The screen flickered, coming alive with a sterile, icy-blue glow that washed over the hidden room. The warmth and laughter of the house above were entirely gone.
The three figures standing in the dim light were no longer just girls having a sleepover. Down here, they were something else. Something lethal.
VEX. SPECTER. BLITZ.
Names that erased who they once were. Names that turned them into weapons.
Vex stood at the center: calm, composed, in absolute control. Behind that mask was Rania. To her right, Alisa completely transformed into Specter, the silent observer who always saw far more than she revealed, her sharp eyes scanning the shadows. And leaning restlessly against the reinforced steel wall was Xara as Blitz: impatient, kinetic, and always ready to strike.
The console chimed softly. A classified file dropped onto the main display.
MISSION: ELIMINATE TARGET
The atmosphere in the room tightened. Xara let out a low, appreciative whistle. "Straight to the point. I like it."
Alisa frowned, stepping closer to the glow of the monitors. "No briefing… no intel package attached. That's highly unusual."
Rania didn't respond. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, bypassing the encryption protocols with practiced ease. The progress bar hit 100%, and a photograph loaded onto the screen.
Suddenly, the room went dead silent. Xara pushed herself off the wall, standing up straight. Alisa's breath hitched, her eyes widening just a fraction.
Because the man staring back at them from the screen was not a stranger.
AIDEN KHALIS
Even without the text beneath the photo, they would have known him. "This… this isn't right," Alisa murmured, her voice uncharacteristically shaky.
"Codename: PHANTOM," Rania read aloud. Her voice was steady, but it carried a new, biting chill. The word hung in the air like a death sentence.
Xara scoffed, though it lacked her usual bravado. "Phantom? What kind of edgy garbage is that?" No one laughed. Because deep down, the name made perfect sense.
"You've heard of him," Alisa said quietly, her eyes never leaving the screen. Xara frowned, looking between her two teammates. "Should I?"
"You have. We all have." Alisa finally turned to look at Xara, her voice low and certain. "He used to be one of us."
The revelation crashed over the room. Blitz stared at her. "…You've got to be joking." Rania's gaze darkened. "Explain, Specter."
Alisa hesitated, the glow of the screen reflecting in her eyes. "He disappeared three years ago. No trace. No body. The Obsidian officially declared him dead." Her jaw tightened. "But I guess ghosts don't stay buried."
Before anyone could process the weight of it, the system chimed again. Bold red text overrode the screen.
STATUS: HIGH PRIORITY TARGET
AUTHORIZATION: VEX ONLY
Xara blinked, her confusion quickly twisting into anger. "Hold on. Why is your codename the only one on that list?" Alisa turned slowly toward their leader. "Why are you the only one authorized for the kill?"
Rania didn't answer immediately. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. "Because this mission requires absolute precision," Rania said finally, her tone entirely devoid of emotion.
Xara let out a harsh, dry laugh. "We're a team. Since when do you take solo hits?"
Rania turned to face them. Her expression was a locked vault, unreadable and impenetrable. "Since right now. That's an order."
Alisa felt the shift instantly; a cold, distinct line being drawn between loyalty to a friend and obedience to a commander. "Are you hiding something from us?" she asked softly.
For a split second, Rania's eyes flickered. Just a microscopic break in her composure, but Xara caught it.
"Wait," Xara said, her voice dropping. "Don't tell me… you know him, too?" Rania didn't deny it. And in their line of work, silence was answer enough.
Xara began to pace, running a hand through her hair. "This is insane. We don't go in blind, especially not against an ex-operative!"
"If he really was one of us," Alisa said, trying to keep her voice level, "then this isn't just an elimination. It's a cleanup." She locked eyes with Rania. "Someone at the top doesn't want the truth coming out." Rania's jaw tightened.
The console beeped a final time, sealing their fate.
TIME LIMIT: 24 HOURS
Xara cursed under her breath. "Wow. They're not even trying to hide the panic." She stopped pacing and glared at Vex. "So what's the plan, Commander?"
A long pause. Rania reached out and killed the monitor. Absolute darkness swallowed the room. "I will finish the mission."
Xara let out a bitter laugh. "Of course you'd say that." She grabbed her tactical jacket off a nearby chair and brushed past Rania, intentionally knocking her shoulder. "Do whatever you want. Solo." The heavy steel door hissed open, and Xara marched out.
Alisa didn't move. Not right away. She stood in the dark, the echoes of Xara's footsteps fading down the corridor. "Vex," she called softly into the black. No response. "If this goes wrong… we won't come back the same."
Rania closed her eyes, the weight of the last five minutes pressing down on her chest. When she opened them again, Xara was gone. Only Alisa remained; cold, focused, and completely distant.
"Then don't get in my way."
TBC