The heavy doors opened with a low mechanical hiss, letting in a rush of cold, sterile air. The headquarters stood tall and untouched by the chaos of the outside world. It was clean, controlled, and entirely unforgiving.
Three figures walked inside. There was no laughter, no teasing, and no warmth among them. They were no longer just Rania, Alisa, and Xara; they were Red Veil. Their footsteps echoed sharply against the polished floor as they made their way toward the inner chamber, where a pair of massive doors awaited them.
Xara muttered under her breath, "…I hate this place."
Alisa didn't respond. Her brilliant mind was still replaying one specific moment. "Because you were never supposed to be here." Aiden's voice echoed in her head, along with the memory of his eyes and that split-second hesitation.
"Focus," Rania said quietly, snapping them both back to reality.
The doors parted, revealing a dimly lit room. At the center of the darkness, a man sat entirely still. Brandon Hansel. The leader of the Obsidian organization, the man who controlled everything from the shadows, and Rania's father.
"Report," Brandon demanded. His voice was entirely too calm. Rania stepped forward, standing tall. "Mission failed."
A heavy pause settled over the room before a faint, chilling chuckle escaped Brandon's lips. "How disappointing." Xara clenched her jaw tight, while Alisa remained perfectly still.
Brandon leaned forward slightly, his sharp eyes landing on the girls one by one. "Tell me…" he said slowly, dragging out the words. "Why were there three of you?"
Complete silence filled the room until his gaze locked onto Alisa. "Specter," he addressed her. Alisa's body tensed instantly. "Why did you disobey direct authorization?" Before Alisa could even open her mouth to answer, Rania intervened.
"I brought them," Rania stated, her voice cutting through the tension with steady firmness. Both Alisa and Xara turned to look at her in shock. Brandon's gaze slowly shifted away from Alisa. "…Vex."
"She didn't disobey," Rania continued smoothly. "I asked them to come." Xara blinked rapidly, and Alisa's eyes widened just a fraction. It was a blatant lie, and they all knew it.
Brandon didn't react right away. He simply watched his daughter, studying and measuring her every breath. "…You were given solo authorization," he reminded her quietly.
"And I made a decision," Rania replied without missing a beat.
The air in the room grew suffocatingly heavy. Xara felt it first; an invisible, crushing pressure pressing down on all of them.
"You made a decision," Brandon repeated slowly. Then, he smiled. It was a cold, dangerous expression. "How bold of you."
Alisa took a brave step forward. "Sir, the situation..."
"I wasn't asking you," Brandon snapped, his voice sharpening into a blade. Alisa froze, and Xara clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white.
Brandon stood up slowly from his desk, making the massive room suddenly feel claustrophobic. "Red Veil was designed for efficiency," he lectured, his voice echoing faintly off the walls. "Precision. Obedience."
His cold eyes locked onto Rania. "Not… sentiment." He let the word hang in the air before dropping his tone to a lethal whisper. "Tell me, Vex. Did you hesitate?"
Xara looked at Rania worriedly. Alisa held her breath. Rania didn't move a single muscle, refusing to even blink. "…No." It was another lie, delivered with terrifying perfection.
Brandon stepped closer, invading her space. "So, you're telling me," he said softly, "that despite having a clear shot… you still failed." The accusation landed heavier than any physical strike.
Xara couldn't take the disrespect anymore. "Maybe if you didn't send us into a damn trap…"
"Blitz," Rania barked, shutting her down instantly to save her life. Brandon's gaze slowly slid over to Xara. "…A trap?" he repeated. He was entirely too controlled.
Alisa's heart sank into her stomach. Rania quickly stepped forward, physically placing herself between her father and Xara to cut the conflict short. "The intel was incomplete," Rania stated clearly. "We were surrounded before the engagement even began."
Brandon looked at her in a long, unbroken silence. Then, that terrifying smile returned to his face. "I see." But the calculating looks in his eyes told a completely different story.
"Then perhaps," he theorized slowly, "the problem isn't the mission. Perhaps the problem… is the team." Xara's head snapped up in defiance. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Brandon ignored her completely, keeping his attention locked entirely on Rania. "You've grown attached." The words hit hard. Rania kept her face entirely blank, but deep inside, her chest tightened.
"That is dangerous," Brandon continued, circling her like a predator. "Especially for someone in your position."
Alisa finally spoke up, choosing her words with extreme care. "Sir… with all due respect, Red Veil operates best as a unified unit." Brandon stopped and stared down at her. "Does it?" he challenged. "Because from what I see… your unit just failed." An unforgiving silence choked the room.
Brandon finally turned away, walking back to his desk. "Next time," he commanded coldly, "follow your orders. Or I will remind you exactly why they exist." The threat was absolute.
Rania lowered her gaze just enough to show submission. "…Understood." Xara gritted her teeth, and Alisa remained frozen. Just like that, they were dismissed.
As they walked out of the chamber, no one dared to speak. But the very second the heavy doors sealed shut behind them, the facade dropped. Xara turned sharply toward Rania. "What the hell was that?!" Alisa looked at her leader, her eyes searching for the truth. "…Why did you lie for us?"
Rania didn't answer right away. She kept walking down the corridor, her posture rigid. "…Because you're my team," she answered simply and directly. Xara blinked, her anger deflating. Alisa's tight expression softened with quiet gratitude. But a terrible dread still lingered in Alisa's mind.
Back in that room, Brandon Hansel hadn't looked surprised. Not even once. And that could only mean one terrifying thing: he already knew about the trap, he knew about Aiden, and he knew everything they were hiding.
The massive doors closed, and a heavy click echoed through the cavernous room. Rania didn't move. She already knew he wouldn't let this end so easily.
"Stay," Brandon ordered, his voice perfectly calm and controlled from behind her. Rania stopped walking. Slowly, she turned around. They stood facing each other, no longer just a leader and his subordinate, but a father and his daughter.
Brandon's gaze was piercing, cutting straight through her emotional armor. "I know you lied to me." There was no hesitation in his voice, no warning. "About them. Specter. Blitz." Rania refused to flinch. "Why?" he demanded softly. "You know the consequences."
When she remained silent, Brandon stepped closer. "I trained you," he reminded her, his voice dropping into a deadly serious register. "To be bold. To be decisive. Not to feel empathy for the enemy. Do you remember that?"
Rania met his gaze, entirely unshaken on the outside. "I remember." Brandon's jaw tightened in approval. "Good."
Then, his tone shifted, growing colder and infinitely sharper. "He is not your lover anymore." The words echoed in the massive room.
"He betrayed you," Brandon continued relentlessly, making sure every word cut deep. "He stole our secrets. He deserves to die." A flicker of raw emotion flashed in Rania's eyes for just a fraction of a second, but she buried it instantly.
"I know that," her voice rang out, steady and perfectly controlled. "I will finish him. By myself." She took a step forward, challenging her father's space. "Do not involve my team. This is between him and me."
Brandon watched her carefully, analyzing the conviction in her eyes. "He is my past," Rania swore, her grip tightening on the fabric of her pants. "So, I will follow your order."
A long, suffocating silence stretched between them. Then, Brandon smiled. It was a slow, sickeningly proud expression. "I knew you would," he said, walking past her toward the expansive windows. "You are not like your brother."
Rania's expression didn't change, but her breathing slowed at the mention of the name.
"Mike," Brandon sighed, waving a hand dismissively. "Always disobedient. Always weak. I had hoped he would learn his lesson, but I was wrong." He looked back at her over his shoulder. "I can rely on you to achieve what this organization needs."
Rania said nothing, because something felt deeply wrong. It wasn't just his words; it was his tone. He was too confident, too certain, as if everything that happened tonight was already decided. "…When did you know?" she asked quietly.
Brandon stopped. "…About what?" Rania's dark eyes sharpened with realization. "About the trap." For the first time all night, Brandon didn't answer immediately. He let out a low chuckle. "…You've always been observant."
That was all the answer she needed. Rania's gaze darkened with pure betrayal. "You sent us there." It wasn't a question. It was a fact. Brandon turned slightly to face her. "I sent you to complete a mission."
"Or to test us?" Rania challenged, her voice rising just a fraction. "Or to eliminate us." The room grew noticeably colder.
Brandon faced his daughter fully, abandoning all pretenses. "And if I did?" he challenged softly. "What would you do about it?" Rania didn't answer. Because for the first time in her life, she realized that the true enemy standing in front of her was not Aiden. It was the man who raised her.
"…You're still too soft," Brandon noted quietly, analyzing her silence. "And you're still hiding something." A microscopic flicker of panic touched Rania's heart, but she locked it down faster than he could see.
Brandon stepped back, re-establishing his authority. "Finish the mission," he commanded, his voice returning to its untouchable, controlled state. "Kill Phantom. And prove to me that I didn't train you wrong."
Rania finally turned away, sick to her stomach. But before she could reach the door, Brandon spoke one last time. "One more thing." Rania stopped dead in her tracks. "If your team interferes again," he warned, his voice dropping into a lethal promise, "I will remove them." It was a clear, absolute threat on Xara and Alisa's lives.
Rania didn't look back at him. "…Then they won't." With that final vow, she walked out of the chamber. But this time, her footsteps carried a completely different weight. She was no longer obedient. She was no longer loyal. Something fundamental had broken inside her.
Because now, Rania knew the terrible truth. This mission was never about killing Aiden. It was about her father maintaining control. And to him, she was nothing more than another disposable piece on the board.
TBC