NO MALICE HERE

The alley was quiet, save for Kieran's ragged breathing. A dim streetlight flickered overhead, barely casting enough light to cut through the darkness. He was slumped against the brick wall, a hand pressed to his ribs where Shade had thrown him.

Myst stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her gaze sharp and unrelenting. Shade, however, loomed closer.

Kieran coughed, spitting to the side before dragging his eyes up to them. "You gonna let me talk, or do I need a beating first?"

Shade didn't move. "Depends. Are you gonna waste our time?"

Myst felt the tension coil tighter. The way Shade carried himself; calm, detached—made it clear that he wasn't above making Kieran regret lying. And Kieran knew it.

"Alright, fine," Kieran muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

"They've been moving assets. Military-grade shit, stuff they wouldn't risk unless they were planning something big. New tech, new soldiers. People who—" he hesitated, as if the words felt wrong on his tongue. "People who don't stay dead."

Myst frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"

Kieran licked his lips, glancing at Shade before settling on her. "I don't know exactly. Just that they've been testing something. Experimenting. Word is, they've perfected it. And whatever they've made... it's wiping out anything in its way."

Myst's heart pounded, but she forced her voice to stay level. "So why the hell are you telling us this? What's in it for you?"

Kieran let out a bitter chuckle. "Because I like breathing, and the way things are going, none of us are gonna get to keep doing that for much longer."

Shade finally spoke, his voice low and precise. "And how do we know this isn't a setup?"

Kieran flinched, but his voice stayed firm. "You don't. But if you're smart, you'll take what I'm saying seriously." He shifted against the wall, then smirked weakly. "Not that I expect much from you people."

Shade moved before Myst could react. A hand grabbed Kieran by the collar, yanking him forward so their faces were inches apart.

The usual unreadable look in Shade's eyes had sharpened into something dangerous. "You've got a lot of nerve for someone who's one word away from losing a few teeth," he said, voice chillingly calm.

Kieran swallowed, but his smirk didn't drop. "Just saying. I give you info, you get what you want. But don't expect me to start waving your little rebel flag."

Myst clenched her jaw, ignoring the sudden impulse to drive her fist into Kieran's smirk. The feeling passed quickly, but it left a bitter aftertaste. Too much like Shade. Too much like them.

For a long moment, no one spoke. The alley pressed in around them, the distant city noise feeling too far away.

Shade didn't move right away. His grip on Kieran's collar stayed firm, a silent warning. The air between them turned heavier, a breath away from breaking into something worse.

Then, after a while, he released him with a shove. "We're done here."

Kieran frowned. "Wait—"

Shade turned on his heel, walking away without another word. Myst hesitated, still watching Kieran. His eyes, cocky as they were, held something else underneath—something close to desperation.

She should have felt bad. But she didn't.

"Good luck," she muttered, before following Shade.

Kieran's voice called after them, sharp and biting. "Yeah? You're gonna wish you listened."

Myst didn't look back. But something about his tone stuck with her longer than she wanted it to.