The tension in the VIP lounge snapped like an overstretched wire.
Mr. Vance's voice was calm, almost amused.
"So you're the courier, huh? Strange. I didn't order a boy scout."
Elias kept his face composed. "Well, you know how it is. Budget cuts everywhere."
The guards tensed. Naomi's fingers curled tighter around the handle of her knife. Jade shifted her stance, revealing more of her athletic frame — she was built like a sprinter, all lean strength, her sharp green eyes locked on Elias.
Character Spotlight:
Naomi Liu
Age: 26
Profession: Undercover Intelligence Agent
Attitude: Cold, calculated, rarely smiles
Flaws: Overthinks decisions, slow to trust
Physical Appearance: Pale skin, straight jet-black hair in a tight ponytail, narrow dark eyes, small but wiry frame
Jade Rivera
Age: 25
Profession: Mercenary / Hacker
Attitude: Sarcastic, impatient, loyal only to herself
Flaws: Quick temper, hates authority
Physical Appearance: Olive-toned skin, shoulder-length wavy brown hair, athletic build, fierce green eyes
---
> Watch Notification: "Escape Skill Boost Activated."
Temporary Perk: Parkour Level 1.
Without a word, Elias flipped the table over in a dramatic crash, scattering the dossier papers. Mr. Vance cursed and stumbled backward. In the chaos, Elias sprinted toward the nearest exit — a balcony overlooking the side alley.
"Get him!" Naomi barked.
Shots fired. Loud thuds of heavy boots chasing after him. A bottle shattered near his ear.
Elias vaulted over the balcony rail without hesitation. Mid-air, he realized he had no solid plan for landing — except, of course, the Parkour Boost. His body twisted, instinct taking over, and he rolled onto the ground with a surprisingly graceful thud, avoiding a broken ankle by a miracle.
Two thugs appeared at the balcony, aiming down.
He didn't give them a second chance.
---
The alley was dark and slimy. A fat cat hissed at him from behind a trash can. Sirens wailed faintly in the distance.
Elias's Watch buzzed again.
> Mini Task Generated: "Lose Pursuers in 5 Minutes"
Reward: Improved Reflexes (Temporary +20%).
He took off at a dead sprint, zigzagging between dumpsters, scaling a rusty fire escape, flipping over a chain-link fence. His new physical upgrades made every movement sharper, faster — like his body finally caught up to the crazy situations he found himself in.
Still, they were gaining.
At a crossroad in the alley, an old, rickety moped sat leaning against a wall like an abandoned horse.
Elias didn't even hesitate.
He jumped on, hot-wired it using the driving skills the Watch had blessed him with earlier.
The engine sputtered once...twice...then roared to life.
"Come on, baby, don't die on me now!" he pleaded, gunning it down the backstreets.
---
Halfway down the block, he realized the moped had one serious flaw — it emitted a ridiculously loud honking noise every time he hit a bump.
Hooonk! Hoooonk!
"Yeah, real subtle getaway vehicle," Elias muttered under his breath as he bounced over potholes, sounding like a malfunctioning clown parade.
---
As he rode, the cold night air hit him, and a bitter thought wormed into his mind:
No one's coming to save you.
Not his mother, who he hadn't seen in years.
Not the father who had vanished long before Elias even understood what having a father meant.
Not friends — because life had taught him early that depending on people only led to disappointment.
It was him, his Watch, and sheer stubborn survival.
Alone.
Always alone.
---
As Elias finally ditched the moped and melted into a crowded late-night street market, he saw people laughing, arguing over fruit prices, kids running around with sticky candy in their hands.
Normal life.
Oblivious to the fact that just two blocks away, men were hunting each other like animals.
Elias shook his head, breathing hard.
He tightened his grip on the crumpled piece of paper he'd managed to swipe from the dossier in the chaos.
Just one piece.
But sometimes…
One piece was all you needed.
---