England, 2023 — 7:12 a.m.
The day had only just begun.
The sun had risen, and yet the sky above the vast forests was a deep gray.
Thick, heavy clouds barely allowed any light to penetrate their mass, plunging the surroundings into a cold and silent atmosphere.
On the balcony of a residence situated in the heart of a vast estate, in the middle of the forest, Red stood motionless, his elbow resting on the railing.
Wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer shorts despite the freezing weather, he did not seem to feel either the cold or the wind.
Before him, a sea of grayish clouds stretched as far as the eye could see, completely covering the valley like a moving, silent ocean.
His empty eyes stared at the horizon… but seemed to have lost all their light a long time ago.
For reasons he himself could not fully understand, these colorless landscapes, saturated with shades of gray and white, brought him a feeling of peace mixed with profound melancholy.
Between two fingers, he held a cigarette that was already well smoked.
He inhaled slowly, then let the smoke escape from his lips without the slightest expression, his gaze still lost in the vast white expanse stretching out before him.
His attention was briefly drawn to a crow flying freely through the sky.
Carried by the air currents, the bird allowed itself to be swept along without restraint, as though it enjoyed absolute freedom.
Then, nothing more.
The cigarette slowly went out between his fingers, and the smoke dissipated into the cold air.
A few hours later, Red opened the French doors to his apartment and entered the living room.
Barely had he crossed the threshold when he was immediately struck by the abnormally high volume of the television, as well as the smell of alcohol lingering in the air.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he turned his head.
A man was sprawled across his couch.
Tall, imposing, with a sculpted body, yet completely relaxed, as though he had abandoned himself entirely.
A bag of chips rested on his chest, half-open, while several empty beer bottles were scattered across the coffee table, some of them knocked over.
The light from the television flickered across his face, accentuating his tired and unkempt appearance, which contrasted sharply with his physique.
Red slowly exhaled through his nose, lowering his head for a moment before taking a few steps toward him.
His bare feet glided across the snow-white tiles without making the slightest sound.
He stopped right in front of the couch, towering over the scene, his gaze fixed directly on the man. His expression remained unchanged, devoid of any emotion.
— Hey.
The man did not react.
His gaze remained fixed on the television, completely absorbed in the romantic comedy he was watching.
Red rolled his eyes slightly before trying again, a little louder this time.
— Hey ! Khan !
— AAAAHHH !!!
The man jolted violently and sprang upright on the couch, clutching his chest while breathing with difficulty.
— FOR FUCK'S SAKE !!! Ha… Red ! I've already told you to warn me when you enter a room before approaching me… I nearly died !
Red did not respond immediately.
Instead, he picked up a half-empty bottle of alcohol between two fingers and slowly swirled the liquid inside, moving it from side to side.
Without a word, his gaze settled once again on Khan, who was still sprawled across the couch, one hand resting on his forehead as he muttered under his breath.
But Red's expression did not change.
— Can you explain what you're doing here…? Why aren't you in your own apartment ?
Khan finally got up and slowly straightened himself, a grimace spreading across his face as he placed both hands on his lower back. He let out a slight groan.
— It seems pretty obvious to me… Johnny went to accompany Zain to school, which means I'm all alone at home, and the atmosphere is really depressing… Haha ! Besides, your couch is more comfortable.
Red did not even bother to sigh.
He walked over to the table and picked up the alcohol bottles one by one.
— Then stop drinking so much every time you come here… I don't want Zain to see you in this state…
Khan let out a long yawn, barely paying attention to what Red had just said.
Red walked right past him without showing the slightest sign of nervousness.
Khan picked up the half-empty bottle left on the table and stared at it for a moment between his hands.
— Says the most dangerous assassin in the world, who walks around naked twenty-four-seven whenever he's at home, in front of that very same teenager.
Once in the kitchen, Red put the bottles he had collected away in a drawer, without really caring about the words of his unwanted roommate.
— You know I can hear everything you say, right ?
Khan replied from the other side of the room without holding back in the slightest:
— Exactly, that's the whole point ! And while we're at it, you're a truly horrible roommate. Even worse than Johnny ! Hahaha !
Without paying the slightest attention to Khan's words, Red approached the sink and stopped in front of it.
It was filled to the brim with dirty dishes.
Red remained motionless for a few seconds.
— No way… I forgot to do the dishes again.
He slowly closed his eyes and gently exhaled.