Chapter 19: Midnight Heist

Lulu adjusted the hoodie of the all-black outfit she changed into so she could blend into the surroundings better.

She pulled the hood lower over her face, making sure the fabric shadowed as much of her face as possible, double-checked that her pepper spray was in her pocket, and then glanced at the glowing red numbers of her digital clock.

11:37 PM.

Perfect. Nobody should be out at this hour in the middle of a work week.

Grabbing her empty suitcase, Lulu slipped out of her apartment and into the still, quiet streets. The city felt different at night—emptier, yet somehow more alive, humming with unseen energy. Every flickering streetlight made her pulse spike. She told herself it was just nerves.

Or maybe, just maybe, the fact that she was on her way to rob a dead woman's storage locker.

She took the late bus—empty except for a guy in the back snoring into his jacket—and got off a stop away from the facility, just in case.

The storage facility wasn't sketchy, exactly—clean, well-lit, with tall metal fences and barbed wire along the top—but something about it made her feel like she was in a heist movie. She sighed.

"This is ridiculous."

Amelia, walked beside her, rolled her eyes. "What's ridiculous is how long you spent arguing with me about the moral implications of accepting a dead woman's gold. Let's go."

Lulu shot her a look but kept moving toward the keypad at the main gate. The air was crisp, the night too quiet, making every sound feel wrong.

"Walk me through this again," she muttered, keeping her head dipped low to avoid the security cameras.

"Three codes," Amelia whispered. "One for the gate, one for the building, one for the unit. Enter them exactly like I told you and press the # symbol at the end."

Lulu nodded and punched in the first code. The keypad beeped, and the gate slid open—agonizingly slow. Lulu resisted the urge to hurry through and instead walked at a normal pace. Look natural.

She reached the second keypad and entered the next code. A quiet click, and the door unlocked. The air inside was noticeably cooler, carrying the scent of dust, concrete, and faint traces of rusting metal.

Rows of identical storage units stretched ahead, their steel doors shut tight. Amelia led her down the hall, stopping in front of Unit 214.

"This is it," Amelia said.

Lulu took a slow breath and punched in the final code.

Beep. Click.

The lock released.

She hesitated. The weight of what she was doing pressed down on her. If someone caught her, what was she supposed to say? 'Oh, don't mind me, just following a ghost's instructions to collect her hidden treasure.'

Shaking off the thought, she pulled open the door.

The inside was packed. But not in the neat stacks of labeled boxes way. It was chaotic—a haphazard mix of old furniture, piles of clothes, random knick-knacks, and at least four suitcases stacked on top of each other. The whole place smelled like old paper and forgotten memories.

Lulu took a step in, scanning the mess. "You, uh… never mentioned you were a hoarder."

"I am not a hoarder," Amelia said, offended. "I just… didn't have time to organize."

Lulu gestured at a life-size cardboard cutout of some B-list K-drama actor, half-buried under a pile of old purses.

Amelia crossed her arms. "Okay, that one was a gift. Probably."

Ignoring her, Lulu spotted the real prize—a heavy-duty safe tucked against the back wall, almost hidden behind a stack of shoeboxes. It looked serious. Reinforced steel, combination lock, the works.

"There it is," Amelia said triumphantly.

Lulu dragged her suitcase closer and knelt in front of the safe. She exhaled. "Alright. And now for the important question: How the hell do I open this?"

Silence.

Lulu slowly turned her head to Amelia. "…What."

Amelia winced. "Sooo… funny story."

Lulu's stomach sank. "No. I am not in the mood for funny stories right now"

"I might've… forgotten the combination." Amelia continued speaking despite Lulu's protest.

Lulu groaned and dropped her forehead against the safe with a soft thud. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Look! I didn't think I'd die before I needed to open it again!" Amelia said defensively. "But good news—I wrote it down!"

Lulu perked up. "Great. Where?"

Amelia's face scrunched up. "…That's the other funny story."

Lulu's eyes darkened.

Amelia smiled nervously and gestured at the mountain of stuff crammed into the storage unit.

"It's… somewhere in here."

Lulu took a long, slow breath and looked at the disaster zone before her.

'Just. Great.'