Joint Written Examination Tests.

The next morning, Little Seven jogged softly around the football field. She wore a grey t-shirt, black sneakers, and sweatpants that matched her determined stride.

After spending the entire night in the company of a corpse hidden beneath her bed, sleep had been a distant luxury. Running a few laps seemed like the only way to clear her restless mind.

Though it was still 4 a.m., she could see faint silhouettes moving in the shadows. Though blurred, she recognized them to be security guards and fellow seniors from other teams.

This was an assassin organization, after all, and today marked the start of the competition. Complete silence was impossible as everyone was alert and also watchful.

Vince's teachings echoed in her mind: an assassin who slept soundly and ignored their surroundings was as good as dead. You could be murdered in your sleep. Vigilance was survival.

Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure lurking in the darkness. Curious, she began to follow, but before she could react, the figure grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the thick bushes nearby.

"Big brother…" she stammered, panic evident in her voice, just as his hand covered her mouth.

"Shh! Keep your voice down," his whisper was firm but quiet.

Little Seven wrapped her arms around Seko's waist, tears welling up and streaming down her cheeks. The sight of her trembling only hardened Seko's expression.

He muttered softly, almost to himself, "Troublesome," before dragging her deeper into the forest. This part of the woods was a known hunting ground; no one would notice two lost children here.

Once she was calmer, Seko looked into her tear-streaked face. His voice was gentle but serious. "Who did it?"

She hesitated, dazed, until it clicked that he was asking about tonight's attempted murder.

"How did you know?" she whispered softly.

Seko's eyes were filled with disdain at her question. " It's Simple. Your whole room reeked of blood, and the body was right under your bed. Even a fool would've noticed it immediately."

Did he just call me an idiot? Although she had learned from him how to get rid of evidence after assassinating someone, it was still just theory! This was her first time handling a corpse. It was only natural that she'd be nervous and forget a few things.

She swallowed hard, her mind racing. "I don't know, Big Brother, but the assassin was F-rank. She had a gold pendant around her neck… I saw that pendant before, with Senior Brother Manu, before he died."

Both of them were sharp, prudent people. With this small piece of information, it didn't take much to figure out who might have sent the killer.

Seko's lips curled into a cold smirk. "All right. Don't worry about the girl's body. I threw it in the lake," he said, voice low and steady, but there was a chilling note behind his words.

Little Seven's stomach clenched. That smirk, it was the one that promised retribution, the one that spelled something darker.

She was very familiar with it. The last time Big Brother Seko wore that smirk was when a senior brother from Team Two approached him in the dining hall and tried to bully her teammates.

Their team had attracted a lot of attention recently due to their fast learning progress and made other teams jealous, so she was not surprised that they had been targeted.

The moment he spotted them in the dining hall when he entered, he swiftly gathered his 'brothers' and directed them toward their team.

Without hesitation, he flipped their table of food and sneered, "Your team is really useless. All you know is to rely on Captain Vince to make a name for yourselves. It's a shame to waste his talent on training idiots like you. Honestly, it would have been better if he had joined team two."

When Senior Brother Hawk moved as if to retaliate, CJ quickly stepped in, stopping him with a sharp warning. "Don't be rash. That senior is a disciple under the Third Elder."

His alias was Pen. He used his prestigious connection to the Third Elder to bully others, throwing his weight around without consequence.

The next day, Pen was found dead in the restroom, slumped beside a bucket of water, appearing to have drowned. After the Third Elder found out, he made a big fuss, insisting on an investigation led by the Seventh Elder. But after two days with no culprit found, the case was officially closed as a suicide.

Although the third elder had been dissatisfied with the results, he could only let it go and investigate slowly using his private spies.

However, Little Seven knew better. She recognized the method of death, the use of water as a silent killer. It was Seko's signature move, something he had once taught her as a way to murder without leaving evidence. The memory made her swallow hard.

Big Brother Seko was incredible... but also terrifying.

She lowered her gaze, silently offering a prayer for the soul of the person who had tried to take her life. May their soul rest in peace.

The two of them trained together in the hunting grounds until the first light of dawn, and by six a.m., Little Seven's whole body was aching.

She looked up at Seko with a hint of resentment in her eyes and pouted her thin lips. 

"Big Brother," she said, voice trembling with exhaustion, "I'm tired and hungry."

Is this guy expecting me to be made of steel, like him? She thought. I'm still young! How can he be stricter than Captain Vince?

Seko noticed the worn expression on her face, and his heart softened slightly. Today's tests will be mostly written examinations, and he was confident she had mastered everything he'd taught her.

He paused thoughtfully, then gave a slow nod.

Little Seven's face lit up with joy. Finally! She could go eat. Skipping happily, she followed him towards their courtyard, her hunger momentarily forgotten amid the relief.

After returning to their team's training house, they spotted CJ and Hawk in the kitchen. Some teams, particularly those led by the first members to join ZERO, had their own separate training courtyards, which were spaces that resembled small four-bedroom houses with front and back yards. Vince, along with the captains of Team One and Team Two, enjoyed such privileges.

The organization was set up with two dormitories: one for male members and one for females. Although they shared the dorms and a common dining hall, most of the time during breakfast and lunch, Team Five preferred to eat at their courtyard house, enjoying the privacy and space.

"Little Seven, come help Senior Brother prepare the ingredients," Hawk called out. He gently set aside the vegetables he had been washing and leaned in to talk to Little Seven.

They discussed the upcoming tests that morning, which were very important as they were used to test the IQ of the members of the organization.

"They'll test you on various subjects, which include English, Kiswahili, Math, Physics, Science, Religion, and Social Studies. Since this is your first time taking an exam, don't panic. Just remember everything we've studied together," Hawk explained slowly.

"Yes, Senior Brother Hawk," Little Seven responded obediently, her eyes bright with focus. She was very hungry, and listening to Hawk talk was making her dizzy. But she didn't dare to interrupt him because she knew he would disturb her even more if he noticed she wasn't paying attention to his lecture.

Hawk looked at her with a sense of pride and was about to pat her head for her good attitude. But his hand froze in mid-air when he sensed a glare from behind him. Turning around slowly, he saw Seko standing there, grinning in a strangely creepy way.

Hawk offered a sheepish smile, then cursed softly under his breath. He placed his hand on his chest and patted it slowly. This guy is so possessive! He thought.

It's not like Little Seven belonged to him, so why does he act as if he were about to steal his family heirloom? 

Yakama and Captain Vince entered the house just as the others finished cooking. Scarface and Seko were setting the table with practiced efficiency, the faint aroma of the mashed potatoes, beef, and kale still lingering in the air. Time was very tight as the teams would gather soon to begin their competitions.

CJ's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Yakama. "What a nice timing. You only show up when the food's ready," he snapped, folding his arms. "Did you hire us to do your cooking?"

His words carried more than just annoyance, and everyone else exchanged glances, silently sharing his frustration. While it was no surprise that the Captain didn't join in the kitchen duties, Yakama's casual arrival felt like a slight to their hard work. Who does he think he is? 

Captain Vince's gaze hardened. "That's enough, CJ. If you have energy left for complaining, use it to study harder. Don't say you're part of my team if you can't even pass the exams later on." He then turned to Yakama with a sharp look. "And you, you'll be doing the dishes for this whole month."

Yakama didn't even flinch; he didn't bother to argue with CJ and focused on his meal as if the whole situation didn't concern him. The challenge hung in the air, and the moment's lightheartedness dissolved.

They ate in near silence, the heavy mood a stark contrast to the lively moments before Vince and Yakama arrived.