1 Chapter 1: Bait.

A YOUNG man walked out of a coffee shop, feeling as bright and cheerful as ever.

His silver hair was pushed back, revealing his forehead.

Brown eyes gazed at his surroundings, enjoying the slight breeze occasionally passing by.

But the peaceful atmosphere didn't last long when someone ran past him, making him spill his coffee on his white shirt.

"Shi-!" The man cursed under his breath when he looked up.

The person that ran past him, almost got into an accident!

He started running after the frantic man, shouting for him to stop.

After running a few minutes after him, He finally got the man cornered in an alley way.

"Sir, please calm down" The person shook his head, his breathing uneven as he panted.

"I promise that I won't hurt you, please tell me what you are running from" The person's wide eyes trembled.

"I- I cannot say it here…" The person's hoarse voice echoed in the quiet alley way.

"Then, let me take you to a more secure place" The person was trembling like a leaf but still nodded towards him.

"Good, now… come with me, my car is right around the corner" The silver haired male smiled, trying to ease the man's nerves.

"Y- You will keep me safe… right…?" The man nodded at his question before slowly guiding the person to his car.

--

"Your safe here… can you tell me the reason now?" The man was bewildered when the person frowned.

"What do you mean?" The person tilted his head to the side.

"I- didn't you tell me that… you will tell me who you were running from after I get you to a safe place" The silver haired male explained, astounded as the man seemed more confused.

"I wasn't running from anyone…" The person got dazed when the man started shaking him by the shoulders.

"BUT YOU SAID—" The door opened with a bang! Before an angry, buff man came in.

"What is the meaning of this, Alistair!?" The buff man screamed at the silver haired man.

"Boss! You won't believe it!" Alistair let the dizzy man go and walked towards his boss.

"What won't I believe?" The boss asked as he crossed his arms.

"This man!" Alistair pointed at the confused man.

"What about this man?" His boss asked, raising his brows.

"He lied to me!" Alistair glared at the man before turning to his boss.

"… About what?"

"He's not telling me why he was scared and running around the streets like a maniac!"

"The only maniac I see in this room, is you, Alastair… Why have you not changed your soiled white shirt?"

Alastair looked down at his shirt before mumbling something incoherent.

"It's not about me right now! Ask him why he's not telling me!" Alistair sighed in relief when his boss stood in front of the man.

"Can you tell us?" The man narrowed his eyes before shrugging.

"I don't know what you're talking about" His boss sighed before ordering.

"Alistair, take him back, it's no use" The man jumped before trembling.

"No, please! Don't take me out!" Both of them frowned before his boss spoke up.

"Will you tell us?" The man pursed his lips before nodding.

"B- But only on one condition…" Alistair came forward with a grin.

"Y- You will not take me out of this room… I feel safe here…" Alistair looked at his boss through the corner of his eye.

"Yes" His boss responded and the man visibly relaxed.

"I… I am being hunted down by 'The Thorns' " Alistair's eyes widen when he heard that name.

The Thorns was a group full of various criminals. They are known for their tendency to brutally torture people for their own satisfaction.

The leader of The Thorns is someone unknown.

They don't know his name nor his appearance. Alistair always manages to find the leader but in all of their meetings, the man was wearing a white mask to cover his face.

He always escaped from Alistair, making him more desperate to capture the escaping criminal.

"… Are you sure?" Alistair broke out of his daze and frowned.

"I am positive! The leader himself vowed to hang my head on his wall!" Alistair whistled before he was nudged by his boss.

Alistair glared at him before huffing.

"Don't worry, your safe here" His boss assured the man before dragging Alistair out of the room and closing the door.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" His boss held his forearm as he glared at him.

"What do you mean?" Alistair asked as he confusedly stared at the man in front of him.

"The Thorns are after him and you brought him here!" Alistair started blinking rapidly when he understood the situation.

The boss is worried because their people aren't trained enough and if The Thorns came to fight, they would surely loose.

"I'll try to keep their leader… occupied?" His boss was not impressed as he stared at him.

"And how will you do that?"

"That's the problem… I haven't figured it out yet…" Alistair grinned at his unamused boss.

"…"

--

Did they take the bait?" a man looked down as he kneeled in front of his leader.

"They did…" The leader started spinning the wine glass in his hand, satisfied to see the wine twirling along.

"Good"

The man pursed his lips, hesitating on asking but still soldiered on.

"Sire… Are you really going to let him go after he finishes his purpose?" The leader clicked his tongue before setting his wine glass down on the table in front of him.

"Let me ask you a question" The man grew alert but continued kneeling.

"Yes, Sire"

"Have I ever let anyone go after finishing their mission?"

"… No, Sire"

The leader's thin lips curled into a smirk before his lips released a low chuckle.

"Than what makes this man special?" The leader's dark eyes, hidden beneath the mask, showcased a glint filled with bloodlust as he gazed at the hanged faces of his victims on the walls.

"Clear a place on one of the walls" The man was used to this command as he accepted it.

"You may go now" The man immediately stood up and left the room with feather-light footsteps.

He waited until the person left the room before his hands, covered with gloves, clenched as he stood up.

His footsteps were light as he walked towards a door, opposite of the door to the exit.

He removed the glove of his right hand, exposing a pale, slender hand filled with various scars.

His hand pressed onto the detector that was on the right side of the door before he covered his hand with the glove.

The door opened, revealing a dimly lit room. It had a huge table in the middle of it with notes, maps and letters of all sorts lying neatly upon it.

The man walked into the room, his shoes created a click sound as they collided against the tiled floor.

He stood in front of the table, his eyes curling into crescents as he looked at the plan laid out in front of him.

The plan that will be the doom of everyone.

His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of an envelope with an unfamiliar stamp.

He vaguely remembers all the envelopes addressed to him and never in his life had he ever received an envelope with this stamp.

The stamp was a gorgeous cyan color with a sword carved in the middle of it.

His gloved hands picked the envelope up, his movements as graceful as that of a swan.

He inspected the stamp but his memory failed him at best.

Upon opening the letter, he confirmed that it was addressed to him and was not here by some mistake.

His dark eyes raked over the contents of the letter before a chuckle escaped his lips.

Dark eyes glowed with amusement before he dumped the letter in the trash can beside the huge table.

Oh, how he couldn't wait for his plan to take action…

His slender figure leaned on the table as he looked over at all the notes he made.

He still remembers the countless of sleepless nights he had to suffer as he planned everything.

And now his hard work will finally pay off.

He will finally be able to wipe those smug faces off of them and watch as they suffer in agony.

A crazed laugh echoed in the quiet room as he reminisced in all his glory.