Night falls.
Seven shadows slip through a damp stone tunnel and emerge into the silver wash of moonlight.
The silence is too heavy. It feels like a trap waiting to spring.
Daisy's fingers graze the cold, weeping moss of the tunnel exit, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
Moon Black halts the group with a raised hand. A long sword is holstered at her waist, the scabbard catching a sharp glint of moon.
The authority in the gesture is absolute. The bickering from earlier is gone, replaced by a cold, military silence.
Moon Black pulls a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket.
"Target: Nightshade Keep. A seven-story tower. Ten kilometers from here," Moon Black whispers. "The tunnel puts us on the fifth floor. We climb to the seventh, secure the Golden Chuppah—a large, square-shaped gold relic. We vanish before sunrise."
Daisy raises her palm, her voice a thin thread in the dark. "The Golden Chuppah... why is it so important?"
Moon Black's eyes narrow into slits. "This is not a history lesson, you fool. It's our job to steal gold and necessities. Shut up and stay in position."
She looks at the others, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous rasp. "A recent incident at the Latvilo Casino, where a man slaughtered the Red Carpet Gang, has put every gang and empire in Center City on high alert. Everyone is hunting that stranger."
Moon Black folds the paper and tucks it into her pocket.
Daisy folds her hands:
Johnny is famous everywhere, it seems. A ghost with a reputation that reaches even here. That is... interesting.
"This is our window," Moon Black continues. "Nightshade is currently inactive. Fewer guards. No heroics. Stay tight."
They move.
Daisy watches them, her mind racing to keep up with their wordless rhythm.
She breaks into a low crouch to match Machi's stride. The rough fabric of her new pants shifts with her. Easy. Unbinding.
Something in her chest loosens for the first time since the village burned.
Machi, the Feather-Hat, scans the treeline, her body low and fluid. Beside her, Scarface leads the way.
He isn't the man they teased at noon; he is a Veteran Professional now, his eyes hard and vacant. Justice, the Tactician, murmurs distances under his breath like a silent prayer to math.
To Daisy's left, Jullian's Spark-Emitter pulses with a faint blue flicker, sounding like a trapped lightning bolt.
Uddin guards the rear, a heavy shadow behind Daisy.
Daisy is the weak link here. Her lungs burn with the effort of keeping pace. If she trips, the whole chain breaks. The thought is a cold weight in her stomach.
A bolt thuds into the dirt inches from Scarface's boot.
"One," he mutters. He doesn't flinch.
He simply vanishes into the shadows of a massive oak. A heartbeat later, a soft, metallic whisper cuts through the air—the sound of steel meets something soft.
Then, silence.
Scarface signals. "Clear."
Daisy swallows hard, the copper taste of fear in her mouth:
They don't even hesitate. It's like breathing to them. Killing is just another part of the job.
They reach the tower and move fast. Within minutes, they emerge onto the fifth floor. The corridors smell of ancient dust and stagnant water. Their boots hit the stairs in a controlled, rhythmic beat.
On the seventh floor, Machi eases the heavy door open. She holds up two fingers. "Clear."
Justice kneels, dusting silver powder across the floor. "No light-trips," he warns, his voice a ghost of a sound.
Uddin pushes the chamber doors open. In the center of the room, encased in thick glass, rests the Golden Chuppah. Its square shape glows with a soft, celestial light.
Daisy takes a step forward, then stops:
Why is it just sitting there? Something feels wrong.
The air is heavy, pressing against her eardrums like she's underwater.
"Take it," Moon Black orders.
Daisy reaches out, her hand trembling.
Just as her fingers brush the glass, a shadow drops from the rafters.
A veiled woman strikes with the speed of a viper. Blue energy snaps between their hands, a jagged spark that stings Daisy like a hornet.
She jerks back, a cry dying in her throat.
Moon Black's blade swings in a killing arc, but the veiled woman twists away with unnatural grace.
The blade misses, crashing into the glass case instead. The glass shatters with a violent, metallic scream, shards spraying through the air like diamond rain.
Suddenly, a flash of blue light blinds them.
The Chuppah erupts. The chamber fills with a screaming radiance that tears through the darkness. When it clears, the veiled woman is gone—a ghost in the smoke.
The Golden Chuppah lies shattered into glowing, useless dust.
A siren begins to howl from the walls, a mechanical scream that shakes the very stones of the tower.
"It's... a trap," Justice hisses.
Moon Black stares at the ruined fragments, her jaw tight with white-hot fury. "Move!"
They run.
Boots hammer against stone. Shouts echo from the floors below—heavy, armored footsteps.
"The wall!" Justice snaps, pointing to a jagged crack.
Moon Black doesn't hesitate. She strikes the weakened stone with her sword.
The wall splits open, letting in the biting chill of the night air.
They spill out into the forest just as armored soldiers pour into the hallway behind them.
Their boots pound the soil. Daisy's footsteps are slower, her breath ragged.
Uddin halts, dropping low. "Up."
"I can run by myself—"
"No time. You're too slow. Climb on!"
Daisy hoists herself onto Uddin's back, and they sprint. Branches whip at Daisy's face.
Behind them, a massive, one-eyed guard breaks through the foliage, a heavy pistol raised.
"Drop me!" Daisy shouts over the wind. "I am slowing you down."
"Not happening," Uddin grunts, her breathing steady despite the extra weight.
Baa.
Bark explodes from a tree inches from Daisy's head.
Machi spins around, her feathered hat nearly flying off as she engages the guard with a flurry of blades. "Uddin, keep going!"
Jullian steps beside her, An electric spark shoots from the emitter, striking the guard in the chest. His body convulses as electricity crackles around him. He collapses to the floor.
Up ahead, Scarface pulls a jagged shard of the shattered Chuppah from his pouch. Moon Black sees the glow and signals. "Throw it!"
Scarface hurls the shard. Moon Black catches it mid-stride, rips a grenade from her belt, and flings them both at the charging soldiers.
The forest detonates. Blue light and black smoke swallow the path. Daisy feels the shockwave roll over them as the one-eyed guard slams into the ground, blinded by the flare.
Through the haze, a hidden stone door grinds open in the hillside. A girl stands inside, her eyes sharp. "Uddin! Here!"
The Birds scramble through. The door seals shut with a heavy thud just as the soldiers thunder past on the other side. Silence returns, smelling of burnt ozone and damp earth.
Moon Black leans against the wall, chest heaving, her eyes locked on the stranger. "Who are you?" she demands, her hand still white-knuckled on her sword.
The stranger steps forward, a mocking smile on her lips. "A thank you would be nice."
Scarface freezes. His breath hitches. "She's my—"
"Wife," the girl interrupts. "I'm his wife."
The group gasps.
Daisy's head spins:
A wife? In this madhouse?
Uddin steps forward, eyes narrowing. "Tell us, when were you—"
"Enough!" Scarface snaps, his face flushed red. "We're divorced!"
Daisy sniffs the air, her head leaning against the cold stone:
Can't they keep it down? They'll get us caught.
The new girl chuckles, leaning against the door. "We never signed the papers, David."