The morning sun filtered through the tall glass windows of the agency hall, casting long streaks of golden light across the polished marble floor.
Outside, a soft breeze moved through the trees, carrying a faint rustling sound that somehow felt distant compared to the lively atmosphere inside.
Ariana and Lyra entered just in time.
The hall was already filled with people. Conversations blended into a low hum, laughter rose and fell, and the scent of freshly prepared food lingered in the air.
The event had clearly begun before they arrived.
"Finally," Lyra muttered under her breath as they made their way in. "We made it."
They quickly joined the rest of their squad—Selene, Kiera, and Evelyn—who were already seated.
Just as they settled, the lights dimmed slightly, drawing attention toward the stage.
Mrs. Amelia Voss stepped forward with composed elegance. Her posture was straight, her expression calm yet authoritative.
"Everyone, please take your seats," she announced clearly. "We would appreciate a moment of your attention as we invite our Head to address you."
The room gradually quieted. Chairs shifted, conversations faded, and within moments, the entire hall had settled into expectant silence.
At their table, however, things were far less composed.
Evelyn leaned back heavily in her chair, placing a hand on her stomach.
A loud burp escaped her.
"…Oh!. Excuse me," she said immediately, her face turning red.
For a second, there was silence.
Then the others burst into laughter.
Kiera shook her head, smiling. "You really couldn't hold that in?"
Selene covered her mouth, trying not to laugh too loudly. "Evelyn…"
Meanwhile, Lyra frowned, clearly unsatisfied.
"I don't understand this," she complained. "Why do they serve such small portions? I am still hungry."
Selene stared at her in disbelief. "You just finished all the plates meant for VIP guests."
"That does not count," Lyra replied confidently. "That was barely enough."
Selene sighed and handed Evelyn a bottle of water. "Drink this before you collapse."
"Thank you, Selene!" Evelyn said brightly, completely unbothered now.
Ariana gave a faint smile at the scene, but her mind was elsewhere. The laughter around her sounded distant, like it belonged to another moment she could not fully step into.
Suddenly, the lights shifted again, and a focused spotlight illuminated the stage.
Amelia's voice rang out once more.
"Now, the moment you have all been waiting for. Please welcome our Head—Mr. Ethan Lockhart."
The crowd erupted instantly.
Cheers filled the hall, loud and overwhelming, echoing against the high ceilings.
From behind the stage, Ethan Lockhart stepped forward.
He walked with calm confidence, his movements unhurried yet commanding attention effortlessly.
His attire was perfectly tailored, his posture straight, and his presence alone seemed enough to quiet the restless energy of the room.
There was something about him that drew people in—not just his appearance, though that certainly contributed, but the way he carried himself, as if he belonged at the center of everything.
When he reached the stage, he offered a composed smile.
"A very delightful greeting to all the gentlemen and ladies present here today."
Before he could continue, the crowd burst into cheers again.
Ariana closed her eyes briefly, irritation flickering across her expression.
She thought, "I barely slept… and this is what I have to deal with."
She exhaled quietly.
Why does he stretch those words like that…
"Oh wow," Kiera whispered teasingly. "There he is—your father."
Lyra leaned in with a grin. "I swear, half his popularity comes from his face."
Ariana resisted the urge to respond.
Ethan raised his hand slightly, and the noise gradually settled.
"I will not take much of your time," he continued.
Ariana opened one eye slightly.
That might be the most useful thing he has said so far.
"Today," Ethan went on, "we welcome back one of our own—someone who has been away on a long mission, along with his son."
The crowd murmured with curiosity.
"They return not empty-handed, but with success."
A brief pause followed.
"Manager Ravian Cross and his son, Kael Cross—please come forward."
The large doors at the back of the hall opened slowly.
A faint breeze slipped inside as two figures entered.
Ravian Cross walked first. His presence was steady, shaped by experience, his expression calm yet heavy with unspoken stories.
Behind him walked Kael Cross.
At first glance, he seemed ordinary—composed, quiet, and controlled.
But something about him felt… off.
Not visibly.
Not something easily explained.
But something that unsettled the senses.
As they walked toward the stage, Ariana's eyes shifted toward Kael without her intending to look at him.
Her gaze fixed on him.
And in that moment— something felt wrong.
A subtle chill ran along her spine.
Ravian stepped forward and spoke first.
"This mission was not simply about completion," he said. "It tested endurance, trust, and the ability to move forward despite uncertainty."
Kael followed after him.
"It also revealed that not everything we see is the truth," he added quietly.
His voice was calm, but it yet carried a strange weight.
Applause filled the room.
Evelyn said suddenly, but with measured curiosity, "We had a manager here too—I just found out today! And the guy who goes on missions instead of managing the agency? That's… a bit questionable, isn't it?"
Selene thought quietly, weighing the words.
Kiera nodded, following her lead. "Yeah… it's definitely something to question. I mean, why would the manager—of all people—go on missions instead of keeping the agency in order?"
"Unless the rulebook says the manager doesn't just oversee the agenda, but also handles specific tasks," Lyra chimed in, sharing her perspective.
Selene tilted her head, considering. "Perhaps it does…" She paused, then glanced at Ariana. "What about you? What do you think?"
They were waiting for her response, then—
"G…Guys," Ariana said slowly.
They were ready and reached their heads toward her.
"I do not think you will believe this."
Selene leaned slightly closer. "Say it."
Ariana hesitated for a moment, then continued.
"When I looked at him… I mean his son... kael was it?. I was not trying to. My eyes just shifted toward him on their own."
Lyra frowned. "Shifted? Like something pulled your attention?"
"Yes," Ariana replied. "But it did not feel forced. It felt intentional."
The word lingered between them.
"And when that happened," Ariana continued, "I felt something strange. It was not just his aura. It felt deeper than that… like something connected to him is pointing somewhere."
Kiera leaned forward. "Do you mean he is hiding something?"
"Or someone is using him like a possesion?," Ariana said quietly.
Lyra nodded slowly. "I felt something too. When he walked in, my body froze for a moment."
Evelyn looked uneasy. "Then should we report this?"
"No," Ariana said immediately.
Her tone was calm, but firm.
"We have no proof. If we report this, it will only create unnecessary suspicion. You know that saying, 'No proofs means no suspecting?"
Selene exhaled slowly, with a calming expression yet she shows a sense of irritation in her voice. "This is the thing I hate the MOST!." She exclaimed silently.
Kiera crossed her arms. "So we just ignore it?"
Ariana shook her head.
"No. We observe."
Evelyn suddenly looked around.
"…Everyone is leaving."
They turned and realized the hall had nearly emptied.
"…We are standing out, only the head his assistant and those 'two'..." Evelyn added quietly.
Selene nodded. "Then we should move immediately. Or else those two would suspect us for suspecting them."
They began to stand.
But... Ariana paused.
Her eyes shifted again.
This time—
Kael was already looking at her.
Their gazes met.
"Huh?!". Ariana's eyes widely opened but he didn't noticed that much....or maybe?.
For a brief moment, neither looked away.
Then—
Kael gave a faint, subtle smile.
Not friendly.
Not casual.
But totally something else.
"…He is looking at me," Ariana said under her breath.
Ariana called for friends to report this to them, "G...guys, he actually looked at me and gave a strange smile!." They turned, but it was too late for them to notice...
Lyra turned quickly, but Kael had already looked away.
"…I saw it," Lyra said. "He smiled. Because of the other eyes from my back, I could see him but no one can notice those eyes just me. My ability though?"
Kiera frowned. "That is not normal."
Ariana straightened.
"We do not report this."
She looked at each of them.
"We investigate."
Selene met her gaze and nodded.
"Secretly."
Evelyn and Lyra nodded back.
"Yes. Secretly."
They left the hall together, maintaining a natural pace.
Once outside, Selene stopped briefly.
"From now on, we do not discuss this openly," and said. "Only in secure places."
Everyone agreed.
Kiera spoke last.
"We move carefully from here."
Selene activated her teleportation.
The air distorted slightly.
And in the next moment— they were gone.
Inside the hall, Kael remained standing.
His gaze shifted slowly toward the exit.
"…So she noticed," he murmured quietly.
Ravian glanced at him but did not respond.
Kael's expression remained calm.
But his eyes held something unreadable.
"…Interesting," he added softly.
MEANWHILE… AT THEIR SECRET SPACE
"Hmm…" Lyra muttered, flipping through a mountain of paper files. She frowned at her team. "Do you all really think these useless papers will help us?" She paused, tossing a few aside in frustration.
Leaning back against the table, she raised her hands, exasperated. "I mean, it's not that the people we actually sent to observe the manager and his son aren't trustworthy… but these? They're just piles of trash!"
She slammed the remaining papers onto the corner.
Ariana, already exhausted from following the thread and chasing leads, closed her eyes for a while.
Selene noticed her tense, weary posture and gave a subtle nod to the others.
Evelyn muttered under her breath, casting a gentle sleeping spell. Ariana's eyelids grew heavy.
"Hmm… wh… what is—" she mumbled, before finally sinking into unconsciousness.
Selene clapped her hands lightly. "Okay, everyone, giddy up! Ariana's already drained from that new ability. We can't push her further. She's done more than enough. Now it's our turn—not for ourselves, but for her safety."
The room fell silent as everyone looked at Ariana.
The dark circles under her eyes told the story of the secret investigation she carried out alone. Their expressions softened, gentle smiles forming.
Then, almost instinctively, they turned to each other, eyes sharp, alert.
Evelyn's gaze hardened. "Guys… we can't just rely on the people we sent. We need to do this ourselves, secretly."
Kiera blinked, shocked, then smiled at the weight of the words.
Lyra rested her arms on Evelyn and Kiera. "She's right. We can't let our younger buddy handle all the heavy work herself."
"Yeah! It's like we're the kids, and she's the parent—carrying all the heavy and hard tasks!" Kiera exclaimed.
Selene nodded. "You're right. I may act like the parent sometimes, but she's the most hardworking among us. Even when we try to help, she… she does everything to let us rest."
Lyra's eyebrows shot up. Her voice broke slightly as she whispered, "Doesn't she know we're a team? We're supposed to split the workload! Who's going to make her understand? She's just… too stubborn."
Her eyelids drooped. Her shoulders shook. And finally—sniffle… sob!
For the first time, tears slipped from Lyra's eyes.
Evelyn gasped. "A… Are you crying… Lyra?"
Lyra stammered, flustered. "I-I'm not crying… hiccup! It's… nothing!"
"Woah… you really are crying," Kiera said softly, a grin spreading across her face.
Lyra buried her face in her hands, trying to hide it.
Selene stepped closer and patted her head. Lyra couldn't hold back and clung tightly to her.
"She's closest to Ariana," Selene murmured with a sigh and a gentle smile. "That's why she cried. Calm down, Lyra. We're all here to watch over her. You're older than her—we all are. We can't let our young buddy carry these heavy burdens alone."
Evelyn and Kiera joined in. Together, they spoke in unison: "…We must take care of her. Even more than she does for us."
Lyra wiped her tears and glanced at Ariana, then back to them.
"Okay, guys! No more wasting time! We can't let emotions cloud our work!" Lyra shouted silently.
Following her words Selene commanded.
"Everyone get ready. Evelyn's spell only lasts 24 hours—we've got limited time."
She paused, eyes scanning the team. "In the meantime, we do half the work ourselves. If Ariana wakes up, she won't let us overwork ourselves."
They nodded, then sprang into action.
They sifted through every file—Ravian and Kael's missions, down to the days, hours, minutes, even seconds.
They used every ability such as teleporting to locations, they did other commonly things like disguising as foreigners, questioning people far and wide.
But all they gathered were names. Nothing concrete.
Exhausted, blinking, sometimes blank, they didn't give up.
Internet research yielded biographies. Only biographies. Nothing useful.
When Kiera scrolling over an entry on an updated biography about them.
Lyra's sharp eyes noticed a tiny detail—a fragment any detective would notice, small but enough to dig deeper.
"A few months ago," Lyra muttered, voice tense, "Kael Cross, Mr. Ravian cross' son, completed a mission and gained a high rank in the agency. That let him join every mission with his father."
"But—"
"Kiera! Stop the cursor!" Lyra shouted, alerting Evelyn and Selene.
Kiera immediately stopped, actually in fact she just let go off the mouse!.
"What is it?" Selene asked. "Don't forget Ariana's resting."
Lyra pointed her finger to the biography. Kiera and Selene leaned in, still puzzled.
"It's just an achievement, nothing else," Kiera said.
"Keep going, Lyra" Selene urged.
Lyra inhaled sharply. "It says a few months ago… meaning less than twelve months, right?"
They nodded.
"So what?" Evelyn questioned. Kiera too nodded with her words. Selene still observing.
Lyra rolled her eyes with displeased and continued the rest...
"And yet…" Lyra's voice dropped. "On stage earlier, the Head said the manager and his son were on a mission… for a year. But this biography was updated just a few months ago. Which means.... They weren't on that freaking mission!."
The room became silent.... Something like...terrifying?
A chill ran through Evelyn. Selene froze, leaning on the table, shocked.
Kiera slumped in her chair, dazed.
Lyra's voice cut through the silence. "We should not report this yet. Even with this proof, it's minor. We must keep investigating—digging deeper into the father and son."
They blinked, shaking off the haze, and nodded.
Selene's voice softened but carried weight.
"Ariana… now we fully get why you're so capable of solving those messy, puzzling missions. Sometimes it's not the big files—it's the little things that tell the truth." She gently patted Ariana's head.
Ariana murmured, "Hmm…"
24 hours have already passed, Ariana is now awake...
Slowly, she opened her eyes, stretching.
Selene helped her upright.
"Oh! No! Did I fall asleep? What about the investigation?!" Ariana exclaimed.
Selene and Evelyn smiled gently, while Lyra and Kiera smirk at her.
"Don't worry, Ariana," Selene said coolly, "we found something… and we're going to figure it out. TOGETHER!."