The motorcycle slowed to a steady stop as Henry pulled it neatly to the side of the wide stone road.
Gravel shifted under the tires before everything fell shut again.
Ahead of them, the coastline stretched into darkness. Where the sea met the sky in an endless black horizon. The wind carried a salt scent. Brushing against their faces as they dismounted.
Roland stepped off first, rolling his shoulders as he looked around. The place was isolated. Far too for something so important. No crowded streets, no nearby settlements.
Only the sound of distant waves in sea below the elevated ground and the occasional rustle of wind through reinforced banners near the entrance path.
Henry parked the motorcycle properly, checked it once, then walked back toward Roland.
He stopped beside him at the gate, glancing upward.
Both of them tilted their heads.
The structure towered above them.
A massive building built into the cliffside. Rising like a vertical fortress against the night sky.
It didn't feel like a simple headquarters or hall. It felt more like a ceremonial stronghold, something built to host power itself rather than people.
Roland let out a low whistle. "That is… bigger than I expected."
Henry said nothing, just watched it for a moment longer before stepping forward
They passed through the gate together.
Cool air washed over them.
Roland exhaled without realizing it, shoulders loosening as the tension of the ride melted away. The scent of polished stone and distant perfumes replaced the salt air.
"Okay. This air conditioning alone is worth the trip." Roland muttered.
Henry gave a glance toward the interior hallways, already assessing exits and crowd flow.
"Stay close or you will get deduced by those b*tches." he said simply.
Inside the southern building, the atmosphere was rioting.
Agents went through wide corridors and open lounges. Some adjusted formal uniforms, others laughing in small groups as they prepared for the event ahead.
Roland walked beside Henry through one of the glass-lit passageways, watching people pass by.
After a moment, he tilted his head.
"Hey, you ever had a crush before?"
Henry didn't look at him immediately. He adjusted his sleeve slightly, thinking for a brief moment before replying.
"I did. Once."
Roland blinked. "Oh? Really?"
Henry glanced forward. "But I didn't know her. Never had the guts to even have a eye contact."
Then Henry added, "She once talked to me after noticing I follow her. She disrespected me first, then died later. So technically, I was emotionally ghosted twice."
Roland stared at him for a second, then let out a small laugh despite himself.
"That is… the worst romantic timeline I have ever heard."
Henry shrugged lightly. "Efficiency matters in everything. Hmph, just imagine cutting someone's legs then pointing a gun at them and ordering 'stand up or I will kill you'."
Before Roland could respond, a voice interrupted the whole junction.
"All attending agents are requested to proceed to the main auditorium within the next hour. This is Martial Kylo Zimmerman speaking. Attendance is mandatory."
Then it was gone.
Roland looked around. "Where is Avery, by the way?"
Henry's eyes scanned the crowd casually. "Somewhere, probably having some quarrel with friends."
"That sounds like her."
Roland's attention drifted away the moment he spotted a small stall tucked into one of the brighter corners of the hallway.
A modest setup compared to the grand scale of the building, but the scent of chilled fruit and cream made him approach there.
"Give me one milkshake." Roland said, pulling out a bit of cash with casual confidence.
The vendor nodded and began preparing it while Roland leaned slightly on the counter. Already relaxed as if the upcoming event didn't exist.
Henry, meanwhile, remained near the corridor entrance, hands in his pockets. He exhaled softly, gaze moving across the wide hall.
The place was secure, heavily monitored, and yet… something about the rhythm of movement felt off. Too controlled.
Boredom settled in his expression for a brief moment.
He turned slightly and walked toward a tall window overlooking the sea. The glass was clear, showing nothing but the dark ocean and distant horizon lights flickered.
That's when he saw them. Two figures in black.
Entering through a side passage, not the main gate.
Their movement was smooth and unnatural for a place this guarded. If they were agents why being so secretive?
Henry's eyes narrowed slightly.
Too suspicious to be ordinary guests.
Without turning his head too sharply, he changed his stance. Watching them through reflection instead of direct gaze.
He stepped back from the window slowly, making sure his movement blended with passing agents.
Then, he slipped out of sight, dropping down a side ledge outside the corridor. Careful to ensure no one inside noticed his absence.
Beneath light of windows, clinging to the outer ledge of an upper maintenance path, two figures marxhed carefully along the narrow exterior walkway.
Both were masked.
White skull-like coverings hid their faces completely, hollow eye sockets reflecting city lights.
Their heads were wrapped in dark, layered cloth strips that fluttered slightly with the wind. Muffling their silhouettes and breaking their outline against the night sky.
One of them paused near a reinforced vent shaft. Fingers testing the panel edges.
"We enter from here." one voice said softly, distorted slightly through the mask.
"Surveillance room should be two levels above internal east corridor."
The second figure leaned closer,
"Too many eyes inside. One wrong signal and the entire grid locks down."
The first intruder adjusted their grip on the ledge. "We don't need long control. Just enough to blind them during the announcement."
The second gave a small nod.
With a careful twist, the panel gave a click. The second masked figure held steady against the wall. Their fingers were pressed into the grooves of the stone as they monitored the corridor.
"Thirty seconds." one of them whispered.
"Make it twenty." the other replied.
A low sound came from their back.
"Bit late for maintenance work, don't you think?"
Both intruders stunned seeing Henry there intact with building.
Henry stood balanced against the outer ledge behind them. One hand gripped the edge of a support beam. His coat fluttered slightly in the sea wind.
His eyes reflected the building lights.
Then one of the masked figures spoke. "You weren't supposed to notice."
Henry tilted his head slightly.
"You weren't supposed to toilet here."
The second intruder lunged first, driving forward with sudden speed.
Henry reacted instantly, stepping aside on the narrow ledge while grabbing the attacker's arm. Twisting it outward to redirect momentum.
The first intruder followed with a sweeping strike aimed at Henry's ribs, forcing him to duck low against the wall.
Stone dust scattered as boots scraped violently against the surface.
"That was... super dump." Henry muttered.
The fight became chaotic in seconds. Three bodies struggled on a ledge barely wide enough for one. A misstep, A MASSIVE MISSTEP.
All three lost balance at once.
Instead of dropping, Henry shifted his footing sideways and pressed his boots flat against the vertical surface.
The two intruders reacted instantly, adjusting their posture the same way.
The bodies aligned unnaturally with the wall as if gravity itself had tilted them. They weren't falling.
They were walking down the wall.
Three descended along the building's outer face, quarrelling.
"You followed us too quickly!" one masked figure hissed.
Henry scoffed. "You entered too loudly, brother."
They landed together on the lower terrace with solid thuds. They bent their knees to absorb the impact.
Henry straightened rolling his shoulders once as he stepped forward onto the lower terrace.
The two masked intruders stood a few steps ahead. Their skull masks gleamed under the scattered exterior lights.
Henry's gaze hardened as he faced them directly.
"What's your intention here?"
The intruders didn't answer.
Instead, both reached beneath their cloaks and drew their weapons.
Henry exhaled once calmly. Then he slid one foot back, lowering his center of gravity. Aligning body into a familiar stance.