3 - A Mission!!?

00:00 AM

A lean figure sat on the archives floor, an ancient book resting against his knee as he leaned against a shelf overflowing with tomes that radiated danger. The air smelled of old parchment and something metallic—like blood-inked spells. With a quiet exhale, he closed the book and let it drop to the floor, its thud echoing faintly as he stood. Towering double doors loomed before him, their dark wood carved with fading runes. He pressed his palm against the surface, feeling the hum beneath his fingertips.

Wonder how they're doing.

The thought slipped out before he could stop it. Shaking his head, he pushed forward into the dim light beyond.

×××

Outside – Soy Mortal Headquarters

Cass inhaled deeply as she stepped into the sunlight. "What a nice sunny day," she murmured, adjusting her glasses. The summer breeze carried the scent of blooming jasmine from the courtyard.

Her boots clicked against polished stone as she approached the headquarters' glass doors. When she slid them open, lemon-scented air washed over her—sharp and clean, almost aggressively so. The lobby stretched before her, all white marble tiles and classic dark wood furnishings. Immortals lounged on plush couches, some reading, others sipping drinks, all radiating the casual ease of creatures who'd stopped counting years. Yet she spotted a fair share of humans.

How times have changed.

She muttered something under her breath just as footsteps approached from behind. A tap on her shoulder made her turn.

The man standing there looked to be in his twenties—ordinary except for one detail: he carried no scent. None of the subtle musk of mortals or the ozone-tang of immortals. Just... nothing. Cass's eyebrows rose. This was supposed to be an immortal-only space now, though she supposed with Marek in charge, rules had become flexible.

"Hi, umm, I've never seen you around here," he said, rocking slightly on his heels.

Cass held up her security badge. "I'm with security. Don't normally show up inside."

"So I'm Rick—"

She pressed a finger to her lips, cutting him off. "Is there a reason you're talking to me?" She glanced pointedly at her watch.

His cheeks pinked. "Oh, I just wanted to say hi, you know..." He fumbled in his pocket, struggling to extract his phone.

Cass gave him a flat look. "Oh-kay. Hi, Rick. I'm kind of in a hurry, so..." She nodded once and walked off, leaving him standing there.

"I didn't get your name," he called after her, shoulders slumping. One of his friends clapped him on the back with a sympathetic chuckle.

×××

Reception Desk

Cass tapped her nails against the reception desk. The woman behind it looked up, blinking owlishly.

Flash of the badge. "I'm here for the Chairman."

The receptionist's eyes darted to the badge, then back to Cass's face. "Umm, that is...?"

Cass sighed. "My badge isn't enough?"

"I'm not sure what you mean..." The woman's fingers hovered over her keyboard. "I'll check for your—"

"Is my badge not enough?" Cass repeated, tapping her finger harder against the desk.

The receptionist offered an awkward smile. "There are no appointments today, ma'am."

Cass pointed at her badge again. "You must be new."

The woman startled. "How did you know?" Her voice pitched higher.

"Because you don't know what my badge means."

A cough. The receptionist stared at the badge like it might bite her. "How did you know, haha..."

Cass took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Maybe call someone who's been here long enough. Or just read the damn guide book."

The woman practically leaped from her chair, sending it spinning into the wall with a crash that drew glances from nearby immortals. "I'll go... and ask. Wait right here, please!"

Cass gave her a thumbs up as the receptionist hurried off, muttering under her breath and glancing back nervously.

And that's my cue.

She strode past the desk, moving between two massive pillars into the heart of the building. A few turns later, she reached a private elevator guarded by a mountain of a man—black, muscular, his eyes hidden behind tinted glasses that added to his imposing aura.

Quite intimidating, he is.

She flashed her badge. The guard nodded once and pressed the call button behind him without a word.

The wait was silent. Awkward. Cass stole glances at the guard—she'd never seen him before, which was odd given her clearance. Yet he seemed oddly familiar.

Ding.

The doors slid open. Cass stepped inside and pressed the button labeled TOP HALF. As the doors closed, she could've sworn she saw the guard's lip twitch.

She rubbed her temple. I must be tired...

×××

Marek's Office

"So what have they found?" Marek's voice carried from behind his desk, fingers drumming impatiently on the polished surface.

The man in white robes—Dr. Shelly—fumbled with his notepad. "Umm, the information we got is legitimate. Samples were given, and it turns out it's way more than we could have asked for." A nervous chuckle escaped him.

Marek smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He stood abruptly and turned to face the blank wall behind him. "I should really get rid of this damn wall," he mused, pressing his palm against it. "But then again, there's hardly a view at this height."

Silence.

Dr. Shelly cleared his throat. "Sir, umm—"

Marek glanced over his shoulder. "Forget what I said. Continue."

The doctor nodded rapidly, flipping through pages.

×××

Meanwhile, the receptionist returned with an older gentleman in tow. "I swear she was here, sir," she said, wringing her hands as they reached the empty desk.

The man chuckled. "Good eyes. Seems our guest is quite the sly one."

The receptionist forced a laugh.

"Carry on with your duties. I'll find our guest myself." He walked away, amused by her visible relief.

×××

Ding.

Cass stepped out into a hallway that defied the building's modern exterior—dark wood paneling, a plush red carpet that stretched into gloom, and an unexpected chill in the air. Portraits lined the walls, their subjects staring down with knowing eyes. Some faces she recognized; others belonged to the original Soy Mortal founders, their images preserved long after their deaths.

She paused mid-stride, drawn to one painting in particular.

A young man in his twenties, dressed in an impeccable black tuxedo. Jet-black dreadlocks cascaded over his shoulders, two strands framing his face. But what caught her eye were the swords—one short, one long—held effortlessly in each hand.

Her fingers brushed the frame. Where could you be?

With a small pout, she continued down the hall.

×××

Few Hours Earlier...

"DEJAN!!"

The shout echoed through the school hallway, followed by hurried footsteps. The door to Classroom 3B burst open, revealing a woman silhouetted against the bright corridor lights.

The class fell silent.

"Back to work," the teacher said stiffly before approaching the intruder. "What brings you here, Miss Ruby?"

Ruby slipped past her with a smile. "Oh, I just came by to steal one learner from you. If you don't mind."

The teacher's mouth tightened. "Umm, Miss Ruby? I'm pretty sure I didn't allow you inside."

Ruby waved a hand. "But I already said what I'm here for." Her gaze swept the room, landing on a student slumped over his desk, clearly asleep.

Following her line of sight, the teacher shook her head. "Someone else. Not him."

"Why?" Ruby began moving toward the sleeping boy.

The teacher stepped in her path. "I'm doing you a favor. Best you adhere to that."

Ruby paused, then patted her blouse with exaggerated care. "I'm pretty sure 'I'm' doing 'you' the favor. Seems you're struggling to handle the boy."

The teacher's face darkened. "Oh really? What makes you think that?"

Ruby gestured broadly. "I don't know. There's a child sleeping here, and every time I walk past, I notice that."

Silence.

The entire class watched the standoff with barely contained amusement.

"Hmph."

×××

Present

Cass reached the hallway's dead end and pressed her ear against what appeared to be a solid wall. Muffled voices filtered through.

I'm going to regret this.

She knocked.

A quiet, "Come in."

The wall swung inward, revealing a spacious office that contrasted sharply with the archaic hallway—modern marble walls, a plush fur rug, and sleek furniture.

"Ah, umm, Cass."

Dr. Shelly coughed, quickly standing to shake her hand. "I'm Dr. Shelly. Seeing as you're here, I should take my leave. We'll continue another time." He exited with a hurried nod.

Cass eyed the room, her attention snagging on a framed note—the only personal item in sight. The handwriting was atrocious.

"So what was on the research...?" she asked, circling the desk.

Marek stood. "That's classified. And I didn't call you here for that."

She clicked her tongue, leaning closer to the note. "Then what?"

"I want you and your team to retrieve and guard an information holder. Deliver it to a friend."

Cass straightened. "That's all the details? Who's this friend?"

"Captain Lee knows."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Was that what you wanted to tell me?"

Marek sat back down, reaching for his cigarette pack. "I actually wanted to give you a separate task. Luci will be at Oykot IV2. Find him. Tell him to get back to MPSM—and explain why the hell the port was empty."

Cass crossed her arms. "And you?"

"Me what?"

"Aren't you going to do something?"

Marek froze mid-motion. "And what would that be?"

"Bring him back."

He lit his cigarette, exhaling smoke. "Why? We're good. Why do we... need him?"

"You know why." Cass waved away the smoke. "He's the only one who knows how to defuse this ticking time bomb."

Marek's jaw tightened. "Leave. You have a task."

With a final glare, Cass pushed the wall-door open. So fucking stubborn.

×××

Departure

The Bentley's engine purred as Cass approached. Jeremy—tall, broad, and dressed defiantly in casual wear—grinned at her.

"You heard right. We're on vacation—"

"Not vacation. A task, Jeremy." She slid into the backseat.

Another teammate—blonde, uniformed—shook his head. "Captain's inside. We leave now to get ahead of this."

Captain Lee revved the engine. "We'll meet reinforcements on the way. Locals."

Cass stared out the window as they pulled away. Finally going back home.

Somewhere out there, Luci was waiting.

And she'd drag him back by his braids if she had to.

×××