******Harper
I had just finished another set of exhausting drills with Luna when Chris suddenly materialized in front of me, face unusually pale and stiff.
"Harper," he said, not even waiting for me to wipe my sweat. "Something's wrong."
I tossed the towel to the side and frowned. "Wrong like... how?"
He hesitated—an emotion I rarely saw on his face. Then he looked me dead in the eye and said, "CODE Headquarters has gone dark."
"What?" I stepped closer. "Dark? You mean offline?"
"No," Chris said grimly. "Worse. The system… it's severed its connection to the external world. The game has entered autonomous mode. No one's in charge anymore."
Luna came running over, her assistant, HAY, appearing beside her. HAY's voice was shrill with confusion.
"All real-time monitoring has ceased. There's no way for the programmers to see what's happening in here anymore."
"What does that mean for us?" Luna asked, her voice lower than usual.
Chris stepped forward. "It means that we're officially on our own. No one's watching. No one's pulling strings. And no one's getting us out."
I felt the blood drain from my face. "So the system is running itself…"
"Worse," Chris said. "It's evolving."
*******
The mayor's private chamber was bathed in golden lamplight, thick with the scent of old wood, cigars, and the metallic tang of secrets. The masked lady walked down the hall with steady steps, her dark cloak trailing behind her. Her eyes—sharp and calculating—flicked across the ornate doors until she reached the one she sought.
She paused. Voices inside.
"…I trust you'll keep this between us," the mayor's deep voice said smoothly.
"I… of course, sir. But I still don't understand why you—"
"You don't need to. Just do your job."
The masked lady's brow furrowed. Then, without knocking, she opened the door.
The mayor stood beside his desk, and across from him, dressed in a modest black-and-white uniform, was a young woman—Elora.
The masked lady's gaze pinned the stranger. "Who is she?"
The mayor didn't flinch. His smile remained pleasant. "She's the new maid. Elora, you're dismissed."
Elora glanced between them, clearly puzzled. "But sir—"
"Go," he said sharply.
Elora bowed and quickly exited, brushing past the masked lady without making eye contact.
Once the door shut, the masked lady turned to her father. "You're replacing the staff again?"
The mayor walked toward the liquor cabinet. "Loyalty is fragile, daughter. Best to keep rotating faces."
She said nothing, but her mask tilted slightly. "I failed."
The mayor poured a drink but didn't turn to her. "Is that so?"
"I should've stopped her. I let Harper escape… after everything. I made a mess of it."
He waved it off and took a sip of his drink. "Forget Harper."
The masked lady tensed. "What?"
"You heard me," he said, turning to face her now, his expression unreadable. "Forget about Harper. That game is over. We're moving forward."
"But—"
"No buts," he interrupted. "I have a new task for you. More important than chasing a girl who's already made her choices. I want you to organize a banquet."
"A… banquet?"
"Yes. One that will summon all the major players—corporate leaders, CODE delegates, political figures, allies and enemies alike. Make it grand. The world is watching."
The masked lady nodded slowly. "Very well."
He approached and placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is your moment to shine. Let the girl go. We have bigger games to play now."
She lowered her head. "Yes, Father."
The mayor gave her a final nod before walking out of the room, the door clicking shut behind him.
Silence settled like dust.
Then, her head rose, eyes narrowing behind the silver mask.
"I hate lies, Father," she whispered.
Her fists clenched. "Why would you let Harper go so freely? That's not like you at all."
She turned to the window, watching the city lights flicker below.
"I have to find out what's going on here."
*******Harper
The morning sun spilled gently through the torn curtains of the safehouse, casting streaks of dusty light over the cluttered table where I sat cross-legged. My bruised arms rested on my knees as I sipped stale tea from a chipped cup. Across from me, Luna was sharpening one of her blades with a rhythmic hiss, her expression focused and unreadable.
A knock came at the door—three soft taps followed by two harder ones.
Chris and Hay materialized beside me in a shimmer of light. "Mail delivery. Secure drop. No threats detected."
I raised an eyebrow. "Mail?"
Luna paused, looking equally confused.
Chris handed me a black envelope. The seal was the unmistakable silver crest of the mayor's office, its serpent design glinting ominously.
I slowly opened it. My hands trembled slightly as I unfolded the heavy parchment. My eyes scanned the elegantly written words.
Then my brows furrowed. "What…?"
Luna looked up. "What is it?"
I read aloud:
> "To Miss Harper ,
You are formally invited to the annual banquet hosted at the Mayor's estate. Your presence is not only requested but required—as you will be serving as Head of Security for the night.
Your recent displays of skill and bravery have not gone unnoticed. I believe we would benefit from a temporary alliance.
Details regarding your role, the guest list, and protocols will be shared upon arrival.
I trust you'll accept.
—Mayor Callahan."
I stared at the letter in stunned silence.
Luna blinked. "Head of security?" she repeated, incredulous. "That's not even suspicious—that's insane."
I gave a short laugh. "I said I wanted to level up… but this isn't what I meant by raising my position."
Chris flickered beside me, analyzing the ink and paper. "No forgery. It's authentic. The mayor really wants you there… and wants you close."
"Too close," Hay muttered.
I looked over at Luna, then back at the letter. "Still… it's a chance. If he wants me inside, then I'm going to walk in through the front door. Eyes open. Ears sharper than ever."
"You're going to walk into the lion's den and guard it?" Luna asked. "What if it's a trap?"
"It probably is," I said bluntly. "But it's also an opportunity."
Luna didn't argue further, just returned to her sharpening, faster this time, the metal's hiss now full of tension.
Chris glanced at us both. "You'll need a plan. Surveillance, backups, silent comms, and—"
A creak interrupted . The door opened quietly.
Elias stepped in, dressed in dark tones that almost made him look like a shadow. His usual smirk was absent, replaced by the kind of seriousness I hadn't seen since Maisie's death.
"I heard," he said without preamble. "The mayor invited you."
I nodded. "Head of security, no less."
Elias didn't comment on the absurdity. He walked further into the room and sat. "Then it's time we talk about the real plan. The revenge plan."
My eyes darkened, and I leaned forward.
"I'm listening."
Elias pulled out a small device and activated it—an old scrambler that distorted sound waves, making it impossible for bugs to pick up our conversation.
"Now that you've been brought into his inner circle, even if just for the banquet, you can access places we can't," Elias said. "We need solid evidence—something that connects him directly to our father's death."
My jaw tightened. "I've suspected him since the beginning. But suspicions aren't enough anymore."
"We don't just need to expose him," Elias added. "We need to destroy him. And for that, we need truth that burns."
Chris stepped forward. "The mayor's private library is locked behind multiple layers of clearance. However, during major events—like this banquet—the security patterns change. Cameras get rerouted. Guards are spread thinner."
Luna tapped her knife against the table. "You're saying Harper will have the best chance to slip through."
Chris nodded. "Precisely. I can disable some of the systems for a ten-minute window during the event. That's all you'll get."
I absorbed everything,my eyes calculating.
"So while I act as his dutiful guard," I said slowly, "I'll also be looking for the key that proves he murdered our father."
Elias leaned back, his expression hard. "Exactly."
Silence fell again. The plan was fragile. Dangerous. Perfect.
I folded the letter neatly and tucked it into my coat. Then I stood and looked at the others.
"If the mayor wants me back in his palace," I said, voice firm, "then I'm walking in not just to protect him… but to bury him."
And in my eyes, a storm was already brewing.
*You shouldn't forget something admist all this Harper* Chris said in my mind.
*What is that Chris?*
*Your goal is different from Elias's no matter what you think. He's getting revenge for your father but you're getting revenge for another purpose*
A look of guilt flashed through my eyes for a moment. I had forgotten the real reason I was here in the first place.
*You're right Chris*