The next day, after the other kids left for school, Mrs. Lina called me into the living room. She told me the admission letter and my 'necessary documents' had been successfully sent to B.I.T.E, and now all we could do was wait for their response.
So we waited.
A week passed before it finally arrived.
I was in my room when Mrs. Lina called out to me. When I came downstairs, she handed me the letter. Inside was the news: I had been selected to participate in the entrance exams for admission into B.I.T.E.
At first, I didn't understand why there was an exam at all. I thought admission would be automatic after the application. But Mrs. Lina explained that it was part of their selection process; in her words, it was to weed out the weak.
So there was no time to relax.
The entrance exam was the very next day.
Today.
---
"Do you have everything?" Mrs. Lina asked, her tone soft and warm.
"Yes, Mrs. Lina. But why do I need all this luggage? It's just the entrance exam," I asked, genuinely confused as I looked at the suitcase stuffed with my clothes.
"Students who pass the exams move into the dorms immediately," she replied calmly.
That explained it.
We carried my luggage outside and began loading it into the trunk of Mrs. Lina's minivan. Behind us, the other kids stood beside Miss Mary, watching in silence. Every single one of them wore the same sad expression.
And I couldn't blame them, I was leaving.
They had only learned about my departure yesterday. And now, on a quiet Sunday morning, they were forced to watch me leave.
"Don't go, big bwother Henwy," Eve cried out.
She broke away from Miss Mary and ran straight toward me. I picked her up, and my heart tightened when I saw the tears streaming down her small face.
The last thing I ever wanted was to see the youngest among us crying because of me.
But this had to be done.
"Don't cry, Eve," I said gently, doing my best to comfort her. "I know I'm leaving, but that doesn't mean I'll be gone forever."
I gave her a reassuring smile.
"So promise me you won't cry, okay?"
I set her down and squatted to her level.
"Okay… I promise," she said, wiping her tears.
I glanced at the others.
They were crying too. Even William and Bella.
My chest tightened, but I knew there was no turning back.
I stepped into the car and waved at them.
"It's alright, guys. I'll be back soon. So quit crying, okay?" I then forced the biggest smile I could manage. But the tears came anyway.
"Hey, kid!"
Miss Mary's voice stopped me just before I shut the door. She stood there in a blue shirt and jeans, looking at me with a familiar smile.
"If you don't come back safe, I'll come kill you myself."
I had seen that smile a thousand times before, but now it felt heavier. Warmer. Almost fragile.
At that moment, every memory flooded my mind.
The games. The scoldings. The meals. School mornings. Even the quiet nights when everyone sleeps in the same house.
My vision blurred as the tears fell, but I kept smiling for them.
Then I closed the door, and Mrs. Lina drove us away.
---
"I didn't know they'd all cry for me," I said, wiping my face.
"What did you expect?" Mrs. Lina replied gently, her eyes on the road. "You're the oldest child. They all look up to you."
Then, suddenly, her expression changed.
The warmth disappeared, replaced by something cold and emotionless. It was the face of an assassin. A face I still wasn't used to seeing.
"Listen, Henry. From here on out, things are not going to be the same."
Her voice was stern, sharp, and serious. I straightened up immediately.
"The Black Institute of Tactical Elimination is famous in the underworld for producing exceptional hitmen," she began. "It's also the biggest supplier of young hitmen for the AAO."
"Wait… you mean graduates from B.I.T.E join the AAO?" I asked, stunned.
"Yes. BITE was created by the AAO and for the AAO. That's how the AAO became one of the strongest assassination organizations in the world."
I leaned back in my seat, letting the information settle.
"I see… so investigating BITE isn't the only job," I said slowly.
"That's right. On occasion, you'll need to look into the AAO as well. But your primary objective is still BITE."
---
We arrived at the airport soon after.
It was packed with people—families, tourists, business travelers. Everyone was heading somewhere, probably for normal reasons.
But I wasn't.
After unloading my luggage and going through the really, really long airport process, I finally received my ticket.
Destination: Maui Island.
"Wait… Maui? As in Hawaii?" I asked, staring at the ticket.
"Yes," Mrs. Lina replied. "BITE is located on an island near Hawaii."
"No way. I can't believe I'm going to Hawaii," I said, unable to hide my excitement.
"This isn't the time to—"
"Henry Rhodes?" a feminine voice called out, startling me. It seemed to sound Japanese or maybe Chinese.
I turned to find the voice, then a woman in a dark blue flight attendant uniform approached us. She had black hair and a slightly nervous expression.
"Eh, yes, that's me," I muttered, my body refusing to move.
"Wait, how did you know who he is?" Mrs. Lina asked, placing an arm on my shoulder from behind.
"Oh, I am sorry. I forgot to introduce myself," she said, scratching her head. "I am Suzuki, and I am the attendant assigned to you from the plane heading to B.I.T.E."
"Really? That's great. Let's go," I said, the word BITE already stirring excitement in me.
I turned back to say goodbye to Mrs. Lina, but before I could speak, she pulled me into a tight embrace.
"Henry… my son… please come back to me, okay?" she whispered.
Her body trembled slightly. Her grip was firm, almost desperate.
She didn't want me to go.
And for a moment, I didn't want to leave either.
But this was necessary.
"I will, Mom."
She slowly let go. Then I followed Suzuki onto the plane.
---
Inside, the cabin was filled with diverse people. Men and women, each with their own stories written on their faces.
Some had deep scars. Others wore strange or intimidating clothes.
Compared to them, I felt almost plain in my black hoodie and blue jeans, but at least my white hair stood out.
The entire plane had four rows of seats, two together on both sides with a gap in the middle. I made my way to the seat assigned to me by Suzuki; it was the outside seat on the left side, third cabin. Finally, in the third cabin, I was surprised by what I saw.
I've been in Mrs. Lina's home for as long as I can remember, and during that time, I've known one thing: fighting.
Literally, I had to fight to survive back in the streets of New York. Because of that, I've only engaged with a specific type of people: the broad-shouldered, hairy, hard-boiled type.
In summary, men. In my years of fighting, I've never once interacted with a woman, which is why I was shocked.
She sat by the window with her legs curled up. She was wearing a white shirt, black ripped jeans, a purple jacket, and combat boots. Also, instead of in the compartment for luggage, she had a large guitar case. Maybe she loved it; I didn't care. She also had headphones on, further proving my suspicions.
She glanced at me, scanning from head to toe, and I froze in place, unable to do anything. After scanning me, she looked unimpressed.
But I let it go and took my seat beside her, sweat pouring down my face.
After a few minutes, the plane finally took off. For a while, everything was calm and quiet.
Then—
SHH!
The speaker crackled.
And the video monitor turned on.
An announcement was coming. In a live video format.
A Black man in a three-piece suit and a white scarf stepped into the aisle, holding a microphone. He moved dramatically, striking strange poses as he spoke.
"Hello, everyone… my name… is Edward Clare."
His theatrical tone was almost funny. Upon hearing the announcement, the girl beside me finally lowered her headphones.
"Sigh… It's about time."
Before I could ask what she meant, Edward suddenly pulled out a video camera in the video.
"Welcome, all you victims of the B.I.T.E entrance exams!"
Victims?
Why was he calling us that?
"There are explosives planted throughout the cabin. In exactly twenty minutes," he continued, pausing for dramatic effect, "this very plane…"
Silence filled the cabin.
"… is going to… EXPLODE!"
Panic erupted instantly. People shouted, stood up, and looked around in fear. My heart started pounding.
Then—
Click!
Compartments above every seat popped open.
Objects fell onto everyone's laps.
Different items.
A kitchen knife landed on mine. The girl beside me got a pistol.
The panic intensified.
"Right now, each of you has received a weapon at random," Edward announced with a twisted grin. "Use those weapons and kill as many people as possible. Why?"
"… because this… is survival of the fittest."
This wasn't a joke.
This wasn't a movie.
This was real.
"Now…" he said, raising the camera. "Let the B.I.T.E entrance examinations… BEGIN."
And just like that, the real test started.