Choi Eun-kyung's room was enveloped in a calm so intense that it almost suffocated the silence. It was the kind of tranquility accompanied by a gentle tension, the anticipation of the chaos that would unfold at any moment. Seraphina remained seated on the edge of the bed, her fingers threading through the buckles of her boots with almost ritualistic precision. The uniform of the Order of Erebus lay on her knees, sturdy, discreet, dyed in dark tones that blended perfectly with the urban alleys they would later walk through. A black armband, with the whitish symbol of the Order, rested on the table. She glanced at it briefly, aware that this small accessory would symbolize her legitimacy on an official mission.
As she pulled her hair into a tight bun, she took a deep breath, listening to the friction of the glove's material against her skin. Then her eyes fell on the EVP containment ring resting on her outstretched palm, an Elysian creation that allowed her to safely harness her energy. At first, the artifact had functioned as a gauge when fierce emotions threatened to spill over, releasing sharp and neutral impulses to the flow of dark magic. Now, for the first time officially in the field, the ring would be her anchor, a protection against herself and against the unpredictable unfolding of events.
A murmured knock sounded at the door. Seraphina sighed. "Ethan." She managed to keep her nervous tone in check as she spoke firmly, despite the nerves on edge knowing who was behind the door. "It's you, isn't it?"
The door opened, revealing Ethan's confident, unprepared figure. As always, he was leaning against the doorframe with a relaxed posture, his brown hair slightly messy, his dark overcoat hanging over his inspector's suit. He smiled casually and said in the English slurred by the American accent that she insisted on correcting. "Good morning, rookie."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow, although she was clearly nervous, this was her first real mission. "Ethan, I told you... my English isn't good. Do me a favor and speak properly, damn it."
He laughed, changing his tone to something more comforting. "I know that. But creating this team atmosphere is part of the deal, isn't it?" He walked past her and into the room as if he were at home. "You're tense. Is this mission just to measure your performance in the field? Not too easy, not impossible."
She turned her face away, crossing her arms. "If it was no big deal, why are they sending me with you to 'inspect' me?"
He stopped in the center of the room, turned back a little, and shrugged. "Well, the leadership up there still doesn't know if you're a racehorse or a ticking time bomb. And I was the one who brought you to the Order, remember? So they sent me here to make sure you don't blow anything up, literally or figuratively, obviously."
Seraphina engoliu o aperto no peito, respirou profundamente, o ar gelado do quarto parecia intensificar seu nervosismo. Ajustou a braçadeira, simples gesto de memorização inconsciente. "Então me observe", declarou, olhando-o nos olhos. "Mas sem atrapalhar. Entendido, Ethan?"
He nodded, laughing. "Of course. I've never bothered you in my life, my dear Marshal. Shall we go?"
Two hours later, the Order of Erebus jet was cutting through the upper layers of the atmosphere over the south of France. Outside, clouds shimmered in patterns that would never be repeated, and the engines hummed with the promise of an imminent mission. Seraphina sat at a folding table, connected to a tablet that displayed maps, routes, alternative paths and forged documents. It was the technical arsenal that would give them an advantage. She adjusted her armband, firmed her posture: the weight of responsibility made her vibrate.
Ethan, in front of her, crossed his arms and explained the mission, every detail filled with military precision. "Our destination is Marseille. Identify and intercept a shipment of modified arcane technology. This package leaves the old port, travels underground routes, reaches the Italian border. We have to stop before that." He paused, looking at the plane's dashboard. "Minimal staff. Zero contact with civilians. This is the acid test, with almost no margin for error."
Seraphina leaned forward. "What if there's some kind of confrontation?"
"Absolute control," he replied firmly. "No purple or bright explosions shaking the city blocks. No fancy light shows. Clarity and efficiency. Restrained, direct, surgical." The words flowed, firm and sure, shaping a mindset.
Seraphina nodded, feeling her pulse quicken. "I get it, dammit," she said. She took a deep breath. "It's not like I don't know how to maintain control, unlike you, obviously."
Ethan gave her a quick smile. "Right. But take my advice count to three before activating."
The plane touched down smoothly at Marseille-Provence airport. A breeze that mixed the salt of the sea and the Mediterranean heat came through the doors as if the city had greeted its new visitors with a whisper. Seraphina watched every step carefully. The surroundings were ordinary: tourists, strollers, diverse voices. But she had been trained to find underground businesses behind the peaceful facades.
They descended the steps of the plane. The uniform had been replaced by ordinary civilian clothes, a discreet overcoat and dark jeans for Seraphina; Ethan opted for light pants and a neat jacket. Everything was designed to disguise himself. No insignia, no glitter. Just two human operatives, seemingly harmless.
From the airport, they headed to the old part of the city. The path wound through narrow cobblestone streets: souvenir shops, steaming cafes, old awnings, a bohemian atmosphere. All around, locals were hurrying around corners; some employees were working unloading boxes at snack bars. The dynamic was bustling, a sign of urban life. But for those trained, the silence between the sounds, the details in the gestures, spoke much louder.
Stealthily, they passed through a service portal, where they found an old, poorly lit building: the facade of a closed antique shop contrasted with the transient modernity of the streets. Inside, peeling walls and dusty shop windows. The place was the first of three operational bases: a reception channel for contraband.
Ethan whispered. "Take a deep breath, rookie. Time to test you. And this is your stage." He pushed the door open slightly and they entered.
Seraphina felt her heart race. The mixed smell of mold and old wood entered her nostrils. The metal barrels creaked under some noise. It was a calm carefully planned to hide the real purpose of the place, tension hung in the air even in the dim light; at any moment, it could explode.
They advanced, keeping safe distances. Shadows danced on the walls, reminding them that any sudden movement would draw attention. Seraphina tightened her armband: the symbol of the Order injected strength, but also demanded responsibility.
Ethan pulled back his hood. "Ready?" he whispered in her ear. He tried to adopt a more relaxed tone, but his tone still smacked of rigid formality. She breathed carefully, tempered it calmly. "Ready."
The objective was simple: observe and identify the group's structure, its defenses, number of men, weapons, escape targets. They needed to pass information to the base and intercept the shipment. At any sign of adverse reaction, Seraphina would spring into action.
They followed the side corridor, the floor creaking discreetly, demanding attention. On the tablet, Seraphina checked codes. Each number represented arcana pieces, decoding instruments, small espionage artifacts, and bioactive liquids, some recoverable for study. The traffickers treated them as valuable merchandise, but they didn't know how to deal with the pure essence of EVP; their energy was a tangible threat to production.
The hallway opened onto a rusty metal door marked "Warehouse 47." Beneath it, the number was scratched and rewritten in smudged ink. Ethan pressed a comm button. "We're in position. No visual confirmation yet." His voice came through, light and steady.
Seraphina stepped forward, her senses attuned. EVP tingled beneath her skin. She could feel a slight distortion in space, perhaps a cloaking field, perhaps rudimentary magic that was barely stabilized. She took a slow breath. Her chest puffed out, but she controlled her momentum. It was like holding back an internal volcano that was just waiting for a signal to roar.
Ethan watched her from the corner, ready to intervene. "Did you feel anything there, Choi?" She answered in a whisper: "Yes. There's distortion, maybe camouflage on the perimeter. Nothing too strong, but it means arcane technology or a failure. I can open a passage with my EVP." He nodded silently.
With precision, Seraphina held the EVP in the palm of her hand, concentrating the short, sharp energy. She slid her fist against the cold metal. A tremor vibrated in the air for a few seconds, making the walls tremble slightly. The illusion outside shattered like glass and allowed a glimpse of three figures inside the warehouse: men handling boxes, electronic equipment, jars with pulsating liquids in faint colors. If they remained still, they would think they were protected. They were not.
"Visual contact confirmed," Seraphina whispered. "Three targets. Two appear to have no EVP, one may be channeling casually." Her golden eyes took in every detail, every gesture.
"Follow the plan," Ethan replied. "You go in, and I'll go in right behind you. If there's a reaction, I'll cover."
She took a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, mentally reciting Elysian's teachings: no unnecessary actions. Use as little arcane manifestation as possible. Avoid collateral damage. If you want to end this quickly, emotional control and surgical strike.
The door swung open slowly and silently. A corridor of shadow and flickering light lay between her eyes and the drug dealers. In her mind, every second was slow motion. She stepped in, her body light, almost floating, and stood in the center of the room. The men looked up at the same time.
The first raised a rudimentary weapon, it looked like a converted revolver. Before she could fire, a fiery purple crackle ripped through the air, the gun flying from her hand with a short spark and disappearing into the ground. Seraphina advanced with deadly grace. Her first strike was invisible: a sharp punch, bracelet spinning, the second target staggered. The muffled sound of impact shook the warehouse.
Meanwhile, the third one lunged for the alarm panel. His hand touched the button, but a blade of energy split the panel in half. A clean cut, no sparks, no alarm. The shock was greater than the gravity of the scene.
Ethan watched from the hallway, ready. He thought: Different. She seemed more distant, more controlled. She was still as fierce as in training, but now there was a nervous elegance.
Everything seemed resolved, but the fight was camouflaged among the metal columns. A tense silence hung. Then, a fourth figure emerged from a hidden compartment behind the boxes: tall, imposing, wearing a rustic exoskeleton. Metallic veins pulsed along his arms; a cold glow ran through his modified irises. He growled. "Do you always send rookies on these missions?"
His gaze locked on Seraphina, synthetic light streaming through the lenses of his eyes. She felt the EVP bubble beneath her skin as if an internal storm were brewing, ready to burst its containment. "If it's a fight you want… you'll have it," she replied, her tone sudden and firm, letting the arcane union flow.
The man lunged toward her, and the earth shook. EVP exploded like an inner wave, the air vibrating. The contours of reality flexed for an instant, and the cellular space around her contorted. Flickering lights flickered. The breeze from the street met artificial currents.
She raised her arms, the beginning of the combat provided by the exoskeleton. A subtle, invisible blast pushed the enemy back. Pillars shook. The field of this structure became a stage, two bodies, technology and technique, confronting each other, shaking the frames.
Ethan entered, but he will only cross the dynamic threshold when he deems it necessary. He knew he was about to witness the outcome of the fight, his bet was that Seraphina would emerge victorious, but the final passage was missing.