My goal has finally been set.
My mission was simple to state, but heavy to carry out. I had to find the person who placed a bounty on Mrs. Lina's head. I didn't know why, and it felt like the Black Institute of Tactical Elimination, B.I.T.E for short, was the place where all the answers awaited.
After the long talk with Mrs. Lina, I headed back to my room. It was still early noon, so my siblings were still in school. The house felt quieter than usual. Only William was still around, sitting on his bed, his legs dangling lazily off the side.
When he saw me, his expression immediately softened with concern.
"Oh, big brother, where were you?" he asked in his usual timid voice.
"Me?" I forced a casual tone. "I was with Mrs. Lina in the garden."
He nodded slowly. Thankfully, he didn't press me with more questions. But his eyes drifted down to the form in my hand, and he stared at it with quiet curiosity.
Ignoring his gaze, I walked over to the reading desk and picked up a blue pen. Then I climbed onto my bunk and sat cross-legged. The form rested on my lap like a silent contract waiting to be signed.
I took a deep breath and began filling it out.
At first, it looked like any other university admission form. I hadn't actually seen a college form before, but judging from the movies I've seen, they looked alike. It asked for my name, age, background, academic records. Basic information. Harmless questions.
But then it changed.
The questions grew sharper. More personal.
Combat experience.
Tolerance for pain.
Psychological evaluations.
Previous exposure to violence.
It felt less like a school form and more like a file being built for a weapon.
Still, I didn't hesitate. What did I expect? This was a school for assassins. A place where people learned how to take lives. Of course, the questions would be different.
Within a few hours of filling out that form, which was very detailed, I finished everything.
I stared at the completed form.
A strange feeling of satisfaction settled in my chest. It was subtle, but real. I was doing something. I wasn't just sitting around while danger crept closer to the people I cared about.
I was taking action.
But that satisfaction didn't last long.
Another feeling crept in, slow and heavy. Uneasy. Sad.
When I lost my parents, I was just a kid. I didn't even understand what death really meant. But I knew one thing—I felt empty, like someone had carved a hole inside my chest and left it there.
At their funeral, I didn't cry.
I couldn't.
I was too numb. Too broken to even process the loss. Then I came here. To this orphanage. To Mrs. Lina's home.
This place was where I laughed again. Where I fought with the other kids. Where I learned what warmth felt like after losing everything.
This is my family now.
And the thought of leaving them…
It didn't sit right with me.
It felt like that old pain was rising again. Like the grief I had buried deep inside myself was slowly crawling back to the surface.
I clenched my fists.
No. I couldn't think like that. Not now.
I had a mission.
After finishing the form, I jumped down from the top bunk. But the moment my feet hit the floor, I noticed something strange.
William was gone.
I blinked.
He must've left while I was filling out the form. I didn't even notice. That was how focused I was.
I shrugged it off. Being at home always made me relax without realizing it. It was probably nothing.
With the form in hand, I headed downstairs. My steps were light, almost energetic. Determination had replaced most of my earlier unease.
But the moment I reached the bottom of the stairs, something else greeted me.
Warmth.
Not emotional warmth.
Actual warmth.
And the smell that came with it was unmistakable.
Pizza.
Not just any pizza.
Mrs. Lina's homemade casserole pizza.
And yes, it looked exactly like it sounded.
At this orphanage, we have a tradition. Mrs. Lina would surprise us with her homemade pizza after school. No matter what time we came back, it was always hot and fresh, as if she had some supernatural sense of timing.
We never questioned it. We just enjoyed it.
But after seeing the surveillance system in that secret room…
Yeah. Now I knew.
Still, something felt off.
If the kids had just returned from school, shouldn't it still be earlier?
I turned toward the large rectangular clock on the wall.
4:30 PM.
My eyes widened, I must have lost track of time while filling out the form.
"Diana is back!!"
The front door suddenly burst open as a small, dark-skinned girl with glasses rushed inside with the energy of a tiny hurricane.
"What smells so good?" Brook followed behind her, just as loud and excited. He was the same age as Diana, and the two of them shared the same chaotic energy as any nine-year-old.
"Don't tell me Mom's making her pizza," Adam said, his face lighting up. A bandage on his jaw told me he'd probably gotten hurt during little league soccer again.
"Hey, big bro, let me guess another fight?" Julie greeted me calmly, her tone polite and composed, completely different from the others. And the only one who seemed to notice her big brother in bandages.
Then suddenly—
"Big bwother Henwy!!"
A small, soft voice called out as a tiny figure ran toward me.
Eve.
The youngest in the house. Only five years old.
She rushed into my arms, and I lifted her without hesitation. She giggled as usual, expecting the usual playful spin.
But before I could do that—
"Why do you all keep leaving your bags IN THE BUS?!"
Bella stormed into the house, her face bright red with anger, veins practically popping from her forehead. She was carrying six school bags at once.
"How many times do you have to keep doing this, huh?!"
"Bella, calm down," I tried, though I already knew it wouldn't work.
"Don't tell me to calm down, Hen-Ry!" she snapped.
Yeah. That failed exactly as expected.
Just as I was running out of ideas—
"Who wants Mom's famous pizza?!"
Miss Mary burst out of the kitchen with William and Mrs. Lina behind her. They carried an extra-large pizza that steamed like it had its own aura.
The smell alone was enough to silence the entire house.
I glanced at Bella. The anger on her face disappeared instantly. It was like someone had flipped a switch.
"Alright, you all do right, let's eat!" Miss Mary shouted, raising her fist.
"YAAAY!"
The entire house erupted in cheers.
Within minutes, we all gathered around the table. We said our usual thanks, then the chaos began.
At one end of the table—
"I helped with the cooking," Miss Mary said proudly, taking a big bite.
"That's not true," William shot back. "You were just trying to eat a piece of it."
"You damn kid," Miss Mary laughed, grabbing his head playfully.
On the another side of the table—
"All I'm saying is, you all should carry your own bags," Bella said, still annoyed.
"If I do that, you can't make your iconic entrance," Diana replied, her mouth full.
"How is that my problem?" Bella shouted.
Nearby, Adam and Brook were locked in a serious rock-paper-scissors battle, their faces full of intensity, as if the fate of the world depended on it.
This was us.
A noisy, chaotic, warm family.
And yet…
I couldn't shake the unease in my chest.
Leaving this place to learn how to fight wasn't a small step. These people were my real family. In some ways, I'd bonded with them even more than with my old one.
The dinner ended quicker than I expected. Soon, the lights were off, and everyone was in their rooms.
Everyone except me.
I couldn't sleep.
I had already handed the form to Mrs. Lina after dinner, but the unease had only grown stronger.
"I'm thirsty," I whispered to myself.
It was just an excuse. I needed to walk. To think.
When I reached the kitchen, I saw Miss Mary there, grabbing a glass of water. And just like earlier, she was only wearing a black bra and panties.
I immediately covered my eyes.
"Miss Mary! I know it's late, but you shouldn't be walking around like that!" Again, covering my eyes instinctively. Instead of her usual teasing reaction, she looked serious. Concerned, even.
"Hey, Henry. Let's talk."
Her tone was different. No jokes. No playfulness.
"Sure," I said.
We stepped outside into the garden. The night sky was filled with stars, and the moonlight painted the flowers in silver. It was peaceful. Quiet.
Then she spoke.
"The face you made during dinner was so obvious. I'm surprised the other kids didn't notice."
I stayed silent.
"Let me rephrase that… I can't believe William and Bella didn't notice. Why don't you tell me what's on your mind. Is it because of BITE?"
"Yeah… a bit," I admitted. "I'm scared of leaving everyone. I just realized how dangerous this really is."
I looked down at my hands.
"I might leave… and not come back the same, according to Mrs. Lina's description, I might not even come back. I don't want to lose another family."
She lit a cigarette and took a slow puff. I hated the smell, but we were outside, so I didn't complain.
Then—
THUD.
She smacked me on the head.
"Hey! What the hell was that for?!" I yelled, rubbing the back of my head in pain.
"I can't believe you are second-guessing this opportunity. Seriously, what makes you think coming back different changes anything?" she asked, blowing smoke into the air.
"And Mom always says you and I are the same… family accepts each other."
My face immediately contorted after hearing her say that.
"And besides, you know me. If you turn into someone who pisses everyone off, I'll just knock some sense into you." She flexed her arm and smiled confidently, smoke from the cigarette tracing up.
"But what if I don't even come back? What are you all going—"
"Don't be dumb," she cut me off. "Mom wouldn't send you there if she thought you couldn't handle it. She's still your mom, isn't she?"
I froze.
She was right.
I had just learned Mrs. Lina was a hit woman. A killer. Yet nothing about her feelings toward me had changed. She still cared. Still protected me.
"Tch… next time when making your point, USE YOUR WORDS, NOT YOUR FIST!" I complained, rubbing my head.
She laughed. "Looks like we are similar, Henry. Now let's get some sleep."
She walked back inside, leaving me alone in the moonlight. I looked up at the glowing moon and smiled. Maybe… I was really worrying about nothing.
When I climbed into bed, sleep came easily. The unease was gone.
A new chapter in my life was about to begin.
And this time…
I wasn't going to hold back.