The room felt different that day.
Tense.
Quiet.
Waiting.
Daniel stood at the center of the training floor.
Bruises still visible.
Breathing steady.
Eyes focused.
Across from him…
Three instructors.
Not one.
Not two.
Three.
"You've improved," one of them said.
Daniel said nothing.
"But improvement isn't enough."
The woman from before stood at the side, watching.
Carefully.
Closely.
"This is your first test," she said.
A pause.
"Last one standing… wins."
Daniel's gaze shifted slightly.
Three against one.
Fair.
He rolled his shoulders slowly.
"Alright," he said.
The moment the signal was given—
They attacked.
Fast.
Coordinated.
Precise.
Daniel moved instantly.
Not stronger.
Not faster.
Smarter.
He stepped back—
Just enough to avoid the first strike.
Turned—
Dodged the second.
Then—
He stopped.
The third instructor lunged.
But Daniel didn't move.
At the last second—
He shifted slightly.
The attack missed.
And collided with the second instructor.
A mistake.
No—
A setup.
The room went silent.
The woman's eyes narrowed.
"He's reading them…" she murmured.
Daniel's movements were calm.
Calculated.
Every step had purpose.
Every reaction… timed.
Another attack came—
Stronger this time.
Daniel blocked.
Barely.
Pain shot through his arm.
But he didn't retreat.
Instead—
He stepped forward.
And struck.
Clean.
Precise.
One instructor hit the ground.
The room froze.
"That was…" someone whispered.
The remaining two attacked again.
Now serious.
Daniel exhaled slowly.
His eyes sharpened.
Everything slowed.
Not the world—
Just his mind…
Getting faster.
He moved again.
This time—
He didn't dodge.
He controlled.
Redirected.
Countered.
Within seconds—
One more fell.
Only one remained.
Breathing heavy.
Staring at Daniel like he was no longer human.
"Who are you?" the instructor muttered.
Daniel didn't answer.
Because even he didn't fully know.
The final attack came—
Desperate.
Daniel stepped in—
And ended it.
Silence.
Complete.
Three instructors…
Down.
The woman slowly stepped forward.
This time—
There was no doubt in her eyes.
Only interest.
"Interesting," she said quietly.
A pause.
"Very interesting."
Meanwhile…
Lena ran.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
The notebook clutched tightly in her hand.
She had read everything.
Every page.
And now—
She understood one thing clearly.
Daniel didn't just leave.
He planned it.
Every step.
Every move.
But something else…
Something far more disturbing…
Was written in the last page.
She stopped.
Breathing hard.
Her hands trembled as she opened it again.
Reading the final line.
"If anything goes wrong…"
A pause.
"They will come for you."
Her blood ran cold.
"They…?"
A sudden sound behind her.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Lena froze.
Then—
A voice.
"You shouldn't have read that."
Her heart nearly stopped.
Slowly…
She turned.
A man stood in the shadows.
Watching her.
Do you think Daniel planned everything... Or is there more we don't know?