The next morning, Arthur went to his parents' house to see his daughter.
He stood in front of the house. A small white home, with a medium-sized tree to the right. He wore a hat cover his head and a shirt covering his neck. The Miami heat made him feel suffocated under all the clothes, but he had no choice.
He covered his head to hide his new haircut and his neck to hide the tattoo. That's how he was instructed.
He sighed and knocked on the door.
"Caaah."
His father opened it, a man in his sixties with blonde hair. He smiled at Arthur and hugged him. A sad smile, mixed with a glimmer of hope.
He shouted inside:
"Arthur's here!"
Then called his wife and his granddaughter, Sarah.
Arthur looked around. It had been a long time since he had been here. Perhaps this would be the last time.
He noticed his father's travel bag by his feet. His father opened his mouth to ask, but his mother interrupted.
She embraced her son, pressing a kiss to his cheek. She examined his face. Arthur tried to hide his distress with a smile, but it was obvious.
She also noticed the bag.
"Is this because of what happened yesterday?" she asked, worried.
Arthur replied calmly:
"No. The man is fine. They said he'll be discharged next week."
Then he looked at the bag.
"It's just work."
His mother exhaled in relief. Last night, she couldn't sleep after hearing what happened. She couldn't reach him and feared he might be imprisoned—or lose his job.
When the mind begins to imagine in fear… that's the worst.
Then she spoke, her tone sharp:
"And your wife? She's been arrested, right?"
Hearing her name felt like a sword piercing his heart.
He tried to appear calm, but his facial expression betrayed him.
"I withdrew the adultery case. She'll be released tomorrow."
Then, pointing sharply with his hand, he added:
"I haven't forgiven her. I did it only for my daughter. I don't want her to grow up with complexes. I don't want her to know anything."
His wife's betrayal, and this mission… had completely shattered him.
But the one shining candle in his life was his daughter.
Suddenly, a small voice shouted:
"Daddyyyy!"
His daughter ran toward him, smiling, full of life, holding a sheet of paper.
She looked a little like him—orange hair, blue eyes.
Arthur hugged her and kissed her. He felt her small warm body and innocent gaze.
Tears began streaming down his face.
Sarah asked:
"Daddy… are you crying?"
He wiped his eyes quickly and raised them with a laugh:
"Me? Crying? Are you crazy? Look how strong your daddy is!"
Sarah laughed.
Arthur's parents smiled as well.
"Daddy! Look what I drew!" Sarah exclaimed excitedly.
He lowered her and took the paper with curiosity.
It was a drawing of him, dressed as a superhero, a black frog perched on his shoulder, standing in front of his parents' house, next to the tree.
He couldn't believe how good it was for a six-year-old.
"Wow… what an amazing drawing!" he said with a smile.
Then he noticed something strange.
Sarah asked worriedly:
"What's wrong, Daddy? Don't you like it?"
He immediately smiled and gently placed his hand on her cheek.
"No, it's beautiful. You're really talented."
Then he pointed to something in the drawing.
A red book in his hand.
Arthur remembered the red book he had taken from the unknown man in the neighboring cell.
MONICA.
He asked her:
"What's this, sweetheart?"
Sarah jumped with excitement:
"You know, Daddy! Every hero has a superpower. This is your superpower book!"
Arthur laughed.
"And what's my superpower?"
Sarah paused, scratching her head shyly.
"I don't know."
Arthur laughed and ruffled her hair.
"Okay… tell me when I come back."
Then he froze slightly.
He had said, "when I come back"… fully aware of the danger of his mission.
But at that moment, he realized something important.
He didn't want to die.
He looked at his daughter.
He had so much to live for.
Sarah asked:
"When will you come back, Daddy?"
Arthur grabbed his bag and looked at his parents.
"It's time for me to go."
She asked again:
"When will you come back?"
He turned toward the door and said:
"Soon… very soon."
Then he left without looking back.
He boarded the bus and sat in his seat.
He remembered the hotel where Jimmy told him to go. That's where he would meet Michael.
He gazed out the window, remembering his daughter's drawing.
He smiled faintly.
(I must enroll her in an art school when I return.)
Suddenly, he heard the voices of two boys sitting in front of him.
One said:
"Look, I told you."
One held a phone.
The other said:
"This is his body. Found dead this morning. They say he was a spy killed by the Rockstar Organization."
Arthur froze.
He snatched the phone from the boy's hand.
He looked at the photo…
And froze in horror.
The corpse was him.
A bullet hole in his forehead, eyes wide open, lifeless, wearing the same clothes he was wearing now.
His body went rigid with fear.
He screamed loudly:
"AAAAHHH!"
Suddenly, he woke up.
He blinked several times, gasping for air.
Sweat poured down his face.
He looked around.
He was on the bus.
Everything… was just a nightmare.
Only a few people were on the bus, each absorbed in their own phone.
He looked at his reflection in the window.
He looked terrible.
(It was just a nightmare…)
The bus arrived.
He got off and stood in front of the hotel.
He entered immediately.
The hotel was large, people coming and going constantly.
He paused, watching them… envying their normal lives.
Then he walked to the reception desk.
The receptionist smiled.
"Welcome, sir, to Glory Hotel. How can I help you?"
Arthur smiled, setting his bag on the floor.
"There's a room under the name Mike—"
Then he suddenly remembered.
Michael had changed his name too.
"Sorry… is there a room under Stephen Skoll?" he asked quickly.
She checked the computer and said,
"Yes, sir… you are Mr. Lucas Bell."
He nodded. She continued,
"Room 188."
After taking the key, he picked up his bag.
Before heading to the room, the receptionist called his name.
He turned back, puzzled.
"There's a package for you, sir."
(A package? From Jimmy? Impossible—he wouldn't send anything here.)
A chill ran through his body as he saw it.
It was a red book with MONICA written in yellow letters.
The same book he had taken from the man in the cell.
He grabbed it from her quickly, staring at it with a frightening intensity.
"Can… can you see this book?" he asked, his voice trembling.
The receptionist flinched slightly at his reaction—it seemed over the top for just a book.
"Yes, I can see it, sir," she replied.
"Who sent it?" he asked quickly.
She checked the computer again and said,
"Mr. Arthur Will sent it."
Arthur froze.
Then he suddenly laughed.
He held his head, trying to process what had happened.
Someone had sent him a book in his real name.
He wanted to ask Jimmy, but anything connected to this book seemed strange.
He headed to the elevator.
He entered and pressed floor 3.
The elevator started moving.
He dropped his bag to the floor and opened the book to the first page.
It read:
Can you kill a human being?
He turned to the next page.
Nothing.
It was blank.
And so were all the pages… completely empty.
He closed the book, staring at it.
He was angry, but trying to find an explanation.
He began to believe this book was no ordinary book.
(Is this a test?… Am I losing my mind?)
The elevator reached its floor.
The door opened, and Arthur stepped out.
After a brief search, he found the room.
Room 188.
He opened the door and entered immediately.
"Stephen, it's Lucas," he called loudly.
No response.
"Stephen? Stephen, are you here?"
Silence.
He checked the right-hand side room.
It was large, with a long TV and a sofa in front of it. A large window to the left let sunlight in.
He searched every room.
No Stephen.
He entered the bedroom.
Stephen's bag was beside the bed.
Arthur knew Stephen had gone out and would return soon.
He sat on the bed… then lay back.
He sighed, staring at the ceiling.
(And now… what?)
Suddenly, he heard his name—softly.
It wasn't clear. He didn't even know where the voice came from.
"Arthur…"
He shifted, sitting upright.
He looked left and right.
"Stephen?" he asked.
Silence.
Then he heard it again.
"Arthur…"
This time, he knew where the voice was coming from.
He looked.
It was the book.
Arthur screamed,
"What the hell is wrong with you, damn book?! Now you can talk too?!"
He sighed, wiping the saliva from his mouth.
He opened the book.
Nothing had changed.
But when he looked at the last page…
He was shocked.
Adrenaline surged through his body.
There were words written:
The Contract
{ You are the Chosen One.
Write your full name,
your date of birth,
and the print of your left hand in your blood.
Choose a difficulty level: Easy, Medium, Hard. }