Ash silently followed the guard, his footsteps light, but his thoughts heavy.He was still annoyed — not just at Kelly for dodging his question, but at everything. The way she smiled, so casually dismissing him.
He was still caught in that thought when he realized they had reached the end of the corridor and stepped outside.
A sudden gust of cold wind brushed against his skin, making him flinch slightly.
Right… he thought.
Ever since all this shit started , I've been indoors the whole time.
As they continued walking, Ash's eyes moved everywhere. Observing.
The compound was massive, built like a fortress.Wide and spacious, the area was fenced off on all sides, flanked by dense trees that whispered with the wind.
The sky above was cloudy, grey, but the atmosphere below was alive with silent movement.
To his left, a group of men trained with brutal focus — no shouts, no wasted motion.Just the cold methodical thud–thud–thud of blades biting into dummies over and over, until the air smelled of splintered wood and sweat.
To his right, there was a medium-sized building humming with machinery. Its black-out windows swallowed the daylight whole.
Ash's gaze lingered on it.
Probably where they produce their drugs, he thought.
They walked on, and Ash counted at least five or six buildings spread across the compound. Each one was different in size, shape… and symbol.
Above the doorways, large icons were engraved boldly:
— A flame.
— A chain.
— A web-like network node — several small dots connected by thin lines like a spider's web.
The guard, walking a step ahead, began to speak without turning around.
"That one with the flame," he said, gesturing slightly to a squat, reinforced building, "that's the drug unit."
He pointed next at a tall, narrow structure with the chain symbol hanging above its black door.
"That's the debt unit."
Then, with a nod toward the sleek building with the web symbol etched in steel:
"And that's the blackmail and surveillance unit."
Ash didn't say anything, but his mind was spinning — eyes darting from building to building, trying to memorize every path.
They continued walking in silence until the guard finally stopped in front of a wide grey building.
A dull bed symbol was engraved above the entrance.
Ash stared up at it.
Dorms, probably.
The guard turned to him, voice flat.
"Your room is E56," he said. "Miss Kelly said your training starts tomorrow. All needs will be delivered to your room"
Without another word, the man turned and walked away.
Ash blinked. "Wait… there's no key?"
No answer. No glance back. The man just kept walking until he disappeared.
Ash scoffed, annoyed, and ran his hand through his blonde hair, brushing it back.
"F*ck these people," he muttered under his breath.
With a tired sigh, he pushed open the door. The inside was spacious — and eerily quiet.
No voices. No footsteps. Just… stillness.
Ash looked around cautiously–Off to the side, he spotted a staircase winding up, and beside it was a large board that listed rooms by floor.
Room E56 — Fifth Floor.
He stared at the number, then looked up the endless stairs.
"Of course," he muttered, breathing in sharply before starting the climb.
Each step felt heavier than the last. By the time he reached the fifth floor, he was practically dragging himself up the last step.
He moved slowly down the corridor, checking each door one by one.
E52… E54…
E56.
He stopped in front of it, stared at the door — and noticed something.
No lock.
No keyhole.
Just a plain, cold door.
Ash exhaled, frustrated. He didn't even know if it was unlocked — and at this point, he didn't care.
He slumped down beside the door, resting his back against the wall. At times like this, he really needed a cig, he thought.
He let his head fall back against the wall. Just for a second.
His eyes drifted closed.
And before he knew it… he had fallen asleep right there in the hallway.
************
Footsteps echoed up the stairwell. Loud, overlapping voices filled the once silent dorm building.The quiet that had once swallowed the building was now completely shattered.
A group of young men turned the corner on the fifth floor, chatting. As they walked down the corridor, one of them suddenly stopped, eyes narrowing.
"Léo!" the guy called out. "There's someone sleeping at your door!"
That made the whole group pause.
Their heads all turned toward the figure slumped against the wall — blonde messy hair, body still.
They moved closer, curiosity suddenly piqued.
"Is he dead?" one of them asked bluntly.
The rest turned and stared at him like, seriously?
Léo rolled his eyes "Seriously? Does he look dead to you?" he said.
The others stayed quiet, all focused on the sleeping figure.
One of them crouched down, studying Ash's face. "Never seen this guy before," he muttered. "Must be new."
Another guy chimed in, frowning. "Why would a new guy just—"
Then he stopped mid-sentence, eyes lighting up.
"Ohhh… Léo, you've got a free bed, right?"
The guy who had crouched down stood up and casually dusted his hands.
"Well then" he said with mock formality, "he might be your new roommate."
Someone else added with a laugh, "But why the hell is he sleeping on the floor though?"
Léo sighed, pulled out a slim access card, and held it up lazily.
"How could he get in the room when I'm the one holding the card?"
The same guy blinked and scratched his head. "Oh… right. That makes sense."
Just as the group was murmuring among themselves again, Ash's eyes fluttered open, slowly.
All the noise had finally stirred him awake.
One of the leaned in. "Hey… I think he's waking up."
They all turned and stared down at him.
Someone muttered, " Damn...he's kinda pretty "
Another guy snorted " Bro. That's gay"
The first voice came again, louder this time " I didn't say I'd kiss him, calm down. "
A third guy chuckled " Yeah, but you looked like you might"
Ash blinked, slowly sat up, and looked at the group;
Cold blue eyes.
Expression flat.
And then, dryly, his voice cut through the air:
"What?"