeat.
Mental: visualize failures. What if you're spotted? Counter: disarm, silence quickly. Knife disarm—grab the wrist, twist, counter-strike. Practice with me. You're not fighting men—you're ending threats."
Mateo stopped pacing. "Train this way. Every day. The knife will become you."
Tomas looked at Mateo with a cold, emotionless expression. "I remember every step. I will start tomorrow."
Mateo looked at Tomas's face, searching for a flicker of the man he used to be. "I have one more question for you. You are a doctor who saves lives, but this path is the opposite. You are becoming a man who takes lives. Do you really want to take this path and lose yourself?"
The room seemed to grow even colder. Without hesitation, Tomas spoke, his voice a flat line.
"I already lost myself. This path will be the end for me, so that good people can live in peace."
A shiver ran down Mateo's spine. Looking into Tomas's green eyes—empty, yet full of a deep-seated pain and anger—Mateo realized the truth. When Tomas finally learned everything, no one would be able to control him. No one would be able to stop him.
He was looking at a man who was becoming the most dangerous person he had ever met, and for the first time, Mateo wondered if he had made the right choice in teaching him..