In the quiet of the cafe, the chairs and tables were moved into a corner, and the doors and windows were closed. On the floor, Orion set up several wooden stakes as targets, marking a red dot on each one. Noir stood with his arms crossed, her eyes focused and patient, while Orion gave Specter a few small knives. Specter didn't understand and just stood there.
"So...?" He looked at Noir, then looked at Orion.
Orion moved behind Specter and replied.
"Throw! Imagine those are the heads of the organizers, just throw straight at them. Think of it like going to an amusement park, if you hit them, you get points. Like playing a game."
"I really don't feel anything, how...is that possible..." Specter replied.
But from nowhere, a knife flew out and hit the farthest stake, piercing deep into the red dot without any difficulty. Specter was startled and panicked, realizing it was Noir who had thrown it. She said nothing, just showing Specter how it was done. Decisive, precise. Specter was still a little hesitant, but Orion patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it."
With the encouragement and trust of his two teammates, Specter began to throw, one by one. The first few times he threw them, he almost missed, but they still patiently waited for him to practice. After who knows how long, they flew more accurately, more dangerously. The training lasted until dawn, when the first rays of sunlight leaked into the bar and lit them up. Specter's hands were now exhausted, but fortunately, he did not disappoint his teammates. He felt his old instincts gradually returning, each throw almost perfectly accurate. Noir and Orion saw this and said.
"Alright, bro, that's enough. Take a break. We have something more important to do." *Orion picked up the knife*
"Come here." *Noir opened the door*
"Hey, seriously? He really tired, let him rest for second!" Orion said.
"We don't have time." Noir replied to Orion while walking foward.
"Aizz, good luck, buddy." Orion patted Specter's shouder.
Specter was exhausted as his feet dragged outside, Orion following behind. Noir chose an open area on the edge of the forest, far from the village. Noir and Orion picked up some rocks and branches and drew a symbolic human figure on a large tree trunk. Then she pressed a silenced pistol into Specter's hand to minimize noise and avoid alarming the villagers, and make them afraid.
"I… still have to shoot?" Specter muttered.
"Now you learn again, at least you must be able to protect yourself."
Noir stepped forward, gently touching Specter's hand, adjusting his grip on the gun. Her eyes tilted, blue and red sparkling in the morning light.
"Don't tremble. Aim for the heart... or the legs. One shot to kill them or a safe shot to let you escape. Breathe."
Specter slowly pulled the trigger, the gunshot sounded. The first was missed, the second shattered the wood.
"I...I did it, right?..." he gasped.
Orion patted him on the shoulder and laughed loudly.
"Just shoot a few more times and you'll be fine. Keep going!"
Not simple like that, Orion and Noir took turns throwing rocks and branches up high to increase their shooting reflexes and accuracy. In a rare moment, laughter mixed into the already tense atmosphere. After training, Specter gradually improved, so they stopped practicing. They returned to the cafe, sat down around the old table, opened the wine bottle, and the yellow light covered their face.
Orion drained his glass, his eyes fixed sternly on Noir.
"When VOID really comes, I'll hold off the strongest group. Noir, you handle the others. Specter, you take care of the system and keep yourself alive. We need to work together."
Noir nodded, briefly.
"Got it."
Specter looked at Noir, his eyes softening. In those eyes, even if only for a moment, he thought he saw a gentle light. His heart tightened, a feeling of wanting to protect Noir, but it was so close yet so far away, impossible to describe. That night, when Orion fell asleep on the chair, Specter was still sitting by the laptop. Noir stood on the balcony, the moonlight covering her long black hair, her beautiful face. Specter stepped out, silently placing his coat on her shoulders.
"Be careful of the cold."
Noir tilted her head, her eyes were unreadable, but she didn't brush it away. A gentle wind blew through Noir's long hair. With Noir, if this world had no gangs, no crazy insane killing, would it be easier? Beside her, Specter stood silently. Maybe he is just falling in love with her, so clearly.
Specter asked.
"Noir, your memories of the organization,... are they truly gone?"
"Uhm, only a few scattered memories, but they are all of me ending a person's life... sometimes they were innocent souls."
"So many that you couldn't count."
Specter fell silent, he didn't want to ask more questions and make her sad about the fact that her hands had long been stained with blood.
However, about 500 meters away, a tracking device flashed a steady red light, something was gradually approaching.