*CANDICE*

"GET me another beer!" a fat guy demanded. "Hurry!" He shamelessly shows his big belly out in the public while clunking his empty glass against the wooden table.

The waitress hurriedly gave him another glass of beer—shaking and weary of what could her customer do in its irritation. Without a word, she turned and was about to return to her post when the fat guy grabbed her waist and tried to molest her.

"S-sir, p-please stop," the waitress pleaded as she tries to escape his grasp. No one bothered to help her—and so do I.

"Do you have the goods?" a skinny tall guy whispered at one corner of the street.

"I have it. Where's the money?" his companion demanded.

Even though they keep their voices really low, their conversation is as clear as the spring water on my ears. I saw them exchange bags. One clunked like a bag of coins, while the other sounded like a bag of sand.

Drunkards at one corner, illegal drug users at the other. One crime after another. Typical night at Area 74.

Area 74 stands for the gray area of each city. It means that there are no laws on these areas. It is natural to see these kind of crimes on this place, and the soldiers won't even bother arresting them. But it also means that the residents of Area 74—the numbers—won't receive any help from the palace or any city. Whatever happens inside the area, no one will interfere from the outside. No one will care if they die from hunger or die from killing each other.

But once a number commits a crime outside their territory, that will be a different story.

I noticed a girl, wearing a tattered brownish cloak, make her way out of the busy street. She kept her face covered by her hood as she swiftly move from one space to another.

"Hey, watch it!" a guy exclaimed when the child bumped into him.

"S-sorry," the girl stuttered while lowering her head and making a quick escape. She ran towards me and glided on my side.

I immediately caught her swift hand when she tried to pickpocket my loots.

"Nice try, Nina. But I'm not a fool like the other guy you bumped into."

She lifted her head and smiled at me mischievously. "I miss you, Candice!" she exclaimed as she jump and hug me.

Nina Hanchester is a seven-year-old bona fide member of the Black Heart Rebels. She is a child born as a number and is trying to change her fate by joining our army. Many children like Nina has come to our group—some are even younger than her. Women, men, children or elderly, are all welcome to our group as long as they have the same goal in mind us ours—to make a just and better world for all of us.

"Okay, that's enough. Let's head out. The meeting will start soon." Nina jumped off of me and walked ahead.

"But before we proceed, return my necklace first," I said to her.

She laughed at me and started to run. "Finders keepers, Candice!"

I snickered.

"Are you sure?" I revealed the bags I'm hiding under my cloak. It's Nina's loots.

Nina's eyes widened. She immediately searched for her pockets but not a single treasure was left on it. "H-how did you—Candice, give me back my bags!"

"Uh-uh! First, return my necklace." She pouted and handed over a golden necklace with a round locket.

"You're a hundred years early to steal from me, you know," I said and gave back her loot.

"But I did steal it for a few seconds," she proudly announced.

I smirked. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I intentionally let you get it. I'm checking if you've become better at this—but I guess, you have to practice more."

"Meanie!" I laughed at her outburst.

I kept my hood on—covering half of my face—as we walk side by side towards our destination. We turn at the 6th street of Area 74 M. And there, we found an old but homely restobar—the Bear-Hugging Restobar.

"Welcome to our Bear-Hugging Restobar where hugs are free of charge! Table for two?" asked a huge feminine man wearing a tight polo shirt topped with a white frilly apron and skinny pants.

Nina took her hood off. "You should really change your restobar's name—as well as your slogan. Who would want a hug from an old fag—ouch!"

"After you vanished for three months, that's what you gonna say to your benefactor?" Mama Bear said after he blew his fist like some dirt got into it after hitting Nina's head.

Roberto Perez. We call him Berta or Mama Bear. He's the lovable owner of Bear-Hugging Restobar, and a loyal supporter of Black Heart Rebels. Even though he's gay, he still wears a man's clothes. But he certainly has a mother's heart—caring and forgiving.

"You only feed me for a month and I'm already indebted to you? I already worked for your stinking restobar, right?"

"This brat! You really have a foul mouth! I should've let you starve that cold night if I only knew how ill-mannered you are!"

I stand between them. "Apologies, Mama Bear. If Nina doesn't want your hugs—well, I do."

Mama Bear took a good look at me. "Oh my! Our baby, Candice! It's been a long time!" He immediately embraced me with his two bulky arms.

"I miss you, too, Mama Bear."

"How long has it been? Eight years?"

"Twelve," I corrected him. "But sorry Mama Bear, I have some business here. Could we catch up later?"

"Oh yes, I forgot! They're already in the room. I'll lead you there."

Mama took us at the room behind the kitchen. He brought out a key from her chest and inserted it on a hidden keyhole in one of the walls of the room. The wall parted and a dark alley is on our way.

"Here's your light. Turn right, left, straight and right. You'll see your brothers at the end of the line," Mama Bear said as she gave me a copper lantern.

I nodded and Mama Bear closed the door behind us. Mama and the leader of the Black Heart Rebels are the only ones who have a key for this place. But to be safe, this passage is also being modified every year in case a spy got in. And to make it more complicated, the tunnel has lots of paths you could take. So if you do not know the instruction from Mama Bear, you'll surely get lost.

❀°˖✧˖°✿°˖✧˖°✿°˖✧˖°❀

"YOU'RE LATE."

I rolled my eyes at the man sitting at the end of the tunnel.

"You're just early, Nat," I said.

Nathaniel Gordon. He is one of the commanders of Black Heart Rebels and been my rival for the top commander of our group.

"You're right. But can you blame me? I just wanted to see your beauty so badly that when I received the notice, I immediately went to this place."

I laughed. "That's rubbish. I know that your assignment is here in Area 74 M, so it makes sense that you'll arrive here earlier than everybody else." I continued walking to the middle of the room and found a good place to sit.

"So, you're my stalker now?"

I turned at Nat with a bewildered look. "Excuse me?"

"I know you're interested in me, Candice. That's why you looked at my schedule, right?"

I scoffed in disbelief and sat down. "Dream on, Nat. I'm not that crazy to fall in love with you," I said without looking at him.

He sat beside me and leaned his head on one of his arms as he try to have a peak of my face.

"Why not? You're single. I'm single. I'm in love with you for 14 years. Can't you really love me?"

Nat always teases me so I got used to it. His charms and sweet talks has no longer effect on me. I admit that his words make my heart flutter once in a while, but I was always being reminded of how much of a playboy he is.

"Try to fix your womanizing habit, and I'll think about it," I said nonchalantly.

I got a bit startled when Nat's face suddenly appeared in front of me. His lips were curled into a huge playful smile, making him look a bit creepy and stupid. His eyes are sparkling like those of a boy who had found a new toy.

"But my love is only for you, Candice. Are you talking about those girls I seduced? Those are just part of my missions," he said teasingly.

"Oh, give it a break, Nat."

Nat went back to his seat when we heard the banging of the gavel.

He's here.

Like a just and stern judge, Winston Montgomener stood at the podium breaming with confidence and authority. His blue piercing eyes bring shivers to our bones like a cold ice. His goatee and slick black hair added to his stern look.

He put the gavel on the side and looked at us with great contempt.

"My fellow Black Heart Rebels, I gathered you all tonight because of a dreadful news."

Win's brows are furrowed and I can feel the tension on his voice. Everyone's attention got alerted—especially the commanders.

Uh-oh. This smells like a big trouble.