Police Station
The city's central police station never truly slept.
Even in the early hours of the morning, officers moved constantly through its brightly lit hallways. Some hurried past carrying stacks of paperwork, others answered ringing telephones or discussed reports that had only just come in. The building felt alive at every hour, driven by a rhythm that never seemed to slow.
Beyond a set of reinforced steel doors lay the interrogation wing, a section reserved for suspects considered especially dangerous.
One room, in particular, had become unusually crowded.
George sat alone at the center of the interrogation room with his wrists locked inside thick steel handcuffs. The cuffs were secured to a heavy metal ring bolted directly into the table, leaving him with barely enough freedom to move his hands. Dried blood still stained his clothes from the attack at Ironfall Academy, but despite everything that had happened...
He looked calm.
Far too calm.
Three officers surrounded the table.
None of them had managed to get anything useful out of him.
Officer Reynolds suddenly slammed both palms against the metal surface.
BANG!
The sharp sound echoed around the small room.
"How much longer are you planning to waste our time?" he demanded.
George didn't react.
His gaze remained fixed on the table as though he hadn't heard a single word.
Officer Hayes folded his arms.
"This isn't some game."
His tone hardened.
"We've got multiple injured students."
"A classroom full of witnesses."
"The weapon you used."
"And you're sitting here pretending you have nothing to say?"
Silence.
George didn't even blink.
Officer Reynolds let out an irritated sigh.
"If you think staying quiet is going to help you, you're wrong."
"We'll keep asking until you answer."
Several more seconds passed.
Then...
George slowly raised his head.
His tired eyes drifted from one officer to another.
There was no hatred in them.
No fear.
Only indifference.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"You really want to know..."
His voice was calm, almost emotionless.
"...why I attacked those students?"
The three officers exchanged quick glances.
For the first time since the interrogation had begun...
George was finally willing to speak.
Reynolds leaned forward.
"Yes."
City Hospital
Morning sunlight filtered softly through the windows of City Hospital, bright enough to illuminate the spotless white walls but unable to remove the cold, sterile atmosphere that lingered throughout the building.
Doctors moved from room to room reviewing patients.
Nurses pushed medicine carts through the corridors while the steady rhythm of heart monitors echoed behind closed doors.
Life inside the hospital continued as though nothing unusual had happened.
Inside one private room...
Thomas slowly opened his eyes.
Everything above him appeared blurry at first.
The white ceiling gradually came into focus.
The faint smell of disinfectant filled the room.
He blinked several times before turning his head toward the window.
Someone was standing there.
A young man.
Hands resting casually inside his pockets.
Quietly watching the city beyond the glass.
Thomas frowned.
For several seconds, he couldn't place the face.
Then a memory surfaced.
A mission briefing.
A photograph.
Recognition slowly appeared in his eyes.
"...Alan."
Alan turned away from the window.
"So you're awake."
Thomas pushed himself into a sitting position.
Pain immediately spread through the bandaged wound across his chest and shoulder, forcing him to pause before letting his legs hang over the side of the bed.
His eyes never left Alan.
"...How do you know who I am?"
Alan shrugged.
"I wouldn't think too hard about it."
His expression remained as unreadable as ever.
"You're going to prison after this anyway."
Thomas let out a dry laugh.
"Straight to the point."
Alan didn't smile.
"I just have a few questions."
Thomas remained silent.
"What was the reason behind everything that happened last night?"
A brief pause followed.
"And are you connected to the attack at Ironfall Academy?"
Thomas instinctively rubbed the back of his neck before noticing a basket of fruit resting beside his bed.
Without asking, he reached over and picked up an apple.
He took a slow bite.
Only after swallowing did he answer.
"...You don't know anything."
His voice was low.
Quiet.
"You don't need to hear my story."
"I'm going to prison regardless."
Alan met his gaze without hesitation.
"Do you think that matters to me?"
Thomas stopped chewing.
"If you know something..."
Alan continued.
"...tell me."
For several long seconds, Thomas simply stared at the apple resting in his hand.
Eventually, he placed it back onto the bedside table.
"As for Ironfall..."
He exhaled quietly.
"I don't think I can tell you much."
"I was fighting you people while all of that happened."
Alan nodded once.
"And that's exactly why I'm asking."
Thomas looked back at him.
"If the attack was connected to your organization..."
"You might know something."
Thomas remained thoughtful.
Then he quietly asked,
"...Who attacked them?"
"His name is George."
Alan answered immediately.
"He's being questioned at the police station."
Thomas gave another quiet laugh.
"George?"
He slowly shook his head.
"...There's nobody by that name in our organization."
Alan's expression didn't change.
"He claimed to be from Nameless School."
Thomas froze.
The room became noticeably quieter.
"...Nameless School..."
He repeated the words almost absentmindedly.
Then realization slowly settled across his face.
"...Then this has something to do with Gary."
Alan frowned slightly.
"...Gary?"
Thomas nodded.
"He's the current leader of Nameless School."
"He isn't one of us."
"If anything..."
"...our boss is the one interested in him."
Alan listened without interrupting.
Thomas leaned back against the bed.
"If George really came from Nameless School..."
"...then everyone will assume Gary ordered the attack."
AT IRONFALL ACADEMY
The morning outside Ironfall Academy had become unusually tense.
Students stood in small groups near the entrance, whispering about the previous night's attack. The broken classroom window had already been covered, but the fear remained fresh on everyone's faces.
Near the academy gate, Daniel and Mark stood facing a young man dressed entirely in black.
Gary.
His expression remained as unreadable as ever.
Mark frowned.
"So... you wanted to meet Jin?"
Gary looked directly at him.
"I already told you."
"I want to meet Jin."
Daniel scratched the back of his neck.
"...Jin?"
"Do I even know someone named Jin?"
Mark answered before Gary could.
"He studies at Ironfall."
Then he looked back at Gary.
"But what business do you have with him?"
"He isn't even here today."
Gary's eyebrows knitted together.
"...He skipped?"
"What a pain."
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"I came all the way here for nothing."
Just then, two police officers standing near the academy entrance received a radio transmission.
One officer immediately pressed a hand against the earpiece.
"Yes, sir."
A pause.
His expression suddenly became serious.
"Really?"
Another pause.
"...Understood."
He looked toward his partner.
Both exchanged a silent nod.
Without warning—
They drew their tasers.
BZZZT!
Electricity burst through Gary's back.
His entire body convulsed violently.
"GHH—!"
His knees slammed against the pavement as another current surged through him.
Students nearby screamed and hurried away from the entrance.
Gary clenched his teeth, barely managing to stay conscious.
"What..."
He looked over his shoulder, breathing heavily.
"...the hell do you think you're doing?"
The two officers cautiously approached him while keeping their tasers raised.
"Gary."
One officer spoke firmly.
"You are under arrest on suspicion of ordering last night's assault on Ironfall Academy and directing one of your associates to attack students."
For a brief second...
Everything became silent.
Even Mark and Daniel stared in disbelief.
Gary frowned.
"...What?"
Daniel's phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the screen.
Alan.
The call connected after only two rings.
"Alan?"
"...Yeah."
"I'm at Ironfall."
Daniel listened quietly.
His expression gradually became more serious.
"...Alright."
"I understand."
He ended the call and immediately grabbed Mark's sleeve.
"We're leaving."
Mark looked confused.
"...What?"
"Why?"
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't know."
"But Alan told us to return to Blackridge immediately."
"We'll ask questions later."
Without another word, both of them hurried away from the academy.
Behind them...
Gary stared at the officers in disbelief.
"...He actually said that?"
The officer gave a firm nod.
"He confessed everything."
"He identified you as the one who ordered the attack."
For a moment, Gary simply stood there.
George...
Confessed?
That didn't make any sense.
George wasn't the type to panic.
He wasn't the type to betray people.
Especially not him.
"...No."
Gary muttered under his breath.
"Something's wrong."
The officers stepped closer.
"Enough."
"You're coming with us."
One of them reached for Gary's shoulder.
The instant their hand touched him—
BOOM!
Gary's fist crashed into the officer's face.
The man was thrown backward, collapsing unconscious onto the pavement.
Gasps erupted from the nearby students.
"He's resisting!"
"Stop him!"
Gary didn't wait.
He shoved another officer aside and burst into a sprint.
Sirens echoed through the streets as police officers gave chase.
His heart pounded harder with every step.
George had confessed.
Why?
The question repeated over and over inside his head.
Nothing about this felt right.
Not George.
Not the timing.
Not any of it.
His jaw tightened.
"...What happened?"
He whispered to himself.
The answer refused to come.
At Police Station
The interrogation room fell silent once again.
Officer Reynolds leaned over the metal table, his eyes fixed on George.
"So..."
"You were finally going to tell us why you attacked those students?"
George lowered his head.
His breathing became uneven.
His fingers twitched beneath the steel cuffs.
For the first time since arriving at the station...
He looked nervous.
Officer Hayes exchanged a glance with Reynolds.
They had finally broken him.
George swallowed.
His lips trembled.
"G... G..."
He struggled to force the words out.
His entire body shook violently.
Officer Reynolds leaned closer.
"What is it?"
George slowly raised his head.
His voice barely came out.
"...Gary..."
The officers frowned.
"Gary?"
George nodded weakly.
"...The current leader of Nameless School..."
His breathing became heavier.
"...He..."
"...He told me..."
Another pause.
"...to go to Ironfall Academy..."
"...to spy..."
"...and..."
His eyes shut tightly.
"...to kill the students."
Silence.
Complete silence.
The expressions on every officer in the room changed instantly.
Officer Hayes looked toward Reynolds.
"...Did he just say Gary?"
Reynolds immediately grabbed the radio clipped to his shoulder.
"Control, this is Interrogation Room Three."
"We have a confession."
"The suspect claims Gary, leader of Nameless School, ordered the Ironfall Academy attack."
A brief pause.
"Send the message to every unit immediately."
"Especially the officers stationed at Ironfall."
"Do not let Gary leave."
"Treat him as dangerous."
The radio crackled.
"Understood."
George slowly lowered his head again.
His face disappeared beneath the curtain of his black hair.
No one noticed...
The faint smile that formed at the corner of his lips.
---
Back At City Hospital
Thomas remained seated on the edge of his bed.
The room had grown strangely quiet.
Alan stood near the window, listening.
Thomas rubbed his forehead.
"You don't understand."
His voice had become quieter.
"Gary isn't someone you can predict."
Alan remained silent.
"As much as Zarx values him..."
"...Gary never truly belonged to us."
Alan frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Thomas looked toward the ceiling.
"There was only one reason he cooperated with Zarx."
"And once he got what he wanted..."
"...he planned to leave."
"What did he want?"
Thomas slowly shook his head.
"I don't know."
"People at my level aren't told everything."
He let out a tired sigh.
"All I know is..."
"...Gary was preparing to walk away."
Alan folded his arms.
"Do you think he'd order an attack like this?"
Thomas stayed silent for several seconds.
"...I don't know."
"Maybe."
"Maybe not."
"Gary does whatever benefits him."
"Trying to guess him is pointless."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Alan remained quiet for a few seconds before nodding.
"...Thanks."
"That's enough."
Thomas looked at him.
"You're leaving?"
Alan turned toward the door.
"Yeah."
"I've heard everything I needed."
Without another word, he walked out.
The automatic door slid shut behind him.
Thomas let out a long breath.
"...Finally."
A few moments later—
A nurse entered the room carrying a tray.
She smiled politely.
"Mr. Thomas."
"It's time for your final medication."
"After that, the police will come to transfer you."
Thomas nodded tiredly.
"...Alright."
The nurse walked over to the IV stand.
She removed a syringe from the tray.
Without another word...
She injected the clear liquid into the drip.
"There."
She offered him another polite smile.
"You should feel better soon."
Then she quietly left the room.
Thomas leaned back against the bed.
At first...
Nothing happened.
Then—
His vision blurred.
"...Huh?"
A sharp pain tore through his chest.
His breathing became irregular.
"W-What..."
He grabbed the side of the bed.
The pain intensified.
His body slid onto the floor with a heavy thud.
His muscles refused to respond.
His lungs felt as though they were burning.
What...
What did she inject...?
His heartbeat pounded violently against his ribs.
Then—
It began slowing down.
His eyes widened.
No...
Don't tell me...
Poison...?
His fingers weakly scraped across the hospital floor.
He tried calling for help.
No sound came out.
His vision grew darker.
The heart monitor released one long, continuous tone.
Doctors burst into the room.
"He's crashing!"
"Get the crash cart!"
"Hurry!"
The hallway descended into chaos.
Outside the room...
The same nurse calmly adjusted a loose strand of hair.
A tiny metallic badge slipped from her pocket onto the floor.
She picked it up without expression.
Then took out her phone.
The call connected immediately.
"Yes, sir."
A brief pause.
"...It's done."
"He's no more."
She ended the call.
Without another glance toward the room...
She quietly walked away.
---
City Hospital
The long, continuous tone of the heart monitor echoed through the hospital room.
Doctors rushed in from every direction.
"He's crashing!"
"Move!"
"Get the crash cart!"
A nurse immediately began chest compressions while another prepared the defibrillator.
"Clear!"
THUMP!
Thomas's body jerked upward.
The monitor remained flat.
"Again!"
Another shock.
Nothing.
The senior doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"One more time!"
THUMP!
Silence.
The monitor never changed.
After several long seconds, the doctor slowly lowered his hands.
"...Time of death."
The room fell completely silent.
Outside the doorway, Alan stood motionless.
He had only just left Thomas's room when the commotion began.
Now...
Thomas was dead.
One of the doctors stepped forward to remove the IV.
His hand suddenly stopped.
"...Wait."
Another doctor looked over.
"What is it?"
He pointed at the IV line.
"The injection port..."
His expression hardened.
"Someone used it recently."
The senior doctor immediately examined it himself.
Only a few seconds later, his face changed.
"This wasn't natural."
His voice became firm.
"He was poisoned."
The room instantly erupted into activity.
"Seal every exit!"
"Call hospital security!"
"Nobody leaves this building!"
Police officers stationed throughout the hospital immediately responded.
Within moments, announcements echoed through every corridor.
"Attention all staff."
"The hospital is under temporary lockdown."
"No one is permitted to leave."
Doctors and nurses looked around in confusion.
Patients whispered nervously.
Near one of the staff hallways...
A nurse quietly unclipped the badge from her uniform and slipped it into her pocket.
Keeping her head down, she calmly walked toward a service exit.
A female officer noticed her.
"Miss."
She didn't respond.
"Miss!"
She glanced over her shoulder.
Then—
She ran.
"Stop!"
The hallway exploded into chaos.
Medicine carts were knocked aside.
Bottles shattered across the floor.
The nurse sprinted through the corridors, pushing open a stairwell door before racing downward.
Officers pursued from behind.
More police entered from below.
She reached another hallway—
And stopped.
Three officers blocked the exit.
One of them slowly raised a taser.
"It's over."
The nurse looked behind her.
More officers had arrived.
There was nowhere left to go.
After several seconds...
She slowly raised both hands.
---
Police Station
Less than an hour later...
The nurse sat inside an interrogation room.
Unlike George...
She looked terrified.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
Officer Reynolds placed a sealed evidence bag onto the table.
Inside was the syringe recovered from Thomas's IV.
"We already know how he died."
He looked directly at her.
"Who paid you?"
The nurse lowered her head.
Silence.
Officer Hayes spoke more calmly.
"If you cooperate..."
"The court will hear that."
Several seconds passed.
Finally...
"A man approached me."
Her voice barely rose above a whisper.
"He wore a black hoodie."
"I couldn't see his face clearly."
Reynolds nodded.
"What did he want?"
"He offered me one thousand dollars..."
"...to poison the patient."
"Did he tell you his name?"
She slowly shook her head.
"No."
"But..."
"He said..."
"...he was working under Gary."
Silence filled the room.
Officer Hayes frowned.
"...Gary?"
"The leader of Nameless School?"
The nurse nodded weakly.
"That's what he told me."
Officer Reynolds immediately grabbed his radio.
"Send the statement to headquarters."
"Immediately."
---
Blackridge Academy
Daniel and Mark had just returned to school.
Unlike Ironfall Academy...
Blackridge looked perfectly normal.
Students laughed in the courtyard.
Others walked between classes.
Only a few discussed last night's attack.
"...Looks normal."
Daniel muttered.
"Too normal."
Mark replied.
His gaze drifted toward the entrance.
"...Is that Daisy?"
Daniel looked over.
Daisy stood beside a girl wearing an Ironfall Academy uniform.
As soon as she noticed them, she waved.
"Daniel!"
The two walked over.
Daniel smiled.
"Hey."
He glanced toward the unfamiliar girl.
"...Who's she?"
"Oh."
Daisy smiled awkwardly.
"She's from Ironfall."
"She was looking for Alan."
The girl turned around.
Lily.
She gave a polite nod.
"I wanted to ask whether Alan came to school today."
Daniel shook his head.
"He hasn't."
"I see."
She nodded once.
"Thank you."
Without another word, Lily quietly left through the school gate.
The three watched her disappear.
Mark chuckled.
"So Alan's famous now?"
Daniel shrugged.
"No idea."
Before either of them could continue—
Daisy suddenly remembered something.
"Oh!"
"You two should check today's news."
Daniel frowned.
"...News?"
She nodded.
"I think something happened."
Something in her expression made Daniel instinctively pull out his phone.
---
Across the City
Gary finally slowed beside a small convenience store.
A crowd had gathered outside.
Everyone was staring at the television mounted above the entrance.
"...Breaking news."
The reporter spoke with a serious expression.
"Authorities have confirmed that Thomas, one of the suspects connected to recent criminal activity, died earlier today inside City Hospital."
Gary frowned.
"...Thomas?"
The broadcast continued.
"Doctors determined his death was caused by poisoning."
"Police quickly arrested a nurse attempting to flee the hospital."
The screen switched to footage of the nurse being escorted away in handcuffs.
Then another clip appeared.
She sat inside an interrogation room.
Her face had been partially concealed.
"I was paid to do it."
She spoke quietly.
"A man wearing a black hoodie approached me."
"He said..."
"...he was working under Gary."
Gary stood frozen.
The reporter continued.
"Police believe the murder may be connected to last night's attack on Ironfall Academy."
"Authorities are actively searching for Gary, the current leader of Nameless School."
Gary's breathing grew uneven.
"...What..."
The television switched to another report.
"We have also received confirmation that George, the suspect arrested following the attack on Ironfall Academy, has died."
"According to police, George managed to seize an officer's firearm during questioning."
"He fatally shot one officer before turning the weapon on himself."
"Investigators believe he feared retaliation from Gary after confessing."
The crowd erupted into frightened whispers.
Gary remained completely still.
George...
Dead?
His fists slowly clenched.
One accusation after another.
Every report.
Every witness.
Every piece of evidence...
Pointed toward him.
"...Zarx."
He whispered through clenched teeth.
The name carried more anger than fear.
"I don't know what game you're playing..."
"...but I'll make you regret it."
In the distance...
Police sirens echoed through the streets.
One patrol car arrived.
Then another.
Within moments...
The roads surrounding the convenience store were completely blocked.
Officers stepped out one after another.
Weapons raised.
Every gun pointed toward Gary.
He stood alone.
Surrounded.
With nowhere left to run.
---
Elsewhere...
Inside an abandoned building...
A spoon gently stirred a cup of coffee.
Clink.
Clink.
Zarx watched the morning light spill through a cracked window.
A faint smile rested on his face.
"Poor Gary..."
He took another sip.
"If only you'd remained useful."
The ticking of a clock filled the silent room.
"It seems..."
"...today isn't your lucky day."
He smiled to himself.
Then quietly set the cup back onto its saucer.
To Be Continued...