9

As the six-hour time limit came to an end, Orion announced that only 36 teams had made it to the finish line. This meant that 14 teams, or 42 contestants, had been eliminated. Some were visibly disappointed, while others never even made it to the finish line.

Just as the sun began to set, two buses pulled up to the finish line area. Orion gathered the 36 teams who made it to the finish line and shouted, "Listen up, everyone! The buses have finally arrived. These two buses will take you to the next stage of The Agency's Exam, where another examiner will take care of you. Please make your way to the buses in an orderly fashion."

Dai and his newfound companions made their way to the buses. The driver greeted them with a smile, "Welcome aboard, folks! I hope you're all pumped up for the next challenge." Dai turned to Mira and whispered, "I wonder what kind of challenge it's going to be this time."

Mira shrugged, "I hope it's not something that'll get me all dirty."

Dai and Narco chuckled at the sight of a visibly annoyed Mira.

Just then, the bus driver interrupted their laughter, "Alright, everyone, let's buckle up! We've got a long drive ahead of us, and we need to get to the next stage before sunrise."

Dai, Narco and Mira weaved their way through the crowded bus, searching for empty seats. Dai and Narco quickly found two empty seats next to each other. Mira scanned the aisle, but the only available seat was towards the back of the bus. She hesitated for a moment before making her way towards the back, alone.

Dai and Narco settled into their seats and began chatting excitedly about their experiences during the first stage.

Mira, on the other hand, had to walk further into the back of the bus to find a seat. She felt a twinge of loneliness as she saw Dai and Narco laughing and talking together. She wondered who she would be sitting next to and if they would be friendly. As she finally found an empty seat and sat down, she took a deep breath and tried to shake off her nerves.

Finally, she found an empty seat, but it was next to an older girl who seemed to be engrossed in a book. Mira hesitated for a moment before taking a seat, feeling slightly out of place. She plugged in her headphones and turned up the music, hoping to drown out the noise of the bus and forget about the anxiety of the competition.

The girl next to Mira noticed her looking out the window and smiled. "Beautiful sunset, isn't it?" she said.

Mira took off her headphones and turned to the girl next to her. "Sorry, what did you say?" she asked.

"I said, 'Beautiful sunset, isn't it?'" the girl repeated, smiling.

Mira smiled back, happy for the company. "Yeah, it's really something."

"I'm Aria," the girl introduced herself. "What's your name?"

"I'm Mira," she replied. "Nice to meet you."

As they continued talking, Aria mentioned, "I need to become an agent to gain the advantages that come with it."

Mira's eyes widened in surprise. "Advantages? What kind of advantages?"

Aria smiled. "Well, for starters, agents are given jobs by the agency for large sums of money. They also have the right to access classified information about pretty much everything. From people to companies to cities, you name it. It's one of the reasons I want to become an agent."

Mira was fascinated, "I had no idea..."

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Aria nodded. "That's understandable. The Agency is a secret organization that keeps world order behind the scenes. But they need powerful agents to maintain that order. That's why they hold this exam once every three years."

Mira listened intently as Aria continued. "They never force agents into a mission unless it's an emergency. But the missions they do undertake are crucial. And the information they receive is priceless. That's why it's so coveted."

Mira couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had no idea that the Agency held such power and responsibility.

"By the way, why do you want to become an agent if you know so little about them?" Aria asked with a concerned look on her face.

Mira let out a sigh. "My parents forced me to take the exam. I didn't even know what I was getting into until I arrived here."

Aria's eyes widened in shock. "That's terrible. Why would they do that? The exam can be dangerous, and you should have the choice to pursue your own dreams."

Mira's shoulders sagged in agreement. "It all makes sense now. My parents are powerful figures in Brux City. They own the biggest hospital, and they probably want me to become an agent so I can access classified information for them."

Aria's expression hardened. "That's messed up. Your parents should have given you a choice, not forced you into this. I'm sorry you have to deal with this. But don't worry, we'll make sure you're prepared for whatever comes your way during the exam."

Mira felt a sense of relief wash over her at Aria's understanding and support. And she felt a sisterlike bond forge between her and Aria.

Dai and Narco turned to each other, grinning widely. "I've never been on a bus before, this is so cool!" Dai exclaimed, gazing out the window at the passing scenery. "I can't believe we made it to the next stage!"

Narco nodded, his eyes flickering with excitement. "Yeah, and we get to see what the next challenge is going to be. I wonder what they have in store for us."

"I bet it's going to be something really challenging," Dai said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Definitely," Narco replied, rubbing his hands together. "But we've come this far, so we can handle it."

As the bus rumbled on, the contestants chattered excitedly amongst themselves, discussing their ages, hobbies, and reasons for taking the Agency's Exam. Some were adrenaline junkies seeking a thrill, while others were motivated by money or the chance to serve their country. Despite their differences, they all shared a fierce determination to succeed.

Dai noticed that Mira was nowhere in sight and turned to Narco with a furrowed brow. "Hey, have you seen Mira? I hope she's not too far back."

Narco shook his head, his expression turning serious. "No, I haven't seen her. But I'm sure she's fine, she's a tough one."

As the bus began to pull away, Dai couldn't help but feel a little concerned for Mira. He scanned the rows of seats, searching for her familiar face.

"I hope she's okay back there, sitting all alone," he whispered to Narco, his tone tinged with worry.

Narco placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, Dai. We'll make sure she's okay when we get off the bus. And if she needs our help, we'll be there for her."

Dai nodded, feeling grateful for Narco's support. As the bus continued on its journey, he leaned back in his seat, taking comfort in the knowledge that he was surrounded by a group of determined, capable individuals. Whatever challenges lay ahead, he knew they would face them together.

Dai suddenly turned to Narco, "Hey man, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what's up?" Narco replied, his attention shifting from the scenery outside the bus to his friend.

"What made you enter this exam? I mean, you always seemed like the type who wasn't interested in all this stuff," Dai asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Narco shrugged, "Honestly, I did it out of boredom. I just wanted to see what it was all about."

Dai didn't buy it, "Come on, man. There's gotta be more to it than that."

Narco sighed, knowing he couldn't keep his friend in the dark for long. "Okay, fine. The truth is, I entered this exam because of something that happened to me in the past."

Dai's eyes widened in surprise. "What happened?"

Dai listened attentively as Narco spoke. "I ran away from home because of my brother," Narco said. "He forced me to live my life the way he wanted, and I didn't want that. So I ran away from home, without direction, but he found me and did something weird to my eye, that's why it looks like this," Narco continued as he pointed to the X-shaped pupil in his right eye.

Dai's eyes widened in shock, "Oh... I'm sorry."

Narco shrugged, "It's okay, I've learned to live with it," he said. "I heard that becoming an agent grants you access to classified information, I thought that through that information I could maybe find out more about what my brother did to my eye. That's why I took the exam."

Dai nodded in understanding, "I get it, that makes sense. I hope you find what you're looking for,” he said.

After a short silence, Dai added: "I get your reasoning for taking the exam, but what about me? Why did you drag me into this?"

Narco chuckled, "Honestly, that was just because I was bored and needed someone to come along for the ride."

Dai rolled his eyes playfully, "You're lucky I'm such a good friend."

Narco grinned, "Yeah, I know. Thanks, man."