Elite rookies

I walked into a narrow hallway, and headed for the stairs at the far end of the hallway. Then jogged down the stairs quickly and opened a double door which led to a noisy bar.

I paused and scanned the faces in the bar, till I saw someone who was waving at me with a smile... Peter. I walked over to his table with Mike, where there were two other people sitting with him.

"Alex... It's an honour to work with you" Peter stood up and said with an amiable smile, while stretching his palm for a handshake.

Peter was a human who had a ginger curly hair, and had a timid look. He had more achievement and respect than me, and was famous for his friendliness and 'kind' heart.

But that was all what he wanted people to think about him, because Peter was a snake, who could skin you alive with a warm smile... And is considered the most dangerous among us all.

I didn't return his gesture and stared at the other two people who were sitting with him. A guy and a girl who both had long blonde hair, and were both half elves. They were smooching themselves like they were on a honeymoon, and didn't even notice my presence.

The creepy couple.

They were two young lovers, Ellen and Michael, who were always seen together, and looked very lovely and caring. But we named them 'the creepy couple' for a reason... They were both psychopath who enjoyed torturing people, and they both had more achievement and respect than I do.

"Four skilled rookies in a team... Am I the only one who finds this mission suspicious?" I asked, and tilted my head to glance at Peter.

"Alex? It's been long since I last saw you... Why are you looking so thin and pale?" Ellen turned and exclaimed in surprise, when she heard my voice.

"I'm not..." I replied with a grim expression.

"Actually... You are" Michael said, while sizing me up.

"Mike, could you excuse us?" Ellen asked Mike, who had been silent behind me.

He was the only one who wasn't skilled here.

Mike smiled bitterly and nodded, "I'll be waiting outside then" he said, and walked away.

"Why'd you do that for?" I asked with a raised brow.

Ellen smile instantly vanished and she exchanged looks with Michael, "You both should sit please" Michael said.

I exchanged looks with Peter, then we both sat on the stool opposite the creepy couple.

*Sigh*

"We are all of age to use a relic, and we have been promised one each... But we all know that's not gonna happen. Now let's be honest with ourselves... If there's a bounty on our heads" Michael said with a serious tone.

"I wasn't given any order, which is very strange..." I replied with a serious tone.

In most of our missions, we've been ordered to assassinate rookies who went on missions with us, to get their share of the payment. And this current mission is a special one, which has four skilled rookies in a team... And we all know how that usually ends.

"Me neither, which made me think I was gonna be the victim this time around" Peter said, and chuckled awkwardly while wiping the sweat on his face with his palms.

"That all confirms my suspicions... It's either we get killed by the team during the robbery, or Mike was contracted to do it" Ellen said, and glanced at me.

"...We are elite rookies, how's that possible?" Peter asked, and chuckled in amusement.

"Alex?..." Ellen called out.

"Yes... it's him" I said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked in surprise.

The reason why Ellen wanted to confirm her suspicions from me wasn't because I was his best friend, but because I was the most skilled at perception.

And how I noticed was because Mike is usually tensed when going on a mission, and I was the one who always assured him that nothing would go wrong... But today, he was the one assuring me, and that only points in one direction...

"He's an inheritor" I scoffed and said.

*Gasps*

"That can't be true..." Peter said in shock.

"Alex has never been wrong... We don't know what kind of ability he now possesses, so we are to be extremely vigilant" Michael said, while glancing at each of us.

"Even if we survive this ordeal, the gang would never let us walk free" I said, while tapping my foot on the concrete floor.

"Alex, are you really okay with killing Mike?" Ellen asked with a serious tone.

"You should know better than to ask such questions" I replied with a creepy smile.

"We have few minutes left before the inheritors arrive... Let's make a plan" Peter said with a smirk.

-

The strongholds were demarcated into three sections... Noble heart, business district, and the outskirt. The stronghold is circular, and the noble heart is located in the middle, then around it is the business district, and surrounding the business district is the outskirts.

Each of these sections has walls around it, with only two gates leading in or out. The noble heart has a gate in the east and west, the business district has a gate in the north and south, and the outskirts has a gate in the east and west.

A maze formation.

The noble heart is home for the king, his government officials, and those who has powerful abilities. The business district is home for business officials, those who has considerable abilities, and all legal trades. The outskirts were for people who amounted to nothing, and had no chance to gain abilities when they were sixteen.

Each section of the stronghold has a strict requirement for passage except the outskirts. An individual couldn't enter the noble heart without an invitation or clearance, and even with that, their time would be limited, depending on the position of the person who invited them over. While the business district was closed off to anyone who wasn't an inheritor.