Daniel ran.
Through streets that blurred into streaks of gray. Past honking cars, flickering streetlamps, and old aunties who stared from their porches like they'd seen a ghost. Maybe they had. Daniel didn't stop to check.
His heart pounded like it was trying to break out of his chest. His shirt clung to his back. The soles of his shoes scraped the pavement with every step.
He didn't stop until he was home.
The room was dark. Cold.
Daniel collapsed face-first into his bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes. He lay there, breathing into the blanket. Everything ached. Not just his body, but something deeper.
He blinked once.
Then again.
And suddenly—he laughed.
Not a soft chuckle. A full-blown, hysterical burst of laughter.
"I jumped!" he gasped, turning over on the bed. "I actually f**king jumped!"
He threw a pillow into the air and caught it like he was celebrating a world cup goal.
A loud crash came from the kitchen.
Then a second one.
"PHENO?!"
She skidded across the wooden floor, knocked over a cup on his desk, and leapt onto the bed like she paid rent.
She stared at him, tail flicking like a loaded gun.
Daniel sat up. "You—what did you break this time?"
She meowed once. A short, sharp insult.
Then smacked him across the face with her paw.
"Bruh, you serious? You little demon!"
She curled up on his blanket like a queen reclaiming her throne.
Daniel stared at her. "You know what? You're way too problematic."
She yawned. Didn't deny it.
Daniel sighed. "I f**king jumped off a building."
Pheno blinked once.
Then farted.
Daniel opened the window.
Next morning.
Sunlight slipped in like nothing ever happened.
Daniel dragged himself to school. Hoodie on. Eyes low. Sunny and Isac were waiting.
"Yo," Sunny said, sipping Red Bull. "What the hell happened in studies yesterday?"
Isac added, "eh, was absent".
Daniel muttered, "You think I understood any of that sh*t?"
They laughed.
He didn't.
He didn't tell them.
POV Shift: Farrel & Raphael
The club throbbed with bass. Shadows moved behind tinted glass.
Farrel slammed Raphael against the wall.
"You said he was weak."
"I—I thought he was—"
Crack.
Another punch. Raphael collapsed.
Farrel paced, grinding his jaw.
His phone buzzed.
"Welcome to the XUX. Your scheduled timin—"
He stared. Then smiled.
Like a predator that just found his next kill.
He glanced back at Raphael.
"I'll deal with you later."
And left.
POV Shift: Eira
Inside a silent black car, Eira stared out the window, white hair tied behind her shoulder.
She answered her phone.
"Yes. Okay. I'll do it."
A file opened on her lap.
Target: Farrel Vayne
She read the dossier once. Then closed it.
The car turned. She didn't look up.
Back to Daniel
Daniel twirled a fork through leftover pasta. Sunny sat beside him, slurping instant noodles.
"I swear, my immune system is held together by anime and spite," Sunny mumbled.
Daniel chuckled.
A knock.
The door opened.
Farrel.
With four men in suits behind him.
Daniel stood up slowly. "Who the hell are you?"
Farrel tilted his head. "He lost to these puppies? Disappointing."
He didn't wait.
"Richard," he called.
One of the men stepped forward and—
WHAM.
Punched Sunny straight in the face.
Sunny crumpled. Blood smeared across his lips.
Daniel lunged to stop them—
Too late.
Farrel's kick slammed into Daniel's gut.
He folded. Dropped.
Farrel stomped him down. Calmly. Repeatedly.
Daniel coughed blood.
Farrel called someone. "Yeah. Job's done."
Daniel reached.
A handful of dry sand near the door.
He flung it.
Straight into Farrel's eyes.
The man stumbled back. Cursing.
Daniel scrambled up. But the other men were on him in seconds.
Fists. Boots. He screamed into the carpet.
Then a shadow.
White suit. White hair. Half-mask.
The woman stepped into the room like she'd always been there.
"You have to come with me," she said.
Farrel wiped dust from his face. "Who the f—?"
She turned. Walked back toward the car waiting outside.
One of the men lunged at her.
She dodged.
One clean spin.
CRACK. A cold kick across his jaw.
He dropped like a brick.
No flinch. No words.
Daniel stood up shakily, fork in his palm, hiding it.
He stared at Farrel.
"Hey... your main prey is here."
Farrel looked amused. Walked toward him.
Daniel didn't move. Waited.
Then—stabbed the fork deep into Farrel's arm.
Farrel blinked. Pulled it out slowly. No sound. No flinch.
Daniel froze.
Farrel drew a knife.
It looked like it was made to stab. Nothing else.
Daniel stepped back—
Farrel lunged—
And in that instant—
The woman moved.
Eira.
One hit. Straight to the neck.
Farrel dropped.
The car door opened.
A suited man dragged Farrel's body into it.
Eira looked at Daniel.
"Don't pick fights you can't win."
She turned to leave.
Daniel, bleeding, coughing, called after her.
"Thanks for the help… but I'm still gonna pick fights I can't win."
She paused.
Just a second.
Then walked away.
Daniel turned to Sunny. Unconscious.
He grabbed a bottle of water. Splashed it on his face.
Sunny jerked awake, gasping. "Huh—?! What happened?!"
"They're gone," Daniel said. "Just beat us up and left."
Sunny groaned. "I'm never eating pasta again."
Next Day — Classroom 3C
The three sat in their usual seats.
Sunny had a bandage under one eye.
"Guess what," he grinned. "I got a contract. Big modeling agency."
Isac raised an eyebrow. "Nice. I've got a fight next week."
Daniel turned. "Wait. Fight?"
Isac smirked. "Kickboxing. Didn't I tell you?"
Sunny dropped his pen. "EXCUSE ME?! YOU'RE A KICKBOXER?"
Isac: "Yeah. National ranking. No big deal."
Sunny: "That's illegal, no way someone like you-."
They laughed.
Daniel didn't.
He stared at the window.
The same one he'd jumped from.
Still alive.
Still fighting.