The room was sealed in deliberate darkness.
No lamps.
No screens.
Not even a candle permitted to breathe.
Silence ruled here, thick and intentional, the kind that pressed against the ears until thoughts grew louder than sound itself.
Whoosh—
A sudden current of wind slipped through the narrow window seam, brushing past Ariana's neck like a cold finger. She flinched before she could stop herself, shoulders tightening, breath hitching for half a second.
Her heartbeat steadied.
Her mind did not.
One thought dominated her consciousness, sharp and invasive, looping again and again like a broken signal.
The pink thread.
"Focus."
Senior Jasper's voice cut through the dark, firm but controlled.
"Ariana, focus."
She clenched her fists.
"This magic is not something you force through obsession," he continued, his footsteps slow, measured, circling her. "It does not answer desire. It answers clarity."
Ariana swallowed.
"So forget the man in pink," Jasper said sharply. "Forget the chase. Forget the need. Look only at what must be seen. Not what you want. Not what you fear."
His voice lowered, almost dangerous.
"Your desire will blind you. Your obsession will fracture the spell."
Ariana exhaled through her nose. "I am focusing."
She straightened her spine, feet planted firmly against the cold floor.
Her breathing slowed.
Her thoughts narrowed.
She reached inward, past distraction, past urgency, past emotion, toward the quiet core where magic responded not to force, but to alignment.
The air shifted.
Glow—
A faint light shimmered around her, subtle at first, like dawn struggling through fog.
Senior Jasper froze.
His eyes widened just slightly. "Good," he murmured. "Very good. You're aligning. Hold it. Don't chase it."
The glow intensified, radiating outward from Ariana's chest, pulsing in sync with her heartbeat.
"Now," Jasper urged, "anchor your sight—"
C-CRACK!
The light shattered.
Pain exploded through Ariana's head like glass splintering inside her skull.
"Ah!" she cried out, collapsing to one knee as the glow evaporated into nothingness.
Senior Jasper catched her and worriedly asked,"Are you alright?."
Ariana didn't respond to his query.
The room fell silent again.
Failure.
Ariana's hands trembled. "What…?" Her voice broke. "What happened? I was doing it right. I felt it."
Tears welled despite her effort to suppress them.
"Then why did it fail?" she shouted, frustration tearing through her composure. "Why does it always fail when it matters?"
Her shoulders shook.
"I can't even do this," she whispered harshly. "I can't do a single thing right."
Her tears struck the glassy floor, each drop echoing louder than it should have.
"Ariana—"
"No." She cut Jasper off, her voice raw. "Don't try to comfort me. Not this time."
Senior Jasper inhaled slowly.
Then he spoke, calm as stone.
"Ariana, the spell didn't break because you failed."
She froze.
"It broke because your mind fractured at the final moment," he continued. "Tell me. When the spell was stabilizing, what entered your thoughts?"
Silence.
She looked away.
Caught.
"…Something did," she admitted quietly.
Jasper nodded once. "What was it?"
Ariana closed her eyes, steadying herself. "I thought about him. Not the man in the suit—but the one behind him."
Jasper's expression sharpened. "Go on."
"We already know the man in pink isn't human," she said. "He's a construct. A creation. Someone's magic given form."
Her fingers curled.
"And that thought hit me all at once. If he's not human… then who is the one pulling the strings?"
The air grew heavier.
"That doubt disrupted your alignment," Jasper said. Not accusing. Simply stating the truth.
"I'm sorry," Ariana said quietly. "I let it in.
Jasper studied her for a long moment.
Then he shook his head.
"No apology needed," he said. "You questioned the right thing at the wrong time."
He stepped closer.
"But now," his voice hardened slightly, "you must pass the first step. No entry for exceptions."
Ariana wiped her eyes and stood. "Yes, sir."
They practiced again.
And again.
And again...
Each failure peeled away impatience. Each attempt sharpened control.
Days passed.
Then a week.
On the seventh night—
Glow...
The light returned, steadier this time.
Stronger. Controlled.
Ariana's breath remained calm.
Her mind, empty.
Shine—
"It's finally done," she whispered.
The glow stabilized, locking into her vision like a precise lens.
Senior Jasper laughed once, sharp with pride. "You did it!. Step one… in seven days."
Ariana exhaled, exhausted. "A whole week for just one step?!."
"And a lifetime of mastery ahead," Jasper replied. "Now you can track unstable magic traces… for three seconds."
"Three seconds is enough," she said softly.
"For now."
"And step two will extend that to minutes,"Jasper added. "Step three… will teach you how to hack the source itself."
Her eyes lit up.
"Let's continue," she said without hesitation.
And so they did.
Days blurred into discipline.
By Day 30—
"Your final step," Jasper said, placing an object into her hand, "...is true hacking. Not sensing. Not tracking. Overwriting."
He gestured to an agent positioned far away and that object belonged to this agent.
"This magic requires absolute isolation. No emotional bleed. No external interference. One misalignment, and the signal collapses."
Ariana nodded.
She touched the object.
Once.
Then closed her eyes.
"Focus," she whispered to herself.
Her breathing slowed.
Her pulse vanished.
When she opens her eyes.
Her pupils flooded white.
Shadows rippled.
Then peeled away.
A figure emerged in her vision.
Alive. Present. Real.
"Is he there, standing beside the stage?" she asked calmly.
"Yes," Jasper said, smiling. "Exactly where you saw him stand."
Ariana laughed, breathless with triumph. "I did it."
Jasper nodded. "You did."
She had passed the final step.
And now—
She was ready.
At Home...
The house waited.
Lights were dimmed low, curtains drawn just enough to let the moon spill silver across the floor. The air carried a strange stillness, as if the walls themselves were holding a breath.
The front door opened.
Ariana stepped inside, exhaustion clinging to her shoulders after the long night at the agency. She slipped off her boots,
unfastened her helmet, and placed it neatly on top of the shoe cabinet beside the entrance.
She exhaled.
Boom!
Color exploded.
Poppers burst open from every direction, scattering ribbons and sparks through the air.
"CONGRATULATIONS, ARIANA!"
The shout hit her all at once.
Ariana froze mid-step.
Her eyes widened. Her body went stiff, instincts flaring for a threat that wasn't there.
Confetti drifted down slowly.
"…What?" she muttered.
Her squad surrounded her, clapping, cheering, whistling like children who had been holding in a secret far too long.
"Wait—wait," Ariana said, holding up both hands. "What is this? Why are you all actually congratulating me?"
They exchanged looks.
Smirks spread. Giggles followed.
Before Ariana could turn—
Fwoosh!
Lyra appeared right behind her in a flash of warped space, using her teleportation skills, leaning in far too close.
"So~," she said sweetly, "you didn't think we'd notice you unlocking hacking magic, did you?"
Ariana nearly jumped out of her skin.
"H-h-how did y-you f-find out?" she stammered, staring at them like she'd just been exposed under a spotlight.
Selene stepped forward, calm and composed as always.
"To understand that," she said, "you need a short trip with us."
She snapped her fingers.
"Flashback."
FLASHBACK...
The corridor outside Senior Jasper's office was quiet.
Ariana bowed slightly. "It's already late, Senior Jasper. I should head home. Thank you for today."
"Get proper rest," he replied. "You earned it."
Thud… Thud…
Her footsteps faded down the hall.
The moment the sound disappeared—
SLAM.
The office door suddenly shut.
Senior Jasper turned around.
Four figures stood before him.
"…Ariana's squad?" he asked, blinking once. "Why are you all here at this hour?"
No one answered.
Instead, space distorted.
In the blink of an eye, they were standing directly in front of his desk.
Senior Jasper didn't flinch.
"If you have something to ask," he said calmly, "...you should speak."
Evelyn leaned forward first, eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement.
"You," she said slowly.
Then suddenly—
"WHAT IS GOING ON BETWEEN YOU AND ARIANA?!"
"Ah?" Jasper blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then realization dawned."…Oh."
He sighed and explained.
Everything.
Training.
Hacking magic.
The steps.
The risk.
When he finished, the room was silent.
The squad stared at him, stunned.
Without another word, they turned around and left.
Senior Jasper watched the door close.
A knowing smile touched his lips.
"Kids...," he murmured, returning to his paperwork. "She's in good hands."
BACK TO PRESENT...
"…Senior Jasper?" Ariana whispered, staring at them in disbelief.
They all burst out laughing.
"Surprise!" Kiera cheered. "And we didn't stop there. We prepared a grand feast for your success!"
Selene stepped closer, resting a hand on Ariana's shoulder.
"Now," she said softly, "...you can finally answer your own questions. With your own strength."
Evelyn clapped her hands together. "So—how about supper?"
"LET'S DIG IN!" Lyra shouted.
Ariana looked at their faces.
Bright. Proud. Unwavering.
Something inside her loosened.
For the first time, she decided not to hide anything.
They gathered around the table, food spread generously, warmth filling the room.
"Try this," Selene said, sliding a plate toward her. "Your favorite. Chocolate Tart!."
Ariana took a bite.
Her eyes lit up. "Wow. This is perfect. Your chocolate tart always knows how to calm my soul and TUMMY..."
They became silent.
Then—
"Poof—"
"HAHAHAHA!"
Everyone burst out laughing.
"Why are you all laughing?!" Ariana shouted, cheeks burning. "Hey—don't giggle!"
The house echoed with implying laughter, clinking plates, and shared warmth.
For a moment—
Everything felt normal.
Peaceful.
Safe.
Then suddenly—
Ariana's smile slowly faded.
She felt it.
A faint tug.
An unpleasant wind brushed past her neck.
Her hair stirred, catching a faint, unnatural shimmer, and a sudden chill crawled along her spine.
Ariana's smile stilled.
She turned.
Beyond the window, slipping between the dark like a thought that shouldn't exist, a thin pink glimmer traced the air.
Not rushing.
Not hiding.
Almost… deliberate.
In the blink of her eyes, it vanished...
Silence settled back into the room, but something had already shifted.
Ariana's gaze hardened. Her fingers curled slightly, as if gripping an invisible thread.
"…So," she murmured, barely louder than breath, "Looks like the thread WANTS to be pulled."
—TO BE CONTINUED —