The car sped down the dark road, its headlights carving out swaths of light through the trees. In the back seat, silence clung. Lili sat between Fosin and Goran, her shoulder still aching, her body bruised from the crash and whatever that infection was that kept pulsing under her skin.
Fosin was the first to break the quiet. “What were you doing outside with that guy?”
Lili didn’t look at him. Her gaze was fixed ahead. “He flashed a badge,” she said calmly. “Told me it wasn’t safe in the hospital anymore. That I had to come with him.”
Fosin narrowed his eyes. “And you believed that?”
She turned to him then. “What was I supposed to do? I’m playing the part of the innocent secretary, remember? He wasn’t just some random guy off the street—he knew my name. You want me to start throwing punches at every authority figure who walks in the door? That’s how I stay alive?”
Fosin leaned back slightly, eyes cold but thoughtful. Goran watched them both.
“You expect me to believe you had no idea who he really was?” Fosin pressed, voice harder now.
Lili tilted her head, exhaling a tired, bitter breath. “Of course I didn’t. But I knew better than to start confessing to some stranger with a badge. That’s what you trained me for, isn’t it?”
Fosin didn’t respond right away. He just looked at her for a long moment, and then turned his face away, watching the road blur past through the window.
Goran shifted beside her, muttering under his breath, “If you ask me, she handled it better than you did with that ‘subtle’ rescue.”
“Shut up, Goran,” Fosin muttered.
“Where are we going?” Lili asked after a small pause with the sharper voice than she intended.
Fosin didn’t look at her when he answered. “First, to your house.”
Lili tensed immediately. Her fingers curled slightly against her thigh. “Why there?” she asked, her tone carrying a quiet edge.
“Because you need to change,” Fosin replied flatly. “Tonight, you’re coming with me.”
“To where?”
“To see a gun dealer,” he continued. “One who specializes in rare batches—custom designs, experimental loads. We have reason to believe he might have supplied the bullet used on you.”
Beside her, Goran remained silent, his eyes flicking between the two as the car sped through the night.
Lili’s voice dropped with doubt. “And what makes you so sure this dealer had anything to do with it?”
Fosin turned to her now. “Because that bullet you were shot with wasn’t normal,” he said. “We examined it. It reacted to your blood. We are guessing that something in its was designed to trigger when exposed to Gifted energy.”
Lili’s breath caught.
“You’re saying,” she said slowly, “that bullet was made to kill people like me?”
“Yes,” Fosin said. “Like you.”
Her throat tightened, and the night outside suddenly seemed colder. A weapon crafted to kill Gifted. Someone had paid for it. Someone had planned it. That made everything worse.
“And you want to take me—wounded, exhausted, and barely stitched together—to talk to the man who possibly sold it?” she asked.
“I don’t need you to talk,” Fosin replied. “I need him to see your face.”
Lili’s stomach twisted. She didn’t like this. Not the mission. Not the visit to her home. And definitely not the way Goran kept glancing at her like he was reading every flicker of emotion on her face.
But what choice did she have?
***
Lili stood alone in her dimly lit bathroom, the yellow light of the mirror flickering above her. Her reflection stared back—still pale, still haunted.
She was already dressed: tight leather pants, a corset laced tightly against her ribs, black and glinting faintly in the light. Over it all, she wore a long black leather coat that swept down past her knees, its shoulders broad and imposing. It was more than a coat—it was a veil of authority, of menace, of control. It made her look taller, colder, untouchable.
With trembling hands, she lifted a small container of powder and dusted her face, evening out her skin tone, hiding the paleness. She traced dark lines beneath her eyes, then added a deep crimson lipstick. The effect was immediate. But it wasn’t enough.
She reached for the final piece—a smooth, full-face mask, matte black with no expression. It slid over her features, hiding them entirely. Her long red hair spilled out from behind it in elegant curls, tumbling over her shoulders.
The transformation was complete. And for the first time in days, her heart stopped racing. Because this version of herself was something she could control.
Lili climbed down to the living room.
Both men froze.
Fosin’s jaw tightened, something unreadable passing through his gaze. Goran’s smirk faltered just slightly, as if a distant memory surfaced from a place he didn’t care to revisit.
“You took your time,” Fosin said finally, voice calm, but with an edge of respect. “But I see you remembered who you are.”
Goran let out a low whistle. “Still a damn ghost. I’ll never get used to it.”
“You’re not meant to,” she said, brushing past him without even a glance. Her scent—faint lavender clung to the air.
Fosin turned and followed. “Let’s go,” he said. “The dealer won’t wait long. And he sure as hell won’t expect her to walk in.”
They drove in tense silence, the hum of the engine the only sound between them. The city outside passed like a blur of shadows and dim streetlight. When the car finally pulled to a stop, they stepped out into the cold, damp air of a narrow alleyway. The buildings here loomed taller, older, and darker.
Lili’s boots hit the pavement with a soft thud. The moment she took her third step, something gripped her chest—a twisting sensation. Her breath hitched, and she froze mid-step.
Her eyes darted around. The alley was quiet. Too quiet.
Up ahead, Fosin and Goran were already speaking with the guard standing beside the heavy steel door that led into the dealer’s hidden headquarters. She couldn’t hear what they said, but she didn’t need to.
Something was wrong.
Lili lifted her hand to the discreet communicator in her ear and activated it with a sharp touch.
“Move inside.” she whispered in the low, urgent voice.
Before either man could respond, the air split open with a roar.
A fireball shrieked through the alley and struck the guard, engulfing him in flames. He didn’t even have time to scream before he collapsed into ash.
“Down!” Lili shouted, stepping forward.
Her floating blade materialized in a shimmer of silver and violet light, positioning itself in front of her like a gleaming shield. It hummed softly, intercepting a second, smaller blast that ricocheted against its surface and sputtered out in midair.
“Inside, now!” she screamed, this time louder, more commanding.
Fosin didn’t argue. He grabbed Goran by the arm and pulled him toward the door as it creaked open from the inside. Lili remained at the alley’s mouth, eyes scanning the darkness beyond the rooftops.
Her hands trembled. She clenched them into fists, but the shaking only worsened. The heat still lingered in the air, ghosting over her skin like a memory she couldn’t shake. Fire.
She hated fire.
She didn’t know why—at least not fully. The nightmares came often, vivid and suffocating. A burning house. Flames licking the walls. Smoke choking the air. And always the same: her tiny body cradled in someone’s arms, being carried out as everything around her collapsed in firelight.
“Show yourself, you piece of shit!” she screamed into the night.
The anger surged in her, swallowing the fear. Her eyes flared red. She despised being afraid. Lili loathed feeling helpless. And right now—because of the wound that still throbbed in her shoulder and the bastard attacking from the shadows—she felt both.
Suddenly, the light shifted. A shimmer flickered above. Then he landed. He dropped from the rooftop. Notori was unmasked and bold, as if he had no need to hide. His grin stretched wide with a confidence that bordered on arrogance.
“It’s nice to finally officially meet you,” he said.
His voice was smooth, teasing. Like he already knew her better than he should.
Lili narrowed her eyes. “And you are?”
Notori’s smile deepened, curling with amusement. His boots crunched faintly as he stepped closer.
“Someone,” he said slowly, “who got tired of waiting.”
Lili’s brows drew in, and her sword hummed at her side with restrained power. “Waiting for what?”
“To meet you, Princess,” he drawled mockingly, the title dripping with sarcasm. “You know, I thought if I torched enough of your little toys—those factories you guard like they’re royal treasures—you might come find me. But no. The infamous tracker of the underworld didn’t show.”
He tilted his head, his grin widening like it truly amused him. “So I had to come find you instead. What happened to the ‘untraceable bloodhound’ the whole damn city fears? Too busy polishing Torin’s throne to sniff out a flame?”
Lili’s lips parted in a cold, breathless laugh. But it wasn’t mirth. It was rage. “You burned people for an invitation.”
He shrugged. “You never answered your mail, Princess.”
“You wanted my attention?” she said, her voice sharpening with fury. “You’ve got it. And now you’ll regret it.”
Notori’s eyes sparked with delight. “There she is,” he said, almost like a fan meeting a celebrity. “The voice that makes grown men piss themselves in alleys.”
Lili stepped forward, the energy from her sword tightening into a sharper hum. “I’ll make sure you leave in the bag.”
He gave a little mock bow. “Oh, Princess. I was hoping you’d say something like that.”
Notori barely finished his mocking line before the air around Lilithen shifted. The floating sword that had hovered defensively at her side jerked upward, sharp and silent, now an extension of her rage.
“You wanted my attention?” she hissed, voice calm but trembling beneath with fury. “You’ve got it.”
Notori laughed and took a step back, flames spiraling at his fingertips, dancing like snakes eager to bite. “There she is. About damn time you crawled out of your castle.”
With a twitch of her finger, the sword snapped forward—fast, vicious. Notori spun, narrowly dodging, the blade slicing clean across his coat. He retaliated with a wave of fire, searing the air. Lili didn’t move. The sword intercepted the flames mid-air, scattering them.
Her injury throbbed. But she kept her feet grounded. The fight would be won through control, not chaos.
Notori’s eyes narrowed as he studied her, finally noticing what her stillness meant—she was avoiding direct confrontation. Injured. Guarded. That smirk of his spread wider, taunting.
“Gotcha,” he whispered to himself.
A surge of fire exploded beneath his feet. The flames coiled upward like a launch engine, and in a blink he was airborne, shooting toward her like a missile.
Lilithen’s eyes widened—just a flicker of surprise, but enough to betray that she hadn’t expected such speed.
Before she could react, another presence slammed into the fray. A sudden gust of cold air collided with Notori mid-flight. A burst of ice struck him hard across the chest, and he was forced to twist his body midair, landing several paces back with a grunt.
Lili’s head snapped to the side. Aaron.
Wrapped in frost-laced armor and wearing that infuriatingly calm grin, he stepped out of the smoke like it didn’t touch him.
“You?” she spat, rage rising fast.
Aaron gave a half-bow, his tone light and mocking. “Temporary truce—for the fight. Deran’s orders.”
Lili’s stomach twisted.
Of all the people. Of all the times.
Her eyes darted instinctively toward where Fosin might be watching. If he saw this—her standing beside Deran’s right hand, accepting help—he’d report it. And Torin would not be merciful. She’d already been warned once about so much as speaking with Deran’s men. Her fingers twitched. The sword hovered between her and Aaron, trembling with the restraint she held.
“This isn’t a favor,” she hissed. “You follow me again, I don’t care whose orders you’re following—I’ll gut you.”
Aaron’s grin didn’t falter. “Wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Notori, meanwhile, was already gathering fire again. Lili’s pulse pounded in her ears.
She didn’t like the odds. But she’d never needed to.
Lilithen’s floating sword danced in front of her, intercepting blasts and arcs of flame. Lili adapted. Her eyes burned crimson—tracking the rush of blood beneath Notori skin, his pulse, the precise rhythm of his movement. That was his mistake: speed without variation. Predictable.
Aaron stood left, launching jagged shards of ice that forced Notori to slow, redirect, defend.
Lili’s sword spun high, hovered—then dropped. A flash of silver cut through the fire.
Notori dodged—but too late. Steel sliced along his side, carving through flesh just beneath his ribs.
He cried out—not in pain, but surprise.
“Finally,” Lili murmured.
Notori staggered back, clutching his side. He looked between the two attackers he faced. His smirk returned—but this time, it was bitter.
“Well,” he said, stepping back, flames flickering at his heels, “I got what I came for.”
He didn’t wait for a response. The fire around him exploded in a blinding ring, masking his retreat. When the flames cleared, he was gone—leaving only scorched earth and the scent of burned ozone behind.
Silence stretched. Lili swayed slightly but didn’t fall. Aaron turned to her, lips parting to speak—but she beat him to it. “Don’t say a word,” she warned. “This changes nothing.”
Aaron’s smile faded, just a little. “Didn’t expect it to.”
She turned just in time to see Fosin stepping out of the building with his gun drawn, eyes sharp and searching. Panic flared—not for herself, but for what it would look like. Aaron, one of Deran’s men, standing beside her… helping her. It would take only one look for Fosin to assume betrayal. And Torin would never forgive that kind of suspicion, whether true or not.
Lili spun on her heel and drove her knee into Aaron’s gut. As he doubled slightly, caught off guard, she brought her boot up and slammed it between his legs. He let out a sharp gasp, eyes wide in shock—but before he could react, she shoved him hard against the wall.
Her floating blade was already there, poised, humming with a low metallic growl just inches from his throat.
“I said it changes nothing,” she whispered coldly.
Then her fist connected with his face—clean, brutal, and without hesitation. Aaron’s head snapped violently to the side. Then his knees buckled, and he slumped against the wall, collapsing into an unconscious heap on the cold, cracked pavement.
Lili turned away from him. Fosin was already closing the distance. Every ounce of suspicion already hardening into fury in his narrowed eyes.
Her pulse kicked up again. She straightened, wiping her bloody knuckles on the inside of her coat, trying to reclaim the mask she wore so well.
But she could see it in Fosin’s gaze—he had seen Aaron. He had seen her. And that made everything infinitely more dangerous.
“This idiot,” she said, gesturing behind her with a flick of her hand toward Aaron’s crumpled form, “thought it’d be smart to come at me from behind.”
Lili let out a sharp sigh, as if the whole encounter had been an inconvenience more than anything else.
“While that happened,” she added, turning her eyes back to Fosin, “the other Gifted used the distraction to slip away.”
She paused, letting her words hang in the air just long enough to press their weight into the silence.
“I could’ve gone after him,” she said evenly, her tone edged with a dry bite. “But I figured you’d prefer me delivering Deran’s right hand on a silver platter.”
Her eyes didn’t waver from his, daring him to challenge her version of events, to call her bluff. Behind her, Aaron remained unconscious—conveniently unable to contradict anything she’d said.
Fosin’s eyes didn’t leave her face. He knew her too well—knew that, despite orders, Lilithen had occasionally kept contact with Deran. Whether it was recklessness, sentiment, or strategy, he never could fully read her.
Behind him, the sound of boots crunching against broken pavement drew their attention. A few of Fosin’s men approached.
“Take him,” Fosin ordered coldly, nodding at Aaron’s slumped body.
As his men moved in to seize the unconscious Gifted, Fosin turned back to Lili. His jaw was tight, but the edge in his tone made his command unmistakable. “Return to the car. Now,” he said. “We’ll talk more about this back at the mansion.” He didn’t raise his voice, but the threat in his words coiled just out of sight…
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