The wind sliced through the glass-and-steel skyscrapers like sharp blades, tearing leaves and loose papers from the streets far below. Kaien stood on the 52nd-floor terrace, motionless but alert. Every muscle in his body felt alive, every reflex honed, every step calculated. His blue eyes swept across the city like a frozen beacon, piercing shadows that others wouldn't even notice.
He adjusted the collar of his dark coat ever so slightly, silently, as if each movement were part of a deadly dance. A faint buzz from his watch reminded him of the mission:
"Target moves at 11:30 PM. No external contact. No mistakes."
Kaien inhaled deeply. He knew the city's rhythm intimately where guards patrolled, where cameras covered every corner, and where any intruder would be spotted. But none of that concerned him. He was the man between shadows unseen, precise, lethal.
A reflection of light passing through a window of a nearby building caught his attention. An observer? Maybe. Or maybe just a reflection. Kaien tilted his head slightly, studying the movement, every detail. Nothing escaped his blue eyes. Nothing.
He turned, slid along the railing with near-silent precision, and disappeared into the dim corridor leading to the service elevator. Each step echoed in his mind, not in the building. He was already halfway to his objective without anyone noticing.
The corporate building Kaien needed to access looked far too ordinary for such a high-security location. But nothing was simple for him. Rotating cameras, motion sensors, silent alarms Kaien detected them as if they were trivial details on a map only he could see.
He ran his hand across the entry panel. A subtle touch, a click, and the security beam flickered, neutralized. Guards passed just meters away, distracted. Kaien observed their movements, syncing his own passage with each breath, leaving no room for error.
Inside the building, silence reigned, almost deafening. Kaien knew every second counted; any distraction could be costly. He advanced, alert to the slightest change in routine, feeling tension coil like a rope about to snap.
In the final corridor before the target's office, something shifted subtly: sensors activated unexpectedly, codes blinking red on the panel. A trap. Kaien stopped, analyzing the situation in fractions of a second. He recognized the style Veyron's signature.
"Clever, but predictable..." Kaien thought.
He slid down a side corridor, avoiding the sensors, recalculating his route silently. One misstep and the mission would be compromised but Kaien never erred. He didn't just react he anticipated, calculated, manipulated the environment to his advantage.
Tension mounted, and in the next instant, he heard the metallic click of a door shutting in the distance. A trace of presence. He didn't need to see to know someone was watching.
Eyes Locked
Kaien finally reached the target's office. The corridor was empty, but a shadow stretched long in the cold overhead lights. He stopped. A chill ran down his spine not fear, but challenge.
Veyron stood there. Still, calculating, his gray eyes fixed on Kaien, studying his every minute gesture. No words were needed. The tension between them was palpable, electric. A game of intelligence and reflexes had begun, in silence.
Kaien drew a steady breath, his blue eyes reflecting determination and cold focus. A faint smile curved his lips he knew the real game had begun.
The wind howled outside, carrying the flicker of lights down the corridor. Kaien stepped forward. Veyron didn't flinch.
The confrontation was about to erupt.