Zain was thinking of something. He was replaying every detail of the day.
"To think... my targets were that close. Right near our home."
His brows furrowed. There was something that had been bothering him.
That strange feeling he'd had earlier...
"Wait. Back when I was asking around... I kind of feel it."
That sensation. The prickling on the back of his neck, the subtle pressure of being watched.
He clenched his jaw.
"They were watching me."
He stood up slowly, walking to the window and looking out into the dim street.
"The Bone Brothers were tailing me the whole time."
It wasn't just a coincidence that he couldn't find them.
"They knew I was looking. They were hiding on purpose."
Then another realization hit him.
"And if they were watching me..."
He turned his gaze toward the hallway where Zelia had gone.
"That means they might know where I live."
A long silence followed as he stared into the night.
He tightened his fists.
"Damn it. I can't wait until tomorrow."
His voice was low but heavy with resolve.
"If they know where I sleep, they might not wait for me to find them. They might come first."
He stepped back from the window and sat down again.
"Looks like I'm not sleeping tonight."
And just like that, Zain remained seated, fully alert, preparing for the battle.
---
Zain then thought of something after glancing at the night sky outside.
"If it's night... then I might as well use it."
He crossed his arms, smirking.
"Let's hack myself and get a little advantage."
He opened his system interface mentally, scanning his remaining points.
"220 Hack Points left... enough for one or two more low-tier abilities."
His eyes gleamed.
"System, give me an ability related to night vision. Something that lets me see in the dark."
---
[Hack Initiation: Ability Acquisition]
[Target: Zain]
[Ability Acquired: Night Eyes (Low Tier)]
[Effect: Grants clear vision in low-light or dark environments. Ideal for caves, night missions, and dim areas.]
[Cost Required: 100 Hack Points]
[Status: Executing...]
---
Zain felt a brief sting behind his eyes.
Then everything around him changed.
He could see anything like normal, although he had turned off the light.
He blinked once, then grinned.
"Perfect. With this... I'll find them before they can find me."
Moving silently, Zain walked over to the window, pushed it open without a sound, and stepped onto the ledge.
The cool night wind hit his face, making his face smirk.
"Let's hunt, Bone Brothers."
With a final glance back into the quiet room, Zain vanished.
---
In the shadows of a half-collapsed building, two figures crouched in silence.
Knuck, the larger of the two, cracked his bony fingers.
With each movement, white claws pushed out from his knuckles, jagged and sharp.
"So, what do you think? That kid was sniffing around all over the place today."
Splinter, the leaner one with sunken eyes, leaned against a broken wall.
He was slowly pulling a bone shard from his forearm like it was a toothpick.
"He's new. Probably trying to prove himself. But he's not stupid. He almost found us."
Knuck growled.
"Tch. He got too close for my liking. We should just go deal with him tonight, end it before he gets clever."
Splinter's eyes gleamed.
"I already looked into it. The brat lives with someone. It was a girl. Pretty, black hair. Smiles a lot. Hides things well."
Knuck began to smirk.
"You wanna play with her?"
Splinter gave a lazy shrug.
"Why not? We've been bored hiding out for days. Might as well have some fun before the brat shows up."
Knuck chuckled, dark and slow.
"Let's see how long she lasts."
They exchanged many looks.
But just as they shared them, neither of them noticed.
A silhouette quietly crouched on a nearby rooftop, watching them through the darkness.
---
Perched silently on the rooftop above, Zain crouched low.
Thanks to his Night Eyes ability, he easily found the bone brothers.
They hadn't even sensed him yet. They were too busy running their mouths.
He had heard everything. Every sick, twisted word.
And now... he was smiling.
"Tch... to think what big sister said was the truth."
Zain muttered under his breath.
"They really were hiding right near the clinic."
He shifted slightly, flames faintly dancing along his fingertips.
"Hmph. It was almost too easy to find them."
But then his expression darkened, the smirk curling into something sharper.
"But to think… you dared to talk about playing with my sister."
The fire around his hand burned hotter for a brief moment before he clenched his fist and let it die out.
"You really thought you could use her as your plaything?"
His killing intent was slowly building.
"I was planning to end this tomorrow... but now?"
His smirk returned. Cold, cruel, calm.
"Now, I'm going to enjoy this."
Zain slowly stood from the crouch.
Adjusting his stance, his eyes were locked on the two bone-using thugs below.
"Let's see how loud your bones snap when I break them one by one."
---
Splinter pulled a bone shard from his wrist before casually flicking it between his fingers.
"Let's go pay the girl a visit. A soft knock on the door should do the trick."
Knuck cracked his knuckles, bone claws sliding out slowly.
"She won't even have time to scream."
They stepped out from the ruined alley, turning toward the direction of Zain's home.
But just as they took their second step—
A figure dropped in front of them.
Zain.
Landing with perfect control, Zain grinned as he glanced at the bone brothers.
Zain then asked them calmly.
"Going somewhere?"
Both brothers halted.
Splinter clicked his tongue, narrowing his eyes.
"Tch… you again? The little stray. You should've stayed in bed."
Knuck chuckled, stepping forward slightly.
"What, you trying to play hero now? You don't look so tough without your sister hiding behind you."
Zain didn't respond to their mockery.
Instead, he simply smiled.
But there was no warmth in it.
"You made two mistakes."
He raised his hand, letting a small flame flicker to life in his palm.
"First, thinking you could outrun me."
The flame ignited fully.
"Second... talking about my sister."
The Bone Brothers immediately slid into fighting stances.
Splinter pulled more bone shards from his arm.
Knuck raised his bone claws with a grin.
Zain took a step forward, slowly lowering into his stance as well.
The air around them tightened.
Three killers. No more games.
"Let's begin."