The advanced training hall inside the facility glowed with a faint blue light, reflected off crystalline walls that looked like frozen ice embedded deep within the mountain. The blue beams swayed like living entities, brushing every surface with a sterile, almost surgical presence—one that reminded Tiflos of the luxury operating rooms he had seen as a child.
Tiflos stood before a three-dimensional holographic screen displaying a detailed map of the central district of the Core City. His fingers danced across the glowing projections, tracing movement routes and surveillance cameras with intense focus. Each motion left a streak of light in the air.
"The mission is clear," he said in a hoarse voice, silver eyes scanning the map with a scrutiny that concealed deep hesitation.
Noor sat on a cold metal bench, mechanically inspecting her visual weapons. Her trembling fingers betrayed her true anxiety despite her attempt to appear composed.
"A journalist?" she said quietly.
"Since when did we become executioners of journalists? Is this the 'protection' we were promised?"
Phoenix, the fighter who had become their squad leader, looked at them with a neutral gaze forged by years of service in darkness.
"Arthur Kane is not just a journalist," Phoenix said calmly.
"He threatens the organization's security with discoveries that serve foreign agendas. Some truths must die to protect the majority."
The room was excessively clean, cold—like a high-end surgical theater. The blue lights cast elongated shadows across their faces, as if the shadows themselves were participating in the planning of a crime. The scent of disinfectant filled the air, mixed with a faint trace of fear radiating from Noor.
---
Before departure, as they prepared in the equipment room, Orion appeared unexpectedly.
He entered with unsettling confidence. His blue eyes glowed with a strange exhilaration. His blond hair was neatly styled, his new uniform more refined, and his updated haircut made him appear older than his age—
as if he had uncovered a great secret.
"I heard you're heading out on your first real mission," Orion said, smiling.
It was not a smile fitting for someone his age.
It carried a sudden, dangerous maturity.
Tiflos felt a knot tighten in his chest.
"How do you know that? Who told you?"
"Cain," Orion replied proudly.
"He said I'll be next. That he's preparing something special for me… something that'll make me stronger than everyone else."
Tiflos stiffened.
Orion hadn't come here by coincidence.
It felt as if Cain were sending a message—
If you refuse your role, your brother will take it.
Noor exchanged a glance with Tiflos. They both noticed something was off. Orion felt different—as if he had aged ten years in a matter of days. His posture, his tone, even the way he looked at them carried a confidence that felt unnatural.
"Be careful, brother," Tiflos said, placing a hand on Orion's shoulder.
"Don't trust everything Cain tells you. Blind trust leads to the abyss."
Orion laughed.
It was a mechanical laugh—one that reminded Tiflos disturbingly of Cain.
"You're the one who should be careful," Orion replied.
"You're heading into the unknown, while I'm safe here. Cain takes care of me… teaches me things no one else has ever learned."
A chill ran down Tiflos's spine.
He couldn't tell whether this was another of Cain's subtle manipulations—or something far worse.
As Orion turned to leave, he added casually:
"I wish you success. I'll be here to welcome you back."
The way he said it made Tiflos feel that his brother was hiding something—
as if he knew more than he should.
---
The unmarked black vehicle sped through the neon-lit streets of the city.
Tiflos sat in the back seat, staring at his reflection in the window. His silver eyes looked colder—stripped of part of their humanity. The reflection showed a man beginning to lose connection with himself.
"Are you okay?" Noor asked softly, touching his hand.
Her warmth clashed sharply with the cold in his own.
"I don't know," he admitted.
"It feels like I'm stepping into darkness… and I won't be able to come back. Like I'm standing at the edge of a cliff—and I've already taken the first step down."
From the front seat, Phoenix spoke without turning around.
"Conscience is a liability in our line of work. Remember—you're protecting thousands by sacrificing one."
The vehicle moved through back roads, avoiding main surveillance routes. The weight of responsibility crushed down on Tiflos.
First assassination.
The words spiraled in his mind like a storm.
Memories of his father resurfaced. Lessons of morality. Ideas of right and wrong—
all colliding violently with reality.
"Have you ever considered that you might be wrong?" Tiflos asked Phoenix.
"Right and wrong are relative concepts," Phoenix replied coldly.
"In our war, survival is the only truth."