The Story Without A Name

"What is the meaning of this?!" After making sure the guest was safe and sound, The principal shouted in fury as he quickly faced the crowd that was gaping at the whole scene.

It turned out that during the heated argument between the two students, one of them, in a fit of rage and without realizing what he was holding, hurled the object in his hand—a fork. It flew through the air, narrowly missing an unlucky visitor's head, "The Second."

The gentleman slightly taken aback by the unexpected greeting, momentarily stared at the fork pinned to the wall as if he had found something eye-catching.

The woman accompanying him—likely his assistant—hurried to his side, her face taut with concern. "S-Sir, are you hurt?!" she asked, her voice quivering with worry. 

Without hesitation, she began inspecting him, her movements brisk and frantic. She lifted his arms one by one, turning them carefully, then cupped his face, her eyes darting over every inch as though searching for any sign of injury. Finally, she exhaled a shaky sigh of relief when she found no trace of blood and let him go. The man only blinked blankly before smiling and getting his head free from the grasp.

The Second seemed unperturbed by the near miss. "Oh, I'm alright," he replied casually, flashing a brief grin. His nonchalant demeanour was surprising, considering the danger he had just narrowly avoided. "You get too anxious," he remarked teasingly. "It wouldn't have hurt me much even if it did stab me. I doubt this is how fate wants me to die. Though I'm unsure if we can say the same about being hit in the head."

"Don't say that!" the woman scolded, her tone sharp as she shot a glare towards the principal, who seemed visibly intimidated by her presence. It was clear she held some authority. 

"Miss-"

"Don't miss me! What is this nonsense, is this some kind of prank?!" 

"No-"

"Are you trying to joke around with me?!"

"N-no miss, " the principal blurted out before facing the students once more. His eyes immediately fell on Alastair, the only one standing in the crowd.

Having met the piercing gaze, Alastair immediately sat down, but it was too late.

"Why, it was you, Alastair, you intruder!" he sneered, his words dripping with contempt. The headmaster wasted no time in pointing the finger of blame at him, accusing Alastair of attempting to harm the esteemed guest. 

"Is this another one of your ridicules?! You utter delinquent, this was the last chance, but now I must take strict measures, and I'll make sure that you get suspended!" The Principal declared, his face slightly red as if it was about to burst.

Alastair pursed his lips tightly, 'strict measures my ass', a mixture of disbelief and anger churning within him. How could the old hag accuse him without any proof? Getting suspended from school, charged with a crime he didn't commit, and facing the ire of both the headmaster and the esteemed guest. What fairness is this? He wanted to laugh.

He could hear Lawrence and his gang sniggering, making him even more furious. Mika patted his shoulder for some comfort but Alastair had enough of this. 

"Let us get going now...he won't be any bother, this was only a misunderstanding and I have taken care of it-" The principal urged as he forced a smile trying to lighten the otherwise tense atmosphere.

"Wait!" 

The room at once became silent, it was the first time that such silence accommodated the entire room, it felt almost suffocating. Wide eyes stared in his direction, at Alastair, as he stood up from his seat. 'The Second' looked at him amused, his interest peeked at the spectacle. The Principal became even more frustrated. 

"It was not me," Alastair protested, his eyes narrowed on to the headmaster. Maybe he was a fool, but he wasn't a timid one.

"..."

"Sit back down." The headmaster gritted his teeth, as he pressed his temple. "I will deal with you later-" 

But before he could speak more, 'The Second' raised his hand, silenceing him at once. "Enough now," he said, before glancing at Alastair. Alastair felt cautious all of a sudden. This man was indeed someone who held a lot of power, maybe even more in a situation like this.

"Come here if you have something to say." He ordered as he gestured to Alastair, his expression unreadable. His jet-black eyes met his.

The headmaster looked surprised as he looked between the assistant and him.

Huh?... Alastair wasn't expecting this, he was mad at the headmaster for making blind and false claims about him to save his skin, sure, but being called out like this, he didn't think this through, did he?

"..."

"You heard me," 'The Second' grinned, "Or did you just want my attention?"

Alastair frowned slightly, this guy was purposely trying to rile up the situation even more and if he held back now, he really would be suspended. He glanced at his friends, their expressions a mix of pity and remorse, while Kate attempted to alleviate the tension by pinching Lawrence, for which Alastair wanted to thank her but despite their silent support, he couldn't shake the weight of this suffocating situation.

'Well, shit.' He thought.

He got out of his seat and made his way to the awaiting figure, the sea of stares and whispers was drowning him, every student's gaze piercing him as sounds of quiet laughter were heard aswell.

"He's not going to get out of this one easily." A student whispered.

"I feel bad for him but he is the one who brought this upon himself in the first place." Someone chuckled.

"What is going to happen next?.."

"Didn't you hear? He'll probably get suspended, and no school will accept a misfit like him, Haha!"

He clenched his fist, trying to control his emotions. He wanted to escape all of this as if this was a horrible nightmare and he would wake up at any moment. These students might have joined this institution out of passion but for Alastair, his sole reason was to belong somewhere. Where he felt comfortable but now that is going to be taken away from him, he can't let that happen. Life isn't always a losing game, sometimes you have to make a chance for yourself.

Alastair stopped in front of the tall gentleman, who only smiled at him.

"Ha..., you are quite bold aren't you." The man tilted his head, getting a good look at the boy standing before him. "I like the gutsiness,"

His assistant dismissed the apparent distressful atmosphere with a casual wave of her hand, her eyes shifted back to Alastair, her tone taking on a mockingly sympathetic edge as she addressed.

"So what do you have to say for your heroic act? Almost stabbing my master with a fork!" she said, her voice laced with sarcasm, then turned to The Second with a fake sympathetic look.

"Ha..." The Second raised a brow, 'Really?' he must have thought.

 Alasair's heart raced as he struggled to formulate a response, acutely aware of the precariousness of his situation. "I'm sorry but I didn't try to hurt you." 

The Second's expression remained inscrutable, his silence stretching on for a tense moment that seemed to hang in the air like a heavy fog.

"Sorry?" The Second finally spoke, his tone betraying a hint of amusement. "Do you expect me to accept an apology? Especially for something like that? How do I know if what you are telling is the truth or not?" His eyes narrowed as he fixed the boy with a penetrating gaze, his scrutiny unnerving.

"I oath to get this institution shut down for such an attempt" He crossed his arms before lazily glancing at the seated audience. Everyone was taken aback by the revelation.

"Why are you punishing all of them for something they haven't done?" Alastair raised his voice. The situation was only deteriorating. There was a palpable tension in the air as The Second considered his words, his expression unreadable as he contemplated his fate. Alastair could feel the weight of his gaze bearing down on him.

"Well, Why don't you take the punishment instead," The Second's voice cut through the silence like a blade, his words carrying the weight of authority as he leaned his head down slightly. Playfully flicking the boy's forehead with his fingers, wanting to make fun of him when suddenly!

'!'

The sudden touch sent shockwaves tearing through Alastair's mind, a searing pain stabbing into his skull as if caught in the merciless grind of machinery. His pupils contracted sharply, his vision consumed by a chaotic whirlwind of flashing imagery and ungraspable colours. In mere milliseconds, disjointed scenes overwhelmed him—a grotesque figure with a twisted grin leering at him, the haunting echoes of cries and screams filling his ears, and two lifeless bodies drenched in blood sprawled before him.

"E-end is approaching..." A faint voice sounded in his ear. He reflexively stepped back, a cold sweat break on his forehead as a dull pain filled his head. The Second retracted his hand immediately, his face slightly pale, his eyes slightly widened. Did he also experience that?... They stared at each other momentarily before being thrashed down to reality, Alastair flinched slightly as he heard The Headmaster's voice.

"Quit wasting our time boy, you've heard The Second, you'll be punished! Severely punished I tell you!" 

"But your son did this!" He tried to protest.

"Don't bring my son in to this Alastair-"

"Suspend him." The Second cut him off with a wave of his hand, slightly tense.

Alastair stared at him in shock, struggling to process the ultimatum. The mere thought of expulsion sent a wave of dread crashing over him.

The Headmaster exhaled a sigh of relief, "Of course." He must be proud of his shameless victory. 

"But," The Second interjected smoothly, "I want to impose another punishment for his boldness."

With an air of nonchalance, The Second reached for a paper held by his assistant, catching her off guard. Without hesitation, he handed it to Alastair, who finally took a moment to observe the man closely. He was tall and strikingly handsome, his pale complexion accentuating the dark eyes that gleamed with both intelligence and authority. His hair, a rich blend of black and deep brown, cascaded in soft waves around his face, giving him an aura of effortless power.

"Sign this," he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Alastair stared down at the sheet of paper in his hand, his mind reeling. He glanced back up at the man, whose calm smile betrayed nothing but confidence in his command.

"Your other punishment," The Second began, his voice steady but laden with weight as he crossed his arms, "is to train for the DEA."

The words snapped Alastair out of his daze, his heart skipping a beat. "W-What?" he stammered, the unexpected nature of the declaration sending his thoughts into a spiral. How? What? What is happening?!

"What? Don't like the punishment?" The Second teased, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

The assistant glanced between the two of them, clearly at a loss for words, while the Headmaster's bewildered expression only added to the absurdity of the moment.

Their eyes locked, and Alastair searched his face, desperate for any flicker of doubt or hesitation, any sign this was some elaborate jest. But his expression betrayed nothing. His gaze was unwavering and calm.

But before Alastair could gather his thoughts and formulate a response, the Head Master's voice thundered across the room, filled with outrage and indignation at the sudden turn of events. Veins bulged on his forehead, his face contorted with anger.

"Sir, this isn't fair!" the headmaster finally spoke up, his voice tinged with frustration and disbelief. The words spilt out just like that, driven by a sense of injustice that threatened to overwhelm him.

Yet The Assistant swiftly intervened, her voice firm and authoritative "Hey, you're not allowed to interfere!" she admonished him, her tone brooking no argument as she glared at him.

Undeterred, the Head Master persisted, his frustration boiling over as he confronted The Second. Accusations flew, and grievances aired, as he accused him of abandoning protocol in favour of personal bias.

"Miss, let me have a word with him because he's going completely against his words! He told me that tests are supposed to decide who gets to train in the DEA, and he's out here picking just because he almost got stabbed?! What kind of nonsense is this?!" He demanded, his voice ringing with incredulity and outrage. 

A soft chuckle escaped The Second's lips, and the room fell silent, every eye trained on him. "You're being a nuisance..."

Glancing at The Headmaster, The Second's expression shifted, his gaze piercing. The Headmaster faltered under the weight of that gaze, realizing he had overstepped his bounds.

"What if I choose your son? Is that what you want? Is that what your students want?" The Second's voice held a subtle edge, a hint of disappointment laced within his words. He glanced briefly at the students, before his smile vanished, replaced by a steely resolve.

"Your authority doesn't work on me, Mr. Green. Who I pick or not isn't your concern," he continued, his tone firm and unwavering. 

"And I know he didn't do anything, yet he still apologized for something that could've cost him his place in this school," The Second added, his voice carrying a note of esteem. "If you can't keep a check on what students do, then don't interfere in my work next time, because the results will be quite amusing." he finished and dismissed the Headmaster just like that, not sparing him another glance.

Turning back to Alastair, The Second's smile returned, warm and reassuring. It was a stark contrast to the tension that had gripped the room moments before.

"I want you to fill out this page; it contains some details that we need to know before your arrival." The Second pointed at the page resting in his hands.

"A car will be waiting for you at 6 in the morning, next Monday. Be prepared if you want to..." He leaned in closer to Alastair, his voice a soft whisper in his ear. "...get revenge." His words sent a shiver down his spine, momentarily caught off guard, what did he mean by that?... 

"Master, should we leave now? You have to meet up with someone," the assistant interjected, breaking the momentary silence with a reminder of their impending departure.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot about that. And please tell this fine Principal to give me the reports about this specific student," The Second remarked casually. She nodded in understanding and gestured for him to follow her. Together, they walked out of the room, with the Headmaster trying to catch up from behind and still trying to convince them, leaving Alastair standing there, still processing the whirlwind of events that had just unfolded. As the door closed behind them, he felt a mixture of emotions swirling inside him. Relief, excitement, disbelief—all vied for dominance in his mind.

He glanced down at the form in his hands, its words now imbued with newfound significance. In bold letters, it proclaimed: 'Devil Executioner Agency welcomes you! Please sign this form as it is the first step to your success and others' protection!' These words for some reason reminded me of the various motivational posters in his dorm room.

Suddenly, everyone ran over to him, he was engulfed in a wave of congratulations as his friends rushed over to embrace him. Their cheers and hugs were a welcome distraction from the lingering doubts and fears that still remained in the back of his mind. Amidst the chaos of the crowded cafeteria, he found ease in the support of those who believed in me. As the commotion gradually died down, he noticed Lawrence and his cronies glaring at him from across the room. Their expressions were a mix of resentment and frustration, their plans thwarted by the unexpected turn of fortune. With a sense of satisfaction, he watched as they left in fury.