Angelo opened his room door and found the rope cut and the window wide open.
"What…... don't tell me—" He rushed to the window.
"Ohhh," he smirked, surrounding his body with PBV just in time.
The knife shattered on contact. Noemia stood frozen.
"You know, you should be punished for trying to kill me," Angelo said, staring into her eyes.
They were beautiful.....dark, but filled with fear.
"S-Someone, please help..." Noemia tried to run, but Angelo grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back.
"No!" she screamed, but the door slammed shut behind them, trapping her cries inside.
While struggling, two pins fell from Noemia's pocket.
"Oh my, what's this?" Angelo picked them up. "Pretty strange pins."
They had a blue base and a golden needle.
"What are they for?" he asked, pulling her hair a little harder.
"Ahh! Let go!" she tried to free herself.
"I asked what they're used for." He yanked harder.
"It's…... it's a bad luck needle," she sobbed. "People give it to those they truly despise."
"Oh? Such lovely fairy tales." Angelo smiled, then shoved her head between the pillows.
The Next Morning
Angelo got dressed and left the room. Under the blanket, Noemia lay silent—her body covered in bruises, though none were too deep.
Later, Jose, Francisco, and Angelo were having breakfast at a large dining table.
"Ohhh, I have something for you guys," Angelo said, pulling out the two pins.
He walked over and pinned one to Jose's collar, then did the same to Francisco before sitting back down to eat.
"What's this?" Francisco asked, looking at it.
"Keep it. It's a good luck charm," Angelo replied with a smile.
"Fine....…" Jose said, uninterested.
"I'm going to the King. I'll ask him about all this directly," Francisco said, standing up.
"I need to check on something," Jose added, getting up as well.
After they both left, Angelo smiled to himself.
"This time, I'll finish you."
2 PM
Jose returned to the building...Noemia was locked inside.
Angelo sat in a park.
Meanwhile, Francisco was in a fight.....facing off against Mr. 7, 8, and 9.
"Why the hell are they trying to kill me? The King said he didn't give any such order," Francisco muttered.
"These guards only take my orders...or the King's. If someone else gave them a command, they wouldn't follow it…... Then why.....?"
Suddenly, he sensed a surge.
"Not again," he groaned, using his ability to switch places with a nearby leaf.
It saved his life. All three enemies exploded.
His car was caught in the blast. Mouth agape, Francisco stared at the flames.
"Guess I'll have to walk to Porto….... Great."
1 PM (Earlier)
Angelo sat alone atop a building, staring at his phone. It was off.
He looked at the road, then back at his phone.
"What are you doing?" a voice whispered near his ear.
Angelo turned...."Oh, Jose! I was waiting for Francisco," he said, standing up.
Jose noticed Angelo was still wearing the pin. "Let's grab some food."
"Sure. Let's go."
3 PM
"I love this sandwich," Angelo said, munching happily.
"It's strange....… Francisco hasn't called us yet," Jose commented, toying with his sandwich.
Suddenly, the shop's TV blared:
"The entire village has burned to the ground—every person inside was burned alive," the reporter announced.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're live from the small Portuguese-Tibetan village, where a devastating fire has claimed every life…..."
Jose's sandwich dropped. He stared at the screen, breath quickening.
"Hey, Jose? What's wrong? Calm down..." Angelo could feel the rage swelling in Jose's PBV.
Jose shot him a deadly glare, then stormed out of the shop without a word.....or paying.
4 PM
The village echoed with screams. Every news crew member, every investigator—dead.
Inside a crumbling house, Jose screamed his lungs out. He held a half-burnt body in his arms.
"Mom…... say something...… Mom...…" he tapped her cheek, desperate for a response.
He turned to another body...his father's. Charred almost beyond recognition.
"Dad… Look, Mom won't talk to me. Say something to her. Please…..." Jose laid his head on his father's chest and began to sob.
Through the tears, he noticed a burnt piece of a hand nearby.
He crawled toward it, trembling. As he picked it up, a violent shiver ran through his body.
His eyes darted around uncontrollably. Then, he saw it.....a scarf, burnt but still recognizable.
He picked it up slowly. "This is...… No. Don't tell me....Francisco…"
The room started to crack, debris falling from above.
4:30 PM
"Hey, Angelo. Where's Francisco?" Jose asked in an unnervingly calm voice.
"Oh, he said he'll reach Porto soon. His car broke down, so he's walking. He should be nearby. Hey, Jos....."
Jose hung up.
Angelo stared at his phone, confused.
5 PM
"Finally! I made it to Porto," Francisco said, stretching on the road.
Porto stood just 100 meters ahead.
His eyes widened.
"Jose? What happened?!"