White.
The first thing Jake saw was white.
White ceiling.
White curtains.
White fluorescent light humming faintly overhead.
Beep… beep… beep…
A steady rhythm beside him.
He blinked.
His vision focused slowly.
Dravers was asleep with her head resting on the edge of the hospital bed, white hair spilling across the sheets. One hand still loosely gripping his blanket like she'd refused to let go.
Adrian was leaning back dramatically in a chair—
Feet resting directly on Jake's chest.
Mouth slightly open.
Completely relaxed.
Dean sat in another chair, arms folded, snoring like a chainsaw struggling for fuel.
And Tina stood near the window, staring at the city skyline below. The afternoon sun painted her silhouette in gold. She looked… distant.
Jake shifted slightly.
The bedsheets rustled.
Tina turned.
Their eyes met.
Her expression shattered.
"Jake?!"
She rushed over instantly.
"You're awake!"
Her voice was sharp enough to cut through sleep.
Dravers' head shot up immediately.
Adrian jerked upright—
The chair tipped.
He flailed dramatically.
"WHOA—!"
CRASH.
He fell flat on his back.
Dean snored louder.
Jake tried to push himself up.
Tina immediately placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Don't. The doctor said you shouldn't sit up suddenly."
"What happened?" Jake asked, voice dry.
Dravers rubbed her eyes.
"We should be the ones asking that," she said. "You came out of that… thing… unconscious. You stayed that way for three days."
Jake blinked.
"…Three days?"
"I was asleep for three days?"
His mind raced.
it hadn't felt like that long.
Dravers crossed her arms.
"The doctor said the sudden changes your body went through were too much for your brain and nervous system. Your vitals were unstable."
She looked at him seriously.
"You could have died."
Jake stared at the ceiling.
The memory of the level-ups.
The evolution screens.
The pain.
Screen.
A translucent interface flickered into existence before him.
System Registering…
[Loading…]
A faint circular progress indicator spun beneath the text.
Huh?
Before he could focus—
The hospital ward door opened.
A man stepped inside.
Blonde hair.
Sharp features.
Early thirties.
Tailored coat over casual wear.
Too composed for a hospital visitor.
He scanned the room.
"You kids need to follow me."
His eyes shifted to Jake.
"Oh. You're awake."
No surprise in his tone.
"Good. Follow me."
Tina stepped forward instantly.
"He just woke up from a three-day coma, you can't just expect him to—"
Jake calmly reached to his arm.
He grabbed the IV drip line connected to the cannula in his vein.
Without hesitation—
He pulled it out.
The clear tube slid free.
A drop of blood followed.
Deadpan expression.
Everyone froze.
Dravers' eyebrow twitched.
Adrian, still on the floor, slowly lifted his head.
Jake swung his legs over the bed and stood up.
No wobble.
No weakness.
He flexed his fingers.
His body felt… light.
Stable.
Stronger.
"I'm fine," Jake said casually.
But internally—
I feel even better.
The blonde man nodded once.
"Great."
He turned and walked out.
Jake followed immediately.
Dravers and Adrian exchanged a look—
Then followed behind him.
The door shut.
Silence filled the room.
Dean suddenly gasped violently—
"GAAAH!"
His arms flailed like he was fighting off invisible demons.
He shot upright.
Breathing heavily.
Sweat on his forehead.
He blinked.
Looked around slowly.
"…Huh?"
His gaze drifted to the hospital bed.
Empty.
He narrowed his eyes.
"…Why am I here?"
He scratched his head.
"It feels like something's missing…"
Cut.
Hospital hallway.
Polished floors reflecting overhead lights.
Nurses pushing carts.
Patients walking slowly.
The four of them moved through the corridor.
Jake at the center.
Adrian walking with hands in pockets.
Dravers silent and alert.
The blonde man leading.
Other people glanced at them.
Some instinctively stepped aside.
Jake felt it again.
The system interface flickered faintly in the corner of his vision.
System Registering… 63%
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
Whatever was happening…
It wasn't over.
The blonde man stood in the center of the hospital hallway like he owned the building.
Hands in pockets.
Perfect posture.
Smile too calm.
"My name is classified," he said casually. "You three have officially passed the minimum requirement to become assassins."
Adrian blinked.
"Minimum?"
Dravers narrowed her eyes.
Jake stared quietly.
The man adjusted his collar slightly.
"I am your tutor for today."
He said it with a completely straight, serious face.
The energy though?
Pure mischief.
Very normal vibes.
Nurses walked past like nothing was happening.
Patients pretended not to stare.
"You two," he gestured toward Adrian and Dravers, "have already logged into your new and advanced Axiom Bracelets. Version 19.0."
Camera zoom.
Slim.
Red.
High-tech.
Wrapped perfectly around their wrists like living metal.
Subtle light pulsed beneath the surface.
"As for you," he turned to Jake, "since you were unconscious for a while, yours is still registering."
Jake instinctively looked at his wrist.
A faint red band was forming — not clipped on.
Fused.
"It's attaching itself to various nerve endings," the blonde man continued casually. "It may cause slight changes in body function. Temporary. Probably."
"…Probably?" Adrian muttered.
"This version isn't on the market," the man continued. "Mostly because almost no one can afford it. Also because it was developed secretly for assassins."
He walked in a slow circle around them.
"It's more accurate than the default junk you two were using."
He looked at Jake and Adrian specifically.
"You might receive new information about your skills. Or corrections. Or hidden traits your old bracelets failed to retrieve."
Jake's system flickered again.
System Registering… 82%
Interesting.
"Now that pleasantries are out of the way," the blonde man clasped his hands lightly, "you have thirty minutes to arrive at Gurder Corp while completing various assignments each of your assignments are different."
Adrian blinked.
"…From here?"
"Yes."
"If you fail your assignments, you're fired from the agency."
Dravers folded her arms.
"You just hired us."
"Yes."
"You'll also fire us just as fast."
He smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. I'll coach you."
He began to vaporize.
Actually vaporize.
Like mist dissolving in sunlight.
"Hey," Adrian pointed. "Dude. You're disappearing."
"Don't worry," the man's voice echoed as his body faded. "I'm fine."
He completely vanished.
Several hospital patients were now openly staring.
One old woman blinked three times.
"…I need better medication," she whispered.
Silence.
Then—
"Hello? Testing microphones."
All three froze.
The voice was inside their heads.
Jake's eyes narrowed slightly.
Dravers replied calmly, "We hear you."
"Good. Head to City Hall. All three of you."
They looked at each other.
"…Like right now?" Adrian asked.
"Time's ticking."
Jake looked down at himself.
Hospital gown.
Thin fabric.
Back slightly exposed.
"…This is awkward."
Dravers was already walking.
Adrian shrugged and started moving.
Jake took three steps backward—
Then turned and followed.
Within seconds—
They were running.
Hospital hallway chaos.
A nurse pushing a medicine cart—
Jake vaulted clean over it.
"Sorry!"
Adrian slid under a stretcher being wheeled out.
"Coming through!"
Dravers leapt off a wall, flipped, landed smoothly between two confused doctors.
"Excuse us."
One kid pointed.
"Mom, are they superheroes?"
"No, sweetie," the mom whispered, "they're probably influencers."
They sprinted down the corridor.
Obstacle after obstacle.
Jake grabbed the edge of a reception desk and vaulted.
Adrian used a chair as a stepping stone.
Dravers ran straight along the wall for three steps before flipping back down.
Security guard blinked.
"…Do we stop them?"
His partner sighed.
"Not my shift."
Blonde guy's voice echoed again.
"Welcome to the Assassination Agency."
The red bracelets glowed faintly.
Jake's system finally chimed.
System Registered.
Axiom Bracelet 19.0 Synced.
Data Integration Complete.
A subtle pulse shot through his arm.
New windows began layering over his vision.
Expanded stat breakdowns.
Skill tree details.
Hidden traits.
Warning indicators.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…This thing is insane."
"Left exit," the blonde tutor's voice guided. "You have twenty-seven minutes."
They burst through the hospital doors—
Sunlight hit their faces.
City noise roared.
Cars.
People.
Skyscrapers.
Jake adjusted the hospital gown casually.
"…We're running through the city dressed like this?"
Adrian cracked his neck.
Dravers' bracelet glowed brighter.
Timer appeared in their vision.
00:26:43
Ticking down.
Jake exhaled slowly.
A small smile formed.
"Guess we're officially in."
And the three of them launched forward into the city.