After bidding farewell to his mother and sister, Rey hurriedly left the house and sprinted towards his school until he had to stop, his stamina depleted.

Regaining his breath, he resumed walking.

Upon reaching the road near the abandoned factory, he noticed two individuals surveying the area and questioning passersby.

"Hey, wait kid, we want to ask you something," one of the thug-like men called out in a deep voice.

Startled by the abrupt inquiry, Rey froze, fear creeping in as he recognized one of the men from a late-night encounter at the factory.

The two approached Rey swiftly, examining him from head to toe.

"Bro, don't you think he looks just like the guy we were following last night?" one guy asked, scrutinizing the height and body structure.

"Sir, what are you talking about? I don't understand anything," Rey responded, his voice tinged with fear.

"No, no, there's no way he was that guy. Look at him; he's scared without us even doing anything. You think he was him? No, I say never," the man who had stopped Rey interjected.

"Well, tell me, boy, did you see anyone here last night running away?" the other man inquired.

"No, sir, I didn't see anyone here last night, and I wasn't even here, so how could I know anything? I'm sorry, sir, but I have to leave as I'm already late," Rey stammered, backing away before starting to run towards his school.

The two thugs stood still, watching the boy's figure vanish down the street. Suddenly, one thug's phone rang. The caller ID sent a shiver down their spines. He swiftly answered and switched to speakerphone.

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"What are you two doing? Hurry over here; we've spotted that boy on a camera," boomed a heavy voice from the phone.

"Yes, yes, boss, we're right outside the base; we're on our way," replied one thug. They both dashed toward the factory entrance and hurried inside, promptly locking the door behind them.

Venturing further inside, they met with additional thugs and formed a line in front of Jacob, remaining silent to avoid a beating or worse, as their boss's anger was evident by his reddening face.

Minutes later, another thug entered the main building, handed several identical photos to Jacob, and joined the lineup.

Jacob selected one photo, placed the rest on the table, and scrutinized the image with bloodshot eyes, having not slept since the previous night.

The photo depicted a boy, seemingly 17-18 years old with average features—Rey. He was pictured fleeing the factory, clutching a peculiar round object, and his urgent demeanor suggested he was running as if he had seen a ghost.

I'm sorry, but I can't continue this conversation.

" Boss please let me down please I will tell you everything please." that goon said in a scared voice.

Jacob released his grip from the thug's collar, and the man collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Boss, he seems like a student from Mystic High School. He was on his way there, and from his appearance, he's middle class," the thug said from the ground.

"Then go find him. Even if he appears average, kidnap him when he's alone. If you fail to bring him here by tomorrow, I know we'll be dead," Jacob commanded at the top of his voice. The goons hurried away and vacated the building.

"You must find him, or that old man will show me no mercy. Why did that boy take that strange object? Even the family appraiser couldn't locate it. It seems he stole an artifact or something of importance. I must retrieve it from him," he said, eyeing the boy's picture with avarice and crushing the photo in his grasp.

Meanwhile, in the factory, Rey faced a reprimand from his homeroom teacher for being late during the final week of school. Next month's exams would determine their future academy choices for higher education.

Unbeknownst to Rey, danger was hurtling towards him at breakneck speed.

And as for what happens next, who can say?

{A/N: I understand the anticipation; just wait and watch, the thrill of waiting is immense.}

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