When the battle finally ended, the sky was still suffocatingly silent, like a dust-covered sheet of iron pressing down on us. Wreckage smoldered with dying flames, and the stench of charred metal mixed with the sickly sweetness of nightmare energy, drying out our throats.
We survived—but the price was brutal. Out of the whole convoy, only a handful remained. The others had either been swallowed by black fire or reduced to ash in the explosions.
I wiped soot off my face and couldn't help muttering:"Well, let's recap tonight's little tour package: an airport welcome party, a fireworks show on the highway, and a final bonfire to wrap things up. The only regret? They forgot to serve food."
Eileen shot me a cold glare but didn't argue. She knew better than anyone—jokes were the only armor I had left.
The European branch agents began sifting through the wreckage with the survivors, but silence quickly fell over the group. The reason was obvious: the attackers had used encrypted weapons reserved exclusively for Bureau operations.
I pointed at the shattered barrel of the cannon, raising an eyebrow:"Tell me, am I hallucinating? Or did our own people rent out company firepower to lunatics?"
No one answered. The only sound was the crackling of flames.
Eileen gritted her teeth, muttering under her breath:"Impossible… those are internal issue. The outside world should never have gotten them."
I gave a dry laugh:"My dear, in this world, two things always circulate faster than money—secrets and betrayal."
Just then, a European branch agent brought over a scorched piece of metal. Etched faintly into its surface was the Bureau's insignia—corroded and twisted by nightmare energy until it looked like a mocking sneer.
Eileen's expression darkened completely.
"What does this mean?" she demanded.
Stretching my arms, I replied with mock casualness:"It means our enemies might just be us. And we've been working for them—cleaning up their mess, free of charge."
A heavy silence blanketed the survivors. No one dared speak too loudly, because everyone knew this wasn't simple theft. Someone inside the Bureau had handed over the keys.
The night wind swept through, fanning the embers, making that twisted insignia flicker faintly in the dark. For the first time, I felt it sharply—maybe the so-called Bureau wasn't our guardian at all, but the mastermind pulling every string from the shadows.
I whispered under my breath:"The darkness is deepening, my friends. We're not just trapped in nightmares—we're locked inside a cage built with exquisite precision."
Eileen said nothing. She just stared at the night sky, her face set like stone.
In the distance, the last flames died down in the wind, leaving only darkness—like the opening curtain of something even more sinister.