Lin stood in the doorway, his hand gripping the frame. He felt inferior compared to the elderly man and the wall of suited bodyguards behind him. Who was this person? Suddenly, the yellow screen flickered in front of Lin's eyes.
[NOTIFICATION]
Threat Level: Neutral.
No imminent danger detected.
"Are you preoccupied, Lin Jay?" he asked, his voice smooth and commanding.
"No," Lin managed to say, his voice a bit shaky. "I'm not."
"Good. Then walk with me." the man said. He turned and began walking toward the black car, and Lin followed.
A few blocks away, Yanda was still hunched over his binoculars. His eyes narrowed as he saw the sleek black car pull into Lin's driveway. He adjusted the focus, trying to get a clear shot of the old man's face.
"What the..." Yanda whispered.
Suddenly, the view inside his binoculars turned into a mess of gray static. The electronic feed was being jammed. Yanda slowly lowered the binoculars, his eye brows lowered in anger.
"Why is Bras here?" he muttered to the empty room. "
Inside the car, the air smelled of expensive leather and aged tobacco. The old man pulled out a cigar, clipped the end, and lit it. A thick cloud of fragrant smoke filled the cabin.
"I am a businessman," the man said, looking out the window as the car pulled away. "And a very powerful one at that. But you aren't interested in that, are you, Lin?"
He turned to look Lin directly in the eyes. "Tell me. How did you survive an attack from a Demon?"
Lin's heart stopped. His eyes widened, "I... I don't know what you are talking about."
The man chuckled, but there was no warmth in it. "Don't lie to me. I know everything. I know about the party. I know about the hospital. I know you lost enough blood, yet here you are, jogging in the snow."
He leaned closer. "We have been chasing that Demon for a long time. She is slippery, smart, and very, very old. I want to know how you did it. If I can understand how you survived, it might be the clue we need to finally destroy that monster."
Lin stared into the empty space in front of him. He thought about the "Yes" button and the yellow screens, but he couldn't talk about that. "I don't know," Lin said honestly. "I don't know why I'm still here."
"Maybe it was simply your will," the man mused.
"Who are you?" Lin asked. "How do you know about these things?"
"I belong to an underground Order," the man explained. "The public doesn't know we exist. Our sole purpose is to find those things those Demons and wipe them off the face of the earth."
The car slowed down and pulled over in front of a café. The old man looked at his watch.
"I brought you out of your house quite early," the man said. "I know you haven't had a proper breakfast. Go eat."
He handed Lin a thick, black business card with a single gold emblem on it. "If you are interested in joining us."
Lin took the card and stepped out of the car. He watched as the black vehicle drove off.
Back at a hidden facility, Yanda was walking quickly down a hallway, trying to keep up with Bras.
"Why did you do that?" Yanda asked, his voice low and urgent. "You blew our cover! We were supposed to observe him from a distance."
Bras kept walking, his expression unreadable. "I wanted to get a good look for myself. I needed to analyze him up close."
"And?" Yanda asked. "Is he Infected?"
"No," Bras said, stopping at a large window. "He's no Demon. But that's the problem, Yanda. I don't sense a life force from him either. To be honest, I don't know what he is."
Back at the café, Lin had ordered enough food for four people. He was stuffing his face with pancakes, bacon, and eggs, watching his "Fuel" bar on the system slowly rise toward his daily goal.
He finished his meal and leaned back. He pulled out the black card and stared at it, wondering if he was really ready to hunt monsters.
Suddenly, a loud thump and a gasp startled him.
A girl had tripped right in front of his table, her books and bag spilling across the floor. Lin jumped up instinctively. "Whoa, are you okay?"
He reached down and helped her up. She was beautiful, she had blonde hair and a curvy shape. She had soft features and bright, sparkling eyes.
"I'm so sorry," she said, brushing off her skirt. "I'm a bit of a klutz."
Lin laughed, handing her a notebook. "I'm Lin."
The girl took the book and smiled. She tilted her head to the side in a cute, playful way. "Nice to meet you, Lin. I'm Lia."