Lili stood motionless under the dim orange glow of a streetlight, her back lightly resting against the pole. Night had settled thick around the city, quiet except for the soft hum of distant traffic. She was dressed fully in her Princess of Death attire—long black coat, mask concealing her face.
Her voice came low through the earpiece. “Are you sure Ofo isn’t just messing with us again?”
“I’m sure,” Fosin replied without hesitation. “And act accordingly. No interpretations.”
Lili exhaled, the sound barely audible. Just then, she caught the crisp rhythm of heels echoing down the street.
“She’s approaching,” she said, eyes narrowing on the figure in the distance.
“Good. Leave the communication open,” Fosin instructed.
Lili waited, hands relaxed at her sides but every muscle alert, until the woman came closer—mid-forties, dark hair pinned neatly, sharp eyes behind thin-framed glasses. She was Helena, one of the scientists Ofo had mentioned.
Helena froze when she saw her, instinct halting her steps.
“Hello, Helena,” Lili said, her voice calm but clear. “Ofo sent me. It’s not safe for you to be walking these streets alone.”
Helena studied her warily, her gaze lingering on the mask. “Of course he would send someone who hides her face. I hate that.”
Lili gave a small nod. “I understand,” she replied evenly. “But I don’t like sharing my face with strangers. Helps keep the people I care about safe.”
She moved to the car parked nearby, opened the passenger-side door, and gestured toward it. “Let me drive you home.”
Helena hesitated only a moment longer before stepping forward and sliding into the passenger seat. Lili circled the front of the car, slipped into the driver’s side, and with a glance at the mirrors, started the engine. The car eased into motion, its quiet hum filling the silence between them.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The city passed by in a blur of streetlights and shadows.
Then Lili broke the quiet, keeping her tone casual as if making idle conversation. “I heard you know a thing or two about the people who’ve been hunting other Gifted. They’ve already managed to kill several.”
Helena said nothing, but her posture stiffened slightly.
“Doesn’t that worry you?” Lili continued, eyes on the road. “If I didn’t have any powers, I’d probably be checking over my shoulder every time I breathed.”
Helena finally let out a soft breath, more exasperated than afraid. “Fear is a luxury. I work with facts. And the fact is—whether I’m afraid or not—they’ll come if they want to.”
Lili cast a brief glance her way but kept her hands steady on the wheel, letting the weight of the silence sit between them. She knew better than to push too hard too fast—sometimes letting a person speak on their own was more effective than pressing.
“Fair enough,” Lili said eventually, her voice calm and measured. “So, tell me—what facts do you have about these ‘dark shadows’? The ones targeting the Gifted. And more importantly—those bullets.” Her tone sharpened just slightly, almost imperceptibly. “The ones that poison and change the blood.”
Helena’s fingers twitched in her lap, a subtle reaction Lili didn’t miss. “Not much,” the scientist admitted. “But enough to know they weren’t made by any standard process. It was… influenced. Shaped by a Gift.”
“I’m thinking of going after them,” Lili said suddenly, her voice flat, as if she were stating a fact rather than entertaining a choice.
Helena turned to her sharply, eyes wide with disbelief. “Are you crazy?” she asked, her tone low but intense. “I don’t know what you can do, but I’ve seen others—Gifted who looked unstoppable—get torn down by them like they were nothing.”
“Well, I’m still going,” Lili replied without hesitation. “I just need to know more.”
Helena studied her in silence for a moment, something guarded shifting behind her eyes. Then she spoke again, more slowly this time. “Then listen carefully. If you do go after them… avoid being hit by those bullets. If one of them gets you, you’re as good as dead. And if it doesn’t kill you fast—then the only mercy you can give yourself is to end it before it does.”
Lili’s jaw clenched. A tremor of discomfort moved through her body, not just from the memory of the pain—but from the realization that she hadn’t closed the channel. Fosin had heard everything.
“You’re not talking like a scientist,” Lili said after a beat, her voice quieter now. “You sound like someone who’s seen this up close.”
Helena looked out the window for a moment before speaking. “Stop here,” she said with distant voice.
Lili pulled the car to a slow stop by the curb. Helena hesitated, then turned to face her. “The government’s trying to find a cure, but they’re running out of time. Too many good people have already died.” Her gaze held Lili’s for a moment, steady and sincere. “If you value your life, stay away from them.”
With that, Helena opened the door and stepped out, disappearing into the night without another word.
A second later, Fosin’s cold voice came through the earpiece. “Follow her.”
Lili’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “But—”
“I gave Ofo my word she’d make it home safe. Do it.” His tone left no room for negotiation.
Lili sighed through her teeth and slipped out of the car, moving like a shadow behind Helena, keeping her distance but never letting her out of sight. It wasn’t long before something felt off—an unnatural stillness in the air.
Then she saw him.
Notori—the fire freak she’d fought and wounded days ago—stepped out from behind a narrow alleyway, blocking Helena’s path. His injured arm hung stiffly, but the fire in his eyes was anything but dimmed.
He spotted Lili instantly. His expression twisted into a snarl as he raised a trembling hand.
“Leave her alone, you mafia scum!” he shouted, flames crackling faintly around his fingers.
Helena froze in place, turning to look at Lili with startled confusion. Clearly, she didn’t recognize her.
But before anyone could make a move, the air shifted again—heavier this time.
Two shadowy figures dropped soundlessly from above, landing between Helena and Notori in a crouch. Their presence radiated menace, their faces masked by shadows.
Lili’s stance tensed. This wasn’t just a coincidence. It was an ambush.
Both Lili and Notori locked eyes for a brief moment—tense, unwilling, but understanding. Neither of them liked the idea of fighting side by side, but they both recognized the situation for what it was: survival first, grievances later.
The two shadowed assailants moved fast. Her sword responded from where it was hidden beneath her coat, spinning through the air to her side like a summoned spirit. The edge gleamed in the dim streetlight, poised and ready.
Notori shifted his stance, the faint flickers of fire curling around his bruised fingers. He didn’t say a word, but the intensity in his eyes showed he was ready to burn the street down if that’s what it took.
Their enemies didn’t hesitate either. The first figure lunged toward Helena. Lili’s blade sliced across the air before her, intercepting. Sparks scattered from the clash as steel met whatever twisted power the enemy used for the attack.
The second figure veered toward Notori, only to be met with a roaring wall of flame.
As the clash intensified, Lili’s hand brushed the edge of her collar, flicking the hidden switch on her comms—muting the channel before Fosin could interfere. She didn’t need him barking in her ear.
Her blade darted through the air yet again, parrying the enemy’s next strike. Flames surged beside her, Notori pushing forward with a blast that sent one of the attackers stumbling back.
“Firefreak,” Lili called over the chaos. “Left flank. I’ll drive the other into you.”
Notori didn’t waste time with a retort. He adjusted position, understanding her plan immediately.
Lili’s sword shot forward—forcing the first attacker to retreat, herding him exactly where she wanted. At the same time, she shifted, cutting off any escape route. The attacker twisted to strike her—but it was too late.
Notori’s flames surged in from the side, engulfing the figure in a wave of searing heat. A muffled scream echoed, then silence.
The second assailant tried to break away, perhaps realizing the fight wasn’t in their favor. But Lili’s sword intercepted them mid-turn, embedding itself deep. The blade twisted sharply before yanking free, the body collapsing in a heap.
Breathing heavily, Notori stepped back, his arm flickering with dying flame. “You fight like a demon,” he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
Lili’s blade floated calmly beside her, stained but ready. She didn’t respond. Instead, she glanced toward Helena—frozen, wide-eyed, clearly shaken.
Only then did Lili unmute her comm. “Threat neutralized,” she said, her voice calm. “Helena is safe.”
As the last tendrils of smoke faded into the night, Lili muted her comm again, just as she saw Notori shift—his stance tense, ready to strike.
“You’re going to turn on me now?” she asked, her voice edged but not hostile. “Do you even know who those shadows were?”
Notori didn’t drop his guard. “I don’t care who they were. Leave Helena out of this,” he growled. “And more importantly—what have you done to Ofo?”
Lili narrowed her eyes behind the mask. “If we’d done anything to Ofo,” she said evenly, “I wouldn’t be protecting his contacts. I’d be trying to silence them. My orders are clear—keep Helena alive.”
Notori’s flames flickered along his arms, but he didn’t move. Silence passed between them.
Then he turned away. “Let’s go, Helena,” he said without looking back. “I’ll make sure you get home safely.”
Lili’s eyes widened beneath the mask. He was turning his back on her?
“We’re not finished here, fire freak,” she called after him, her voice sharper now.
He paused, then glanced over his shoulder just enough for her to see the heat still simmering in his gaze. “Then attack me if you wish,” he said. “But if you’re half as smart as you pretend to be—you won’t.”
And with that, he walked away into the darkness with Helena beside him, leaving Lili standing in the cold night, her floating blade humming quietly at her side.
Lili let out a deep breath, steadying her pulse as she unmuted her comm. The silence lingered for a moment before she spoke. “Any further orders for tonight?” she asked.
There was a pause on the other end, then Fosin’s voice came through—calm, but with a distinct undertone of irritation. “You went dark when the fight started. Care to explain?”
“I didn’t want distractions,” Lili answered simply. “They weren’t amateurs.”
Another pause. Then: “Return. We’ll talk in the morning.”
The line clicked off before she could say anything more. Lili clenched her jaw, glanced once toward the direction Notori had disappeared, then turned and walked back toward her car—already replaying every second of the fight in her mind…
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