Chapter 20: Unexpected Twist

    Leo''s gamble to stay on the terrace paid off.

    For the last half hour of the test, nobody dared to set foot on the terrace, giving Leo and Felix a free ride to qualification.

    Whether it was due to fear, fatigue, or simply the fact that most of the remaining contestants were too preoccupied with their own fights, the terrace remained undisturbed.

    125 Pairs Remaining.

    As soon as the number on the Counter hit 125, a loud horn blared across the prison grounds, marking the end of the brutal qualification test.

    Leo''s heart skipped a beat at the sound of the horn, the sudden loud noise startling him.

    However, once the initial shock faded, relief quickly flooded through him, a heavy weight lifting from his chest.@@@@

    He had made it. He had survived.

    ''I actually survived,'' he thought, the realization settling over him like a soothing balm.

    But as relief gave way to reflection, another thought surfaced, the question of ''What now?''

    Leo''s gaze dropped to the Counter strapped to his waist, its red digits now frozen at 125. The number signified his success, his progress. But beyond that, it offered no answers.

    ''Do I finally get the answers I''ve been searching for? About this place? About myself?'' he wondered, but before he could delve deeper into the subject, his thoughts were interrupted by an excited shriek.

    "We did it! We actually did it, Leo!" Felix cried, his voice brimming with unrestrained joy.

    Before Leo could react, Felix charged toward him, arms outstretched for an exuberant hug.

    "No, no! We are not at the hug stage yet–" Leo rejected, trying to prevent Felix from hugging him, but the fatty seemed undeterred.

    He kept charging towards Leo despite Leo''s protest, only for the teleportation crystal to flare into life at the last second, teleporting both of them out of the prison terrace in an instant.

    *********

    When the glow of the teleportation crystal subsided, Leo found himself standing in a strange, sterile room, with Felix being beside him a few feet away.

    "Congratulations to all contestants for making it this far," the deep, authoritative tone announced, silencing the room.

    The voice was unmistakable, it was Major Silver Paige.

    "The first stage was designed to assess how you function as a team. Whether you could protect a weak target, or collaborate with a strong ally. But teamwork will only take you so far."

    The Major''s words carried a chilling weight, his tone both measured and merciless.

    "The second stage will determine if you have what it takes to become an assassin."

    Leo''s stomach clenched as the words hung in the air, a sense of dread creeping over him. He had thought that the entrance test was already over, but apparently it was not.

    "The academy accepts only 125 individuals each calendar year," the Major continued. "And we are not about to break that tradition now."

    "Out of the 125 pairs standing before me, only one candidate from each pair will be permitted to enroll. The other 125 must lose their lives."

    A collective gasp rippled through the room, muffled by the glass walls, while Felix stumbled back from the pane, his face pale as a sheet.

    "This can''t be happening," Felix muttered, his voice cracking. "They''re not serious, are they?"

    Leo said nothing, his attention fixed on the Major''s voice as it continued.

    "This is a fight to the death," the Major declared, his tone cold and unyielding.

    "You have 25 minutes....."

    "Fail to win, and both candidates in a pair will be disqualified."

    "Win, and you will earn a chance to become one of the universe''s finest assassins."

    Static crackled once again as the Major''s voice disappeared, leaving only the oppressive silence of the room behind.

    Felix turned to Leo, his hands trembling. "Leo... what do we do?!" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

    But Leo didn''t answer. His sharp gaze remained locked on the dagger in his hand, his mind already racing through the grim reality they faced.