The park was bustling that afternoon, with families walking, children playing, and couples chatting on wooden benches. The sun filtered through the trees, casting soft shadows on the ground. It was a peaceful setting, but for Seo Min-kyu and Choi Eun-kyung, this meeting was more than just a casual moment.
Seraphina, under her false identity as Choi Eun-kyung, sat next to Elysian, observing the people around her with a trained eye. Her posture was relaxed, but her mind was working incessantly. "I'm still surprised you chose me for this mission," Seraphina commented, crossing her arms. "You've never worked with anyone other than Hana and Nikolai."
Elysian kept her eyes fixed on the horizon for a moment before answering. "I need your tracking skills. Nikolai can find anything on the net, Hana can operate in the shadows, but you have experience in the field. If the Order of Erebos is really out there, they will leave traces that only someone like you can identify." Seraphina smirked. "That's a compliment, coming from you." Elysian didn't change her composure and only answered Seraphina. "I don't pay compliments. I just state facts." She chuckled softly. "Of course." Elysian pulled a tablet from her bag and opened a series of encrypted files. "Here's what we have so far. Nikolai has managed to track strange movements in the underworld. It seems that several criminal organizations are concerned about a new group operating in the shadows. This could be a sign of the Order of Erebos." Seraphina flipped through the digital files, absorbing the information quickly. "If they're as careful as they say they are, they won't reveal themselves easily. How do you plan to make them expose themselves?"
Elysian leaned her elbows on the table, lacing her fingers together. "By creating a threat to them. We'll leak false information about a new secret data vendor. Something big enough that the Order can't ignore. They'll need to investigate. And we'll be waiting."
"Elysian, do you really think they'll fall for this trap?" Seraphina asked, adjusting her hair and sitting on a park bench, looking around at the movement around her.
Elysian sat down next to her, her eyes never leaving a group of people in the distance. "The Order of Erebus is meticulous, but everyone has their weaknesses. And to create weaknesses, you need something simple yet complex. I'll set the criminal underworld in motion. I'll make them believe in a threat that will force them to act."
Seraphina tilted her head, intrigued. "How will this work? Aren't we creating a scenario that's too… obvious?"
"Yes and no. They are cunning, but if there's one thing they don't expect, it's information spreading unchecked. If we create the illusion of a new threat from a 'secrets dealer,' they'll react. A data dealer, as if someone were for sale, a new player who threatens their operations. I'll allow this threat to spread like a rumor among the worst criminals, something that seems simple but requires meticulous manipulation." Elysian added coolly. "I'm a player, Seraphina. And like a good player, I see all the moving parts."
Seraphina watched Elysian's calculating gaze, remembering his genius. Elysian never made a decision without first planning every possible scenario. His mind was a maze of options, always adjusting and recalculating. That was what made him so dangerous and unpredictable.
"You won't do anything that will jeopardize our plans, right?" Seraphina asked with a hint of concern in her voice.
Elysian, understanding Seraphina's concern, calmed her as she spoke. "I've already calculated the risks. Let me do my job. You'll be useful, more than you know. We need your tracking skills. They won't fall easily into the net, but if I force the game, I'll force their reaction."
Seraphina nodded. She knew that if Elysian said there was a method behind the madness, then there was. They were playing a dangerous game, and once again, Elysian held the reins.
Elysian's plan was underway. He had already spread false information through one of his underworld contacts, a low-level criminal. This information spoke of a new secret data vendor, someone with access to confidential information about clandestine operations. Of course, it was all a well-conceived hoax, but the rumors were beginning to spread at an impressive rate. Elysian and Seraphina watched from afar, with Seraphina using her devices to monitor her network of contacts.
"The rumors are spreading fast. Which means they must be preparing to investigate." Seraphina nodded, her eyes fixed on her tablet's display as she tracked the signals Elysian had planted.
"That's exactly what I want. Their reaction will be our clue. Stay tuned." Elysian was impassive, once again showing his complete control over the situation. He stood up, extending his hand to her. "Now, we need to move. Let's go to the place where we will organize all this information." Seraphina looked up at the sky, the sunlight already slowly fading. She felt a slight tension in the air, but she didn't say anything. She knew what was coming and, once again like in the past, she decided that she would trust Elysian completely. They stood up, and as they walked to the car parked near the park, Seraphina couldn't help but think about the reactions that would come. She was about to engage in a dangerous game, but with Elysian by her side, she felt she had every chance of winning. The place where Elysian and Seraphina headed was an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Nothing but concrete walls and makeshift tables, where they could organize everything without being disturbed. An old radio station and several computers were wired up, and wires connected everything to a secure private network.
"Now is the time to act," Elysian said as he sat down in front of a computer, typing rapidly.
Seraphina stood beside him, watching as he began to organize the data that had been collected and manipulated. He had everything ready, the blueprints of the plan, the details, and the targets. Now all they needed to do was wait for the Order of Erebus to react.
"Do you really think the Order will fall for this scam? They are smart people, Elysian," Seraphina asked, a hint of sincere doubt in her voice.
Elysian stared at her for a moment, her gaze almost unreadable. "They are intelligent, yes. But they don't know who they're dealing with. Fear is key. When doubt begins to eat away at an organization, the reaction can be quite predictable."
Slowly, information began to trickle in. Encrypted messages from different sources began to appear on the screen, suggesting that the Order was indeed on the move. This was what Elysian had expected.
"Now, we will closely monitor their every move. The Order of Erebus may be strong, but no one is prepared for what is to come." Elysian exhaled deeply, as if she were already savoring victory.
Seraphina watched the data as a sense of unease began to grow within her. She knew they were on the brink of something very big, but she also understood that the next few weeks would be crucial. There was no turning back.
The abandoned warehouse was completely silent, except for the low sound of keyboards and the hum of machines. Elysian and Seraphina had placed their pieces on the board and were now waiting for the Order of Erebus to react. The tension between them was palpable, but despite it, they both remained calm, as they always did when they were about to take a big step towards victory.
Elysian's monitor flickered, and a series of cryptic messages began to appear on the screen. The code indicated that the rumors he had spread were beginning to gain attention. The first signs of movement appeared like small cracks in a stone wall.
"I knew they wouldn't resist. The Order is moving," Elysian murmured, his fingers dancing over the keyboard as he deciphered the messages. With each passing second, the data map he had constructed became clearer.
Seraphina stared at the screen with a concentrated expression, analyzing each piece of information. "They're calling in reinforcements. They think someone is trying to hack into their operations. I think they believe there's a leak within the organization itself."
Elysian leaned back in her chair, a serious expression forming on her face. "That's exactly what I wanted. If they think they're being attacked from within, they'll start hunting down the traitors. And with that, it'll be easier for us to make our move." Seraphina turned to him, her mind working to understand the complexity of the plan. "You're playing with fire. If they find out we're behind this, their response will be brutal." "I know that," Elysian replied calmly, "but their every move is an opportunity. I know their schemes better than they think. Every time they react, they fall deeper into my trap."
As Elysian analyzed the data, a pop-up window appeared on the monitor. It was a sign that something had changed in the Order's operations. Elysian smiled, knowing exactly what it meant. The information he had spread was working. Elysian's screen flashed again, and this time the message was clearer: "The Order of Erebos is assembling." They were gathering their forces to investigate the threat Elysian had manipulated. It was a clear sign that the coup was about to happen. Their response was underway, and now would be the time to take the next step. "Now is the time to move forward," Elysian said. He rose from his chair and turned to Seraphina. "Do you have everything you need to locate them?" Seraphina nodded. "With the data you've gathered, I can track the source of this meeting. It won't be hard to find them." "Then let's go." Elysian grabbed his coat and headed for the warehouse exit. "The Order of Erebus has no idea what's coming."
The city was quiet as night fell, but for Elysian and Seraphina, the real battle was just beginning. They headed to a strategic location, a point where they could coordinate the final action and observe the Order of Erebus' movements with precision.
"I don't like this, Elysian," Seraphina said as she settled next to him in an abandoned building, watching the entrance to an industrial complex from afar. "This whole manipulation can get out of hand."
"Sometimes, Seraphina, you have to push the limits to get what you want," Elysian replied without taking his eyes off the screen. He knew he was about to make a crucial decision, one that would define the future of their operations.
The tension was thick in the air, and like a chess master, Elysian was preparing to deliver checkmate. He had manipulated the Order of Erebus brilliantly up until that point, but he knew that the next few hours would be decisive. The strength of the Heralds of the Apocalypse was at stake, but more than that, the balance of the criminal underworld and clandestine organizations.
Meanwhile, the message that Elysian had spread among the criminals was already having the desired effect. Several small groups began to form, all with the goal of finding the supposed traitor who was selling sensitive information. But it was all a carefully planned farce by Elysian.
The Order of Erebus, as expected, did not resist the pressure. They were preparing to send an elite force to investigate the threat, unaware that, in reality, they were walking straight into a trap. Everything was going according to plan, and Elysian knew that the hardest part was yet to come.
As Elysian and Seraphina waited in silence, the sound of the radio that Elysian used to monitor the Order's communications intensified. "They're heading to the location," Seraphina murmured, her eyes shining with the excitement of someone who knew they were about to make a big move.
"Yes," Elysian replied, her eyes focused on the map of coordinates. "Now, let's see what happens when they finally meet with what they believe to be the traitor."
Seraphina looked at him, an approving smile spreading across her face. "That's impressive, Elysian. You really are a genius."
"I'm just someone who knows how to play the pieces," Elysian replied back, the coolness of her expression never wavering. "Now, let's watch what happens."
What followed was a series of events that unfolded like something out of a spy movie, with every move of the Order of Erebos monitored and manipulated from afar. Elysian and Seraphina were playing a game of risk, but they had the upper hand. Elysian's strategy was working, and now all that was left was to wait for the final reaction.