The sun, which should've dominated the sky by this time, was still hidden behind dark and heavy clouds. It has been like this for nine years, gray skies casting over the Empire as if mourning the death of it's ruler after all those years.

Elle walked with intent, going to the meeting Dani had told her about that morning. As she entered the room and saw that the Vacile members were already there, taking their seats.

"Good morning, Elle," Mika said, smiling warmly, her expression in contrast to the somber mood. "This is your first meeting with us. If you'd prefer, you can sit beside Dani and Niko." She nodded towards Dani, who was busy connecting her laptop to the hologram, and then to Nikolas, who propped his chin on his hand, his green eyes sparkling with amusement as he gave Elle a friendly smile. Elle nodded gratefully and made her way over, settling into the seat between them.

"Good morning, princess," Nikolas whispered, his tone heavy with affectionate teasing.

Elle nodded back at him, but only once. Mornings weren't her forte—she liked to let the world drift by in a haze until she was wide awake. Once Dani had the hologram cued up, she gave Mika a quick nod. Catching on, Mika rose to her seat, her presence authoritative as the talking dwindled.

"Everyone," she spoke to the room, her voice calm but charged with the seriousness of what was to follow. Everyone's gaze went to her as the hologram came to life in front of her, its interior darkened shape of a warehouse.

"Today, we're raiding a warehouse in Westborne," she started. "We've verified that the Empress has something to do with illegal activities—namely, abilitiy-tampering drugs." A slight shiver of anticipation ran through the room.

Mika's purple eyes narrowed as she went on, "The operation is simple: sneak into the warehouse, get a sample, and—if possible—capture and question one of the staff or guards."

A low chuckle cut the silence. Natsuo, lolling in his chair, examined his fingernails as he drawled, "Easier said than done."

"How do we even know what the drugs look like?" Mathilda asked, her keen eyes darting between Dani and Mika.

Dani changed the hologram, calling up an image of a sparkling, powdered substance—violet deep, nearly crystalline. "This drug is known as Ketavate Liosirox," she said. "From the warehouse's database, manufacturing began six months ago."

With a further tap, the hologram altered to show a fragile, violet flower. "This," Dani went on, "is how we know that the Empress is involved here. The primary component of this drug is derived from Kiecrosia Lappa—a flower exclusive to Japan and found only on Fizuke Clan lands."

Nikolas scoffed, folding his arms. "Oh, sure. Let me guess—does the Fizuke lands have some magical dirt where this flower only grows?" His tone was dripping with sarcasm, and skepticism creased his face.

Dani scowled. "I don't know," she admitted. "But it's the only place I've been able to track where it grows." A look of uncertainty crossed her face, but before she could continue, another voice interrupted the discussion.

"For a reason," Elle spoke. The room fell silent as everyone's attention turned to Elle.

Mathilda narrowed her eyes to Elle, a hint of suspicion in her voice, "What do you mean?"

She exhaled, angling forward a little. "In the 1900s, during war, the Fizuke Clan developed two strong chemical compounds to control abilities," she started. Her voice was calm, but there was no denying the weight of her words.

"One enhanced abilities—Keppesuriz Fecondata," she went on. "The other weakened or erased them—Fuztuyin Gayorin." There was a stillness that came over the room as Elle continued, her shimmering blue eyes reflecting the hologram's light.

"The Fizuke Clan employed Fuztuyin Gayorin on their enemies, making them weaker in combat. Keppesuriz Fecondata, in the meantime, was provided to Japanese soldiers to make them stronger. However, when the war was over, the government instructed the Fizuke Clan to halt production and surrender both chemicals. Rather than turning everything over, the clan concealed their work by converting the compounds into flowers, renaming them to keep their actions a secret."

She gestured toward the hologram, where Kiecrosia Lappa continued to hover above the table. "Keppesuriz Fecondata became Katsedera Arenarius—also known as Kikana. And Fuztuyin Gayorin… became Kiecrosia Lappa—or Hikasuri."

"Wow. That's. a whole lot of heavy info to just be casually storing in your head," Mathilda said, her voice tinged with sarcasm. Without missing a beat, Elle rolled up the sleeve of her white blazer, exposing the scars left on her skin.

"We were forced to learn it," she told her, vocold steady but weighty. "The Fizuke Clan took nearly half the children from the Shelter and used them for experiments. While the rest had to study them, If we ever forgot one thing about their experiments, we were either whipped on the arm or branded with an iron on the leg."

Mathilda shifted uncomfortably, her earlier sarcasm fading into quiet guilt. She averted her gaze, regretting the comment she had made. Nikolas extended his hand, taking Elle's arms to him. With gentle fingers, he pulled up her sleeve and covered the scarring wounds with a tender touch. His green eyes, which were normally full of teasing antics, were now filled with tenderness.

Before the silence could hang in the air, Natsuo intervened, smoothly dispelling the tension. "If Kikana is the enhancing drug, then why the hell are they naming it the Kikana Project?" He cocked his head, face unyielding in skepticism.

"Probably, they're calling it Kikana to cover up the fact that they're really making Hikasuri," she speculated. "It wouldn't make sense for the Empress to release a drug that increases abilities—it'd be like undermining herself."

Mika nodded, then refocused on the group. "Here's our plan," she declared, her voice changing to one of command as Dani quickly switched the hologram to display the blueprint of the warehouse. "The warehouse had three floors: the underground, where they stuck raw materials and finished products .The ground floor is where they produce the drugs and the second floor is for offices."

The hologram wavered, changing again. Colored dots now marked the map—black and purple on the ground floor, green and red on the second. Mika's voice was still calm as she went on, "Mathilda and Niko, you'll take the second floor. Search for any significant files. If possible, take a guard or two into custody for interrogation."

Nikolas smirked, crossing his arms smugly as he leaned back in his chair. "Sounds simple enough."

Mika ignored his confidence and continued. "Natsuo and I will take the ground floor and the underground. Our goal is to gather as many samples of drugs as possible."

As she finished, the hologram flickered out, leaving only the faint glow of the overhead lights in the room.

"What about me?" Elle’s voice cut through the silence.Everyone turned toward her. She rested her crossed arms on the table, her expression calm—but there was something expectant in her gaze.

"You’ll stay here with Dani," Mika told her. "It’s safer."

For an instant, a spark of disappointment flashed across Elle's radiating blue eye. Beside her, Dani offered a reassuring pat on the back and a slight smile. "Don't worry, Elle. We can still be in on the action from the base."

But Elle wasn't convinced. She looked at Mika again, her back straightening. "Aren't I your medic?" she insisted. "Shouldn't I be present? It's not like I'm gonna be a liability."

Mathilda groaned in annoyance as she rolled her eyes, "Just accept your fucking post."

"Since you're a new, we thought we'd take it slow on you, at least for the time being," Mika replied hastily, shutting down the argument before things got out of hand. "You're worth a lot to Vacile, Elle. Losing you on your first mission would be a huge lossfor us."

Elle remained silent, but the flash of annoyance in her eyes didn't go unnoticed. She didn't like being benched. But Mika was right—Elle was new to how they worked. Plunging in blindly without knowing how they operated was more likely to cause harm than good.

With a soft sigh, she relaxed slightly in her seat, gritting her teeth and accepting the choice—for the time being.

Mika checked her watch. "Okay, we leave in thirty minutes." She looked up, her eyes scanning the team. "Everyone, gear up."

The room came to life, chairs scraping against the floor as the team sprang into action. The mission was planned out. Now, all that remained was the execution.

------

"Is this what you do on every mission?" Elle asked, observing as Dani worked quickly at the enormous computer in front of them. The rest of the team was preparing, only fifteen minutes left until they go out on there mission. "Sit here and watch while they go on missions?"

"Not exactly." Dani didn't glance up as she completed her typing, then reclined in her chair. "With this—" she indicated at the massive screen and the hundreds of glowing buttons that encircled them, "I monitor the positions of the team, disable security when necessary, provide them with intel, alert them to in-coming threats— basically, I make sure they don’t get themselves killed."

"If it weren't for me, they'd probably be all dead." Dani muttered amusingly, remembering the time the system broke while on the mission and almost killed every member. It was a miracle she got it working just in time for them to escape, with the members getting heavily injured. Good thing all of them were too stubborn to succumb to death.

"Good luck with your desk job, Princess," Nikolas teased, his grin growing as he hovered over Elle, arms leaning against the back of her chair. "If you'd like, I can bring you something when we get back."

Elle lifted her head, her sparkling blue eyes blazing with annoyance. "I want your head on a plate."

Nikolas' smirk widened as he plainly enjoyed their back-and-forth. It was almost as if he found her defiance more appealing. "My pleasure, Princess."

Just as Elle was ready to respond, Dani's voice broke through the tension, her gaze fixed on the control panel in front of her. The glare of the large screen put a harsh light on her face as she prepared to open the Telegate.

"Everyone set?" Dani said, her tone cool as she reviewed the system.

"We're all set," Mika said, glancing around the room to ensure that everyone on the squad was there and ready for the mission.

"Good," Dani remarked, beaming as she entered the locations. "I'll teleport you guys to the northeastern part, near the warehouse. It's a blind spot from the watchtowers, so getting into the warehouse will be a whole lot easier."

Her fingers danced over the console, quickly punching in the destination. The screen flashed, confirming the coordinates. With a press of a green button, a loud whirling sound filled the room, then an explosion of blinding green light. The Telegate vibrated into being, creating a glimmering portal in the center of the room.

Mika moved forward, her words commanding as she addressed the team. "Alright, all of you. Stick to the plan. We grab the samples, we take guards or any personnel for interrogation, and we exit. No risk not taken." She paused, eyeing each of the team members. "We stick together and get the mission done—no heroics."

Everyone listened to Mika as she continued, "This will be our first mission that has a direct connection with the empress since months ago. I want you all in your best performance, am I understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" All participating members answered in unison, each one of them had a sense of determination and a little bit excitement in their eyes. This was their first serious mission ever since that catastrophe at The Shelter of Death Panel's district so they were excited, a wave of motivation surging in their veins as it seems like their hard work was finally paying off.

A chance to have the sun shining back to Athearian Empire.

"For the Light of Lucianna!"