The lunch rush had begun at twelve-thirty.

Students had begun to flood into the dining hall, filing into their designated lines. Some students began to reserve seats at tables for their friends while others lined up behind the various vending machines to get drinks, snacks, or even ramen. With the sun at its highest point, the natural light filtered from the center of the room, illuminating the dining hall as it reflected off the furniture and the tile floor. One by one, lunch trays and plates were piled to the brim with delicious food; the various aromas of meats and spices flowing out of the building attracted even more students.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, chaos had broken out as per usual. Hot trays filled with meals from all classes flowed in and out every other minute. Behind the cash register, student IDs and many wristbands tapping against the scanners overwhelmed the staff. Various student arms snatched away one food item in the blink of an eye.

"Can I get an apple?"

"I have Dining Benefits!"

"I'll have..."

"Hey, you cut in front of me!"

The chaos reigned for another ten minutes until only a few students stood in line left.

"I'm beat!" Rika exhaled in relief, slumping down in a chair right behind the cash register.

Drew, on the other hand, was sweating like a pig. His water bottle instantly fogged as he gasped for air after taking a large swig.

"I don't understand!" He shouted in frustration. "Star has such a neat line set up, yet no one dares to enforce it!"

"You could say that again," Rika said, "Hungry wolves aren't they?"

Drew sighed, "I don't think I could do this for another day."

"Hey," a voice remarked from the kitchen.

It was Kevin.

Raising his bulky arm, Kevin pointed to the back of the kitchen with his thumb. "'Nuf moping around. Winter wants a word with you."

"I'll be right there." Drew hollered, propping himself up.

"See you later then." Rika waved as Drew pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen.

Being escorted by Kevin, Drew was led to the back of the kitchen to a room right next to the staff locker room. On the door, there was a wooden plaque that said 'Winter' and nothing more. Suddenly, Kevin placed a big hand on Drew's right shoulder and smiled.

"I'll leave you here."

And with that, Kevin returned to the kitchen.

With Kevin gone, Drew lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in." A rough voice instructed.

The door slid open, and Drew entered as ordered. In front of him was a clean-looking middle-aged man with white hair that indicated signs of aging, wearing a black jacket with Star's logo on it. His stubbled beard covering his features gave him a fatherly aura, while his silver, thin-rimmed glasses made him look patient and intelligent. Behind those glasses were blue eyes that reflected the sky, making him seem like a refined gentleman.

Drew gulped down a mouthful of saliva and then greeted, "Hello, Uncle Winter."

"Ho," Uncle Winter chuckled lightly, then gestured to a leather chair, "Why are you standing? Come. Have a seat."

Much obliged to the man's words, Drew followed.

Looking around the office, Drew observed the various objects in the room. The Oakwood desk Uncle Winter was sitting behind displayed a small porcelain vase, a holographic supercomputer the size of a ring box that was probably three models behind, a picture frame with Uncle Winter in fishing attire, a standard white desk lamp, and a wooden Buddha box with a gold lock on it. Behind Uncle Winter were two bookshelves full of encyclopedias and history textbooks that have been touched yet well taken care of. Beside him, there were two frostberry plants, their blue budding flowers emitting a subtle chilling aura. They were probably around six years old. After wandering a bit, Drew eventually returned to reality to find Uncle Winter whipping a teapot and two teacups, gently pouring the tea into the cups. The subtle intoxicating aroma of the tea indicated that it was a mix of Earl Grey and black tea, possibly imported from Earth. Subsequently, Uncle Winter pushed the cup to Drew, picked up a pair of small tongs, and dropped two sugar cubes into each one.

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Breaking the silence, Drew initiated the conversation.

"So why have you called me?"

"Nothing much," Uncle Winter spoke softly, "I've got some good news for you."

Drew expected this, thanks to Rika and her big mouth, but Uncle Winter said it was 'news.' What other 'news' does he have for him?

"First, I think you might already know."

Drew began to laugh, "You already knew Uncle."

He chuckled, "Of course, once Rika knew, she'd spill the beans to you sooner or later."

"Typical." Drew lightly scoffed.

"Anyways," he continued, "You have worked hard these past few months, so I'm giving you a bonus. Five percent on top of your current salary."

"That's rather generous of you! Thanks so much."

"You're welcome," he smiled.

"What other piece of news do you have for me?" Drew continued.

"It's in here." Uncle Winter pointed to the wooden Buddha box in the desk's center.

Drew's eyes widened. "Here? I thought this was your family heirloom?"

"Ho-" Uncle Winter let out a small laugh, "That's only half true. The other half is relevant to you."

"Me? Why would that be." He asked, pointing to himself as his curiosity perked.

Uncle Winter slumped further into his leather seat, pressing his fingers against his temple.

"This...will be a long one."

Now, Drew was even more confused.

"It started..." Uncle Winter began, then suddenly stopped. He turned his head towards the glass window, and his face turned to horror.

"DREW, GET DOWN NOW!" Uncle Winter yelled.

"Wha-". In the blink of an eye, Drew's back hit the wooden floor with a loud thud. A heavy arm pinned his torso down to the floor. The chair he sat on, only seconds ago, had flown to the other side of the room. Besides Drew, there was a large dent in the floor that was around the size of a fist while a large arm pinned his torso to the ground.

A few centimeters away from the hole was a small silver cylindrical object standing upright in the wood. Drew's eyes squinted to get a better look at the object penetrating the ground.

A bullet!

"Are you okay?" Uncle Winter asked as he removed his splintered fist from the ground. Worry plastered over his face.

Drew couldn't answer. The speed at which everything happened jumbled his mind. So many questions ran through his mind, but now wasn't a good time. Pushing himself off the ground slightly yet remaining not visible to the sniper, Drew brushed off some of the splintered wood from his uniform. In contrast, Uncle Winter remained kneeling on the ground. His jacket ripped at the shoulder from the bullet while he remained unscathed.

"I'm fine. I know this isn't a good time, but who was trying to shoot at us?"

Uncle Winter stretched out and picked up the bullet. After a brief inspection, Uncle Winter's face darkened. The warm Uncle that Drew knew now had a chilling aura around him.

It sent shivers down his spine.

"A silent bullet. They're here. After all those years, I guess I can't hide from them." Uncle Winter muttered under his breath.

"Who is 'them'?" Drew asked silently.

Uncle Winter sighed and then handed the bullet to Drew. He turned the bullet a little, and once again, Drew froze. Carved into the bullet's primer was a symbol with a scorpion on it. That scorpion symbolized the best Assassins Guild in the galaxy, The Scorpion Horde. Legend has it that for the past four thousand years, not even one of their assassins has been caught or killed. Meeting one would mean death had already opened the door.

"This isn't a good time. They're here for me." Uncle Winter said with a serious expression. Quickly, Uncle Winter removed his wristband communicator, snatched the supercomputer and Buddha box off his desk, and shoved them into Drew's arms.

"The password for all three is your birthday, with the full year for all of them." He whispered to Drew.

"What do you mean?!" Drew shouted. Tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Everything you want to know is here! NOW LEAVE!" Uncle Winter ordered, his back facing Drew.

"I don't understand!" He shouted, still flabbergasted, when suddenly two more bullets pierced the glass, grazing Uncle Winter's jacket.

Uncle Winter removed his glasses.

"I've been hiding for too long." He muttered again as a blue aura surrounded him. The pressure exuded from the aura was suffocating, and Drew could feel an even stronger chill running down his spine. Drew was at a loss for words. He'd flinched.

"Uncle Winter...?"

"Kid, I'm afraid I won't be seeing you or the others tomorrow. SHUT THE DOOR AND LEAVE!"

Gulping down his fears, Drew made a mad dash for the door, slamming his finger against the control panel, overriding the door's automatic mechanism, and shutting it right behind him on the other control panel as he did, locking Uncle Winter with the assassin. The muffled sounds of glass shattering, punching, and groans from Uncle Winter and the assassin could be heard. Unfortunately, the walls and the floors inside the building were virtually soundproof, shockproof, and extremely durable. Couldn't they also make the glass bulletproof? Plus, they were on the first floor, and nothing was below them. Uncle Winter's panic button had been broken for the last few days, so he couldn't call for help from inside either! Well, it happened, and to make matters worse, the assassin was from the Scorpion Horde.

Drew knew that every second was precious. Immediately, placing the things in his arms, Drew dashed to the closest intercom in the kitchen area, hanging next to the door, and dialed 311. Seconds later, the operator picked up and said:

"This is Star's Security Office. What is your emergency?"

"Building 8956, First Floor West Wing, Staff ID#1083276, Mr.Winter's office has been attacked by an Assassin from the Scorpion Horde!" Drew shouted as his voice was beginning to crack.

There was a moment of silence until the operator responded in a monotone voice, "Affirmative. Sending Assistance. Two minutes."

"Can you speed it up?!" Drew continued to scream, his voice wavering. Once again, silence remained on the other end, and the muffled screams and banging remained on the other side. Even worse, the only rooms next to the office were the locker room, which was empty, and the storage room.

"Request approved," the operator responded, "One minute."

"Thank you!" Drew cried as the tears streamed down like a waterfall. The operator hung up. Drew slumped down, back against the wall.

Every nerve in his body was shaking.

His legs grew limp even though his mind told him to run.

His vision was completely hazy.

Nothing was making any sense to him.

"Mother of Kraus, what's going on..."