The Story of Blood and Roses

The classes for the freshman batch of the organization had started a week ago. Jacob had personally called me to oversee a group of bullies, who thought they were better than the others.

I remember having some of those in my first year. They didn't last a week on their assignments. They went missing, their bodies never to be found. Sometimes, it was just parts of them.

When I entered the class, I saw them turn to me and whisper to each other. I had no intention of condoning their foul behavior. I was doing this as a favor to Jacob. These classes were top secret, and these bullies had the most potential in the batch. They needed to be taught a lesson.

"We've never seen you around here," the boy, who seemed to be the leader of the band, spoke. "Will you be joining our class, too?" I heard them snicker. I turned away towards the board and wrote my name.

The screech of the chalk hitting the board made them groan. They grumbled as I turned around to give them a pointed look.

"That was not necessary," one said.

"I don't think she can talk," another whispered. The girl at the back of the class giggled and continued texting.

I bent down and pulled my black jeans up. They giggled and fawned over what they thought was a 'hot ass.' I pulled out my loaded gun and pointed it at the girl at the end.

They gasped.

For a couple of eighteen-year-olds, they were extremely annoying. I could understand why they needed someone to take care of them.

The girl didn't even look up. She was too busy twirling her hair and making faces at the screen of her phone.

I pulled the trigger. It went by the side of her forearm. She screamed when she felt it against the arm. It was just a bruise, but she acted like someone had shot her in the gut. They got up to help her, but I banged my hand on the desk. They froze in their seats, their eyes wide in fear.

I turned around to slowly rub out my new name.

In its place, I wrote down their first lesson.

'They will want to kill you, make sure you are paying attention when they do.'

As I left the room, I pulled out my cell phone and typed out a quick reply.

[Medical attention needed in room 108.]

[Thank you,] was the simple reply.

.

Jasper.

Agent Jasper had been the reason for many a sleepless night. I had searched the name on the internet again. This time, I made note of all the details I found. I wrote them down one after the other, not caring if the facts were interesting or not.

The list went on and on...

All the information... it made no sense.

The man was deeply intellectual and influenced by a variety of literary texts that contributed to his letters. His name was not something that was decided upon by some miracle. It was something that he had thought about and been thorough in researching.

I quickly jotted down the words that I thought were relevant.

Beauty.

Balance.

Healing.

Protector.

Mystical Knowledge.

Emperor.

Glory.

Daisy, who had not left my side since I shattered my phone, looked at me with worried eyes.

"There is no use doing this," she tried to convince me. I looked at her with a shocked expression as she went on to explain. "The organization will not budge. They will protect his identity." Why? "He is important to them."

And that was when I figured out that she knew who Jasper was. Sometime between warning me and visiting me at the hospital, she had managed to find out his true identity.

For a moment, I considered opening my mouth and asking her why she would not let me have my revenge. But she had answered that question already.

"I read the letters too, Marie. I saw the roses. He clearly regrets whatever he thinks he did." He had betrayed me, I had stubbornly thought. How could a man who I had never seen betray me? What was in it for him?