The Mansion of Trials and Trials

Von's life

For years, Von did not like company. He was a loner. He stuck to his own ways, own perspectives and own personal relationships which was himself. The only relationship he had was his mother, younger sister and his cute little American Eskimo Dog, Whito. Simple name. His sister named him when she saw the dog in first sight, seeing it in pure fluffy white, after her twelfth birthday. She died with Whito when she was just thirteen. His mother was in hospital, with stage four cancer. It was a disastrous year for Von when he was twenty-six. He was in debt and he couldn't pay his mother's medical fees. Two years later, when he was twenty-eight, the sweet and soft sunlight shone on his shoes and feet, like a sunflower blooming in the warmest spring. He met a man. The leader of the country's biggest gang. 'The Takers'. And ever since then, his life turned around. He got a stable job as the leader's bodyguard and became rich, supported by his fellow colleagues and members. His social circle grew, in a wide scale, from strangers to informants, leads to friends, friends to the best partners and boss. In his twenty-eights, it was his life-turning year. The year that he could never forget.

Everything was magnificent.........until he reached his thirty-sixth birthday. Days after, as usual, he was protecting his boss from gun fights and then........at the next minute, he was being sent to this Mansion.

And then......everything changed.

He had got to go back to his previous gang life. Although it was tiring, he had all his friends and relationships. He swore loyalty to his boss, bowed in knees, that he would be his bodyguard forever.

He needed to go back.

He had too.

Which was why he needed to get out of this Mansion.

On the fourth floor, Von carefully watched his step and searched for the Shadowpeople. Carrying his gun, he leaned near the walls and pointed the gun at the corner of the corridor. It was empty. He secured his escape route before he kept going. He was used to it. As a gang member, he had run into tons of gun fights and ran into his enemies. He knew what he was doing.........which was why he had confident in surviving this trial.

The fourth floor........where the Wanderers' rooms. They had keys and had locked doors. The Shadowpeople couldn't get inside. It was the perfect room to escape and take a break from the trials.

Which is why...........

There must have people walking here.

Hearing footsteps, a few miles away, not far, Keira walked on the corridor carefully, searching for her room. She was tired of running from the Shadowpeople and tired of solving riddles. She needed a break in her room. Although it was not an appropriate thing to do, tiredness killed her and forced her to do so. There wasn't any weapons on her hands. Even though she had some daggers or knives, she couldn't beat against a gun. She also didn't have any battling skills or techniques to unarm an armed person.

No weapons. No techniques. No bravery.

Perfect target. Von thought in his mind. He had to steal from Keira. There wasn't any choice. If she resist, he had no choice but to kill her. Von was not afraid of blood. There had been too much blood on his hands since the last eight years. He hated to admit it. But he was a talent killer.

There was no fear in his eyes. He aimed at Keira from the back. She didn't notice him. Von knew he was shooting at an innocent girl. He knew it.

However, he didn't care.

"Keira! Hands up or I will shoot," he shouted, pointing his gun at Keria's forehead. He always aimed for this spot. It relaxed his nerves.

"What.......? Von, what? AHHHHHH! A gun?! What the heck are you doing?!" Keira Wordpressurned around and screamed. It was the first time she got pointed at by a gun. There was too many first times she experienced in this Mansion.