Chapter four - training

Jahad could see the blaring sirens, the flashing lights casting eerie shadows that danced across the walls. The president's voice crackled through the distorted speakers, a grim reminder of the chaos outside, while the grotesque sight of a giant's head splattered against the wall haunted his vision. A cold, robotic voice methodically counted down, each number sending shivers down his spine. Before he could even react, the dark, devoid of colour black wisps enveloped him, wringing him as if he was a wet towel, screams muffled by the black wisps. His eyes flew open, the wisps dissipating, heart racing as a cold sweat drenched his skin. Adrenaline surged through his veins, electrifying every nerve ending.

Just then, Jayce's familiar face emerged over the gated wall separating the stables, concern etched across his features. “You okay, Jahad? You were moving around and shouting,” he said, his voice was with worry. Jahad took a moment to steady his breath, the remnants of the nightmare still clinging to him. Jayce hurled a rock at the alarm clock, silencing its blaring cry, much to the horses' delight as they neighed in approval, their gentle sounds providing a stark contrast to the turmoil in Jahad's mind. He let out a deep breath, “yeah I'm okay let's get going.” He stood up and stretched, shaking his head to remove remnants of fatigue. He kicked his barn door open, its creaking nature sounding akin to a cackle. Jayce was already standing by the door waiting patiently. “There's water in the stables, it's good.” Jahad glanced at the troughs of muddied water. “I'm alright,” he said stiffly.

Jahad banged his fist against the door using the same rhythm Ron did. A spell formation flashed for a moment and the door opened. Cool. Jahad pondered quietly to himself, the darkness still enveloping the world, with dawn just a whisper away. The few figures that lingered in the shadows appeared suspicious, cloaked in an air of mystery that sent an unsettling chill down his spine. The alleys were alive with activity; he could see men slipping through the narrow passages while others lay sprawled on the ground, lost to the night.

Jayce, despite his usual confidence, had forgotten the route to the warehouse, even though it was a mere five minutes away. But Jahad's memory was sharp, the path already memorised into his mind. With a determined nod, he took the lead, guiding them through the dimly lit streets, the anticipation of their destination driving him forward. They arrived on the strip that the warehouse was situated on, the two of them striding forward. A tall man walked past Jahad, he had a similar trench coat to Ron and Lepic though they differed in some aspects. It seemed of a rougher make. Jahad looked to the ground walking past him, his gut told him to not make eye contact. He heard a dull thud behind him, he looked back to see Jayce sprawled onto the floor. The figure barged him into the food. “Watch where you're going kid,” he snarled, sweeping his trench coat. Jahad caught the flashing of a steel dagger neatly tucked into his waistband. Jahad didn't know how strong this man was nor did he want to find out. He hurriedly went to face the man and apologised. The man tutted, “tch” and sauntered away. Jahad helped Jayce up, he had no sort of damage but his jubilant attitude seemed to dim a bit from the encounter.

They arrived at the warehouse. Lepic was at the front, back against the door. His calming voice said, “you did the right thing Jahad, one wrong move and both of you were dead.” Lepic had witnessed the whole ordeal and Jahad had realised he used it as a test to see what they would do. Lepic explained, “trust your gut, he was a class F+, you would do best to avoid those above your class, never punch above your weight.” With that, he knocked on the door in the same pattern. The bolts and slides clanged loudly as they were thrown open, the door groaning in protest as it creaked ajar. A gust of stale air rushed out, carrying with it the scent of dampness and neglect. Jahad and Jayce stepped inside behind Lepic. Ron’s massive frame stood near the mission blackboard.

Three weeks had slipped by since Jahad’s arrival, and the gruelling training regimen had encompassed everything from conditioning to combat and beyond. He had teamed up with Ron and Lepic on numerous missions, and even ventured on a few drug runs with Jayce—nothing too perilous, but enough to keep him on his toes. The intricate layout of the underground was gradually becoming clearer, as he began to memorise various routes, honing in on the most efficient paths. Each day blurred into the next, marked by a relentless routine: a jarring 4 a.m. wake-up call, followed by debriefs and missions. Training consumed every spare hour that wasn’t allocated to runs or missions, leaving little room for respite.

Stolen novel; please report.

The vigorous training was in order to try and cultivate magic within them, only Jayce was successful. Although not unveiled yet, Jayce could envelop only his right hand in a swirling mass of tight rings of fire, delivering devastating punches with his hand that left small craters in concrete walls. Jahad felt the pressure to catch up, but despite the rigorous training, he struggled to tap into any abilities. Lepic remarked on the oddity of it all, noting that everyone typically had at least a trace of magic, yet he couldn't sense any in Jahad's presence. The revelation left Jahad disheartened; it suggested that his potential might be significantly less than Jayce's.

“Don't fret, hard work and dedication will always outdo raw talent. You'll see that for your next mission.” Today was different, it was Jahad and Jayce's first serious mission alone.

It was 4am, the air was moist and cold as they trekked towards the warehouse. Knocking on the door rhythmically, they heard the familiar sounds of sliding bolts. Lepic and Ron stood beside the blackboard, a few other people clad in cloaks, their faces dimmed by the hoods they wore stood beside them. Jahad could see Jayce already getting the jitters, it was gonna be their first big mission. Lepic nodded to Ron at the arrival of Jahad and Jayce, he grabbed a file off of the black board and gave it to Jahad. “Go upstairs to Reina, Jayce you follow him” Ron barked. And so they did. Jahad peered into the files content.

Debrief

If found in the hands of any outside of LR limited, certain death is promised.

This debrief is strictly meant for the hands of Jayce, Jahad, Reina.

Mission Type: Sabotage

Location: The target factory is located in Sector 2, currently supposed to be under the control of LR Limited. This facility is an unauthorized manufacturer of weapons and drugs for a rival sector.

Personnel: There are approximately 30 unranked workers present.

Structure: The factory consists of two floors:

- Upper Floor: Contains a rank A- operative. DO NOT engage with this individual under any circumstances. This person oversees the entire operation.

- Ground Floor: There is a rank F operative here, who is the only one you need to be concerned about.

Mission Objective: Your primary goal is to open the warehouse garage gates. An operative will handle the elimination of any guards at the back entrance. Once you are inside the factory, it is your responsibility to pull the lever that controls the gates.

Important Notes:

- You will receive no support while attempting to open the gates.

- Only unranked operatives are permitted to enter the premises. Any ranked operative will be detected by the class A-.

- If you are discovered inside the warehouse, it could result in death or torture.

- While alerting the factory will not provoke the class A-, it will trigger a response from the class F, which you cannot handle. Do not engage with class F unless forced to.

Final Reminder: Do not get caught. Your lives depend on maintaining stealth and executing the mission flawlessly.

Reward: 10 gold