The morning in the small Italian town felt chilly, even as the sun began to rise. Eric, Noah, and Liam moved silently, each scanning every shadow in the narrow streets. Their hearts were still racing from last night's battle in the warehouse, but their focus remained on the mission—ensuring Ferom 9 stayed secure.
"All variants are with us, right?" Eric asked quietly, his eyes checking Liam and Noah with careful precision.
"All of them," Noah replied. "But don't get complacent. Cael is still out there, and I doubt he'll let us leave easily."
They approached the old building being used as a temporary base. Through a window, Eric spotted Cael standing there, as if waiting for them—tall, solid, and with that same cold expression from the night before.
"There he is," Liam whispered. "We need to be careful."
The silent battle began. Cael moved with agility, blocking their approach to the racks holding the Ferom 9 boxes. Eric and Noah used thick smoke from small devices to obscure Cael's vision, while Liam lunged toward the Alpha – Ignis and Beta – Flux racks.
After a few tense minutes, Cael misstepped, trapping himself in a dark corner of the building. Liam's scanner showed a "locked" status—Eric let out a quiet breath of relief.
"We did it…" Eric whispered, barely audible.
Noah nodded but stayed alert. "Don't get too confident," he warned. "He's cunning."
They moved quickly, securing Gamma – Vail and Omega – Sereon. Cael appeared cornered, hands slightly raised as if surrendering. A small, subtle smile crossed his face, though Eric barely noticed it, too focused on the mission.
"Let's get out of here," Liam said, leading them toward the back door. They moved slowly, each step heavy with tension.
Once outside, Eric glanced at Cael. The man still stood at the doorway, smiling slyly, though he seemed defeated. Eric drew a deep breath, relief beginning to settle.
"But…" Noah paused, eyes sharp. Something about Cael didn't feel right. The way his smile appeared, the way he seemed to assess every move… it wasn't the way someone truly beaten would behave.
Eric tried to calm himself. "Focus. We have all the Ferom 9 variants, that's what matters. Let's secure them first."
They moved farther from the base, but Cael's shadow lingered in their minds. The quiet morning enveloped the town, yet one thing was clear—while they felt the mission was successful, Cael still had a larger plan, something they didn't fully understand.
Deep inside, Eric felt a warning—this was just the beginning. Ferom 9 was only part of a far darker puzzle, and Cael was no ordinary opponent.
---
They made their way to a small rented apartment on the outskirts of town. Morning light filtered through the window, highlighting their tired faces. Eric sat on a chair, eyes fixed on the neatly arranged Ferom 9 boxes on the table.
Noah observed carefully, his expression serious. "We need to make sure all variants are safe. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Omega… none can be missing or damaged."
Liam opened each box, inspecting the labels one by one.
Eric nodded. "Everything looks fine… but… the way Cael acted last night…" His voice trailed off. Unease crept into his chest.
Noah tapped Eric on the shoulder. "Don't you find him… strange? That smile, like… he anticipated all this."
Eric swallowed, forcing himself to stay calm. "Maybe I'm just paranoid. We secured all the variants—that's what matters."
Liam shook his head slowly. "No, I think you're right. Something's off. The way he 'trapped' himself in the warehouse… too perfect, like it was deliberate."
They paused, analyzing the situation. Eric's heart still raced. The unsettling feeling wasn't about Clara or Carl—it was Cael. The man was… too controlled, too clever.
Noah started arranging their plan. "We need to send all variants to a safe location in Geneva. After that, we prepare a full report."
"And," Liam added, "we need to find out who gave Cael access to Ferom 9. There's something we're not seeing."
Eric nodded, eyes sharp as he studied Noah and Liam. "You think… he's the real owner?"
Noah gave a slight smirk. "Not sure… but one thing, Eric. He's a master at deception. We might all have been fooled, including Liam and me."
That smirk made Eric think hard. He glanced at the Omega – Sereon box. Something about it—the scent, the weight, the way Cael handled it—felt off.
"Last night," Eric began, "I noticed… how he escaped us, but didn't fully surrender. Something's wrong. There's another plan in motion."
Liam nodded slowly. "Exactly. He made it all seem easy. But I think this is just the beginning. Something bigger is waiting."
Silence fell for a moment. Morning light shone through the curtains, highlighting their serious expressions. Everyone knew—the mission was temporarily done, but Cael's shadow, and Ferom 9 itself, were still looming threats.
Eric took a deep breath. "We succeeded last night… but I don't think we get to rest yet. Cael… he's not just clever. He has another plan, and we need to be ready."
Noah smirked. "Yes. And if we slip up, he'll exploit every weakness we have. I think… we've only touched a small part of his game."
Eric stared at the Ferom 9 boxes before him. All the confusion, fear, and tension from last night began to sink in. He realized one thing—the mission was only beginning, and Cael was a far more dangerous threat than they had anticipated.
With careful steps, they started packing the Ferom 9 boxes to move to a secure location. Every motion was deliberate, every step cautious, yet one question lingered in their minds—was Cael truly defeated, or was it all a performance to deceive them?
The mission for the day was over, but their suspicion only grew. And Cael's shadow… remained, waiting for the right moment to strike again.