SOME SAY THAT a person wouldn't know the true meaning of fear until they stood at death's door. Devora, who was in a very close position, knew with every inch of her body that the word 'fear' couldn't even begin to describe the feeling she felt.

It pulled and played with her emotions, sending distorted versions of reality for her to view. Her brain had concocted possible scenarios the next few minutes could play out, all ending with her eyes glossed over and her heart stilled. Each and every vision she went through in her head only caused her to perspire in cold sweat. Her skin had long gotten sticky, gleaming with a sheen of perspiration that coated her and drenched her clothes. Even though the room wasn't anywhere near warm, she couldn't stop her body from reacting this way. The world before her eyes seemed to shift and curve, her breath heavy. It was starting to get difficult to breathe with how her lungs couldn't seem to retain the oxygen she desperately inhaled. Every second in the room only dragged on to last a minute, making a whole minute feel like an hour in the pits of Tartarus. If it weren't for Nathan's hands which held her steady, she would've already long collapsed to her knees.

The man seated right in front of them still dwelled in the shadows. Around him, the wisps of black seemed like an aura of evil that enveloped his entire body, staining the walls and polluting the very air in the room. His very presence was enough to send chilling shivers down each fraction of her rigid spine. Slowly, he got up to his feet, pushing away from the table. He took a few steps forward with long strides, walking with purpose. His polished black leather shoes hit against the carpeted floor lightly, merely kissing it and giving the illusion that he was floating above the layers of fiber and silk like a skater on ice.

"That's Julius Cain," Nathan whispered into Devora's ear from where he stood behind her. Leah and Travis, who both stood right next to her, didn't even flinch, seemingly unaware Nathan had spoken. "He is the highest leading authority within this organization. In other words, he's my boss."

With hands tucked into the pockets of his pants, Julius Cain seemed as relaxed as ever. He stepped out of the shadows and into the light, allowing the sun outside to illuminate his features, showcasing a dazzling smile that would've been charismatic if it hadn't been for all those notorious stories Devora had overheard about him. Despite the constant waves of charm that practically radiated from the man, Devora knew better than to forget that Julius Cain was the physical embodiment of death itself. Even with a handsome grin, the man still took lives for a living.

"Welcome," the man greeted, stretching his arms out as if to welcome the four teenagers. He stopped right in front of the sofas, allowing the sliver of light to brighten his expression and bring it into view.

From by her side, Leah and Travis both gasped sharply in surprise. Devora, too, almost couldn't keep her lips glued shut. Julius Cain was a force of nature. He was surely well in his mid-thirties but the man aged like fine wine. He was blessed with beauty that only got better as the years went on, his appearance godly and attractive. In fact, most actors in Hollywood couldn't even begin to compare with him. Not only was his jawline sharp, but his face was also perfectly symmetrical with clear eyes and a dazzling grin that could melt hearts.

However, there was something in his smile that set him apart from the actors and models of Hollywood. Julius Cain grinned as though he was a grim reaper about to send wretched souls to meet the blazing fires of hell. It was nefarious.

"I see that you've taken your own sweet time in reporting, Nathaniel." Casually, Julius Cain slipped his hands into the pockets of his dark coat once more, tilting his chin up ever so slightly as he waited for Nathan's answer.

Called upon, the younger man stepped forward. He shifted his body so that he shielded Devora from Julius Cain's direct gaze, protectively keeping her out of sight. "There were some complications, sir."

Julius Cain quirked an eyebrow up in disbelief but he otherwise kept silent, waiting for Nathan to finish speaking before cutting in.

"Furthermore, Gray's men were late, as usual, and the outlaws that organized the kidnappings had to be—"

The older man raised a single finger in the air, silencing Nathan abruptly as the teenager clicked his jaw in annoyance.

"I know that Leon can't do his damn job well enough but I had explicitly told you to bring Miss Evans here early. So what was the problem? You should've had your own mode of transportation prepared for extraction."

From where she stood, Devora could feel Nathan tensing up. His whole body went rigid, almost trembling in indignation. She chanced a quick glance at him just in time to see his frown form, eyebrows crinkling inward as his jaw clenched. Acting purely on instinct, she slipped her hand into his, squeezing it gently in hopes of offering comfort. She didn't know what came over her or what drove her to act kindly to a person that had betrayed her trust. All she could remember at that moment was that Nathan had offered her the same comfort when she needed it most. Now that he was distressed, she was doing the least in relaying that same compassion back.

At her touch, Nathan blinked a few times rapidly, the anger in his eyes fading. His muscles relaxed a little, the scowl he wore no longer as obvious as before. His fingers curled around hers, tightening his grip into a little squeeze. The warmth of his hand surrounded Devora's. For a second there, it seemed as though he was trying to comfort her instead of the other way around.

Julius Cain, with his eyes that belonged to a hawk, sneered at the sight. Devora and Nathan's exchange hadn't been a big, extravagant movement but he caught it nevertheless.

"Please refrain from doing that in my office, Miss Evans. Affection is revolting in my eyes."

With his words, everyone's burning gaze fell on Devora and Nathan's connected hands. Devora slipped her hand out of Nathan's, holding them behind her as she glanced at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Heat rushed to her cheeks rapidly due to the embarrassment of getting caught. Clearly it wasn't wise to underestimate Julius Cain's hawk-like eyes.

It took the towering man mere steps to reach Devora from where he previously stood. At first, Nathan stood bravely in front of her, prepared to shield her away from the devil-turned-man. However, with just one pointed look from Julius Cain, Nathan had no choice but to step aside, leaving Devora at the full mercy of the man that had her scared out of her wits. The aura that surrounded Julius Cain left Devora stunned silly and even as someone who once prided herself on having a way with words, she found herself at a loss of it, unable to find her voice to reply when questions started to get thrown her way.

"You are such a delicate little pretty thing, aren't you?" The man's calloused hands lifted her face up by the chin, shifting it around so as to get a good look at her. It forced her to stare right into her eyes, allowing her to bear the full brunt of the piercing gaze. The eyes were windows to a person's soul but Julius Cain's eyes held no emotion. There was nothing within those frosty pale blue irises other than a hollow chasm void of any warmth. "Pity." Retracting his hand, the man sneered. Devora's chin plummeted downward from the momentum, bobbing a little. She pursed her lip, trying to erase the sensation of his chilling touch against her skin from her mind. "This job might not treat your beauty well. I would know."

He needn't specifically mention what he was referring to. Devora already knew. Although Julius Cain's face could be said to be perfectly symmetrical, a scientifically perfect face in the world of beauty, a sharp jagged line ran down the right side of his face, completely smashing that porcelain elegance into a haunting nightmare. It traced from his nose bridge to the apple of his right cheek before leading to the edge of his jaw. The scar, though not enough to completely ruin his appearance, was another additional factor that increased his formidable vibe.

To her side, both Leah and Travis looked surprisingly undaunted. The latter had a look of indifference over his features, arms hanging limply at his sides as he stared straight forward like a robot. Leah, on the other hand, had a small scowl tilting the right corner of her lip, providing her features with age that she didn't possess. Her eyes were trained on Julius Cain, glaring his bulky figure down. Of course, the older man barely even flinched. He had to know that Leah was sending death looks his way, of course. After all, with eyes like his, how could he not? However, he didn't seem to care. A little girl like her was no danger to someone that had clearly both seen and created horrors in the world.

"You must be wondering why you've all been gathered here." Tucking his hands back into his pockets, Julius Cain made his way back to the table. He leaned against his table, barely just sitting on it while shuffling through the documents on his desk with one hand. "Truth to be told, the three of you should've been brought in way earlier. However, we had some issues with finding out your location due to the kidnapping and it has since dragged on until today."

Having found what he was looking for, the man picked up the selected few papers, arranging them neatly into a small stack. His left hand, now freed, reached towards the small globe decoration that sat on his table. He traced a finger down from the north pole southwards, stopping once he hit the equator. Then, he spun it, allowing it to revolve madly on its axis.

"I run an operation that holds branches all across the globe, specifically, in twelve major cities in the world. This branch here is the headquarters, the first of its kind to rise." Turning his gaze away from the spinning globe, he turned to smile at the four teenagers, his expression mocking. "I have a very special job, you see. It is something tied in with the government like a tightly woven net. We do the things the police force is too good to do. If the world is black and white, we're in the expansive gray area. However, since it is funded by world leaders, we are very much legal."

With his last word, he cast Travis a surreptitious glance from the corner of his eye. The younger boy twitched slightly from where he stood but otherwise made no sign of retaliation. The hidden meaning behind Julius Cain's revelation was loud and clear for everyone in the room.

If what they were doing was legal, that meant that the actions of this organization could be overlooked by the higher powers with just little to no persuasion. That made Tammy's death — murder — 'legal' as well. Removing a single insignificant child was no big deal for an organization with such a sinister reputation. If the teenagers tried to retaliate, the organization will simply just have to remove a couple more, simple as that.

"Nathaniel," the man boomed, holding out the stack of papers he had previously gathered, allowing the minimal ray of sunlight to catch the flashy-looking watch that sat on his wrist. Nathan jolted up when his name was called, fists clenching. "If you will."

Wordlessly, Nathan made his way across the room. He received the papers from Julius Cain before walking back, passing Devora, and heading straight towards Travis who stood by the far right. He handed the stack of documents over to Travis, signaling the younger boy to flip through its contents before passing it on. Both Leah and Devora watched as Travis's face turned paler and paler each second, his expression scrunching in disgust as he read on. It didn't take long before he had enough, looking away as he shoved the paper into Leah's hands.

None of them noticed the malicious grin that had consumed Julius Cain's lips.

Leah flipped the first page open hesitantly, her eyes looking up at Nathan with wary doubt before finally dropping to the white pages. The office was now silent. All that could be heard was the crisp flipping of papers. Leah lasted a little longer than her brother did, going through the first few pages with curiosity. Nonetheless, eventually, she, too, wasn't able to stomach any more. She turned her head away, holding the paper out for Nathan to take back.

At last, Nathan stood in front of Devora. His expression was grim, lips tightly pressed together. He held the documents out for her to take.

Devora's fingers trembled intensely as she took the papers from his hold, her eyes immediately glossing over the words that graced the first page.

COMPANY'S LIST, PARTNERSHIPS & ASSETS:
HITLIST & DEADPOOL

The title itself was a bearer of no good news. Quaking, Devora pinched the lower corner of the paper, turning it over to the next page. The sight that greeted her made her stomach churn with discomfort, bile rising to her throat.

There were screenshots of multiple text messages and emails, some of which were attached to images of dead men, women, and even children. Most pictures were bloody, to say the least. The victims were often killed with a bullet through their heads or a knife to the throat, blood oozing out from the wound. However, there were more gruesome ways to die. As the pages went on, there were images of badly disfigured corpses. Some were missing several limbs or other body parts, lying in a pool of their own blood. Most of these dead bodies had no heads to identify them with, or if they did, the head wasn't attached to the neck and was instead placed right next to the torso solely for the photograph.

"This is what we do for a living." At the sound of Julius Cain's voice, Devora gritted her teeth. She forced herself to flip to the next page, trying her best to block out his words. "It's not pretty but it's a necessary evil to maintain order in our country and the rest of the world."

As she turned another page, she soon came to a profile assessment of one of the organization's staff. It was a girl and judging from the picture, she was about twenty-years-old, maybe even younger. In the photograph, she stared straight into the camera expressionlessly. Below the main image were two smaller photographs, most likely captured when the girl in question was younger so it documented her appearance as she aged.

FULL NAME: CANDICE DONA CLAIR
DOB: 6 FEBRUARY 19XX
DOD: —
NOTES: MEDICALLY TRAINED, SKILLED IN ALL FORMS OF COMBAT

The next few pages held similar information as they were all profiles of the organization's hired staff. They were all strangers in Devora's eyes but she already knew more about them than most of the people in her high school.

NAME: DALLAS ROMANO ROKOS
DOB: 23 NOVEMBER 20XX
DOD: —
NOTES: SKILLED IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT, EXPERT SNIPER

NAME: ANASTASIA BELLANOVA
DOB: 7 MARCH 20XX
DOD: 25 AUGUST 20XX
CAUSE OF DEATH: KILLED IN RAIDING MISSION. CORNERED AND SHOT.
NOTES: SKILLED IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT

Unable to go on any further, Devora pushed the stack of papers back into Nathan's hold without warning. He scrambled to grab onto the papers due to her sudden action, careful not to let the entire stack fall. Once Devora's hands were freed, she automatically wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing her eyes shut. She hadn't even felt it when Nathan's hand gripped onto her shoulder until Julius Cain spoke again, capturing her attention.

"Now that you know more about us, it's time for us to learn more about you," he said with a foreboding grin.

————

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