The room smelled sterile. Cold. Controlled.
Machines beeped softly in the background. A steady rhythm. The only sign that he was still alive. Aiden Khalis. Phantom.
Lying motionless inside a secured medical unit, guarded by the organization that once called him their own.
[EARLIER – HEADQUARTERS]
"Mission successful." The words echoed in the chamber.
Brandon Hansel stood still. Then he smiled. Not just satisfied. Pleased.
"Well done," he said. His gaze lingered on Vex. Longer than the others.
"You've accomplished what many failed to do… for three years."
A pause.
"Tonight," he continued, "We celebrate."
[PRIVATE PARTY]
Music. Laughter. Glasses clinking. The atmosphere was alive. But not for her.
Vex stood among them, present. But distant.
Blitz leaned closer to Specter. "…This feels weird."
Specter nodded slightly. "…It is."
Across the room, Brandon laughed. Proud. Victorious. Like nothing was broken. Like no one was bleeding.
[LATER – QUIET CORRIDOR]
Vex slipped out silently. No one stopped her. No one noticed. Or so she thought. Her footsteps were soft as she walked down the empty corridor.
Until she stopped. The glass panel stood in front of her.
Inside him. Still. Unmoving. Aiden.
She didn't go in. Didn't touch the door. Didn't speak.
She just stood there. Watching. Her expression was calm. But her eyes betrayed everything.
Something between sadness… and something else. Something she refused to name.
[FROM AFAR – SPECTER & BLITZ]
Two figures stood hidden at the end of the corridor. Watching. Silent.
Specter crossed her arms slowly. "… She shot him twice. "
Her voice was low. "…But look at her face." A pause... "It's like she's both sad... and relieved."
Blitz tilted her head slightly. "…I think Vex has feelings for Aiden." She glanced back at Specter. "She even came to visit him."
A small breath. "That means… they had something before, right?"
Specter didn't answer immediately. "…I don't understand it either."
Her gaze shifted back to the glass. "Phantom said… he tried to save me once before." A pause. "…But failed."
Her brows furrowed. "When did I even meet him?"
Her voice softened. "I don't remember ever being close to him."
Blitz let out a quiet hum. Thinking. "You joined the organization 15 years ago, right?"
Specter nodded slightly.
"Maybe...when you were younger," Blitz continued. "You met him back then."
A small grin appeared. "Who knows… maybe he's your long-lost relative or something." She lightly tapped Specter's shoulder.
Specter frowned immediately. "…Are you serious?"
"I mean..." Blitz shrugged, "I don't know. I actually heard that from Vex."
That made Specter pause. "…She told you that?"
Blitz nodded. "Yeah. A long time ago."
Silence fell. Specter's mind raced. Fragments. Thoughts. Questions. "…Why would she hide that from me?"
Blitz shrugged again. "Because it's Vex." A beat. "She hides everything."
Specter exhaled slowly. "…Yeah." Her gaze returned to Vex. Still standing there. Alone.
"…But this time," Specter murmured, "it feels different."
Blitz leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "…So what now?"
Specter didn't look away. "We watch." A pause. "And we wait."
Blitz frowned slightly. "For what?"
Specter's voice lowered. "For the moment she finally tells us the truth."
Blitz glanced toward Vex again. "…You think she will?" A beat.
Specter's expression softened. Just a little. "…She has to."
[BACK TO VEX]
Inside the room, nothing moved. Outside, she still stood.
Silent, her hand slowly lifted, almost reaching for the glass, then stopped. A faint reflection stared back at her. Not Rania. Vex.
"…You're still alive," she whispered. Her voice is barely there.
"…Good." A pause. "…Because I'm not done with you yet."
But her eyes said something else. Something softer. Something broken.
From the shadows, two people watched her. Trying to understand. Trying to connect the pieces. And somewhere deep inside, the truth was already there.
Just waiting to be remembered.
-----------
The hall was alive. Lights shimmered across crystal glasses. Soft music filled the air.
At the center of it all, Brandon Hansel. He raised his glass.
"Tonight," he announced, his voice carrying across the room, "we celebrate a victory that has eluded us for three years."
Silence fell. All eyes on him.
"Red Veil." A pause. "You have done what no one else could."
A faint smile. "You brought down Phantom." Applause filled the hall.
But among them, three figures stood still. Vex. Specter. Blitz. Red Veil.
Vex had just returned. From somewhere no one noticed. Her expression was calm. Composed.
But Specter saw it. Vex's hand tightened slowly. A fist. Like she was holding something back.
Specter tilted her head slightly. Then smiled, that small, quirky smile of hers.
"…Interesting," she murmured.
[TABLE – RED VEIL]
Blitz sat across from Specter, lazily poking at her food. Then she froze. Her eyes locked onto someone across the room.
"…What is he doing here? Her tone dropped instantly.
Specter followed her gaze. Zander. Standing casually near the bar. Like he belonged there.
Blitz clicked her tongue softly. "…Unbelievable."
She stood up suddenly. "I'm going to the restroom for a bit, okay guys?"
Specter raised an eyebrow. "...Didn't you just go earlier?"
A pause. Then a grin.
"You ate a lot just now, didn't you?" Specter teased. "No wonder you need to go again." She started laughing, a little too loudly.
A few people nearby turned. Specter immediately stopped. Blinking. "…Oops."
She cleared her throat quickly. "Sorry."
Blitz rolled her eyes. "Mind your own business." She waved lazily. "Bye."
But the moment she turned, her expression changed. No more annoyance. Just focus. Because she wasn't going to the restroom. She was going to him.
[ZANDER & BLITZ]
Blitz walked straight toward him. No hesitation.
Zander noticed immediately. A smirk formed. "…Miss me already?"
Blitz stopped right in front of him. "Why are you here?" No greeting. No softness. Straight to the point.
Zander took a slow sip of his drink. "Nice to see you too."
"I'm serious."
"So am I." A pause. "I'm assigned here."
Blitz narrowed her eyes. "…You're always 'assigned' everywhere."
Zander chuckled. "And yet, I always end up near you."
Blitz scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself." But her tone was lighter. Just a little.
"…Something's off," she added quietly.
Zander's smile faded slightly. "…You noticed too."
Blitz crossed her arms. "Don't play games." A pause.
"…This mission," Zander said, lowering his voice, "is bigger than you think."
Blitz's expression shifted. "…Explain."
Zander leaned slightly closer. "I can't."
She frowned. "…Then why say anything?" A beat.
"…Because you're going to get dragged into it anyway." Silence.
Blitz's grip tightened slightly. "…What about Vex?"
Zander glanced toward her. "…She already is."
Specter watched from afar. Not just Blitz. But Vex. Still sitting there. Quiet. Too quiet.
"…You're hiding something," Specter murmured under her breath. Her eyes shifted between Vex and Zander.
And the space between them. "…And I'm going to find out."
Across the hall, Brandon watched. Not the crowd. Not the celebration.
But them. Red Veil. Especially Vex.
A slow smile formed. Because everything was going exactly as planned...