< System, can you connect to the Principal's computer?> Erik asked.
[YES, I CAN. DO YOU WANT ME TO CONNECT TO IT?]
<Yes! Immediately!> Erik said in his mind.
[CONNECTION TO THE DEVICE: PRINCIPAL'S HARRIS WORK COMPUTER, COMPLETE.]
Erik stood in the hallway, his brain receiving information from the biological supercomputer as the images of the Principal's computer's screen appeared in front of him. He had managed to hack into the PC using the biological supercomputer and was now searching for information about Achim.
As he scrolled through Principal Harris' computer, Erik felt nervousness building within him. There was a high chance that this guy knew that Nathaniel had died because of him, and he had to get rid of him if he wanted to avoid problems in the future. Recently, he learned that Achim came to this school, so it was likely that his address and some information about his personality could be found in the archives.
The young man scrolled through the PC's content until he found what he was searching for.
Achim's file was filled with disciplinary reports and notes from his teachers about his tendency to cause trouble at school. One time he beat a fellow student for some minor matter. In another one, he was caught stealing from another guy. That was a common trait of all pricks, especially considering that Achim was rich and he clearly didn't need money.
He was basically the classic bully Erik had seen countless times. But what caught Erik's attention was a report from the school nurse about an incident involving Achim and a female student. They were caught having sex in one of the bathrooms, which led to their suspension. This was not common.
Erik discovered as he read that, despite being considered an asshole by many, the girls at school liked him reasonably well because of his attractive appearance and long hair, and many teachers reported how some female students even entered the class and confessed to him in front of everyone else. That was a psycho level of madness.
<This nation is really fucked up if they like people like him,> the young man thought.
It was clear, from Erik's evaluation of this guy's character, that he had all the traits associated with the pompous young masters he often read about in the novels he read. He could see how some traits came directly from his family, which Erik connected to the Mambas, thanks to the information he got through Nathaniel's phone. Things started to click even more in the young man's mind.
As he continued to sift through Achim's file, Erik's eyes landed on a photo of the boy; he was much younger than the last photo he saw of him, which was taken at a party. Despite his troublesome reputation, he seemed to have it all and had a massive smile on his face while standing with two other friends.
<Where the hell is his address?> Erik asked himself. The young man had been in front of the Principal's door for many minutes but couldn't stay any longer.
He kept scrolling for a couple more minutes; his anxiety kept increasing. Finally, he found the information he was searching for.
<75001 Rue de la Liberté, New Alexandria, Frant. BINGO!>
Erik quickly connected to his phone through the System and looked at his phone to understand where he had to go. As he typed the address inside the app, the route there appeared; Erik recognized where it led him and where he had to go.
<This is Amber's neighborhood…> the young man thought after remembering he had seen a similar address previously and the map showed many villas.
That was a problem, as the place was full of technological defenses, cameras, and many other things. If things were this way, he could at least scout ahead and take a look at the place. Maybe he could infiltrate.
However, the safest thing would be to connect to their security system, which he was sure they had since Amber had it, like most of the wealthy people in Frant, and spy on them from his cozy bed at the Red Palace.
The young man quickly darted away from there, walking back from where he came. No one should have been around, as not so much time did pass; however, it was still a possibility.
As he ran down the nearly deserted hallways of the school, his footsteps echoed loudly off the walls. Most students had already gone home, leaving only a few stragglers behind.
Erik kept his head down, and his eyes focused on the ground. He knew that he had to avoid any trouble, especially with the recent events involving the Crystal Cross Gang.
As he was almost at the exit, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching from around the corner. Erik quickly entered an empty classroom and closed the door behind him, holding his breath as the footsteps grew louder.
He peeked through the crack in the door and saw a female teacher walking past. Erik waited until she was out of sight before opening the door and continuing on his way with silent steps and a stealthy approach.
Finally, he reached the exit and pushed open the heavy metal door. A rush of warm air hit him in the face, and he took a deep breath. He had made it out safely, but he knew that the danger was still out there.
Soon after, Erik stepped out of the school gates and into the bustling streets of New Alexandria. The sun was shining brightly overhead but was starting to set, and the sounds of traffic and chatter filled the air. But Erik couldn't enjoy the beauty of the day - he knew that the members of the Crystal Cross Gang were out there, somewhere, looking for him. He was right; two shady figures were looking around across the street, probably for him.
Erik now had a different appearance from the one he had once he came out of the Red Palace, so he could maybe go past them without problems. However, he didn't want to take chances, so he quickly went to his right and changed roads.
As he got far enough, walking, trying not to alert anyone, he started running at full speed until he finally reached a very crowded street where he could hide. The young man immediately went inside the sea of people, keeping his head down and trying to blend in with the crowds. But it was hard to avoid the Crystal Cross gang members' invasive presence; they were everywhere.
Erik knew that he had to stay alert if he wanted to avoid them. He kept his eyes peeled for any signs of danger as he weaved his way through the crowds.
Suddenly, he saw them. A group of gang members was gathered on the other side of the street, their eyes scanning the crowd. Erik froze, his heart pounding in his chest, hoping they didn't find him.
However, the system quickly went to work. It injected the calming substance into his bloodstream, giving the young man the mental state required to carefully take his next step, and he managed to behave calmly enough so as not to raise suspicions against him. He quickly went past the gang members, and after a while, he ended up on another road with no fewer people than the other. However, that had been a close call; the gang members were starting to block the streets since they couldn't find the young man inside the throngs of people.
Without thinking, and as he couldn't see any more Crystal Cross gang members, Erik turned and ran down the street, dodging past pedestrians and pushing his way through the crowds. After a short while, Erik arrived at the train station.
The young man scanned the bustling place nervously, his heart racing as he tried to blend in with the crowds of commuters rushing to and fro, as he noticed that even that place was full of Crystal Cross gang members searching for him. Any wrong move could put him in danger.
The gang members all had their trademark tattoos and clothing, scanning the crowd with fierceness and intensity. Erik sat on a bench behind a group of people waiting for their train while standing, hoping to avoid their attention.
He knew what train to take, so he waited, hiding inside a shop as soon as he could, faking being there to shop, until the hour came, and the train arrived.
Erik calmly walked onto the platform as the train approached the tracks, scanning for any signs of the gang members. He saw one of them approaching him from the corner of his eye and quickly slipped into a crowd of people boarding the train.
Erik breathed a sigh of relief as he walked inside the train, and the doors closed, leaving the gang members outside. He found an empty seat and settled in, his heart still pounding in his chest.
The train began to move, slowly at first but then picking up speed as it headed toward Erik's destination. He couldn't believe he had managed to escape the crystal cross gang again and make it onto the train unnoticed.
As the train chugged along, Erik's nerves began to calm down. He knew that he had to stay alert, but for the moment, he was safe. The train was silent as usual, but the sound of the wind hitting it could be heard; it lulled him into a drowsy state, and he began to relax. Erik closed his eyes momentarily, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. He knew that the next few hours would be crucial, and he needed to conserve his energy for whatever lay ahead.
Erik closed his eyes, his mind drifting off to thoughts of his next move. He knew that he couldn't let his guard down, not even for a moment. But for now, he was just grateful to be on his way to safety.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel