Lin's lungs burned as he pushed his body through the final stretch of the climb. The system screen hovered at the edge of his vision, counting down the meters.
[PROGRESS: 15/20KM]
Every stride felt lighter than the days before. The heavy, sluggish feeling in his legs was vanishing, replaced by a springy, explosive energy. A few minutes later, he reached the summit of the hill and came to a stop.This is becoming a lot more easier, he thought, his chest heaving.
He felt sweat build up on his forehead. He wiped his forehead with his hand and stopped, looking at his damp palm in shock. Sweat? He was surprised that he broke a sweat in this freezing air. Maybe it's because mom made me wear this wool sweater than the normal sports sweater, he reasoned. He looked out over the city. I'll miss her when she goes back home, it gets boring and lonely sometimes. He took a long drink of water from his water bottle as he approached his apartment, but his eyes caught a glimpse of a man knocking on his door.
"I wonder who that could be," he said, slowing his pace.
Lin heard the knock as he reached the stairs. The man attempted to knock again, but his eye caught a glimpse of a shadow approaching. He turned and saw it was Lin.
"Eh, there you are Lin!"
Lin instantly smiled from excitement. "Joe! Tell me, is it done?"
Joe chuckled and gestured toward the driveway with a thumb. "Why else would I be here? Feast your eyes on that."
Lin smiled even more. He quickly made his way down the stairs.
Lin walked around the car, inspecting every inch. The paint was smooth, the dents from previous accidents completely gone. "Woah," Lin breathed, running a hand over the cool metal. "Joe, you did the bodywork too? Wait" His face suddenly tightened with worry. "I don't have to pay extra for this, right?"
Joe laughed, slapping Lin on the back. "You're my no 1 customer. Consider it a late Christmas gift from me."
Lin opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted. Beep-Beep, Beep-Beep. The alarm from his watch went off. He had a reminder for 8:30 AM.
"Shit! I'm going to be late!" Lin scrambled toward the stairs. "Joe, I appreciate it so much! I'll transfer the money as soon as I'm inside!"
Miles away, the air was thick with the scent of blood inside an abandoned building with a tall fence surrounding it. A trail of bodies started at the front entrance and continued through the hallways gore continued into the hallway and up into the rooms.
One of the men still alive crawled with terror in his eyes. He sat on the floor, leaning against a blood-splattered wall, and screamed, "Who... who the hell are you guys?!"
Razor stepped out the shadow and stood over the man. Without a word, he raised his gun and fired once. The man's head snapped back and hit he wall, and his body hit the floor with a heavy thud.
"Didn't know you were so skilled with a gun," a voice called out. Razor turned to see Naoa spinning lazily in a office chair in the center of the room.
"Well there's a lot you don't know about me," Razor replied, his voice flat. Naoa chuckled, his eyes following Razor as he began to inspect the room. Books of research were packed onto the shelves, filled with knowledge of "Shins" the spirits responsible for their powers.
"Didn't know more people knew about Shins," Napa stopped spinning. "Why did we have to kill them all, anyway?" Naoa asked while throwing a pen up in the air and catching it.
Razor pulled a leather-bound book from a shelf. "If more people learn how to manipulate Shin energy, the Order has more problems to deal with. Knowledge is a weapon, Naoa."
Naoa groaned, spinning the chair faster. "Bras is a pain. You clearly didn't need me here for a bunch of no-bodies. Why did I have to tag along?"
"Idiot," Razor scuffed, his eyes scanning a page of the book. "It's clearly for your powers." He stopped on a page filled with complex drawings of human anatomy and energy flow. "It seems they almost learned how to use Shins without a ritual."
Without another word, Razor trashed the table, ripping the research book into tiny, unrecognizable shreds. Naoa stood up, his boots crunching on the glass littering the floor. He stepped on the hand of a corpses, his eyes turning cold and fierce. "Hey, Razor. Just so we're clear... I'm not governed by any moral compass. I'll kill whatever needs to be killed." He put his weight down, crushing the hand of the corpse. Razor stared at him as he said those words, his eyes diverting to Naoa's leg.
Naoa stared at Razor with his cold, fierce eyes. Razor sighed and folded his arms. "I don't care about morals, I just follow orders," he said, staring directly back into Naoa's eyes.
Suddenly, a tiny, squeaky noise arose from under a nearby corpse. Both Naoa and Razor reacted instantly. Razor quickly drew his gun and shot at the body. A small rat scurried out from under the dead man, terrified.
Naoa laughed hard, doubling over and tapping Razor on the back. Razor's eyebrow twitched with pure irritation. He shoved Naoa's hand off. "Alright, this place is starting to reek. Do your thing, Naoa."
Razor headed for the door, but Naoa called out, "We're you headed?" his hand glowing with a faint blue light.
"I hate the smell of burning flesh, I'll just wait outside."
Naoa tapped his foot once. A blue ripple flowed across the floor, activating the barrier, blocking the exit. Razor walked into the invisible wall and was repelled back. He sighed, "You gotta be kidding me," turning around. "Naoa, let me out."
Naoa grinned and waved a finger. A small, circular opening formed in the barrier just large enough for Razor to squeeze through. Outside, Razor leaned against the car, staring at the empty land where the house used to be. The barrier formed a perfect illusion, making it look like no building was there.
He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and tucked a stick between his lips. "I'm always surprised by how this barrier works." He searched his jacket, patting every pocket but he couldn't find his lighter.
He sighed, looking at his tired reflection in the car's window. "I think I'm gonna get a haircut."