Rain pattered gently over the canals, turning Amsterdam's cobblestone streets into mirrors of orange light. The city was quiet but never asleep — bicycles resting against railings, boats rocking softly on the dark water, and somewhere beneath it all… secrets stirring.
Klevin stood beneath the awning of an old café, the hood of his black coat pulled low. Emilia stood beside him, arms folded, scanning the street.
"You'd never think there's an underground black market for divine relics three stories below this."
He smirked faintly. "You'd be surprised what people will sell if it glows."
She elbowed him lightly. "Let's hope this one doesn't explode."
A van rolled to a stop across the street. The Aetherlink team emerged — Marcus, Lina, and Noah, all dressed in dark tactical gear with the Order's faint insignia stitched into their sleeves.
Marcus tossed Klevin a small comm-piece. "Elias wants this clean. No casualties, no noise. Just grab the fragment and get out."
Klevin slid the earpiece in. "Hence the name Silent Heist, huh?"
"Exactly."
The entry point lay beneath an abandoned warehouse near the city's edge — a forgotten dock where old merchant ships once loaded spices and silks. Now, it was home to something far more dangerous.
Noah tapped his wristband, projecting a faint map into the air. "Underground facility spans about two hundred meters. One central vault, two escape routes, and a lot of people we'd rather not meet."
Lina glanced at Klevin. "You ready for your first stealth op?"
He grinned nervously. "Define ready."
Marcus chuckled. "Means you're not ready at all. Let's go."
They descended into the depths — old wooden stairs creaking under their boots, air thick with the scent of oil and rust. Faint echoes of voices drifted from below.
When they reached the final platform, Klevin finally saw it — a vast underground auction hall, filled with masked buyers and relic smugglers. Dim golden lights illuminated dozens of glass cases containing Aether-linked items.
At the center, under heavy guard, sat a crystalline fragment glowing with the same pulse he'd seen in Rome.
"That's it," Emilia whispered. "The Fragment of Solvain."
Klevin's heart thudded. The same energy as his sword. The same resonance that had called to him.
Marcus spoke quietly into the comms. "Positions. Lina, illusions on the upper floor. Noah, start the loop. Klevin, Emilia — you're with me. Let's make this clean."
The plan unfolded perfectly—at first.
Lina's illusions masked their movement across the balcony. Noah's tech looped the cameras. They were ghosts among the crowd.
Klevin and Emilia reached the vault doors. Two guards stood watch, but Marcus moved like a blur, knocking them out with silent precision.
"Clear," he whispered.
Emilia knelt beside the vault's control pad. "Give me ten seconds."
Her fingers danced over the keys. A soft click echoed, and the massive door began to slide open. Inside, rows of relics glimmered under cold light. But in the center, on a raised pedestal, was their prize — the fragment, encased in reinforced glass.
"Got it," Klevin said, stepping forward.
That's when the lights died.
Darkness swallowed the vault. Then, emergency lights flickered crimson.
Noah's voice crackled through the comm. "We've been compromised! Someone tripped the silent alarm!"
Marcus cursed. "Who the hell—?"
Before he could finish, the wall behind them erupted inward. A figure emerged through the smoke — tall, cloaked, with black Aether swirling around him like a living storm.
"The Order always arrives late," the man said, voice smooth, cold. "But not too late to die."
Klevin's blood froze. He recognized that energy — the same signature he'd felt in Rome.
The Obsidian Choir.
The intruder raised a hand, and the air vibrated with dark resonance. Chains of shadow shot toward them. Marcus leapt forward, intercepting with a Kinetic barrier that cracked under the force.
"Go! Get the fragment!" he shouted.
Emilia sprinted to the pedestal, pulling a compact relic blade from her belt. "Cover me!"
Klevin's pendant flared — reacting violently to the fragment's energy. His hands tingled, vision pulsing with gold. He didn't fight it this time. He reached for the light.
The Divine Control answered.
Golden circles bloomed beneath his feet, lines of Aether twisting through the air. A new weapon materialized — sleek, curved, and radiant.
Divine Shuriken: Valeris.
He hurled it. The weapon split midair into three spinning discs of pure light, slicing through the shadow chains like paper. The Obsidian agent staggered, cloak torn.
Klevin caught the returning shuriken and spun it once before it faded into energy again.
Emilia smashed the glass case and grabbed the fragment. "Got it!"
"Then move!" Marcus shouted.
They ran — alarms wailing now, red lights flashing against wet steel. Guards poured into the corridors, shouting in Dutch.
Lina reappeared at the stairwell, illusions flickering with strain. "Come on! Exit's closing!"
The team burst out into the rain-drenched docks, boots splashing through puddles. The night air hit them like a wave of freedom — until another blast tore through the warehouse behind them, sending flames and debris into the air.
Emilia stumbled, clutching the fragment close. Klevin caught her arm, steadying her. "You okay?"
She nodded, breathing hard. "Never better."
From the flames, the Obsidian agent stepped out again, charred but alive. His Aether roared like fire.
"You can't escape the Choir!" he bellowed.
Klevin's eyes glowed faint gold. "Watch me."
He raised his hand, summoning Solvain's light once more — but instead of a full blade, it took a half-formed shape, unstable yet powerful.
Marcus, Lina, and Noah fell into formation around him.
"On your signal," Marcus said.
Klevin's voice was steady. "Now."
They attacked as one. Aether light met shadow flame, and for a moment, the night itself seemed to tear apart. The blast sent the agent flying into the canal, disappearing into the depths below.
Silence. Just the rain.
Emilia exhaled shakily, holding up the fragment. "Let's hope this one stays quiet."
Klevin managed a tired grin. "Silent Heist, huh? Not bad for our first time."
Marcus laughed under his breath. "If this is what you call quiet, I don't wanna hear loud."
They piled into the van as sirens echoed in the distance. The city lights blurred past the windows as they sped across the bridge.
Emilia sat beside Klevin, the fragment glowing faintly in her lap. "Every time we get one of these," she said softly, "I feel like we're closer to something bigger. Like the world's holding its breath."
Klevin looked out at the water, where ripples shimmered gold under the rain. "Then we'd better be ready when it exhales."