Every second here was another chance to be discovered. Another step closer to death.
Erion's mind raced as his eyes swept the shadows, corners, the dim rafters above. Danger could be anywhere.
At the far end of the warehouse, a sliver of light caught his eye—an open door.
He sprinted toward it without hesitation.
Inside—boxes stacked high, supplies scattered across the floor—she sat crumpled against the wall, sobbing softly.
Relief slammed into him like a wave. She's alive.
A quiet sigh slipped past his lips before he could stop it.
She didn't notice him. Her trembling hands shook Yuka's limp body, bound cruelly to a pole.
"Yuka…" Evah whispered through tears. "Wake up… please."
Yuka's body was battered and bruised, her skin caked with dirt. A tear in her shirt exposed the dark marks blooming across her shoulder, each one proof of what she had endured.
"Erion, she's not waking up." Her voice cracked, helpless and small.
He crouched, checking Yuka's pulse with practiced precision.
Still alive? Strange. Normally, they'd kill their victims… He kept that to himself.
"She's alive," he said at last. "Drugged. That's why she won't wake."
Evah's eyes lit with desperate hope. "Then let's take her to a hospital! Help me untie her—do you have a knife?"
She clawed at the ropes.
Erion tugged her gently to her feet. "We can't. She'll be unconscious for days. We need to leave. Now."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "We can't leave her here!"
His voice hardened. "If we stay, we all die."
Evah's fury burned hot. "What kind of system is this? You're supposed to save people, not abandon them! Why did I trust the damn Order at all?"
"We'll go back for her," Erion said, quieter now, steady. "This situation was expected. There's a plan."
Plan B. Silent Kill. The words echoed in his mind, drilled into his team. Four to five hours. If we fail, headquarters will erase everything. She might witness things... things no one should ever see.
Evah's trembling fingers clutched Yuka tighter. "I… I can't leave her…"
He offered her his hand. "Let's go."
She stared at it. His hand was steady, warm, unshaken—while hers shook violently. His eyes were unreadable, sharp as a chess player ready for the next move.
He doesn't fear anything…
She pulled away. "Then go without me. I'll stay with Yuka."
His patience broke. "Do you want to die?!" His voice cracked through the silence, fierce and cold. "You're lucky she's even alive! Do you understand the risk you're dragging us into?"
The lights blazed on all at once, stripping the warehouse of its shadows.
Erion froze.
Boots echoed from the corridor before a man emerged, flanked by two hulking guards. He moved with the ease of someone who owned the ground beneath his feet. His tailored coat brushed the floor, crimson silk lining flashing with every step.
The guards stopped a pace behind him, but he kept walking, unhurried, until the air itself felt heavy around them. His smile was thin, deliberate.
"Any particular reason you're here?" he said, his tone smooth yet sharp enough to cut. His eyes gleamed, catching the light like a predator's.
It wasn't a question—it was a warning.
Erion smiled faintly, his tone casual. "Just wandering. My wife and I got lost."
But his mind raced.
Option 1: Take on all three. Risk her being shot before I reach them.
Option 2: Kill them in one strike, but backup might be too close.
Option 3: Get caught. Stall for reinforcements. Risky.
Option 4: Escape now, return with the team. Safest—but Yuka might not live.
His eyes flicked to Evah.
She stared back, her heart pounding. How do I know if he's protecting us—or just protecting the mission?
The man's voice cut in again. "Do you even know where you are?"