Elarion's POV
I turn slowly to see who it was.
A woman — tall, around 5.9 feet, in her early thirties — steps into the room. Her presence alone silences the air. She's dressed in a sharp designer suit, with flowing silver hair and a cigarette dangling between her lips. Her violet eyes barely glance at me as she closes her laptop, where she had been playing chess.
She exhales a smooth puff of smoke. "Oh, hey dear. Forgive me, I didn't notice you. You look like you've seen ghosts all day."
I don't know what to say. My heart's thudding in my chest. Maybe... this woman is the boss of the men who brought me here. But why would someone like her want me?
She walks closer with deliberate steps, like a queen used to ruling rooms. "Well, my name is Alexia. I'm the owner of Shiong Company. You're probably wondering why I called you... or should I say, kidnapped you here?" she says with a sharp smirk.
I try to read her face, but she's unreadable — as if she's always three moves ahead.
"You see, you work as a web developer for Tiger-X Company. We're rivals. And I need you to work for me," she says, calmly lighting another cigarette.
"Um… I already have a decent job there—" I start, trying to reason with her.
But she cuts me off sharply. "No, no, my dear. You don't understand. I have a mission for you. Do it once, and I'll give you 500 Bitcoins. But don't even think about refusing." Her smile disappears. "My men just saved you from an assassin sent by that pig."
Her words freeze me. "Mr. Jo…? How do you know he was going to send an assassin after me?"
I finally gather some courage, though my voice is shaky. So many things are happening too fast. 500 Bitcoins… that could change my life forever. No more rat race. No more toxic work culture. No more pretending. But... what's the full picture here?
Alexia chuckles and exhales more smoke. "Oh darling, I have many eyes."
She claps her hands twice.
The door opens — and my eyes widen.
Carlos walks in.
Wait... what the hell is he doing here?
Alexia looks at both of us, clearly amused. "So you both work at the same company, huh? Guess what — Carlos is my spy. He's been feeding me every piece of information about that pig and Tiger-X. He saw you the day you caught that cheap woman with Jo. He believes you're smart… silent… and perfect for this mission."
I feel like the floor beneath me is shifting. The weight of truth is starting to collapse everything I thought I knew.
"What mission?" I ask, my voice weak but desperate.
Carlos walks closer. His voice is calm, almost too calm. "According to our sources, Jo has been involved in illegal activities for years — trafficking, mostly. There were suspicions in the past, but no solid proof. A journalist named James Carlton once found evidence, but Jo made him vanish. Gone without a trace."
I feel my chest tighten. I can't believe what I'm hearing.
"But… if our calculations are correct," Carlos continues, "the evidence files should still be in Jo's house. And guess what? He's throwing a birthday party for his fifth daughter, Yui. That's your window."
My knees feel weak. I lean against the table, processing all this.
Jo... that monster… is he really involved in all this?
"Why should I trust you?" I say. My voice cracks with uncertainty. "You could be lying… You could be tricking me. Or worse."
Alexia lets out a loud, maniacal laugh. Her silver hair falls across her face, hiding one of her sharp purple eyes. "Sweetheart, you don't really have an option."
Her voice turns ice-cold.
"You already saw that pig with that cheap woman. He wants you dead. I'm offering you protection. And 500 Bitcoins. But if you still refuse..."
She slowly pulls a Desert Eagle from under her blazer.
Her finger hovers near the trigger.
My breath catches.
She aims — not directly, but enough to send a message.
"Don't be foolish," she whispers.
But before she can say more, Carlos suddenly grabs her wrist gently. "Boss. Please. It's all new to him. Give him time. I promise he'll get the file."
Alexia narrows her eyes, then — SMACK!
She slaps Carlos hard across the face. The sound echoes.
"Then MAKE him understand. And don't say that pig's name in front of me," she snarls, storming toward the door. Before exiting, she throws me a side glance that could cut through steel.
Carlos slowly straightens. His cheek is red, but he smiles anyway.
"You okay?" I ask him.
He shrugs. "Yeah… she can be a little… overfriendly sometimes."
Despite the tension, he still manages a smile.
"You should really consider the mission, Elarion," he says quietly. "You can bring justice to so many people."
I look down at my hands. "Carlos… I'm not a messiah. I'm not some symbol of justice. I'm just… tired. I always played it safe. Always. What the hell did I get myself into?"
Carlos leans on the table, then opens a box. He pulls out a stack of photographs — battered, torn, painful to look at.
"Look at them," he says, spreading them across the table. "Victims of Jo's crimes. Trafficked. Destroyed. Forgotten. You have a chance to give them justice."
I stare at the faces — some smiling, some bruised. Lives erased by one man's cruelty.
"You have power now. Use it to protect. Don't sit there sulking, regretting your own existence. Do something!" His voice rises, raw with emotion.
My eyes stop on one photo.
Hirata.
My heart skips.
"He... he's a victim too?" I whisper, picking up the picture. My hands shake.
Carlos nods. "Not of trafficking. But he caught Alice with Jo, just like you. He was heartbroken. Snapped. Got aggressive. And Jo injected him with poison. Threw him off the rooftop. Made it look like suicide."
I stagger back slightly, stunned.
It all makes sense now.
Before I can respond, another photo catches my eye.
Ayase.
My breath halts.
I… saw her in a dream. Wait… was it a dream? The café… her smile… I had completely forgotten. Was that the past? Did I really… go back?
My chest tightens. Tears start to form — not from fear, but something deeper.
"You okay?" Carlos asks, gently placing a hand on my shoulder.
I wipe my tears and swallow hard. I nod.
"Y-yeah... I'm fine." I take a deep breath. "Tell me the plan."
Carlos raises an eyebrow in surprise, then smiles faintly.
"Welcome to the team, Elarion Rainveili."