The members of Vacille met at the base's conference room in the middle of night, where the moon ruled the black skies like a vigilant eye over all Athearians who were asleep or awake at this hour.  

  

The round table in the meeting room had more vacant chairs than occupied ones, giving an uncanny feeling of emptiness. Dani plugged in her laptop, and the only sound breaking the eerie calm was the soft clack of her keys. A dull blue glow pulsed from a holographic gadget in the center of the table, throwing strange shadows on the walls.  

  

"Where's Elle?" Nikolas said, looking for the brunette with short hair. Despite the casual tone, his question communicated a sense of concern.

"Why should she be here?" Mathilda responded, her brows narrowed and her voice was laced with irritation. "This is a Vacille meeting."  

  

"She is a Vacille," Niko said, challenging anybody who disagreed.  

  

"Not yet." Mika cut in before Mathilda could respond.Her tone was quiet yet firm. She rose from her chair, her jaw set tight in the faint light. "Elle may live under our roof, but it does not imply we trust her. "Not yet."

"But she saved my life," Niko tried to defend Elle in a hushed but firm voice, his brow furrowed as he struggled to make sense of Mika's harsh dismissal. His gaze moved between Mika and Mathilda with clear confusion.

"So did our traitorous friends." Mathilda remarked, her voice like a whip cutting through the atmosphere in the room. She leaned forwards, a hardened expression on her face, "Just because someone pulls you out from the fire doesn't mean they can't push you into the flames later."

Niko was speechless at Mathilda's words as he clenched his fists at his sides. He weight of Mathilda's words and the memories it triggered rendered him to close his mouth shut.  

  

"Meeting starting," Dani muttered under her breath. Her voice was quiet and almost lost in the hum of the holographic device, but it was strong enough to dismiss the tension brewing in the meeting room  

  

Niko sighed harshly. He wanted to stand up for Elle, but he knew it was the time for it. Instead he moved his gaze to the table where the hologram's flashing light mirrored his inner conflict.  

  

Mika's sharp eyes scanned the room to ensure that the tension had subsided before starting. “Dani found something earlier today…” She paused reflectively, her words hanging like an unsprung trap in the middle of her sentence. All eyes were on Dani, and the room was now silent, anticipation smoldering like lightning.

"I was searching the database across Athearian for any information about Elle." Dani began with a calm but nervous tone. When she pressed the computer, a hologram appeared with hundreds of shattered logs, casting a ghostly blue light around the room. "That's when I came across hundreds of messages—encrypted, hidden in plain sight, all written in secret codes." 

Natsuo leaned forward, running his fingers over the hologram's shiny surface. After perusing the first few messages, he took one out "'Damsel on Boulivia Street onwards.' 'I see hallow at 3gt.'" He read aloud. Natsuo shook his head, as if thrilled by the ridiculousness, and laughed quietly. A sneer curled at his lips as he carelessly flipped the hologram back toward the center of the table. "Is this what got you so worked up?""

"What are they suppose to mean? " Mathilda's eyes narrowed as she read the cryptic messages, "They seem like normal conversations between criminals."  

  

"It looks like it," Dani said as her clicked over the keys of her laptop. The hologram shifted once again, revealing a more detailed study of the encrypted conversations. "But when I started digging and decoding them, I found out that they're all connected. They're transactions, scheduled meetings, and location routines." The weight of her discovery caused her voice to thicken as her fingers hovered over a group of numbers. "The phone numbers are different, but the codewords are all same."  

  

Dani continued, her voice barely audible, as if she were discussing something too dangerous to say aloud. "Earlier, I deciphered the most recent one. It's a drop-off at midnight tomorrow at a warehouse just south of Westborne."  

  

The words hung in the air, creating tension. Nikolas' mood clouded as his gaze switched instantly to her. "So Elle is connected to all of this?"

"No," Dani replied in a firm, almost mechanical voice, "It's all connected to Yeomora." She quickly flipped the hologram once more, and a digital receipt from the Palace appeared in the air with the numbers ominously displayed. 85 million worth of money.

"This is an enormous payment from Empress Yeomora herself," Dani added, her voice still raspy  "And it was in the trash bin on her laptop. I tracked it and she sent it to the same location to the drop off tomorrow. The empress is connected with these coded messages."

"But how can we be sure that this isn't a trap?" Mathilda said, tense and apprehensive. She folded her arms in a defensive position, her eyes narrowing. "All of this might be a set up. Are you saying that confidential data like this just so happens to fall into your lap? With them being fully aware that you've accessed almost all of their systems?"

"I thought the same thing too." She paused for a bit. Dani adjusted the picture once again with deliberate movements. The panel blinked, revealing two cryptic conversation logs from three years ago between the Empress's right-hand man, Marcelo, and an unknown number.

"Here," Dani muttered gently as she looked through the three lit messages, "On all of the Palace's devices that link to the coded messages, these are the only messages I could find. And they've been doing it for over three years."  

  

Natsuo leaned in close with a smirk on his lips. “They’re good at hiding, eh?" His tone was a mix of grudging respect.  

  

Mathilda frowned as she carefully studied the messages, attempting to interpret the coded exchanges. She could sense the evil undertone behind the words, which were a jumble of cryptic words that she couldn't decipher at first glance.  

  

“What are they saying?" Mika asked, her stare sharp and her words cutting through the silence.  

  

 "From what I gather, they're getting ready for a major event. They keep talking about the 'Kikana Project.'" The hologram was hovered over by Dani's fingertips. She looked through the messages, focusing on one discussion, "I don't know what it is, but after decoding the other chat logs, it may be a drug—something that has to do with tampering with a person's abilities"  

  

"It's either to enhance abilities, or completely erase them." Nikolas commented and shook his head, his own words setting in. "Either way, it's fucked up."

The room fell silent for a moment as everyone realized how serious the situation was. Mika eventually broke the stillness, speaking cautiously firmly. "We still don't know if this is a trap or not. We'll have to go to Westborne to find out. Let's have a meeting again tomorrow morning to complete the plan. We're gonna have to include Elle in this since she's our only healer."  

  

Mathilda scoffs at the mention of Elle, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes in an annoyed manner. "Speaking of Elle," she remarked, her voice full of scorn. Her tone was severe as she turned to face Dani. “Anything you’ve dug up on her?"  

  

"Not much," Dani said in a flat, disappointed tone. After a brief pause, Dani flipped the holographic interface, revealing Elle's limited data from The Shelter. Uncomfortably, the hologram revealed no identity or birth certificate, only a few formal registrations and notes written by people who had trained and met her at The Shelter.  

  

Leaning forward, the Vacille members examined the data. Nikolas' fingers grabbed for a hologram letter as his gaze shifted across the screen. "'Physical strength is above average.', 'Excels in Marksmanship.'" he read aloud, the words ringing with a sense of recognition. "That's not exactly surprising."

"She excels, alright," Natsuo stated, casting a critical glance at the hologram. "Top 1 in shooting, but only top 5 in hand-to-hand combat." He reads with a touch of amusement as he tosses the hologram back into the center of the table. "Not exactly a prodigy in close combat."

"Still, a high spot." Nikolas grumbled and put the hologram away. He took a defensive stance, sitting back and fiercely crossing his arms.

Mathilda wasn't satisfied. Her gaze shifted to Mika, frustration visible in her eyes. "All this information just proves how we can't trust her." She went on, "Mika, she's a liability."

Although Mika's face tightened, she maintained her composure while glancing between the members. "I understand that this appears concerning," she said, her tone laden with responsibility. "We don't know for sure about Elle. For the time being, however, we can benefit on her contributions to the Vacile." She hesitated, the implicit threat lingering in the air, "If she does turn against us... We take her out."

Nikolas's chest grew constricted. As he heard the cold calculation in Mika's voice, his muscles tensed and his annoyance increased. He was aware that this was how the Vacile operated, but he didn't appreciate hearing it expressed so casually about Elle, whom he had already grown to trust.

The words kept echoing in his mind. "If she does turn against us... We take her out."

  

The idea bothered him. It didn't seem fair. The notion of executing someone who had saved his life made him uneasy, even though he knew they were simply being cautious. He was well aware of the danger they were in. But, to him, Elle was different. She was more than just a recruit. She wasn't the aloof, clever stranger who knew more than she showed.  

  

She was simply a woman who had been really unlucky and ended up associated with the Vacile because of him.  

  

Because of him.

That idea constantly bothered him. She got into this situation because of him. He had placed his trust in her, hoping she might join the Vacile and make a difference. If ever he was wrong about her and she turned out to be as bad as Mathilda claimed her to be, then he'll take responsibility.

Breathing grew increasingly difficult as the weight of the responsibility pressed down on his chest like a anvil.

Nikolas stayed quiet. Instead, he felt the room close in on him as he clenched his jaws and gazed at the table. He  couldn't explain his trust in Elle. It was instinctive. It was raw. But it was there. And that was true, regardless of how ridiculous it was.

Nikolas saw her as simply trying to live, despite the fact that others saw her as a threat.

"Okay, everyone, get some rest," Mika concluded the discussion in a composed yet firm voice. "We have a busy day tomorrow."

The room echoed with lowered movement as the Vacile members began to rise from their chairs. Natsuo gently scraped his chair back and walked away without saying anything or glancing around. Dani quietly grabbed her items and shut off the hologram. Nikolas stood up and stretched briefly before offering a polite "Goodnight" to everyone in the company, his voice tinged with exhaustion. His footsteps receded into the passage as he left the room.

Mika grabbed Mathilda's arm as she was ready to proceed to the door. "Wait," she whispered, her grip firm .

Mathilda frowned as she looked down at Mika's hand on her arm. "What is it?" she asked sharply as Mika let go of her hold.

Dani glanced at Mika and Mathilda and muttered, "Night," before exiting the room, leaving them alone in the dimly lit room.

Mika turned to face Mathilda, making the room heavier and quieter. "I know you're not on board with Elle," she murmured softly, more compassionately than she normally did.

Mathilda rolled her eyes and let out a scoff. She crossed her arms and turned away. "Oh, really? What gave it away?"

Mika breathed out a sigh. She wore a calm expression, but there was a hint of exhaustion in her eyes. "Listen," she said softly, uncrossing Mathilda's arms and taking her hand. In the midst of mistrust, her firm yet comforting touch functioned as an anchor for Mathilda. "I understand how difficult it is to trust people, especially after what they've done to us," she said, her voice weighted with unsaid pain. "But that's why I'm asking you to trust me."

Mathilda avoided to look into Mika's eyes as she stood still, her gaze fixed on the floor. A maelstrom of emotions raced behind her cool attitude, causing her jaw to tighten. Mika did not push or rush her. She just waited.  

  

Finally, Mathilda sighed in frustration and raised her head to meet Mika's. There was hesitation in her eyes, but there was also a hint of something kinder, something willing to listen.  

  

"I don't know what it is, but I feel something different with Elle," Mika started off in a quiet but firm manner "Like she is the missing piece in this chaos. The last thing we need to put an absolute end to this entire mess."  

  

With suspicion imprinted on her features, Mathilda's frown became deeper.  

  

 "And if I'm wrong—if she is truly as traitorous as you think— you can take it out on me." Mika said, her voice unflinching, "You can hate me, blame me, or do anything you want. But I need you to trust me now, Mathilda. Only this once."

Though the underlying struggle remained on Mathilda's face, her expression softened. She stayed silent, balancing her confidence in Mika with the desire to protect the Vacile. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily after what seemed like an eternity.  

  

She opened them with a sincere yet unsure expression on her face. "Fine. I trust you"  

  

Mika's face lighted up and gave her a relieved smile. She then stepped forward without hesitation and embraced Mathilda, holding her tightly. Mathilda hesitated for a moment. But she eventually gave in and wrapped her arms around Mika's shoulders. Her body melting in the embrace, it was like a comfort she didn't know she needed until now.  

  

"Being betrayed sucks," Mathilda muttered sarcastically into Mika's shoulder.  

  

Mika gave a quiet chuckle. "I know. It's the worst," she said kindly.  

  

Mika gave Mathilda a soft kiss on the temple while the embrace continued, a little but meaningful expression of thanks and solace. She then drew back, letting her hands grasp Mathilda's.  

  

"Come on," Mika whispered in a quiet, exhausted voice, softly squeezing Mathilda's hands."Let's get some sleep."