Kael adjusted his tie in the reflection of the hospital glass door and smiled.
"Perfect," he muttered.
Six months.
Six months of errands, fake smiles, memorizing corridors, watching guards switch shifts like clockwork. Six months of being invisible.
And today, finally, he stopped pretending.
The hospital doors slid open with a soft hiss, and Kael stepped inside like he belonged there. Which, technically, he did.
"Good morning, Mrs. Smith," he said as he approached the reception.
The middle-aged woman looked up from her screen, her face lighting up instantly. "Kael! Early today?"
He leaned casually against the counter, lowering his voice just a little. "Of course. I need extra time if I'm going to properly admire you."
She let out a soft laugh. "Oh really?"
"I mean, it wouldn't be fair otherwise," he said, tilting his head slightly. "You walk in here every day and raise the standard for everyone."
She shook her head, smiling wider now. "You're trouble, you know that?"
"Only when I'm being ignored," he replied easily. "Which, thankfully, you never do."
"Hmm. And how many other girls do you say this to?" she asked, narrowing her eyes playfully.
Kael placed a hand over his chest, mock-offended. "That hurts. Truly. I thought we had something special."
She laughed again, clearly enjoying it.
"My eyes are very selective," he added, softer now. "They don't wander much."
"Oh, I'm sure," she said, amused.
Kael smiled, then shifted just slightly easing into the real question.
"By the way… has Mr. Brody arrived yet?"
She glanced at her screen. "No, not yet."
"Ohh, I guess I'll wait for him then. See you later, Mrs. Smith." Kael gave her a quick wink before turning and continuing down the corridor.
For a few more steps, the same easy smile stayed on his face, the same relaxed rhythm in his walk. Anyone watching would see nothing change. But the moment he turned the corner and slipped out of sight, that lightness faded, replaced by something sharper.
Patience was the name of the game in his line of work.
Kael walked with the same steady pace until he reached a door set slightly apart from the main corridor. A polished metal plate beside it read:
Dr. Adrian Brody
He slipped a card from inside his coat as he approached. For a brief moment, the fluorescent light caught its surface, a clean hospital ID, complete with the image of an older bald man, stern-faced, official.
Adrian Brody.
The resemblance wasn't important. The access was.
Kael swiped the card.
A soft beep followed, and the lock gave way without hesitation.
"Still trusting the system," he murmured faintly as he pushed the door open.
He closed the door quietly behind him and let his gaze move once across the room, unhurried, confirming details he had already memorized long ago.
Then he moved. Straight to the lower vent near the wall. Kneeling down, he reached into the inner fold of his white hospital coat and pulled out a compact canister, matte black and its surface deliberately unmarked.
His fingers rested briefly on the dial at the top as his eyes flicked toward the vent.
Mapping this had taken time. He had spent weeks studying maintenance logs, tracing outdated blueprints, watching how air moved through a system that had been upgraded too many times to remain perfect. Most of the hospital's ventilation had been sealed and segmented for safety.
And more importantly, this one fed directly into the lower circulation line running along the basement security corridor.
Exactly where he needed it to go.
A faint, almost satisfied smile touched his lips as he adjusted the dial and twisted the top.
A soft hiss followed.
"Sweet dreams," he murmured, easing the canister into place within the vent.
The gas would travel slowly, folding into the airflow without resistance. By the time the guards down there realized something was wrong, they wouldn't have the clarity left to act on it.
Kael remained still for a moment, listening then he rose in one smooth motion, brushing his hands lightly against his coat.
His eyes swept the room once more to make sure everything was as it should be then he left.
When he stepped back into the corridor, the change was immediate. The sharpness faded, replaced once again by that easy, approachable calm.
To anyone passing by, he was just another young nurse going about his duties.
Two hours later, Kael stepped into the elevator without drawing attention, just another staff member moving through his shift. He slipped out the forged ID and tapped it against the panel. A soft beep confirmed access, and he pressed for the basement.
As the doors slid shut, his reflection met his gaze, the faintest hint of a smile still in place.
"So handsome," he said quietly.
The elevator slowed to a stop, and just before the doors opened, Kael reached into his coat and pulled out a compact filter mask, fitting it over his face.
The doors slid apart.
Three guards were slumped just outside, collapsed where they stood, weapons still hanging loose in their grip.
Kael stepped over one of them without breaking stride, his eyes briefly scanning the corridor ahead.
"Clean," he muttered under his breath.
As he moved forward, the pattern repeated itself, one guard against the wall, another near a corner, two more further down. All unconscious.
A faint grin tugged at the edge of his lips.
"Textbook," he murmured, almost disappointed at how smoothly it had gone. He reached up, slipping the earpiece into his ear as he walked.
A soft click.
"Charlie," Kael said, voice calm, almost casual. "Tell me you're watching this."
A quiet chuckle of a man came through. "Every second. You're making it look easy."
Kael exhaled lightly. "That's because it is."
There was a brief pause before he added, almost as an afterthought, "Honestly, with how clean this is going… we could take a year off after this."
Charlie let out a short laugh. "A five hundred million dollar heist, and you're talking about just a year?"
Kael stepped past another unconscious guard, barely sparing him a glance. "I don't do this for the money."
"No?" Charlie asked.
Kael's smile deepened slightly. "Money's just a side effect. I do it because I'm good at it."
"Wow," Charlie said dryly. "That might be the most arrogant thing you've said all week."
"Give it time," Kael replied smoothly. "I haven't even started yet."
A third female voice cut in, totally unimpressed.
"Are you done admiring yourself," Moon said, "or should I go ahead and erase every trace of you from the hospital while you're still busy being narcissistic?"
Kael let out a quiet breath through the mask, amused.
"Go ahead, Moon," he said. "Make me disappear."
The words had barely left his mouth when something flickered into existence before him, a translucent blue window, cutting into his vision like it didn't belong to this world.
At the same time, a cold voice followed directly inside his head.
[Designation Confirmed: Kael Williams]
[You have been selected as one of twenty-five representatives of your planetary body.]
[Preparation window: 30 seconds]
[Transit will commence upon expiration]