Blackout Fortress loomed in the dark, its towering structure a symbol of both security and failure. The briefing room inside was filled with the muted hum of tension—officers murmuring, reports being shuffled, the occasional flicker of a holographic display adjusting to new information.

  Khem stood near the window, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the sprawling city beyond. Weird sat in one of the chairs, feet kicked up on the table, idly tapping his fingers against the surface in a slow, rhythmic pattern. Senshi stood with his arms folded, silent and composed, his presence grounding the room. Shining, meanwhile, leaned lazily against the table, his usual confident smirk present as he absently toyed with a holographic interface. Across the room, Samui and Brave reviewed the mission logs, scrutinizing every detail of their failed encounter with Wise and Three.

  “We were compromised,” Brave said, his voice even but carrying the weight of their collective frustration. “That’s no longer a suspicion—it’s a fact.”

  Samui tapped the screen, zooming in on the recorded data. “Three was never supposed to be aware of our plan, let alone have the means to trap us in that loop. Someone fed them our movements.”

  A mole.

  The word wasn’t spoken, but it lingered in the air like a loaded gun waiting to go off.

  Weird let out a low whistle. “So we’re dealing with either a traitor in SOF… or someone on the outside who’s got a god-level intel network.”

  Khem turned, his voice measured. “Or both.”

  Shining scoffed, flicking a light-based projection between his fingers. “Fantastic. Betrayal and paranoia. Just another day at the office.”

  Brave nodded. “We can’t ignore any possibility.”

  Samui’s fingers moved swiftly across the holographic interface, running traces through encrypted data logs. “The real meteorite stone was swapped before we even got there. Meaning this was planned well in advance.”

  Senshi, who had remained silent up until now, finally spoke. “If that’s true, then our enemy doesn’t just have information—they have precision. This wasn’t a last-minute betrayal. This was years in the making.”

  Khem’s mind worked through the implications. The fake meteorite stone had been flawless—a perfect replica that even their most advanced scanners hadn’t detected. Whoever had orchestrated this wasn’t just well-connected; they were meticulous. They knew SOF procedures. They knew how to keep one step ahead.

  Which meant their enemy wasn’t just powerful. They were patient.

  Brave exhaled. “We need to rethink our approach. No more predictable responses. No more playing by the book.”

  “Music to my ears,” Weird muttered. “So, what’s the new game plan?”

  Brave leaned forward. “We let them think they’re still ahead. We feed them false intel—controlled leaks that we can track. If they’re watching us, we make sure they see exactly what we want them to see.”

  Samui raised an eyebrow. “And what do we want them to see?”

  Brave’s expression darkened. “That we’re walking into another trap.”

  Silence settled over the room.

  Shining grinned. “Alright, now you’re talking my language.”

  Khem remained quiet, but his gaze was sharp, analyzing the risk. “It’s dangerous. If they realize we’re baiting them, they’ll adjust.”

  Senshi nodded. “Then we adjust faster.”

  Brave met Khem’s eyes. “That’s why we need you, Hinpa. To make sure they don’t get the chance.”

  Khem gave a slow nod. “Then let’s move.”

  As the team dispersed to prepare, Khem couldn’t shake the feeling that the real enemy—the one pulling the strings—hadn’t revealed themselves yet. And until they did, SOF was still fighting blind. Rather than acting recklessly, SOF decided to bring in outside expertise. They needed an independent analyst—someone with no ties to SOF, Wise, or any of their known enemies.

  Samui compiled a list of potential candidates, but one name stood out: Cipher. She hesitated before saying it, knowing how the others would react. “Cipher,” she said finally, pulling up an encrypted file.

  Brave frowned. “That’s not a name. That’s a warning.”

  “It’s both,” Samui replied. “Cipher is the best digital ghost in the world. If there’s a mole in SOF, he’ll find them.”

  Khem narrowed his eyes. “And why is someone like that available for hire?”

  Weird leaned back, smirking. “Because even ghosts need to eat.”

  Shining raised an eyebrow. “If this guy is so good, what’s stopping him from working for the enemy?”

  Samui glanced at him, then back at the screen. “That’s the thing—no one knows where his loyalties lie. He’s been hired by both sides before, but he’s never fully committed to any organization.” She paused, narrowing her eyes. “But there’s one pattern. He always chooses the side that makes the game more interesting.”

  Shining smirked. “Sounds like someone I’d get along with.”

  Samui tapped the screen, data scrolling rapidly. “Cipher used to work deep in military counter-intel before going dark. No real records, no confirmed face. The only thing that proves he exists are the systems he’s broken into.”

  Senshi folded his arms. “That makes him both an asset and a risk.”

  Brave exhaled sharply. “And you trust him?”

  “No,” Samui admitted. “But I trust his skill. And right now, he's our best shot.”

  SOF reached out through one of Cipher’s known secure channels, sending a heavily encoded request for his services. The response came within an hour. A meeting request. Cipher had agreed to hear them out, but on his terms. The team would meet him at a neutral location. No weapons. No tracking devices. No backup.

  “We’re walking in blind,” Khem noted.

  Brave exhaled. “I’ll coordinate from Blackout Fortress. Khem, Samui, Weird, Senshi, and Shining—you five handle the meeting. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be ready to provide backup remotely.”

  When they arrived at the designated location, they didn’t find Cipher waiting for them. Instead, a simple data terminal sat on a reinforced metal crate, humming softly. A single line of text flickered onto the screen. "You're already two steps behind."

  Samui’s eyes narrowed. She glanced at the terminal, fingers hovering over the interface. “He's testing us.”

  Senshi remained motionless, eyes scanning the shadows. “Or stalling us.”

  Another message appeared. "You didn’t check your tail. I counted three watchers outside. One of them left a transmitter under your transport."

  Weird let out a low whistle. “And here I thought we were being careful.”

  Khem tensed. If Cipher was right, their meeting had already been compromised.

  "The mole? I know who it is. But nothing comes for free." Then, a new file appeared, locked behind an encrypted firewall. A final message followed:

  "Your task is simple. Retrieve and deliver a classified asset. No questions asked."

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The words hung heavy in the air, the sterile glow of the briefing room casting sharp shadows across the team. Silence stretched before Shining scoffed, crossing his arms. "No questions? That's a joke, right? We don’t even know what this so-called asset is."

  Khem’s expression remained unreadable, his voice firm. "Orders are orders. We don’t break protocol."

  Weird tossing a small metal coin between his fingers. "Oh sure, let’s just do what we’re told like good little soldiers. No need to think, no need to question. That’s always worked out great in history, hasn’t it?"

  Senshi exhaled sharply. "And what happens when that blind obedience comes back to bite us? The higher-ups play their cards close for a reason, but we’re the ones on the ground. If we don’t ask questions, who will?"

  Shining turned to Samui. "You're the one who always talks about strategy. This? This isn’t strategy. This is a setup."

  Samui's gaze flicked over the mission details once more. The uncertainty, the lack of intel, the insistence on silence—it all painted a picture she didn’t like. She took a breath, then exhaled. "Enough of this."

  Her fingers flew across the interface as she initiated an override. The system immediately fought back. The screen flickered red. "Intrusion detected. Security protocol engaged." A surge of defensive countermeasures flooded the system, forcing Samui to react fast.

  Shining blinked, stepping closer. "Wait, you’re really going for it? You know breaking into this could get us in even deeper, right?"

  Samui shot back. "We’re already in deep, so we might as well get something out of it. I need your help. Can you keep the overload from triggering a lockout?"

  Shining hesitated for only a second before stepping forward, his hands glowing with energy as he interfaced with the system. "I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually helping with hacking."

  "We don’t have time for jokes," Samui snapped, eyes locked on the screen. "Keep it steady, or we’re locked out for good!"

  “On it,” Shining muttered, pouring energy into stabilizing the compromised data stream. The countdown was at five seconds.

  Then the screen flashed green. "Override successful. File decrypted." The team exhaled as the list loaded.

  “What the hell…” Khem muttered as he scanned the contents.

  The decrypted file contained a list of high-ranking SOF members who had been unknowingly bugged—either compromised or under surveillance for years. And at the bottom of the list, highlighted separately— The mole: Two. Silence stretched between them as everyone stared at the name.

  Weird squinted. “Who the hell is that?”

  Shining frowned. “Wait. That’s not one of ours, right?”

  Khem crossed his arms. “If it is, they’ve been so under the radar that even we didn’t notice.”

  Senshi’s voice was sharp. “Which makes them even more dangerous.”

  Samui scrolled through the file, searching for more details. “There’s almost nothing on them. No real history, barely any records.”

  Shining scoffed. “So, let me get this straight. The biggest threat inside SOF… is some ghost we’ve never even heard of?”

  Weird smirked. “Now that’s unsettling.”

  Khem looked back at the screen, his expression unreadable. “Then we start digging. Fast.”

  Before anyone could move, another message flickered onto the screen. "Well done. That was entertaining."

  Weird groaned. "Oh great, he's still watching."

  "You’ve proven yourselves resourceful. I expected the ethical debate, but I wasn’t sure you had the guts to take what you wanted anyway. Consider this my formal congratulations."

  Shining rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks. I’ll put that in my résumé."

  Another message flickered onto the screen. "I can tell you more about Two. I can tell you what Wise’s next move is. But… information is never free."

  Khem narrowed his eyes. "Of course there's a catch. What do you want?"

  "Nothing too drastic this time. Just a simple favor. One that won’t get your hands too dirty."

  Senshi’s expression remained unreadable, but his voice was cold. "We don’t work for criminals."

  "And yet here you are, breaking into my system."

  Samui's fingers hovered over the interface. "We can just take what we need and leave. We don’t need your help."

  "True. But you don’t know why Two is important. And without that, you’ll be chasing ghosts in the dark."

  A tense silence filled the room. Khem exchanged glances with Senshi, Shining, and Weird.

  Shining sighed, rubbing his temples. "Here we go again. What’s the favor?"

  "Simple. Remove my name from SOF’s global watchlist."

  Samui’s hands clenched into fists. "You want us to erase your record? That’s not happening."

  Senshi’s voice was razor-sharp. "You’re asking us to willingly let a high-profile data thief disappear off our radar."

  "And in return, you get exactly what you want—more on Two, and Wise’s next move."

  Shining scoffed. "And how do we know you won’t just use that freedom to screw us over later?"

  "Oh, you don’t. But I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll throw in a little extra insight—your mole is only part of the problem. If you’re worried about security breaches, you should be looking a lot higher up." That caught everyone’s attention. Samui exchanged a glance with Khem, and Senshi’s jaw tightened. Cipher knew something deeper—something worse.

  Weird tapped his fingers against his chair, considering. "I hate to say it, but for once, this guy’s got leverage."

  Khem exhaled slowly, his mind racing. "We either make the trade or walk away with just the basics on Two. And if he’s right about a larger threat… we might be missing something critical."

  Samui glared at the screen. "And what happens if we say no?"

  "Then you take what little you got, and you stay blind to the bigger picture."

  A heavy silence fell over the team as they faced the decision.

  Samui exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "This is a mistake. We don’t just erase criminals from our systems. Cipher has played both sides before—what's stopping him from doing it again?"

  Senshi’s gaze remained cold. "This isn’t just about him. It’s about trust. If we do this, we’re admitting we can be bought."

  Shining crossed his arms. "Great. So not only do we have a mole, but now we’re officially making deals with known manipulators. Can’t wait to see how that blows up in our faces."

  Weird gave a lazy shrug. "Look, this sucks, but let’s not pretend we haven’t bent the rules before. We need the info. The alternative is walking away blind."

  Samui’s fingers hovered over the interface, her jaw tight. "I hate this. This isn’t how we operate."

  Khem remained silent for a long moment, his thoughts racing. He glanced between his team, weighing their words. Finally, he let out a slow breath. "We do it. But if Cipher double-crosses us, we burn every trace of him from existence."

  "Duly noted. And appreciated."

  Samui scowled but executed the request. A moment later, Cipher’s record blinked out of existence from SOF’s global watchlist.

  "Ah, freedom. Now, let’s talk about Wise."

  A new data stream appeared on their display, filling the screen with decrypted logs and intercepted communications.

  "Wise has been collecting meteorite stone fragments for years, but you already knew that. What you didn’t know—until now—is that he has almost all of them."

  Samui’s breath caught. "That’s impossible. We would have—"

  "Noticed? No, you wouldn’t have. Because Wise played you like a symphony. Every distraction, every false lead, every 'lucky escape'—they weren’t accidents. He’s been steps ahead of you, making sure you stayed blind until it was too late."

  Khem’s fists clenched. "Too late for what?"

  "Too late to stop him. He’s not just hoarding the stones—he’s doing something big. Something irreversible."

  Senshi’s voice was low. "What is he planning?"

  "Now that... is the fun part. Even I don’t have all the details. But if I were you, I’d stop worrying about catching your mole. Because Wise? He’s about to change the game entirely."

  The room went dead silent.

  Before anyone could react, The room remained heavy with Cipher’s words, unease settling over the team like a thick fog.

  Then, Brave’s voice crackled through their earpieces, tension sharp in his tone.

  "Heads up. I’ve got movement heading your way—fast. This isn’t just surveillance. Someone’s making a move on you."

  Samui’s fingers flew across the console, trying to tap into satellite feeds. "Brave, what do you see?"

  "Whoever it is, they’re good. No clear visuals. But if I had to guess... you’re about to meet your mole in person."

  Khem’s expression darkened. "It’s him."

  Shining narrowed his eyes. "Two."

  Senshi’s stance shifted, hands at the ready. "Then let him come."

  Khem exhaled sharply, scanning the surroundings. "Stay sharp. We don’t know what he’s capable of."

  Shining cracked his knuckles, his light energy flickering between his fingers. "Yeah, but I bet it’s gonna be fun finding out."

  Weird spun his knife once, grinning. "Better than sitting around, at least."

  "Looks like your little mole finally made their move," Cipher mused, entirely unbothered. "Well, this just got more interesting."

  Khem turned sharply toward the terminal. "We’re done here."

  "Oh, I think we’re just getting started."

  The screen flickered, lingering for a moment longer than expected, as if Cipher was watching their reactions in real time. Then, before it fully shut off, one final message appeared.

  "Run along now. I’ll be watching how this plays out."

  "I bet Wise saw this coming too."

  A distorted chuckle echoed through the speakers before the screen powered down. Cipher was gone.

  A cold silence followed.

  Senshi’s jaw tightened. "He knows more than he’s letting on. I don’t trust him."

  Shining folded his arms, eyes narrowing. "Yeah, and now he’s conveniently wiped from SOF’s records? That’s a little too perfect."

  Samui frowned. "We don’t have time to deal with Cipher right now. But the second this mission is over, we need to consider whether he’s been playing us from the start."

  Khem’s fists clenched. "If we find out he’s working both sides, we eliminate him."

  Weird let out a dry chuckle. "Let’s add him to the list of problems for later. Right now, we’ve got another one heading straight for us."

  Samui’s gaze remained locked on the terminal. "He was too smug. He knows something we don’t."

  Khem’s jaw tightened. "And we just let him walk away with a clean slate."

  Weird let out a dry chuckle. "Let’s add him to the list of problems for later. Right now, we’ve got another one heading straight for us."

  A voice echoed from nowhere and everywhere at once.

  "Since I'm discovered, no point hiding now."

  The air felt heavier, and before anyone could react, a figure materialized from the shadows—Two.

  For a fleeting moment, his presence was solid, unmistakable. Then, as quickly as he appeared, he vanished.

  Khem's instincts flared. Something was wrong.

  Without warning, his surroundings distorted—time and space bending unnaturally.

  He blinked.

  And suddenly, he wasn’t where he had been a moment ago.

  The others were gone.

  The air was eerily still, the colors of the world subtly off, as if he had stepped into a warped reflection of reality.

  Then, movement.

  He was surrounded.

  Multiple versions of Two stood around him in a perfect circle, each one holding a gun, each one aiming directly at his head.

  A trap. A perfect ambush.

  All of them pulled the trigger at the same time.

  Khem’s body reacted before his mind could catch up—his defensive stasis activated instinctively.

  Everything… twisted. A fraction of a second lost to nothing. Then silence.

  The bullets struck—but not in the way they were meant to.

  A ripple of force radiated outward as the rounds made contact, deflecting off Khem’s stasis field and rebounding in all directions. The air cracked with the sharp ping of ricocheting bullets as they tore through the distorted space around him, some even striking the illusions of Two that had encircled him.

  This was not the battlefield he had known.

  This is Two's domain.