Day 1: In the Quiet Hours

The quiet of the night settled in as the members of ZeroCrypt returned to their respective hotel rooms, each carrying the weight of the upcoming mission. The tension from their final preparations had yet to dissipate, lingering in the air like an unspoken reminder of what was at stake. In the solitude of their rooms, they found themselves alone with their thoughts, seeking ways to push back the anxiety that crept in.

Zark Morales (Devil in The Code)

Zark dropped his bag on the bed, the thud echoing in the stillness. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the strain in his muscles from a day filled with meticulous planning and rechecking lines of code. The mission against ZionTech loomed large, its potential risks playing over and over in his mind.

He picked up a lock-picking kit from his bag, the familiar tools cold and smooth against his fingers. Sitting down at the small table near the window, he began working on a padlock, his hands moving with the ease of long practice. Each click of the tension wrench was a small victory, the repetitive action grounding him.

"Come on, just focus," he murmured to himself.

"This is just another mission… just another lock."

The stakes were too high to let doubt creep in. People could get hurt—people he cared about. His fingers stilled for a moment as a flash of guilt crossed his mind, memories of past missions gone wrong, of choices that had left him questioning his own motives.

He exhaled sharply and focused back on the lock.

"No room for mistakes," he whispered, his tone steady.

The satisfying click that followed was a small reassurance. He could still control something, even if it was just a stubborn piece of metal.

Samantha Dela Cruz (Cipher)

In her room, Samantha slipped off her jacket and tossed it onto the chair. Her gaze fell on the neatly arranged documents on the desk—the travel papers, fake IDs, everything they needed to get to California unnoticed. She had checked them multiple times, yet she found herself double-checking again.

"Am I missing anything?" she muttered under her breath, reaching for her phone.

She scrolled through her playlist and hit play on a K-pop song. The familiar upbeat rhythm filled the room, lifting the edges of her mood. But even the bright melody couldn't entirely drown out the unease thrumming in her veins.

Samantha's thoughts drifted to the others, especially Christy. She couldn't shake the way Christy had lingered near Zark earlier, the way they shared glances. It was probably nothing, but something inside her twisted slightly.

"Focus, Samantha," she said aloud, shaking her head.

"You're acting like a teenager."

She sighed, pushing the thought aside.

"Right, back to work," she told herself, grabbing a file and reviewing the travel itinerary for the third time.

"It's just part of the job… nothing personal."

Christy Salazar (Echo)

Christy's room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the glow of her laptop screen. She was scrolling through intercepted radio signals, the lines of static and encrypted code rolling by like a soothing lullaby. The rhythmic task helped settle her nerves, even as her thoughts kept returning to the mission.

"Stay sharp, Christy," she whispered, her fingers tapping the keyboard with precision.

"ZionTech is no joke. This has to go perfectly."

There was a lot riding on her role—getting the timing right, intercepting communications without drawing suspicion.

But beyond that, her mind wandered to Zark, to the way he always seemed distant, focused solely on the task at hand. She wondered if now was the time to say something, to admit the quiet attraction that had been growing.

She shook her head and switched to a different frequency.

"No distractions," she said firmly, forcing her thoughts back to the task at hand.

"The mission comes first… always."

Dominic Santillan (Decompiler)

Dominic lay sprawled across his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His phone was propped up against a pillow, an online poker game displayed on the screen. He moved chips around with a flick of his finger, barely paying attention to the game itself.

The thrill of the mission was already coursing through him—ZionTech was a big target, and he was itching for the challenge. The risks? Well, they were always there. But he thrived on uncertainty, and the thought of cracking into one of the most secure corporations in the world felt like chasing that perfect high.

"All in," he muttered with a grin, tapping the screen to go all in on his poker hand.

"Why not? It's not like tomorrow's gonna be low stakes." It wasn't the same as hacking a corporate firewall, but it was close enough to keep his mind occupied.

Angelica Valencia (DataHawk)

Angelica's reflection stared back at her from the mirror, her breathing steady as she punched the air in a slow, controlled rhythm. She moved through a self-defense routine, feeling the tension melt from her muscles with every jab. Her thoughts were calmer when her body was in motion, and right now, she needed to stay calm.

"You've got this, Angel," she said, her voice low but firm.

"You've trained for this… you're ready."

She thought of why she was doing this—why she'd joined ZeroCrypt in the first place. It was about making a difference, about more than just the money or the thrill. But sometimes, she wasn't sure if she was driven by justice or the need to prove herself.

With a final punch, she exhaled sharply.

"Whatever it is," she told herself,

"it's enough to keep me going."

Hiro Kusanagi (SysGuard)

Hiro's hotel room was sparsely decorated, the only hint of personal touch being the laptop and hardware setup scattered across the desk. He sat cross-legged on the bed, his laptop open as he tinkered with a new server configuration. It was a quiet, familiar activity that kept his mind sharp.

His thoughts wandered to the mission, going over each step in meticulous detail.

"Anticipate the unexpected," he murmured, as if reciting a mantra.

"Stay calm, stay ready." As the team's systems administrator, his job was to ensure everything ran smoothly, and there was no room for mistakes.

He glanced at the clock and then back at the screen, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the keyboard.

"One last test," he said, as the server came to life with a soft hum.

It was a comforting sound in the otherwise silent room.