The morning had started in chaos—alarms screaming, Lyra teasing, Ariana shouting threats she would never carry out. Laughter echoed through the house as the team rushed out, late as always, heading toward the Eclipse Nexus Agency.
Now, that noise felt distant.
As the five of them stepped inside the agency, silence wrapped around them like a heavy cloak.
Thud… thud…
Their footsteps moved slowly, yet each step echoed loudly through the vast, dark hall. No staff. No guards. No agents from other teams. The emptiness felt unnatural, as if the building itself was holding its breath.
Whoosh—
A cold breeze brushed past their necks.
All of them stiffened—except Ariana, who felt an odd sense of certainty, as if this moment had been waiting for them.
"Acchoo!" Evelyn sneezed loudly.
She rubbed her arms nervously. "G-guys… I don't like this. Why is there no one here? No staff, no guards… not even other agents. It feels wrong."
Ariana suddenly stopped.
Lyra and Selene bumped into her from behind.
"Ariana! Why did you stop all of a sudden?!" Lyra snapped.
Selene gently placed a hand on Lyra's shoulder and pointed toward the stage ahead.
"…Look."
A shadow stood there.
"Who is that on the stage?" Kiera demanded, her voice sharp.
No response.
"I'm asking again—who are y—"
"Wait!," Selene interrupted quietly. "let me try."
She straightened. Voice loud and deep.
"Who… are you?"
Thud… thud…
Footsteps echoed again—slow, heavy, commanding. The air grew colder, sharper, pressing against their lungs.
Evelyn froze.
Ariana frowned.
"…who might it be? Can't say as it's too dark. But who might they be? " Ariana muttered, confusion flickering across her face.
Then realization struck.
A face finally revealed the truth, the mystery which has filled them in curiosity!.
"Huh… F-FATHER!?"
Ariana's voice cracked just slightly.
"Why did you come here?, weren't you busy with other official matters?."
The chilling atmosphere tightened, suffocating the hall.
Then—
Suddenly, the darkness shattered.
BOOM!
Bright lights flooded the hall.
"CONGRATULATIONS!"
Confetti burst from above. Sparkles rained down. Cheers erupted from every direction.
Staff members, agents, vice presidents—everyone appeared at once, applauding loudly.
The five of them froze.
"Huhhh?!"
"What just happened?!"
"No!... actually what is even going on HERE?!."
They shouted in confusion, voices overlapping like animals startled from their cages. Slapping eachother.... Oh!, not slapping, slip of my tongue.
A few moments later…
"HAHAHA!"
Ethan Lockhart was his name, the man who was actually the 'father' of Ariana laughed heartily.
"So that's what you thought?" he said, wiping tears from his eye. "That some evil spirit was about to haunt you? That was priceless!"
"Dad! That was NOT funny!" Ariana shouted. "How could you scare us like that?!"
"Yes, sir! That was cruel!" Lyra added dramatically, pouting.
"Ok..ok I apologise for my grave mistake. How about I give you two a give for you two to forgive me?. Is it okay?."
Behind him, Ariana and Lyra exchanged secret smirks.
"President," Selene said calmly, "please ignore them. They always fight first… then unite to conspire against you. They are more like Tom and Jerry?."
Kiera nodded in agreement. Evelyn, meanwhile, still looked pale, as if she hadn't fully escaped the terror.
"W..what j..just h..happened?~." Evelyn muttered like a scared cat.
"But uncle," Kiera asked, tilting her head, "why are we being congratulated?"
"You'll understand shortly," Ethan replied with a knowing smile. "Now, watch."
At the stage
"Ladies and gentlemen," an announcer spoke, "please welcome our president, Mr. Ethan Lockhart, to explain why today's event has been held!"
Applause.
Thud… thud…
Ethan cleared his throat.
"Ahm...ahm.."
"Today," he began, "we gather to honor five junior agents who have gone above and beyond their duties."
The hall fell silent.
"These agents have consistently completed their missions—not for glory, but for those who needed help the most."
His gaze swept across the crowd before stopping on the five of them.
"They have shown endurance, teamwork, and dedication without letting exhaustion interfere with their responsibility."
He paused.
And looked at them.
"That is why they are awarded the title—Golden Stars of the Year."
Gasps rippled through the hall.
"I now Welcome the Squad to the stage..."
"SHADEHUNTERS!."
"Please...come on the stage and share your feelings, the emotions of how you felt after receiving such a glorious title!."
"W-What…?" Selene whispered, stunned.
"This is unbelievable!" Lyra exclaimed.
Evelyn smiled softly, eyes shining. Kiera clenched her fist in excitement.
Ariana remained still.
"Dad…" she whispered.
Their eyes met.
Ethan gave her a small nod, smiled, pride unmistakable.
"Come..."
Ethan spoke softly, his eyes only looked at Ariana, as she was the only light in his dark room...his 'Heart'.
Ariana stepped forward. Tears shed but had a hold of it.
On the stage, she stood beneath the lights, steady and composed.
"Honestly," Ariana began, "we never expected something like this."
The hall listened.
"We never went on missions seeking rewards. We only did what we were trained to do—protect others and fulfill our duty."
She glanced back at her team. Smiled, and so did they.
"Shadehunters isn't just a squad. We argue, we tease each other, we mess up… but when it matters, we trust each other with our lives."
A soft murmur spread. A positive ray reflected all the surface.
"And the reason we stand here today," she continued, "is because we were guided well."
Her gaze lifted to Ethan.
"My father taught me that leadership isn't about standing above others—it's about standing with them. They support us, so we do as well."
Ethan's eyes softened.
"And my mother," Ariana said quietly, "believed that true strength lies in protecting others without expecting anything in return."
The hall grew heavy.
"Though today she's not present with us," Ariana said, her fist tightening slightly, "but everything I do carries her belief forward. Like she was always there for me, looking after my back. I...I can feel her but can't see her."
She straightened.
"Even if she is not here, my...my dad was always there to look after me in earth, while my mom from heaven. They both played a crucial role in my life. So... I don't know if I can ever pay this debt, but it's not a debt but the showers of blessing they poured on me, so to carry my duties, my responsibilities and protect those who need us!"
She paused for a while.
"So on behalf of Shadehunters," she said firmly, "thank you for trusting us."
She bowed lightly.
Applause thundered through the hall.
Ethan stepped beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder.
They stepped down the stage.
Ariana and his father went another way while other went to their office for paperwork leftovers.
"Well said," he spoke warmly. "I couldn't be prouder—not only as the president of this agency, but as a father."
Ariana smiled.
"But...never knew you could speak such emotional words though ~."
He teased her.
"Daddd....How could you.."
Ariana turned pale, it was like that her whole life has been shattered, hearing this to him.
"Ok...ok.. I apologise again. How about we go somewhere this week?. Hmm... Movie...no..no, how about hiking?."
"DAD!".
Ariana shouted angrily.
"Hahaha, sorry my fault again. Let's just rest this week. We had been busy lately and now so tired as hell, so need to have some rest. Isn't this idea great?, Ari?."
"Now, that's more like my Dad!."
"Hahahaha. Yeah, I should spend more time with you and rest."
"You should... My great hardworking Dad~"
"Yeah!. I am Your great Dad!. Let's get going now. Today we have a meeting with the officer we met last time."
"Oh!. That one case, the men in pink suit who tried to steal and sell your important file to the Black Market?. He was kinda ugly as hell, like who would gave him this title or why he would give him this title, 'The Man In Pink Suit~'. So... Cringe though."
"What can we do, we'll be attracted by these pests, as our agency is well known in everywhere. Nevermind these."
Her father was frustrated due to these issues.
"Yeah... I think you are correct. We should just ignore it though."
But somewhere deep within her chest, as the cheers echoed…
Applause filled the hall.
Yet Ariana couldn't shake the feeling that this 'reward'… carried weight.
Who might know what will arrive this time?. Who is this man though, 'The Men In Pink Suit?'. If he is a threat to their agency, then it's has to be deal wisely without making any tiny mistake.
As one mistake leads to great downfall...
—TO BE CONTINUED—