A week went by after I decided to take my leave. Things became relatively peaceful after I decided to go back to my assigned space. My life returned to normal after I went back to my solitary life style. I ate twice a day, skipping breakfast in the morning. I attended school regularly and hung out with the twelve boys at school. 

Although I should have been used to everything going back to normal, I couldn't help but miss the noisy and fun times with the twelve boys. But on the other hand, the merciless killer might be hidden among the twelve males. Thinking about this, my determination to catch them and interrogate them was stronger.

Six days ago, I was told by my commander to bring Exo to an assigned spot for questioning. The purpose was to determine whether they were trustworthy allies to have. I highly doubt it. Tomorrow would be the day for the two parties to meet up. What bothered me a little was that I was told to prepare for combat. Usually when I get told this, the chance of bloodshed and battle was high. I didn't want to fight any of them.

The location assigned was an abandoned paint factory on the edge of town. The Organization had purchased and authorized this location for large scale trainings and experiments. To my estimation, there will be other Hunters hidden around the facility watching Exo's every move to ensure the interrogation will be successful. If Exo didn't cooperate, our alternative choice was either to capture them, or to exterminate them.

Yesterday after school, I told Suho about the request for my commander to meet them, and after a long time of discussion between the members, they agreed. They were more than interested to form an official alliance with the organization and share their knowledge about IT. 

On Saturday morning, the day of the meeting, I was told to pick Exo up from their house and guide them to the appointed location. The chilly December air surrounded me and I couldn't help but feel a bit cold since I only wore a sweater and thin pants. Too much clothing easily got in the way of combat, and when you were fighting for your life, you wouldn't want to trip over your own scarf. 

I walked on the snow covered sidewalk and watched the mist form in the air each time I breathed out. There were decorations and lights hanging from the houses and on the lawns left over from Christmas. I never remembered the dates of holidays since I never celebrated any. Holidays were not part of a Hunter's life. During the Christmas last year, I was out in the northern wilderness of Russia, in search for a troll that lurked around.

The barrier around Exo's house was gone when I arrived. I walked up the front porch and rang the doorbell. 

"Coming!" Kai's voice sounded from inside and I walked back down the porch, waiting for them on the sidewalk. 

A short while later, all twelve males rushed out from the house, shoving and talking. A wave of warmness swam across my chest and I bit back a smile that formed on my face.

Our big group trotted down the sidewalk. To my surprise, none of them showed any signs of caution and nervousness. This meant that they were ready for whatever we had in store for them. My hand went to my pocket and made sure my dagger was still in place. I immediately felt more calm as my fingers traced up the handle of the silver weapon.

We took the bus to get to the edge of the city, then we walked for the rest of the way. The outskirt of the city was nothing like the crowded and populated downtown area. There were no people in sight except for the clear barren land coated with a layer of snow.

After several minutes of walking, the abandoned factory came into view. I scouted around for any suspicious people and decided everything was okay. When I led the group of males to the front entrance of the factory, I turned to them and stopped. "We're here." I said.

"Finally, I hate walking so much!" Sehun whined.

"Hey, it wasn't that far, only four kilometers. Beside, no bus really went around this area," I said to him and felt a wave of chilly wind against my face. Knowing it was Sehun, I shook my head and moved on.

Looking at the factory from up close, my eyebrows furrowed up. Something didn't seem right. There were no other Hunters around here and nobody standing on guard. There was usually someone assigned to guard, even if they were hidden, I would be able to sense their Hunter presence.

This factory was pretty big with several sectors for manufacturing and a warehouse. Each sector has at least one Hunter standing on guard under normal situations. I was unsure when no one stopped us from entering at the gates. It was as if this place has became a ghost town.

Before we could continue down the dirt road that led down to other sectors, Lay grabbed my arm and tugged me back. 

"Is something wrong?" I asked the boy who looked around cautiously.

Lay gestured for the rest of the group to stop. "I smell something strange, it is very faint, I can't tell what it is, we're too far away."

"Really? Guys, keep your guard up, I can't guarantee your safety," I said to the group of boys. By then, I was sure that something was wrong. The aura of this place was nothing like what I remembered it being. We stood in the middle of the dirt road. There were large boxes and barrels stacked against the fence around us. The warehouses and sector buildings lie far into the distance, off the sides of the paths. Like I have mentioned before, there was no one in sight.

Suddenly, a metal can in the distance was knocked over, making a loud noise that pierced through the silence that surrounded us. Something quickly darted around the corner of a building. We all froze and looked around. The twelve males quickly formed into a group position and kept me in the middle. I didn't have to ask to know that they were keeping me safe, trying to protect me. 

"Guys, I don't need to be babysat. And keep in mind that I am the only one here who