My feet pattered against the carpet as explosions rang through the room. The smoke was getting too thick to see past, and every time a cloud was dispelled, a new one took its place.

Erin grabbed my shoulder, anchoring herself against me. 

“It’s not working. We can’t see anywhere in this fog. If too much of this stuff gets in our lungs, we’re done for.”

I gripped Clover’s hand.

“You got this.”

She closed her eyes, in deep focus.

“I’ll get us through.”

Her eyes blazed, electricity crackling across her frame. 

“Left!”

Motioning for Erin to follow, I felt my feet graze the first step of the staircase. 

“Up! Keep going up!”

Clover paused. 

“DUCK!”

A huge chunk of drywall soared into my vision, flying towards me. I swiftly dipped below the debris, smashing it into the floor with a swing of my arm. 

The stairs felt never-ending. My legs cried out in pain as the chase continued, a hollow ache threatening to radiate through the rest of my body. But Clover never steered us wrong. She guided us through the twists and turns of the spiraling steps, calling out when chunks of debris threatened to crush us. An unusual sense of pride swelled through my chest. She was coming into her own. No stuttering, no shy cowering, nothing could stop her from leading us forward. 

The last step. I let go of Clover’s hand and lunged for the body in front of me, tackling it to the floor. Their head hit the ground with a sharp, dense thud, and as I lay atop the mystery survivor, their form ceased all movement. 

The three of us leaned against the top of the stairwell, exhausted after the chase. But Erin wouldn’t let us rest for long. She grabbed my shoulders, forcing herself down an inch or two so she was directly eye level with me. 

“What was that? Her body lights up, her eyes glow, and she… sees things? She knew where those chunks of debris were coming from. We were flying blind, but she knew where we had to go and when that explosion would blast the door open. Can she… see the future?”

I sighed. 

“Yes. At least, I think so. If you ask her, she can’t explain it either.”

Erin huffed, puffing air out of her cheeks, holding her head in her hands. 

“I don’t believe it.”

I raised my hands, shrugging in the universal sign for defeat. 

“What is there to believe? This is real. I don’t know what to tell you.”

Erin opened her mouth to protest, but a groan split the room. As the last of the smog cleared, I was finally able to take a good look at the guy who had led us down this wild goose chase.

A short, well-dressed man rose to his feet. A strawberry-blonde fusion of a buzz cut and a crew cut sat atop the man’s head, the short shards of his hair seeming to wave slightly in a non-existent breeze as his sharp features and piercing blue eyes stared us down. An extremely dark, black suit covered his body, a white undershirt just barely peeking out past a crimson tie. A bandolier was slung across his chest, full of all manner of explosives and other military green in a sad assortment of dark yellows, greens, reds, and blacks. A waistband with more military gear strung across it acted as a belt, with two shiny, high-quality-looking pistols on his hips.

He spoke in a clipped, angry French accent, each syllable of every word he spoke brimming with exasperation. 

“You are not soldiers.”

“Nope. We’re just like you. We don’t like ‘em either. I’m tryna figure out what is going on here, why the soldiers are killing people.” 

Slightly confused, he looked down at his shoes.

“I am Felix Dupont. Who are you? Where am I?”

I crossed my arms, perplexed. I didn’t think he was bullshitting me. Genuine confusion was visible on his face and in his voice. But how could he not know where he was? He had to have intentionally signed up for and attended the gala, right?

“I’m Aurum. That’s Erin, and the little one is Clover. The kid and I snuck in here, and she was a guest at the gala. You weren’t attending?”

“No. No, I was not. One day ago, I was at a conference. A… how you say in English? Business meeting. Financial. Many other CEO were there. I run a private French Defense corporation for Paris. I am a tactician. Men come out of vans. Capture us. We wake up here, in dark room. Soldiers fire on us with capable weaponry. I escape. Run in here. Some others escape too.”

I tapped a foot, deep in thought. The initial lead that had led me here had been resolved. I had found Felix Dupont. I knew what had happened to him. My client would be pleased. But even though one question was answered, it opened the door for five more. 

“So you’re telling me these same soldiers, the ones operating in here, captured a bunch of execs yesterday and brought them here, awakening them and firing on them the moment the gala starts?”

The man threw his hands in the air, his brows arching.

“Gala! You talk about this gala! There was a party here?”

I waved my hands in front of him, trying to diffuse the situation.

“Whoa, whoa. Yes, the aquarium hosted a party for the wealthy. It looks like these soldiers spread out and attacked both groups at once.”

Felix frowned. I knew possibilities were flashing through his head, and he was grasping for the correct path to take. Finally, I saw his features settle. He clearly was not happy about the decision he was about to make. 

“I will come with you. The little one has powers. They can protect us. In return, I will give information.”

“It’s okay, you can come, I didn’t ask-”

Felix made a shushing motion, putting his finger over his lips.

“I know of another man at the conference. A yakuza. His face looks like a shark's. He loans money. Soldiers say he is a problem. He has been attacking many of them. To get information. We can use. I think he is in the theater, they say.” 

I looked around at the group, motioning towards the exit.

“What are we waiting for?”