The masked figure freed Noah from his handcuffs. He exhaled in relief and stretched his arms. Lord Yin approached him from the front while the bulky masked figure stood behind, silently watching.
"You will be taken to your room. You'll be sharing it with others. Clothes will be provided," Lord Yin said.
With that, Lord Yin and the bulky figure left.
Soon, the masked figure escorted Noah to a wide room not far from the training arena. Beds were neatly placed every meter. Some masked figures lay on their beds, some were reading, and surprisingly, a few were using their phones.
One of the masked figures accompanying Noah announced loudly,
"Listen, everyone! This is your new member."
For a split second, they glanced at Noah, then returned to their activities.
The masked man handed Noah a plain mask, a red cloak, an ID card, and a badge with five stars.
"The fewer stars you have, the higher your rank," he explained. "This ID lets you access only the areas you're permitted to enter. The bathroom is a few steps away—change there. Your bed number is forty-five."
Later, Noah sat on his bed. There were fifty beds in total. Beside him was a small cupboard containing a phone and a few books. The walls were stark white, and the ceiling fan hummed softly, filling the room with a calm breeze.
He picked up the phone—it had no lock.
"Hey," Noah asked the masked figure beside him,
"don't these phones have restrictions?"
The figure, still reading a novel, didn't look up.
"They monitor everything we do. So don't try anything stupid."
Noah lay back and picked up a novel. As he read, a thought suddenly struck him.
"Is there a member here," he asked, "with blond hair, a girl, with beautiful green eyes?"
The masked figure finally looked at him and set his book aside.
"The girl you're talking about just ranked up. She's in the four-star room now."
"How do I get there?" Noah asked.
The masked figure gave him a skeptical look.
"It's difficult."
He glanced briefly at his phone and lowered his voice.
"I can't say more. They're watching."
"What—" Noah began.
The masked figure returned to his book, ignoring him.
Noah sighed and stood up, heading toward the washroom.
After finishing up and washing his hands, Noah walked back, lost in thought. A masked figure passed beside him.
"Hi," Noah said.
The figure glanced at him but kept walking. Noah stopped him.
"Hey. What's your rank?"
Annoyed, the masked figure replied,
"Four stars."
Noah stretched casually.
"I was hoping we could switch ranks. I'm new—I want to see the higher-ranking rooms."
"Fuck no. Get lost," the figure snapped.
Noah smiled faintly.
"Then I'll do it the hard way."
—————
Later, Noah took the badge from the masked figure lying unconscious on the floor. He replaced his own badge and continued walking.
Soon, he stood outside the four-star room. He checked the ID.
"Bed number twelve," he murmured.
Inside, the room was noticeably different. Fewer beds. More space. Each bed had partial walls for privacy, and instead of cupboards, they had proper closets. Eyes followed him as he walked past—silent, judging.
Then he saw them.
Green, sparkling eyes.
Bed number twenty.
He approached. The girl noticed him and lowered her book.
"What do you want?" she asked calmly.
Noah sat beside her.
"Hello. I just want to ask one question."
He leaned closer and whispered,
"Where is Ron?"
She stiffened. Her book slipped from her hands. After a moment, she regained her composure and whispered back,
"If I'm right about who you are… I don't know where your friend is. He was taken by a superior. You should be thinking about escaping."
Noah lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Things happened to me because of this organization. Now I'm part of it. Who are these superiors?"
Annoyed by him lying there, she replied,
"They're one-star members. The highest rank. You can recognize them by their masks."
"I've met two," Noah said calmly. "The masked men I killed talked about them. They're the ones who know about this island."
"You killed—what?"
She paused, then scoffed.
"You know what? I don't care. Leave me alone."
"One last question," Noah said. "How do I meet them? And how many are there?"
She stared at him in disbelief, then sighed.
"Probably during dinner. There are six in total—two females, four males."
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the speakers:
"Noah William. Report immediately. We need to speak with you."
—————
Noah found himself in the meeting hall. A long table stood in the center, with a projector screen at the front. Several masked figures stood around. At the head of the table sat a superior wearing a lioness mask.
Noah stood at the back, beside the masked figure he had beaten.
The lioness-mask figure sighed.
"It's your first day, and you've already attacked a senior member. This behavior is unacceptable. Continue like this, and we will take serious action."
Noah bowed slightly.
"I apologize for my behavior. I'll do my best to be a valuable member of this organization."
He paused.
"May I ask one question?"
The lioness-mask figure nodded.
"Who handles the captives you bring here?"
She leaned forward.
"The one with the rabbit mask. And don't even think about interfering with her."
"Her"… Noah thought.
The dining hall was divided into five sections—one for each star rank. The fewer the stars, the more luxurious the section.
The rabbit-mask figure finished her meal and began walking toward her room. Her mask had long ears and small eye holes, with a rabbit-like mouth carved into it. A red cloak concealed her hair.
As she walked, a voice stopped her.
"Looks like you're the one who knows where Ron is."
She turned to see Noah, masked and holding a kitchen knife.
She grinned.
"You think that's enough?"
She pulled a dagger from her cloak.
"Let's see how skilled you really are."
A CCTV camera overlooked the corridor.
In the surveillance room, Lord Yin watched the feed silently.
"Now," he said calmly,
"let me see your potential."