At exactly 6:00 a.m., the first golden strands of dawn crawled over Geneva's skyline, brushing against the massive skyscraper of the Fast Travel Building, now under complete lockdown. Police drones hovered silently like vultures over the square with cameras flashing, soldiers forming cordons and reporters barking into microphones as global networks scrambled to cover the chaos that had unfolded overnight.
Among the crowd stood three women dressed in perfectly ordinary civilian attire. They looked like early risers from an affluent district, draped in winter coats, sunglasses, and casual luxury that screamed understated power. In reality, their appearance was manufactured perfection. Six hours ago, these same three were shopping in stores in Geneva. They allmwore casually except for Verdamona who looked like nothing more than a bored, high-class bodyguard.
The guards spotted them first, their rifles subtly shifting upward in uncertainty before one of them, a tall blond man with a trembling hand on his weapon, stepped forward.
"Excuse me ma'am, the building's under lockdown," he said in accented English. "No civilians are allowed entry until further notice."
They glanced up, watching how the early sunlight hit the glass doors behind him, now reinforced with Flux barriers and scanners. Soldiers were stationed even inside the lobby. Geneva Fast Travel was basically a fortress now. Right in front of that fortress stood three women alive, pretending to be morning shoppers.
Hinesia scoffed, feigning mild surprise. Her tone was polite and perfectly royal yet laced with just the right amount of indignation.
"Locked? Is there a reason? We had appointments within the premises."
The guard blinked rapidly, then straightened up once he really looked at her. Recognition hit him like a thunderbolt.
"P–Princess Hinesia?! Your Highness, I—"
He stammered, then immediately snapped to attention. The rest followed like a wave, lowering their rifles in panic. Xaessia and Verdamona exchanged a silent glance behind their sunglasses. Before the man could continue embarrassing himself, Albrich, the head of security, approached. His expression was grim, clearly worn down by the stress of the last few hours. He gestured toward the soldiers to relax and stepped forward, bowing slightly to show respect without looking weak.
"Your Highness. My apologies, but the Geneva Fast Travel is closed due to an ongoing internal security breach. We cannot allow anyone to enter or exit, even with your credentials."
Hinesia didn't blink. The silence that followed felt deliberately heavy, as though she were measuring his worth by the thickness of his words.
"I see. Then perhaps you should explain to me why the facility has become a restricted warzone at dawn."
The reporters near the barricades had started to notice the commotion. Camera flashes ignited like fireflies. The guards shifted uneasily. The crowd murmured.
"Your Highness, I assure you, everything is under control. The Swiss military has intervened for civilian safety."
Xaessia tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a smile.
"Military intervention? That implies a containment operation. How interesting."
The cameras caught her face. It was one of the most recognizable faces of the House of Argemenes. The murmurs grew louder.
"Oh that's Lady Xaessiarerich! She's here!"
Xaessia struck turned slightly, making sure the nearest cameras had a clean shot of her profile as she removed her sunglasses.
"If the Swiss military intends to prevent us from leaving, then this may be seen as detainment of foreign nobility. I assume you're aware of the diplomatic fallout that could entail? Because from where I stand, being refused entry or exit could easily be interpreted by the Houses as a capture attempt."
The air froze. Albrich stiffened. Even the soldiers around them faltered. The reporters were now recording everything. Switzerland's reputation was on the line, live.
That was when the general arrived.
A black convoy stopped at the edge of the barricade, and from it emerged General Marcel Drächt, commander of the Swiss Defense Initiative, his uniform gleaming with medals and authority. He walked straight toward them, stopped two meters away, and bowed deeply.
"Princess Hinesia. Lady Xaessiarerich. On behalf of the Swiss Confederation, I extend our apologies for this inconvenience. We were not informed of your presence in the city."
"Understandable," Hinesia replied lightly, hiding her smile. "We did not announce it. We were merely passing through. But your people seem… tense."
The General nodded gravely.
"Yes, Your Highness. There was a breach in the Flux Network at approximately 4:10 a.m. We believe it was an organized infiltration attempt. The facility has been secured, but the government ordered full lockdown until all systems are cleared."
"Then open the doors. We'll inspect the damage ourselves."
Albrich stepped forward again. "With all due respect, Lady Xaessiarerich, it's unsafe—"
The General raised his hand to silence him.
"That won't be necessary, Albrich. Let them through."
"But, sir—"
"That's an order."
The General turned back toward the three women.
"Your presence here could… be misinterpreted, as Lady Xaessiarerich said. I'd prefer to keep this incident from escalating beyond our borders. We will provide full military escort to ensure your safety."
Verdamona couldn't help but smirk. She loved this game of political chess played with a smile. She spoke as a bodyguard to the two.
"You're doing the right thing, General. If news reached Argemenes that you detained two of its Houses' members, your skies would be full of missiles before noon."
The General's throat tightened slightly, but he managed a polite chuckle. "Let's not have that happen, shall we?"
Xaessia turned to him, her tone softening just enough.
"See to it that the escorts are discreet. We'll take one of the Fast Travel Rooms back to Rome. This whole affair should be resolved quietly. We won't have to interfere."
"Of course. You have my word."
-----
The marble halls of the Geneva Fast Travel Building echoed with distant alarms. Red lights pulsed across the ceilings. The three women walked calmly through the corridor.
They were surrounded by six Swiss military escorts all heavily armed, though visibly tense. It wasn't every day they had to "escort" members of two Houses. The lead soldier's voice cracked slightly as he tried to maintain composure.
"We appreciate your cooperation, Your Highness. The entire facility has been compromised. We have confirmed over two hundred sixty-four casualties."
The silence that followed could have frozen air. Even the fluorescent lights seemed to hum quieter. Two hundred and sixty-four was a full-scale purge.
According to the plans, they were supposed to sneak through. It would be a quiet infiltration, slip past mercenaries disguised as guards and vanish before dawn. The entire operation was meant to be invisible to the public. But the Null Handmaidens hadn't just cut the infection. They burned the entire limb.
"The Swiss government has issued an emergency statement," said another escort nervously. "They're claiming that a terrorist faction infiltrated the Fast Travel Network. They don't know who, but… the timing matches your Houses' arrival, so—"
Xaessiarerich turned her head slowly toward him, her voice cutting him off.
"—So you're implying that my House or Her Highness' House had anything to do with this?"
The soldier swallowed, visibly paling.
"N-no, Lady Xaessiarerich. I simply meant—"
"Good. Because you wouldn't survive implying otherwise."
The lead soldier glanced back, sweat rolling down his neck. Hinesia raised a hand slightly not to attack, but to ease the tension. Her diplomatic smile made them uneasy.
"We understand your position. This incident is… complicated, but we appreciate the discretion. It would be tragic if the Houses mistook this for a political insult, don't you think?"
Her tone was soft and terrifyingly so. The soldier nodded like his life depended on it.
"O-of course, Your Highness. Please, this way. The military has sealed all Fast Travel Rooms except one. We'll personally ensure your safe teleportation."
They turned down the final corridor. It was a narrow one lined with shimmering lights. Verdamona watched the glowing floor panels reflect against her boots, her thoughts racing faster than her footsteps.
'The Handmaidens did this on purpose… didn't they?'
They could have infiltrated silently but they wanted the building to be locked down. They wanted to erase every trace of the mercenaries and bait the government into reacting. It was a distraction so large that no one would question what truly happened at the ruins of investigated. The mercenaries' deaths, the evacuation, the lockdown, it all made sense now. The Null Handmaidens hadn't failed containment. They had rewritten it.
They finally reached the Fast Travel Room. The soldiers stood guard outside, waiting respectfully as the three women stepped in. Xaessiarerich turned to Verdamona with that same calm authority that made her House feared across continents.
"You look pale. Didn't expect that many deaths, did you?"
Verdamona gave a faint smirk.
"Not this soon. I thought we'd sneak through as expected, not walk through a graveyard with guards saluting us."
Hinesia placed a hand on the control console and entered the coordinates, the fragment and lantern safely stored in her inventory.
"The mission's done. And Geneva's going to be talking about this for decades."
Xaessiarerich's lips curved.
"Let them talk. They won't find traces. The Argemenes assassins are too discreet."
Verdamona couldn't help but laugh softly. The teleportation field began to shimmer around them. Outside, the soldiers stood at attention. The soldier who had bowed earlier gave one final salute.
"May Switzerland's hospitality honor you, Your Highness."
"It already has," Hinesia replied with a grin.
As the field activated, Verdamona caught one last glimpse of the chaos behind the glass. Medics were rushing to remove bodies, security forces were arguing and reporters were being dragged away by military hands. All of it was just to make sure no one ever learned what they really came for. A burst of energy enveloped them, swallowing the noise, the soldiers, and the city's confusion.
When the light faded, the Fast Travel Room was empty. Only the faint echo of the teleportation field remained.
The mission was over.