[ UNDERGROUND BATTLE ]The loud wail of Rosetta could be heard across the hospital. The walls echoed of her weeps. I looked at the ward she was in and I could feel her pain. I clenched my fist in anger and gritted my teeth. I looked at Thomas and back at Xavier. " There is nothing you could have done, Fred. you need to stop blaming yourself for every little thing that happens to everyone around you." Xavier said looking at my face. " But it is my fault. Only if I had just left Rosetta out of all of this. I cause this. " I shouted at him making Xavier back away from me. I wanted to enter the ward but I felt Thomas's hand on my shoulder. "You need to let her be. She just needs to be alone by herself right now." Thomas said looking at my face " Do you think that is a good idea? I can help her go through all of this. she doesn't have to go through any of this alone. " I replied pushing Thomas's hands away. I looked through the mirror in front of me and I saw Rosetta on the cold flow. M
{ A FIGHT IN THE DUNGEONS }"No, you have got it all wrong. I didn't sign up for him." I said, looking scared. "Get in there, boy." I heard a man shout at him. I looked at him and saw that he was drunk. He held a card in his hand, and I knew it must be a bet wager against me. I walked towards the arena as my mind raced. I wish I had taken things cool and accepted the fact that Rosetta was crippled. I looked at the man I was going to face, and I knew I could defeat him on my own. I developed cold feet as I got to the ring. "You should have stayed at home, kid! This is not a place for someone like you." The man said it with a smirk. "I just need thirty minutes with you in this ring." "Thirty minutes? I can even last five minutes." I said to myself as sweat rolled down my face. I looked at the MC as he walked up to me. "What's your name, Kid?" he asked, moving his spectacles a bit down. "Shadow Blade." My lips parted with the words, and I looked at him. "Shadow Blade? This is going to
{ RISE TO FAME: FIGHT OF THE SEASON}I watched the person standing before me, and it was Titus. Many of the reporters looked at the tension between us and knew there was an episode that had transpired. "Who is he, Mr. Frederick?" one of the reporters asked, staring at us both. "No one," I replied. "Some, actually, and I am going to be your worst nightmare," Titus said with a smirk on his face. "Who are you?" another reporter asked as the camera flickered right at our faces.Mr. Dickson walked in on us and looked at me. "I would like to have Titus challenge him. I am sure you all are eager to see what Fred here can do." He said, looking at me "Do you accept the challenge, Mr. Fred?" I looked at the female reporter before me. I saw they were all eager to see a fight. I have a lot to uncover and also bring Mr. Dickson to justice for all he has done. I need to uncover the truth behind the House of Shade and also bring to light the deaths of my colleagues. "I am going to take up the cha
{ DIANA ON A MISSION }I walked out of the car, and the reporters came at me and said, "Do you think you can win your fight against Titus?" A dark-haired reporter asked, looking at me. "I am not sure about anything in my life at the moment. I was once a penniless boy who could barely even feed himself, but right now I own my house, and I can boast that I have good friends who had my bad. something that wasn't like this a couple of years ago." I said with a smile, looking at Thomas and Zack behind me. "What do you have to say to Mr. Dickson? It looks like you both had unresolved issues. Another reporter asked through the crowd I looked at the reporter and smirked, "Things ain't what they seem to be on the outside. They want you to see that they are the good guys, but beneath all of that is a viper ready to strike you down at any time." "Are you seeing someone? Are you in love?" Another reporter asked, and I looked at Rosetta, who was inside the car."It all looked like yesterday to
BECOMING ONE WITH THE SYSTEM [BECOMING A CYBORG] "Did you just say get along? You crippled my girlfriend and also had my friends killed, and you want me to be friends with you?" I looked at Diana, not knowing what to do. We can't fight inside the school premises, as it is against the rules of the campus. Jonas looked at his sister and was surprised. "Did I hear you well, Diana? Why would you want to be friends with these losers? Don't tell me you had a change of heart." He added, looking at her in disbelief. " Does father know about this?" "Can you just stay out of this?" Diana shouted at him. I said nothing but simply took Rosetta into the school premises. "Have you transferred the money to Mr. Dickson's account?" I asked as I wheeled her to her department. "Yes, I did that this morning." She said she was looking at me. I bent down, looking at her face. "I will come by to see you during break hours. Text me if you need anything." I was about to walk out when I felt Rosetta's sof
{ BECOMING A HEALER }I watched as I became engulfed with the green smoke. Titus stood looking at me. " What is going on?" I asked myself [ THE HEALING PORTION IS ENTERING YOUR BODY. YOU ARE NOW BECOMING A HEALER BUT MIND YOU, YOU CAN ONLY USE IT TWICE. BE WISE IN USING IT AND MAKE IT COUNT ] Shadow Blade said I smiled seeing that I was able to get the healing portion at last. Rosetta came to my mind. " can I heal her? Can she walk again? I know I have to at least try. [ SYSTEM MESSAGE: CONGRATULATIONS FREDERICK ON BECOMING THE TOP HEALER IN THE GAMING SYSTEM. WELCOME TO LEVEL 5 ] I smiled seeing I was upgrading my level but by a bit. I had left Titus at level 4. We were not only competing in real life but we were also in the gaming system. The gaming system was now more than just money to both of us. it was now a matter of life and death. I was back in the real world and I was met by Titus stern look. I smiled and strapped my bag to my back " You haven't seen anything yet. I wou
{ ROSETTA ABLE TO WALK ONCE AGAIN }I didn't understand how. I watched as the puzzling energy kept radiating over Rosetta. I dropped her on the bed and watched her dose off. I was tired myself. I went back to the dining room and outer myself a drink. I needed to start building a career for myself and it was high time I chose what I was going to do with my life. I took off my shirt and focused on the screen right in front of me. I had not been concentrating on my school work and activities and my grading was falling. I needed to take extra classes but everything had been so tough with Jonas and his father's menace. I couldn't bear to tell the police that an underground building was right inside the school. No one would believe me because Mr Dickson had everyone's top officials in the palm of his hand. I need to start building my connections too. I carefully drafted a plan on the wall with Mr Dickson on top of it all. I knew taking him down wouldn't be easy with the government officia
[ PLAN TO TAKE DOWN MR DICKSON]Xavier's mouth dropped in awe as he saw Rosetta walk out of the room. He stood up, looking at me as he walked towards her. "How did this happen? Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor?" He asked, looking at Rosetta, who fell to the floor once again.I looked at her. "Are you alright, babe?" I walked closer to Rosetta and lifted her into my arms. "You need to stay in bed even if you have heard our voices." Rosetta looked at me. "Did you do this?" she asked, staring at my face. "I am not sure what you are talking about. You just came out of the room, walking by yourself. How am I supposed to know what you are talking about?" I lied as I tried to look away from her. Xavier listened to our conversation and looked at me. "I can't deny you have been a little strange for a few days now. You are stronger, faster, and better at combat. What are you, Fred?" "What do you mean, what am I? Do you think I am some superhuman?" I asked with a smile. I knew it
{ I AM BACK}Zack looked at me and was surprised. Most of the sympathisers were. "You were supposed to be dead?" Zack stammered, looking at me. "Let's just say I refuse to die." I replied with a smile. "Can you help her up?" I looked at Rosetta, who was on the floor with her eyes closed. Cassandra ran towards me and threw herself at me. She dobbed gently as she hugged me. I know I was the only thing she had left to be a brother. Everyone looked at me, and immediately the coffin was opened. The clergy looked at me and said, " This is a sign from heaven. Do you wish to share your death and return to life with everyone?" He said it with a smile on his face. I looked around to see the faces of so many students, all seated and staring at me with disbelief on their faces. I waited for the podium and grabbed the microphone. "I don't know where to start." I said it gently, with teary eyes. "I remembered my first day at the university grounds; I was just a teenager, but now." I looked at m
CONFRONTING TRAGEDY / THE BURIAL Zack, Richard, and Rosetta had a restless night, each consumed by their own thoughts on the events that had occurred. In the morning, the atmosphere in the mansion was filled with tension. The team assembled in the lounge, with a tense quiet atmosphere prevailing. Zack interrupted the silence. "We need a plan," he stated, his voice unwavering despite the inner chaos he experienced. "Jonas will keep going." We must carefully consider this. Judith was the one who replied first. "We must not allow him to escape from consequences. Jonas has hurt alot of people and now he must dance to the music. Fred wouldn't forgive us if Jonas managed to go unpunished." With red eyes from tears, Rosetta nodded. " I agree. However, we must be smart about all of this. We must not allow our actions to be dictated by our emotions."Diana looked around the room, her face showed determination. "We need evidence. If we can gather enough proof of Jonas's involvement in F
{ CONFRONTING TRAGEDY }Zack and Richard thought of a way to break the news to Rosetta. As they drove back to the mansion, they both pushed the responsibility of breaking the news onto her. "You should do it; you know I am just a member of Fred's crew. And besides, you know her more than I do," Richard said, gently trying to persuade Zack. "We both went because Fred trusted us. Now that he is gone, you are pushing the responsibility on me." Zack packed and looked at Richard. "I am sorry, but the news is going to be devastating to not only Rosetta but to everyone." Richard said and sighed. The two of them looked at each other and said nothing. Zack's phone buzzed, cutting the tension. "Who?" Richard asked, looking at Zack. "Rosetta," he said, showing him the phone. Thier heard beat fast as Zack picked up the call. "Tell me he is alright." Rosetta's voice was loud over the phone. "Can we talk when we get home? We are almost at the mansion." Zack quickly cut her shirt before she sa
{THE BRINK OF DARKNESS }"What is it going to be, Fred? Do I need to shoot her before I get you to talk? Tell me what you know about the system. I know you didn't have it destroyed." Jonas barked I looked at Rosetta and back at Jonas. "You need to believe me when I tell you that I had the system destroyed. What do you want from me?" I shouted in anger. "I want absolute power, and I want my face changed. I can do that with the power of the system, and you are going to help me.'" I looked at Zack and back at Richard. "I will do that if you let Rosetta go and have me as a hostage instead." I replied Emily looked at Jonas and nodded. Rosetta was immediately pushed towards Richard and Zack while I walked over to Jonas. "Take care of her." I looked at Zack as they walked out of the warehouse. "Now you are going to tell me what I need to hear, or I am going to kill you, Fred. You have taken a lot from me. You took my father and my sister and also turned my world upside down, and you are
{ JONAS MENACES}My mind raced as I considered the options. Reasoning with Jonas seemed impossible, but a direct confrontation was out of the question. Ineeded a plan that balanced both."Alright, let's gather everyone in the room," I said, looking determined. The crew moved to a hidden part of the classroom where we could discuss our next plan without being overheard."First, we need to find out where Jonas is holding Rosetta," I began. "Diana, can you get close to him and see if you can find any clues? You’re his sister; he might let something slip."Diana nodded, her face grim. "I’ll do my best. But if he’s involved in something big, he might not tell me everything.""That’s where we come in," Richard said, his voice steady. "We’ll need to keep an eye on Jonas without him noticing. We can set up a surveillance network around his usual haunts. Zack, you’re good with tech. Can you handle that?"Zack nodded. "I’ll get my equipment. We can cover the campus and any other places he frequ
{ ROSETTA KIDNAPPED }I slept with a smile on my face after I and Rosetta had made love. It was the first time we actually got intimate. I stared into her eyes all night before she finally fell asleep. The sound of the alarm woke me up, and I looked beside me. "Where is she?" My eyes flashed around the room as I tried to wake up. I rubbed my eyes gently, and I noticed there was a bit of a scuffle on the bed. I couldn't believe I had one good night's rest in a while, and everything was going back to being war for me. "Rosetta! Rose!!" I shouted, getting into my slippers. I walked through the hallway and stairs leading down to the main room. I was surprised to see a lot of broken glasses over my chairs, and the house was a complete mess. I quickly went to my CCTV footage, and I noticed it had been fired. "Was I drugged?" I ran my hands over my hair as I stared at the television right in front of me. I knew I needed to find Rosetta quickly. I couldn't believe I let my guards down, and
{ JONAS BACK }The university semester was coming to an end. A lot of preparation was going on for the graduating students. My joy knew no bounds because I was finally stepping into society. But little did I know a brewing storm was ahead. Many of the students were busy tying loose ends. Many were saying their goodbyes already, while others were focusing more on their studies. I knew I wouldn't have the power of the system again, so I need to focus more on my arithmetic. So far, Emily has been behaving herself, and I noticed that I couldn't find Alex and Jonas inside the school. I was just coming out of my department when I met with Emily. "What about Jonas and Alex? I don't think I have seen them this semester." I raised my eye brows. "I don't know. I promise to tell you everything, but recently, I noticed Jonas had been . distant. Do you want me to help you track them?" Emily looked at me."Track them? I thought you said you knew everything about them. Why are you really here, Emi
{ BETTER DAYS IN THE CAMPUS}The university was becoming stable, with each student minding their own daily activities. I walked through the corridor of the university, and everywhere seemed peaceful. I decided to sit down, and I looked back to when I became a part of the university. I remember being nothing, a loner who had always thought of staying low throughout my days here. I looked up to catch some of the pretty girls staring at me, and I laughed. I was becoming more of an icon by the day, with many of the students looking up to me. I felt a hand over my eyes, and I smiled. "Rosetta," I whispered softly, trying to get up to my feet. The hand moved slowly away from my face, and I saw it was Davina. "I think I told you to stay the hell away from me." I shouted in anger. "But I don't want to, Fred. I realise my mistake, and I would like to make amends. Can't you just give me the chance for old-time sake?" Davina said it with a sorry face. "Do you think I can ever forget what you
{ JONAS'S PLAN } Flora sighed, her eyes narrowing as she weighed Emily's words. "Okay, Emily. I'll talk to Fred. But understand this—if he says no, there's nothing more I can do. Your actions will speak louder than your words."Emily nodded fervently, wiping the last of her tears. "Thank you, Flora. I won't let you down, I promise."They parted ways, and Emily felt a flicker of hope. But she knew she had a long road ahead of her. She returned to Alex and Jonas, who were waiting for her back at the mansion."Did she buy it?" Jonas asked, leaning forward.Emily nodded. "Flora said she'd talk to Fred. But we need to be careful. She's suspicious."Alex smirked. "Suspicion won't matter once we have control of the system. We just need to keep them off balance until then."Emily didn't respond. Her mind was racing with the possibilities and the dangers that lay ahead. She knew she had to tread carefully if she wanted to succeed with the plan. The plan was simple. They need to know if I stil