My Substitute CEO Bride

Francel did not know how much time had passed.

He had fallen asleep but still had not seen Smiley return. Rubbing his eyes, Francel wandered around the gang's hideout, searching for her. To his surprise, not only was Smiley missing, but all the members of the Stick Gang were nowhere to be found.

The large room was completely empty, and the surrounding darkness made Francel uneasy. Remembering Pine's odd behavior that afternoon, Francel began to worry that something bad had happened to his brothers and Smiley.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He quickly bolted out the door and ran toward the route Smiley always took to school. It was a bit of a distance, and by the time Francel reached the area near the school, there was still no sign of her.

It was strange-compared to the Northern Territory, the nightlife in the Western and Southern Territories was much livelier, often lasting until dawn.

Especially in Grenford, where the Western and Southern Territories met, the streets would normally be bustling with vendors and crowds at this hour.

Yet tonight, the streets were eerily silent, as though death itself had swept through. Francel pinched his own cheek to make sure he was not dreaming because he could not recall nighttime here ever being this dark.

Without wasting any more time, Francel continued his search, moving swiftly through the streets and alleys. However, he could not find a single person.

Suddenly, he noticed a faint light in front of him. The light was coming from the competition bracelet, and Francel realized he was trapped in a barrier. He focused his energy and swung his staff toward the light.

As expected, he could shatter most barriers he could detect with sheer brute force. With one powerful strike, the barrier began to crack.

Francel braced himself. He knew he had likely been trapped for a while. If someone had malicious intent, the situation outside could be dire.

His main concern was finding Smiley and the gang members. Determined, he gathered his strength. With a single strike, he shattered the barrier completely.

What Francel saw next filled him with utter despair. The place where he had grown up the warm little hideout of the Stick Gang-was now nothing more than ashes.

He found himself standing just outside the ruins and realized that someone must have deliberately kept him asleep, fearing he would wake up too soon.

Francel was always sensitive to even the faintest trace of true energy, even in his sleep, so how had this happened?

There was no time to think. Francel rushed toward the wreckage, frantically digging through the rubble while screaming at the top of his lungs, "Pine! Smiley! Bigby! Say something! Is anyone here?!"

He searched every corner of the debris, but there was nothing-no signs of life, no answers.

"Where is everyone? Did they all run away?" he muttered to himself.

Just then, the cold, unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked cut through his thoughts.

"Hands up," a voice commanded.

Francel turned to see a figure he had not noticed before. It was a man in a dark mask, his expression hidden. The barrel of a small gun was pointed directly at Francel.

"What happened here?" the masked man asked.

Francel was just as confused. If this man was not responsible for this, then what on earth happened? He simply shook his head.

"I don't know. I was trapped in a barrier, and it was already like this when I came out."

To Francel's surprise, the masked man lowered his weapon.noveldrama

"You're probably the one they're looking for," the masked man said.

"They?" Francel asked, bewildered.

The masked man nodded and continued, "A fire broke out here suddenly. I don't know the exact cause, but I can tell you this much-most of the Stick Gang members died in the blaze."

The words hit Francel like a punch to the gut. He collapsed to the ground, unable to comprehend what he was hearing.

"What... are you saying?"