Back to present day,
6th August,
11:50 am,
"Wake up bro. You planning to sleep till evening?"
Cain woke up from his deep sleep to the sound of a stranger's voice. When he opened his eyes, he was met by a tall guy with earrings who was blocking the sunlight from falling on him.
"Hmm... Who ae you?" Cain asked as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Taehoon from Scythers, I think you're Cain, Aren't you?" He asked Cain by showing him his character details on his phone.
"Yeah, you got the right person. Anyway, what brings you here."
"Well, George has send me to invite you to a meeting today at kingpin's room, straight 6'o clock evening."
"I don't have any plans for today anyway. Done."
Cain replied as he starts walking towards the main corridor.
"Kingpin has also given you a warning to stay away from non-surveillance zones in campus, specially alone."
"Yeah, yeah I know. Also, I am not in mood of a fight today anymore."
Cain replied casually as he continued to walk towards the main corridor without turning back, Taehoon followed behind Cain.
"George had also asked you to take proper care of your wounds."
"I have taken care of it already. And can you stop reading the orders they have given you from your phone?" Cain said as he took a peek on his wound.
"Don't mind me, I have a weird habit of forgetting things. So, I have to note it in my phone.
Well, I haven't seen you before. Do you belong to the senior faction?" Taehoon asked as he followed him.
"Faction? What is it?" Cain asked as he continued walking.
"I assume you aren't part of Kingpin's squad.
You could say that the senior faction is where the experienced members are, and the rookie faction is for those who are new.
Or, should I say, it was..."
Taehoon trailed off, becoming completely silent.
"Which one were you in?" Cain asked, noticing Taehoon's sadness.
"I was in the Rookie faction. At the time when I joined, Kingpin was paying 20,000 bucks a month. Great profit, right?"
Taehoon said with excitement.
"Well, you still haven't introduced yourself properly."
"If you want to hear in regards of link with your group. I am kind of a business partner.
You would've heard of the name of Fennec."
Taehoon suddenly stopped walking as he realized what he had said.
"Fennec? You mean the leader of the Feral Dogs Cartel?
The one and only organization to defeat our senior raiders." He asked with shock as he looked at Cain in disbelief.
Cain stopped to take a look at Taehoon shocked,
"If you mean at Building-56 of Resdel, then you're right.
Well, we don't exist anymore."
With this Cain resumed walking and took a turn towards his class.
"So, wait. You mean you joined our team after that incident, and the contract salary we were receiving was from your organization?"
"Not totally, but almost 50-60%." Cain replied to his question.
"Bro? For real?"
Taehoon took a slight laugh before continuing.
"And here I was flexing my money to the real boss."
As he was about to reach his class, he stopped to face Taehoon again.
"I am about to enter class, you should go too.
Its going to raise suspension for teachers, if I stay out too late.
Give my thanks to George for checking on me. Also have a nice day."
"Have a nice day too... I guess." Taehoon replied to Cain.
Both shake hands, before Cain began going towards his class.
"Hmm... I think I should go too."
Taehoon said as he turns back and starts walking, but stops after some distance.
"Wait....
Seems like I am forgetting something. What was it?"
* * *
6th August,
12:03 am,
Class 1/C,
"So, class we are going to study the second topic of chapter Real numbers. Everyone is expected to pay attention toward it. Even if it isn't a tough topic, but students are found to be making mistakes in silly points. So-"
"Sir, may I come in?" Cain asked as he was about to enter the class.
"Yes, come in." The teacher replied to Cain's request.
But as Cain entered his classroom the class, he asked him while noticing something.
"Its been 10 minutes since the class started and I hadn't notice anyone going outside. Can I know, how much time it has been since you left the class?"
"I had an injury, so....
I was taking rest from the recess break until now."
Cain replied while taking some time.
"Injury? Can I have a look at it.
Don't mind, but as you can see, some are already sitting at the back of class taking rest with same reason.
So, its just for reassurance."
Cain glanced at the back of the class and noticed the familiar faces of two out of the five individuals he had fought with. Their piercing gazes held a deep sense of animosity towards him.
However, what troubled him the most was his injury.
If he were to open his coat, the torn shirt and the knife wound on his body would undeniably reveal his involvement in a fight.
And fights in campus is completely banned.
Despite his reservations, Cain had no choice but to reluctantly accept the request.
"Y-Yeah, just a moment."
Cain said as he was about to take out his coat.
"Wait a minute sir." A loud voice was heard in the class.
Cain turned around to see someone standing up.
It was Kyla, from whom he had received the first aid package from.
"Sir, he's telling the truth. I was at the charge of infirmary during recess."
She said while defending him.
Cain was surprised, but he accepted it as he nodded in agreement with her statement.
"Then, okay go and sit behind. And rest of you, pay attention to class. So we were discussing about...."
The teacher said as he allowed him to sit.
"Thanks."
"Its okay."
Cain thanked Kyla as he walked past her.
However, every time Cain had a conversation with her, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he had heard her voice before, even though a long time ago.
As Cain turned back to glance at her, he caught her watching him.
Startled, she quickly averted her gaze and looked straight ahead.
But as Cain continues to walk and finally reaches his seat, the two of those whom he had beaten were already waiting for him,
He took a seat just at the desk which was located just beside them,
"It would have been better if you had chosen peace with us, but this is just the beginning of a lot of troubles,"
Redalf said, smirking. He was sitting at the desk beside Cain, issuing a warning.
"Don't know about your group, but..."
Cain turns to look at him before continuing.
"It's better if none of you come before my eyes alone.
Otherwise, the place where we meet will also be your final resting place"
This threat immediately made him step back as he looked at Cain with tense eyes.
On the other hand, Cain's cold gaze gave the impression that this task was just a normal daily routine for him.
Redalf was completely silent, when the one sitting beside him Caesar faintly whispered Redalf in his ear
"Boss, I think his mouth needs to be checked by you personally..."
"Can you shut the fuck up, Did you forget just what he did to us just some hours ago?" Redalf quietly whispers back.
"I don't know, I fainted as he banged my head on the sink."
Caesar casually answered to his question.
"You fainted with just a hit and I had to wake you up.
Where, I had to endure five goddamn head slaps against a wall before he finally dropped me to the ground.
And the nurse didn't even buy my excuse of slipping on the floor. I had to act all emotional, just to avoid causing any trouble so she can treat me without excuse."
Redalf told his story to Caesar as he tried to calm himself down.
"Man... that was hard. I sympathize you."
Caesar said, looking at Redalf worried.
"So, for God's sake, shut up and don't interrupt when I'm talking to this psycho."
Redalf tells Caesar in a faint voice to which he nods in return.
Redalf readjusted his facial expression to a tough one before he turned his head towards Cain,
"We would see you after the school, di*khead."
"Oh really?"
Cain replied in a casual manner as he was busy texting on his phone.
Redalf continued,
"We would show you what it means to put your hand in a blazing fire-"
"Can you both assholes shut up!"
A girl's sound came from Cain's right side who was also sitting back but reading a book.
In return of which Caesar blurted out with anger,
"Who the hell are you to tell us bi**h....
Damn, she's beautiful....
What's her name boss?"
"Yeah, isn't it? Her silver hair seems like a fairy one-... cough... cough....
Stop being a pus*y hound Caesar, or this time I will really report it to Onyx."
Redalf interrupted him as he turned around to glare at Caesar.
Cain also moved his head towards right side to notice Ava, and as he was about to focus on his phone again, he found something strange on her which made him look towards her again.
He noticed a mole on her neck which was at the same spot as it is on Zohan.
Only some of his members know that Zohan has a mole on his neck with a fine print of number '05', and Cain is also one of them to know this fact. But Zohan himself knows nothing about its origin, and believes it as his birthmark.
It's usual to have a mole for multiple people at same place, but Cain was even more confused because his instincts kept telling him that there is a number on it.
Unable to resist his curiosity, he attempted to discreetly drop his phone near her feet to get a better and clearer look at it.
"Excuse me."
With this Cain tried to get a closer look at her neck while picking up his phone.
Cain was astonished to notice yet another number, this time '03'.
However, as Cain had been in his position for quite some time, Ava took notice of his gaze and turned towards him, having an expressionless look, to ask.
"What the f**k are you looking at foxy hair?"
"Huh?
Oh... nothing. My bad."
Cain returned to his seat while saying this.
As Cain returned to his seat, he couldn't stop himself wiping out his sweat on his face from his right hand. His eyes instantly looked down and sank in deep thought.
Cain was fine upto noticing the number on her neck, but her calling him foxy hair made him feel weird because it was the second time him being called by this nickname except for Zohan.
Also, her attitude, expression, voice tone, everything was exactly similar to what Cain had seen in Zohan.
Cain again took a glance at her before he faintly whispered to himself.
"How the f**k are both of them related?"