A Dream of Fear

The bright sun bathed the field of colorful flowers in golden light. A gentle breeze rustled through, brushing against my skin. Birds chirped in the distance, their songs blending with the joyful laughter of two people running through the field—Ashley and me.

Dressed in a beautiful blouse, she ran ahead, her laughter filling the air as I chased her. We played like a couple in love, lost in our own little paradise. Her smile, radiant and pure, warmed my heart. This moment—just the two of us—was something I cherished.

Then, suddenly, the world darkened.

The flowers wilted, their vibrant colors draining away. The birds' songs faded into silence. My vision blurred, and the scene shifted.

An old, rundown room replaced the field. My breaths grew heavy as I scanned my surroundings. "Where is this? Ashley?" I called out.

"Mmmph!"

A muffled cry snapped my attention forward. My heart dropped.

Ashley was tied to a chair, her mouth gagged with cloth. Her wide, terrified eyes locked onto mine, pleading.

"Ashley?" I whispered, stepping toward her—except I couldn't move.

Panic surged through me. My body refused to obey. My muscles tensed, veins straining as I tried to break free from this invisible restraint. Then, from the shadows, a tall figure emerged.

He stepped beside Ashley and pulled out a gun, aiming it at her head.

"Ashley!" I screamed. "Who the hell are you?! What do you want?!" My voice cracked with desperation. My eyes stung with tears.

Ashley trembled, tears streaking her cheeks, ruining her mascara. She looked at me, silently begging for help. But I couldn't do anything. My body remained frozen, useless.

The figure's finger curled around the trigger.

"No! Please, don't do this! I'm begging you!" My voice shattered the silence.

Bang!

"Ashley!!!"

—

I gasped, bolting upright. My room was dark, the clock flashing 4:32 AM. Sweat soaked my sheets, my heartbeat racing like I had just run a marathon. The fan spun overhead, but my skin burned with heat.

A nightmare. Just a nightmare.

I sat on the edge of my bed, running a hand over my face. "Fuck… it felt so real," I muttered.

Ashley…

I couldn't let anything happen to her. She had to stay far away from this mafia life. She was innocent.

Standing up, I grabbed a towel, deciding to shower. Sleep wasn't an option anymore. I needed to cool down, and I needed to wash these sweat-drenched sheets. They probably smelled like hell.

As the cold water cascaded over me, I closed my eyes, but the dream replayed in my head. Even though I knew it wasn't real, I couldn't shake the fear that it could be—if I got careless.

After finishing my shower, I threw on a robe and headed downstairs for a glass of water. But as I reached the bottom, I noticed a glow coming from the living room.

Did I forget to turn off the TV last night?

Quickening my pace, I peeked inside. Someone was sitting on the couch, facing the screen.

"Z? That you?" I asked.

The figure turned, revealing a familiar face.

"Oh, hey, dude. You're up early," he said casually.

I let out a small sigh of relief. I thought it was a ghost for a second there. "I could say the same to you. Did you even sleep?"

"Nah," he replied, eyes glued to his game. "Just finished a job for a client. Figured I'd reward myself with some gaming."

I shook my head. Hopeless.

Ignoring him, I finished my drink and went back to my room.

—

Four hours later.

I had just finished my morning workout when my phone buzzed.

[Come to the HQ. I have something to show you.]

The message was from Tyler. Another assignment? I had just completed my first task yesterday, and they already had more for me?

No point in guessing—I'd find out soon enough.

After a quick shower and change, I took an Uber to HQ.

The building looked like any other business office from the outside, but inside, it housed the 10th Division of the Clover Group. As I waited in the lobby, my phone vibrated again.

[Take the elevator to the fifth floor.]

I hadn't realized the tarot Clubs of Number 10 card I received during my recruitment had an NFC chip embedded. I tapped it against the panel, and the elevator doors slid open.

When I arrived, Tyler was already waiting for me.

"You're here. Follow me," he said, turning without another word.

As I walked beside him, he continued, "I have a new task for you, but first, there's someone you need to meet."

Another task? I barely had time to breathe before they threw me into the next one.

We took a right turn and stopped in front of a door. Tyler knocked. "Miss Yumi, it's Tyler."

He pushed the door open.

Behind the desk sat a woman, mostly hidden behind a computer monitor. As we stepped closer, she stood.

Her long, dark hair framed a strikingly beautiful face. Her black irises held a sharp, intelligent gleam, and her red lips curved into a small smile. Her smooth skin, her figure—she was gorgeous.

Wait. No. I have Ashley. Keep yourself together.

"Hiii~ I'm Yumi Nozawa, the accountant for the 10th division of Clover Group. You can just call me Yumi." Her voice was smooth and playful. She shot a glance at Tyler before turning back to me.

"I had Ty bring you here because I need your bank account number to transfer your wage from yesterday," she explained, fingers poised over her keyboard. She continued, "I could've just texted you to give me the account number, but since Ty has something to say to you, I figured I might as well meet you in person, and I have to say, you look better than I expected."

"Wait… what?" I blinked, trying to process her words.

She tilted her head. "From the job you did yesterday—debt collection? You get paid for tasks. Elliot and Darius already received their payments. You're the only one left."

I… was getting paid?

I thought yesterday's job was just some test for new recruits.

Still a bit stunned, I recited my account number. Within seconds, my phone buzzed with a notification.

$300 deposited.

I stared at the number. Three hundred dollars. For one job.

Now, I didn't know if the task was worth $300 dollar or not but that's a lot of money. 

"Thanks," I muttered.

"You're welcome!" Yumi chimed. "You'll get paid for every completed task, so check your account from time to time, okay? Bye~"

As Tyler led me out of her office, he spoke again. "Now that you've met our accountant, time for your next task. This one pays more than yesterday."

More than $300? Now I was interested.

"What's the job?" I asked, already considering what I could do with the extra money. Maybe take Ashley somewhere nice? A romantic date?

Just… hopefully, she wouldn't ask too many questions.

"It's a delivery," Tyler said. "You need to get the package to the recipient on time—or you won't get paid."

My stomach twisted.

A mafia doesn't do normal deliveries.

I had a bad feeling about this.