Adrian took his time in the city. He shopped around and got himself a clean pair of clothes he put on right away. One trip to the toilets and thanks to the soap he was looking presentable.

  A black eye was forming around his right eye, but he can't do anything about it.

  When he was in the shopping zone, he also had lunch and had a moment of just savouring food and thinking.

  The realization settled in. He was nearly killed.

  This is crazy. What am I going to do?

  He breathed out and leaned back into a chair.

  The west police is a no go. So is any police it seems. That first call wasn't a mistake, they really didn't answer.

  He looked down at his hands.

  It's all in my hands now. But how? How to deal with it?

  A mounted clock was ticking, customers were coming and going as he was deep in his thoughts. The clock hit one hour and beeped.

  The principal and faculty presidents. They'll be forced to act else the name of Noxpolis University will be smeared and dragged through the mud. That'll do it. They'll value it, their profits are on the line. Just like that corrupted cop.

  He paid his meal and took a bus to the university. On the way he checked the website and saw he still had time till they'll have office hours. He can wait and why not? In the meantime, he can get other things sorted out. He arrived at the Southlane dormitories.

  He looked at the flats, their windows and balconies. He remembers them, remembers them good. It's sickening here and a few hundred meters back is the park.

  He steeled himself, walked in, took an escalator and like so found himself before his door in a few steps. He reached into his pocket... nothing, he searched and the result remained the same.

  I must've lost them in the park.

  His mind didn't even think about retrieving them. He knocked on the door, not expecting anything. But perhaps someone was expecting him.

  The door went ajar and after a while of them not going full, he pushed them. Inside was Jin.

  "Hey, Adrian how were you? Out partying or something?" Jin asked sleep still present in his voice.

  "What were you doing?"

  "Nothing interesting. Playing games wasting time really."

  "Ok." Adrian said and glanced at his room. It was closed and he had locked it as always. So, it seems his plan of relaxing was foiled.

  "Oh, your room? There have been some people... Some serious looking people. I've been told it was someone from the dormitory administration. Yeah... they unlocked it."

  Adrian gripped doorknob, an uneasy feeling pulsating and swallowing his senses. He didn't hear what Jin was saying, he didn't even hear the unending thoughts that were making rounds all day around his brain.

  He pushed them open.

  And it was there. His stuff packed into luggage and resting on top of each other. A letter was sitting on top like a cherry.

  "Just so you know I tried talking it out with them, but they wouldn't listen. It was-"

  He again, with his big mouth can't he stop and see for a minute. I can't hear my own thoughts with this.

  "Hey." Adrian called out.

  "Yeah, yes. What's the matter? Should I go down with you or?"

  "Shut up."

  "..."

  "Thanks."

  Adrian read the letter:

  Dear Adrian Grey,

  I hope my and Becky's gift to you is well appreciated. We were thinking about it for a long time, I hope it finds you well.

  If by any chance you feel like you need another good beating go to this address. Augustine's Street 163. There you'll find Berserkers, our little gang. If I'm not there then I'm sure one of our guys will gladly deal with your business.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Yours Faithfully

  Nicolaus

  Underneath was another letter this one with only one sentence: Eviction notion, immediately in effect.

  And below a wild unreadable signature.

  Adrian crumpled the letter and threw it in the trash. Trash it is and that's where it belongs, he thought.

  Jin meanwhile was curiously examining him. "That's not all."

  Adrian glanced at him. What more could there be?

  "They did something on your laptop."

  Adrian fought through the luggage until he fished out a laptop case and took it out. He turned it on and input the password.

  It booted right up.

  That's good that's good.

  What wasn't good thought was the lack of applications.

  No, no, no, no, no, no, no. NO!

  He clicked through and opened his Cloud, but there it was. Empty and desolate.

  His knees buckled right from underneath him and he fell like a puppet with its strings cut, though he still had a play in front of him.

  "Is it that bad? Can't you get it back? Maybe some backup or something?" Jin said with carefulness and concern in his voice.

  "You let them?" Adrian clutched at his face, fingers digging into his skin.

  "I didn't know... I mean. I wouldn't if... I did know..."

  But it was locked as always...

  Adrian looked through the gaps in between his fingers to the mirror on the wardrobe and saw right behind him the always smiling face of Jin's now in a frown.

  "You saw..."

  "What?"

  Adrian stood up and turned to him. "You let them in."

  "I-I did." Jin stammered.

  Adrian grabbed him by his neck and pushed him against the wall.

  "Why did you do it?"

  Jin remained silent as he dumbly gazed at Adrian's face.

  Adrian pulled him to himself and back against the wall. Jin's head did a small pang as it crashed against the concrete wall.

  "Why?"

  And again.

  "Did?"

  Again.

  "You?"

  And...

  "I-I-I"

  "Yes, you you you. Why did you do this to me? I thought we were getting along. Hell, I thought we were friends."

  "I-I" Jin gulped. "I had to. They were going to break the doors if I didn't."

  "Then what do you think the neighbours wouldn't notice and call someone?"

  "Who? I tried, but there's not anyone you can call. They did the same to the neighbours from room 1." Adrian noticed as Jin was trying to get something out of his pockets, but his trembling arms didn't do it much better.

  It was a phone. Jin unlocked it and showed it to Adrian.

  It was a video showing the hallway from the crack in the door. At one end was a group of three men with crowbars hanging around a door a few meters away was the elevator.

  As it played out cries of help were heard followed by cursing and demanding to open up. One sentence though sticked to Adrian.

  "Join us or serve us!"

  The video quickly ended when one of the men looked to the camera and smiled. Like that it stood frozen smiling at Adrian.

  Adrian knew him it was one of the men, the baldie that was choking him just a few hours before.

  "Now you're with them."

  "I had no choice it was either this or serving them."

  Adrian sneered at him and let him go live his insect life.

  Adrian looked around one last time at the room and walked out.

  Only a broken laptop remained before the door. Screen sizzling and seething with rows of colorful pixels.

  Adrian's walk led him to the Main university building where he came to a reception.

  A Middle-aged man sat there reading newspapers and the sound of incoming steps didn't break his concentration one bit.

  "I-"

  Adrian stopped. The man motioned with his index finger just a minute. But Adrian already had enough of waiting around, he just has to get to the board and that's it. Everything will be discussed and proper punishment and compensation will be made.

  "I need to speak with the Dean."

  "I'm sure." The man didn't turn his gaze away and his little eyes continued trailing the words as they came in big news.

  This is pointless. Adrian walked around and into a hall clothed in grandeur of old paintings of people who once built it and the engravings made in wood. He glanced at it between every door and the next when he was reading the name tags on each door.

  "Mr.Adrian Grey. Please if you finish your tour, come to me." The receptionist's voice was heard.

  Adrian walked back and saw the receptionist sitting with the newspapers rolled and put on his table. His posture was straight and proper.

  "Yes?" Adrian asked.

  "The Dean and other members were informed of the nature of your visit and rejected your-"

  "Rejected? Do they know what happened to me? How serious of a thing it is if word gets out? This whole university will get the blame, will come under scrutiny and the professors that accept these heinous students. Do they know what's at stake here?"

  "Yes." That simple word was enough for Adrian to get silent. "Thanks for your concerns, but they, I assure you, are completely aware of these risks and they were taken into consideration. That-"

  Adrian started sneering that turned to cackling and then full on laughing. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes as he held an arm on his belly and he bellowed to the heavens above.

  The receptionist meanwhile continued regardless of what was happening in front of him."...They also wanted to for you to have this. Here."

  The receptionist took out a paper and a pen.

  "This is-"

  "A joke!" Adrian pointed at the receptionist.

  "This-"

  Adrian didn't pay attention and was about to walk off again and look at what this so-called Dean was about.

  A whistle was heard before the two men waiting ran straight at him. He didn't even run as he was laughing. He got caught and hoisted by his armpits and dragged like a sack of potatoes before the receptionist.

  The receptionist stored the paper in one of his pockets along with the pen. "Here this is for you, Mr.Grey. I'm sure we won't see each other. Good luck on your other ventures."

  Finally, he took one of his hands and shook it as Adrian's laughter was getting hoarser and his expression more macabre, warping in on itself.

  "Get it over with."

  The two staff men took him out and into a back alley a distance away. For the next few minutes laughter and dull trashing was heard. It was like flattening meat for schnitzels plus the laughter - schnitzels don't laugh.

  When they were done they came back to the lobby and sat down after wiping off the blood with their handkerchiefs. They took out their mobiles and the scene regained its preparedness.

  The receptionist flipped to another page and slid down a bit in his chair to stretch his back. He could already feel it.

  A sound of hurried footsteps was heard. It was a group coming.

  "Hello? We'd like to report something."

  And the receptionist simply put up one finger for them to wait a while.