Chapter 7: Crossed Lines
The rain hadn't stopped, turning the city into a maze of glistening reflections and half-seen truths. Mira stared at the encrypted files on her laptop, her heart pounding harder with every uncovered detail.
Emberlight wasn't just a codename—it was an operation. One she remembered from years ago, buried in headlines that never saw the light of day.
And Cyan's name—his real name—was hidden deep inside those documents.
But Mira needed more. She needed proof.
So she followed him.
That night, cloaked in a hoodie and the shadows of alley walls, she tailed Cyan to an abandoned rooftop. He wasn't alone. A woman stood before him—tall, cold, calculated. Mira didn't recognize her face, but the tone in her voice sent chills through her.
"You're getting too close to her," the woman snapped. "She's not part of this world."
"She wasn't supposed to be," Cyan replied, his voice low but clear. "But I won't let them use her. I'll take the fall if I have to."
Mira froze.
He'd been lying.
Protecting her? Maybe.
But still lying.
As Cyan disappeared into the shadows once again, Mira stood there alone, the cold cutting through her jacket—but not as sharply as the realization blooming in her chest.
The next time they met, she wouldn't ask politely.
She would confront him.
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