The bar buzzed with low music and tired laughter, the kind that came from people who had spent too many hours on their feet.
Daniel sat back in his chair, a glass in hand, while across from him sat Dr. Ethan Cole and Dr. Sophia Hale.
Ethan exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair.
"These new interns are frustrating. At this point, I blame the residents."
Sophia laughed softly.
"Same here. I asked one to prep a patient, and she looked at me like I asked her to perform the surgery herself."
Daniel smirked, taking a slow sip of his drink.
"They're learning."
"They're slow," Ethan corrected.
"Painfully slow," Sophia added.
Daniel shrugged.
"You were worse."
Ethan scoffed.
"I was never that bad."
Daniel raised a brow.
"You forgot how to collect a blood sample your first week."
Sophia burst out laughing.
"No way."
Ethan pointed at him.
"That happened once."
"Twice," Daniel said calmly.
Sophia shook her head, still laughing.
"Unbelievable."
Ethan leaned back, still amused.
"Speaking of terrifying things… how are the interns surviving her anatomy sessions?"
Daniel already knew who he meant.
"She's direct," he replied simply.
Sophia raised a brow.
"Of course she is."
"They call her something, don't they?" Ethan added, a grin forming.
Sophia smirked.
"Oh, they definitely do."
Daniel sighed quietly.
"The scary witch doctor," Ethan said, trying not to laugh.
Sophia laughed openly this time.
"I've heard that too!"
Daniel shook his head slightly, though a faint amusement crossed his face.
"That's dramatic."
"Dramatic?" Ethan repeated. "Have you seen her in the OR?"
Sophia nodded.
"She doesn't even raise her voice. That's the scary part."
"Exactly," Ethan added. "One look and you start questioning your entire existence."
Daniel took another sip, unfazed.
"She's efficient."
"That's one way to put it," Sophia said.
Ethan leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing playfully.
"No, seriously… how do you enjoy having her as a friend?"
Daniel glanced at him.
"The same way you enjoy downing beers."
Sophia rolled her eyes.
"That's not an answer."
Ethan smirked.
"You don't find her intimidating?"
Daniel shrugged.
"I've seen worse."
"Where?" Sophia asked immediately.
Daniel didn't hesitate.
"Interns."
They both laughed.
The conversation drifted again—back to work complaints, random stories, shared exhaustion.
Far away from the bar—
The road stretched ahead in silence.
Ariel drove without rushing, her hands steady on the wheel, her expression calm—too calm.
But beneath it—
She was angry.
Not loud.
Not visible.
But controlled anger was always the most dangerous.
She was supposed to go to Cobra.
Instead—
She picked up her phone and dialed.
Nyx answered immediately.
"Boss."
"Come to my house."
A brief pause.
"…Now?"
The line went dead.
Nyx didn't hesitate.
By the time Ariel got home, the night had settled fully.
She stepped into her apartment, slipped off her heels, and moved straight to the table.
No wasted time.
Her eyes scanned the map of the northern sector.
Routes.
Supply lines.
Checkpoints.
Her focus shifted instantly—
From the road…
To the problem.
A soft click came at the door twenty minutes later.
Nyx entered using the code
Nyx stepped in,
"Good evening, Ariel."
Ariel didn't look up.
"Look."
Nyx moved closer, scanning the map.
"They've expanded," she said quietly.
"They've adjusted," Ariel corrected.
Nyx glanced at her.
Ariel's fingers moved slowly across the map.
"This isn't pressure," she said. "It's positioning."
Nyx frowned slightly.
"Then they're testing us."
Ariel shook her head once.
"No."
A pause.
Then—
"Retreat every operation at the northern sector."
Nyx froze.
"…Ariel, that's going to leave a gap—"
"Retreat."
The word landed flat.
Final.
Nyx went silent.
She didn't argue again.
Didn't question.
She turned—
Then stopped.
"Stay for dinner, Nyx."
Nyx blinked slightly.
That wasn't something Ariel said often.
Ariel had already walked into the kitchen.
For a moment, Nyx just stood there.
Then slowly followed.
The kitchen was simple.
Modern.
Clean.
Ariel moved with quiet precision cutting, measuring, cooking.
Nyx leaned lightly against the counter.
"You don't cook unless you're thinking," she said.
Ariel didn't look up.
"I'm always thinking."
Nyx gave a faint smirk.
"Not like this."
Ariel didn't respond.
But she didn't deny it either.
Minutes later, they sat across from each other.
The silence returned
Not awkward.
Just familiar.
Nyx finally spoke.
"The retreat… it's not about the border."
Ariel set her fork down.
"No."
Nyx's eyes sharpened slightly.
"They want us to reinforce that sector. Pull men. Shift attention."
Ariel nodded once.
"And while we do that…" Nyx continued slowly,
"They move where we're blind."
Ariel leaned back slightly.
"Exactly."
A brief pause.
Then
"They're not testing the border," Ariel added.
"They're testing us."
Nyx exhaled slowly.
"And the leak?"
Ariel's gaze lifted.
Certain.
"Inside. Check well."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Nyx nodded once.
Understood.
They had seen this before.
Years ago.
Under Don.
Don had been a monster in every sense of the word. He trained them hard especially Ariel. Pushed her beyond limits, broke her down, rebuilt her into something colder, sharper… dangerous.
But Ariel had never been someone who stayed under control for long.
She learned.
Endured.
Planned.
What started as survival became something else.
A quiet rebellion.
A hidden structure built right under him—piece by piece, move by move.
Until one day—
She ended it.
She killed him.
Not out of impulse.
Not out of rage.
But because she had every reason to.
He had taken her mother from her.
And even now
She still didn't know why.
Nyx had been there through all of it.
Not just as an ally
But as the only person who truly understood what it took to survive that world.
Over time, that understanding became loyalty.
And that loyalty became something close to family.
Now, Nyx ran the underworld.
Handled the chaos.
Maintained control.
Ariel only stepped in when it mattered.
And when she did—
Things ended.
Dinner ended quietly.
No unnecessary words.
No wasted time.
Nyx stood up first.
Then paused.
"…Something else happened," she said carefully.
Ariel didn't look up.
"What?"
Nyx hesitated slightly.
"Your route tonight. There was a brief disruption reported."
Ariel's hand stilled for a fraction of a second.
Barely noticeable.
"A minor incident," she said calmly.
"Irrelevant."
Nyx studied her for a moment.
But didn't push.
"Take the car and get it fixed," Ariel added.
Nyx nodded once.
"Understood."
She left.
The door closed softly behind her.
Silence returned.