After resting, everyone gathered at the auditorium before 8 a.m. as instructed. Upon arrival, Gabriel noticed new faces-many of them. Their presence was chilling. Some looked friendly, even kind, but their aura betrayed something darker-like serpents wearing human skin.

  In his mind, Gabriel thought: I've fought monsters. Met devils in human form. But these people... they're something else entirely.

  A few minutes later, a man entered from stage left. His walk was precise, posture upright. He wore a sharp black long-sleeved shirt tucked into tailored pants. A black cap shaded his eyes.

  He stopped center stage and scanned the room.

  "I am the Admin," he announced. His voice was smooth, but carried a quiet authority that silenced the room. Behind him stood a line of men and women in sleek combat attire-still as statues.

  "These are your mentors. From this day forward, each of you will be assigned one. They are responsible for your growth... or your failure. Learn from them. Surpass them. Because someday, they might be the ones hunting you."

  A low murmur spread through the crowd.

  "Selection is not random. Each mentor has been matched to you based on your current skill level, your strengths... and your weaknesses. They are here to forge you into perfection-whether it breaks you or not."

  "These are not ordinary instructors. They are assassins-products of the same system that now owns you. They've climbed the ladder, bathed in blood, and survived horrors you cannot yet imagine. Respect them. Fear them. Learn everything you can."

  He began pacing slowly.

  "Training will follow this schedule: - Mondays to Wednesdays, you train directly with your mentor. - Thursdays are for class instruction. - Fridays to Sundays, missions or activities.

  This week's activity: a live jungle hunt. You'll be divided into five groups. Your task is to hunt specific animals. You'll be scored using our point system. What you earn, you eat. What you fail, you feel."

  Silence.

  "Each mentor has one million points stored under their account. They can give or take as they please-based on performance, attitude, obedience. Understood?"

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  "Yes, sir," the room echoed.

  "Good. Now arrange yourselves. They'll come to you."

  ---

  Gabriel moved with the crowd, eyes sharp. The mentors began to pick their students.

  To his left, a goofy young man bounced toward Drex with a bright smile. "Hey! I'm Theo," he said, offering a fist bump.

  Drex blinked, stammering. "H-he-hey. I'm D-Drex. N-nice to m-m-meet you."

  Near the center, a woman with long raven hair and a deadly sensuality walked toward Ranya. Her outfit hugged her like skin-part assassin, part siren. Ranya watched her, half awed, half suspicious.

  At the back, a man in his fifties appeared in front of Vincent and threw a punch-fast, brutal. It stopped an inch from Vincent's nose. Vincent didn't flinch. He just smiled.

  And then... she arrived.

  Gabriel felt her before he saw her-a calm, quiet presence that seemed almost forgettable, like the girl next door. She didn't strut like the others. Her steps were casual, loose. Her long black hair was tied in a simple ponytail. She wore the same tactical uniform as the rest, but without flair or pride.

  She stopped in front of him.

  "I'm Katarina," she said, her tone soft, her expression unreadable. "Codename: Death."

  Gabriel blinked. He didn't know whether to laugh or run.

  The room now looked like a cage. All around them, students were being paired up-some with smiling mentors, others with silent reapers.

  The Admin raised his hand once more.

  "One final instruction: Respect your mentors. They decide if you thrive or die. They can dismiss you at 5 p.m. or keep you as long as they want. You are theirs."

  He paused.

  "If they go soft-make them bleed. And if they disobey... remind them what's inside their necks."

  He smirked.

  "Enjoy your freedom while it lasts. It gets uglier from here."

  He turned and exited.

  ---

  Everyone began to file out with their mentors. All except Gabriel and Katarina.

  She stood before him.

  "My codename is Death. I'm here to teach you how to disappear. How to kill with a whisper. How to make a man destroy himself without laying a hand on him."

  She stepped closer. Her face was ordinary, her voice calm, but her presence was unnerving. Like a shadow you don't notice until it moves.

  "I saw how you reacted during capture. You're weak. Emotionally fragile. You let your feelings take the wheel. That's a death sentence."

  Her eyes narrowed.

  "You reek of 'hero.' Soldier. Lawman. All noble-but here? It makes you a target."

  She took a step back and raised her hands.

  "I want to see your close combat skills. Hit me like you mean to break me."

  Gabriel hesitated.

  His strikes were slow, predictable.

  Katarina slapped him-hard.

  "What the fuck was that?" she snapped. "You going soft on me because I'm a woman? That's your weakness. Now come on, hit me!"

  Gabriel tried again-still holding back.

  With one swift move, Katarina drove a fist into his stomach. He collapsed to one knee, gasping.

  "If you can't fight, Gabriel, you'll never make it back to your daughter," she hissed. "You left her once. You want to die here, forgotten?"

  That broke him.

  He heard Sarah's voice in his mind, crying as he left for duty. "Don't go, Papa..."

  He remembered the pain of leaving her for a mission.

  A mission that changed his whole life forever.

  His eyes sharpened.

  He stood.

  And this time-he struck. Hard.

  Faster. Stronger. His blows had intent-lethal intent. Katarina dodged with grace, but when Gabriel's fist slammed into the wall, she paused. The crack spidered from the impact. Had that been her head...

  Still, she moved like a shadow and swept him to the floor with a single motion.

  Gabriel gasped on his knees.

  "You have motivation," she said, her tone cool again. "But no control. You lose your mind. That's dangerous-for you and everyone else."

  She turned her back.

  "You can drop dead here and rot. I don't care."

  But Gabriel, still panting, spat some blood and looked up.

  "Teach me," he said quietly. "Teach me to survive."

  Katarina paused. She glanced back at him-no pity, but something almost human in her eyes.

  She reached out her hand.