Where the Madness Began

Chapter 1

Under the heavy rain, a shady man in his raincoat is watching over a hotel. He looks at it in the same way as someone with an intention of revenge. 

Full of hostility, disgust, and anger residing under the mask. "Based on the information, this hotel is known as a Black Circle. A suspicious building that is rumored to be filled with assassins and killers around Norland City."

'Just a bit longer and I can avenge you, sis.' This man had this thought.

***

Tap – tap – tap 

Jason Hayes is tapping his finger at the same time he's admiring the scenery that is made by heavy rain from outside his office.

Tapping on something has always been his way to show his uneasiness. This time, anxiety with a slight hint of fear has also breached through his charismatic face. 

A result of thinking about many possibilities that might happen in the future. The source of this uneasiness is nothing but the arrival of Jason’s late brother in his dream.

'Next May 13th will mark the ten years of Gary’s death.' The last memory Jason had of Gary coughing up blood before his death has kept appearing every night since last week. 

"Truly a wonderful sight to witness the atmosphere around Norland City. Unlike the usually quiet city, the strong rain that is coming down tonight has made the whole city louder. Tonight, it could be the best stage prepared by God to eliminate any target without leaving any noise." Mumble Jason Hayes while walking closer to the window. 

In the midst of his affectionate thoughts about the rain, some small footsteps are stamping on the floor and approaching Jason’s office. 

As one of the chosen assassins to become the Owner of Black Circle, this kind of little skill to identify enemies from footsteps is included in his resume.

He is not worried, because he already knows who is coming at him. 'She has returned, it seems.' Think Jason with a smirk on his face. 

"Jason, I’m coming in." a feminine voice echoed behind the door. Thus, a slender girl with sharp greenish eyes is making her entrance.

"After three years, you finally have returned to Selina?" Jason asks, slightly turning his body while keeping his hand in his pocket.

"Yes, Jason. I have come to report the result." Selina replied in a cold voice.

"I am so disappointed to hear the same cold tone you used to speak with strangers. Not to mention after your long departure, Selina." tease Jason. 

"Would you prefer I speak with my guns and knife instead?"

What Selina has said to Jason leave him in an awkward position. It has been ten years since he adopted Selina, yet he still has no idea how to make her smile like any ordinary girl.

"I prefer listening to your report, Selina," replied Jason.  

'Why is he trying so hard to do something he’s bad at?' she thought of Selina in her mind. "Among the five targets on my list, there is one individual whose skills didn’t match the information given to me."

"Has that person piqued your interest?" Jason asked while being intrigued.

"Not really… Although she might possess decent skills, a woman named Jasmine Brainer is still far from being a match for me."

"Any possibility to connect her with the old administrator?"

"I doubt it Jason, no matter how skilled Jasmine Brainer is with a dagger. She is nevertheless an amateur, thanks to her sluggish flow and appalling experienced. Not to mention the gibberish she has spouted about separating her brother from herself.”

"You have worked well, Selina." Jason said with a slight smirk. “You can come back home for now or leave with your friends to shop-"

"I have no friends and don’t need any Jason." Selina cuts in and does not let Jason finish his word.

"A stroll in the evening won’t hurt... right?"

"Under this heavy rainstorm? Something must be wrong with your head, Jason."

Jason said nothing and quietly turned himself to meet the spectacle outside the building under the violent rainfall. 

"Sigh… You might be right, Selina. There is something amiss with my mind that drives me to feel anxious." 

Selina looks hesitant at first before asking, "Is it another dream about my dad?"

"Yes, I am afraid. Gary showed up in my dream like ten years ago, yet like ten years ago, I could not do anything to save him."

"Stop condemning yourself, Jason!" Selina added. "It has been ten years since the accident. There’s nothing you can do about my dad’s death."

"You won’t understand Selina!" Jason shouted a bit louder. "The quarrel I have with Gary... your dad, right before he has gone, keeps tormenting me. If only I didn’t force my ambition on him, he might be able to see how splendid of a woman his girl has matured into."

"I do..." Selina’s tone sounds shaking. "I do know that my dad will be thankful for what you did for me, Jason."

Jason looks at Selina with a drained face, "Let’s end this here, Selina. Do as I suggested and go outside for a moment." 

"As you wish, Jason." Selina leaves the room in the same quiet manner as she did while entering Jason’s office.

Once again, loneliness and misery are the particular friends Jason has to accompany him while watching the rain outside. 

Or so he hoped until calls rang through his cell phone. "Speak," said Jason.  

"Sir, the administrators have all assembled here. They are questioning the reason for your absence here. Thus, I am afraid they will soon demand to leave the council chamber if you are not showing up."

"I’ll be there in a minute, just make sure those annoying hags sit still until then," replied Jason. He leaves in a rush with notions of being agitated.  

It takes no time for Jason to show up at the chamber, but rage is the one emotion he can communicate with. As he finds no one is in there, not even those who pledge themselves to be on Jason’s side. 

"I instructed him to make sure those administrators remained, yet I discovered myself to be alone here," Jason mumbles to himself.

Jason fell into his thoughts and failed to notice the existence of another individual behind his tail.

He could only realize it after someone pointed a gun behind the back of his head. 

"Who are you?" asks Jason. He decides to at least make his opponent not recognize his loss of composure. 

"You realize who I am… Owner." Whisper the unknown man to Jason. "I am amazed at how simple it is to have your back showing up to me." 

"Those administrators hags sent you here?" asked Jason, to startle time. 

"Your old administrator to be specific. They assigned me to say hello before coming back to Black Circle." 

"You sound confident in your talent. I expected you to have some experience in this nasty business."

"You said too much for someone who is about to die-"

Jason turns his body to engage in a fight with the assassin and tries to disarm his weapon with a kick.

The assassin reacted with an attempt to secure a similar blow at Jason’s risk. Jason bounced from the jolt and fell to the ground.

At the same moment, the assassin was deciding to get his gun to end Jason’s struggle.

Knowing that the assassin let his guard down for the sake of his gun, Jason confronted him. Grant him a chance to reach for the gun and execute the assassin.

"Nice effort, but not sufficient to kill me," Jason continued.

When Jason thinks he has shifted the situation, he prepares himself to put a hole in the assassin’s skull.

He feels a strange numb sensation on his neck like a mild pain brought by a bee’s sting.

Moments afterward, blood fell from his mouth and nose before landing on his knees and passing away.

"I don’t call for your support, Shadow!" declared the assassin with a furious tone.

Another individual appears from the shadows to reply to the first assassin’s disapproval.

"We have been assigned to get rid of the Black Circle’s Owner as quickly as possible, Light. Yet you try your luck to challenge the infamous Jason Hayes instead and emerge in utter failure." Defend the shadow.

Light was furious at shadow’s answer. As a known assassin, there is the pride he wants to protect and skill he wants to prove by killing the Owner of the Black Circle, who is recognized as one of the great killers.

"Hold your resentment somewhere." shadow added. “Let’s get out of this place and announce the accomplishment to our employer.”

Like a breeze, they disappear from the council chamber and leave Jason’s body as it is to be seen by people. 

A woman is standing still on the rooftop, close enough to witness how Jason Hayes breathed his last.

Not long after both Light and Shadow arrive in front of her, "The mission is finished, elder. The target has been successfully eliminated according to your will." said Shadow.

"Yes... you have eliminated Jason Hayes, or you are about to be eliminated by him," she replied.

"Forgive us, elder, we…-"

"I do not wish to talk about your reckless judgment Light," she added. "Now the four of you can return to the position you belong to in Black Circle."

Four figures emerge from the dark, answering her call.

***

You have received an email 

An image appears on every person’s cell phone that associates themselves with the Black Circle.

From the Black Circle

Subject: Jason Hayes

Black Circle is now open to testing the candidates for the next throne owner. The selection will be held a week after the funeral ceremony of the current Owner, Jason Rudeus Hayes.

Fellow associates with the Black Circle are requested to pay respect at the Black Fountain. 

Selina’s hand is shaking and her face is starting to look paler than usual. She was outside the hotel to honor Jason’s will yet Selina learned about his death from a message.

"I cannot believe this… There is no way Jason died in a suspicious way like this."

‘He must have been killed. But why did the administrator announce it like a tragedy?’ Selina pondered. "I have to meet the administrator and ask for the truth."