"Ashes of the Unseen."

After barely escaping the Echelon ambush at the warehouse, Riven, Lirian, and Seren uncovered a name in the decrypted files—Juno Kaesin, a former Echelon officer. Believing she holds key information about the organization's activities, they set out to find her.

---

The neon lights flickered weakly as Riven, Lirian, and Seren made their way through the outskirts of the city. The rain had eased, but the streets were still slick with water, reflecting distorted images of the crumbling buildings around them.

Seren kept glancing at her device, checking their location.

Seren: "Juno's last known safehouse should be close."

Lirian walked slightly ahead, his posture relaxed but alert.

Lirian: "Let's hope she's in a good mood. Last time I met her, things got... complicated."

Riven shot him a questioning look, but Lirian just smirked.

Riven: "You have a history with her?"

Lirian (grinning): "She tried to kill me once."

Seren (sighing): "Why am I not surprised?"

They reached an old apartment complex, its windows shattered, its walls covered in graffiti. It was a forgotten part of the city, the kind of place where people disappeared.

Lirian stepped up to a rusted door and knocked—three slow taps, then two fast ones.

A long silence followed. Then, the sound of a gun cocking.

A voice came from the other side.

??? (coldly): "State your business."

Lirian smirked.

Lirian: "Relax, Juno. It's me."

The door opened just enough for a sharp-eyed woman to peer through. Short silver hair, a scar running across her cheek—she looked older than the files suggested but just as dangerous.

She glanced at Riven and Seren before looking back at Lirian.

Juno: "Didn't expect to see your face again."

Lirian: "Didn't expect to be back."

Juno studied them for a moment before stepping aside.

Juno: "Get in. And if you brought trouble, you're leaving in a body bag."

---

Inside the Safehouse

The air inside was thick with the scent of gunpowder and old books. The room was cluttered with maps, documents, and weapon parts—a clear sign that Juno had never truly left her past behind.

She leaned against the table, arms crossed.

Juno: "Talk."

Seren wasted no time. She pulled up her device and projected a decrypted file.

Seren: "This came from an Echelon database. You used to work with them. We need to know what you can tell us about their operations."

Juno's gaze flickered to the screen, her expression unreadable.

Juno: "Where did you get this?"

Riven stepped forward.

Riven: "We took it from one of their warehouses. Barely got out alive."

Juno exhaled slowly.

Juno: "Then you're already in deep. Echelon doesn't just let people walk away."

She scrolled through the data, her brow furrowing.

Juno: "These records are old… but some of these names—" (she stopped, her eyes narrowing) "—are not."

Riven noticed the shift in her demeanor.

Riven: "You recognize something."

Juno hesitated.

Juno: "I might. But if I tell you, you won't like where it leads."

Riven felt his pulse quicken. The answers were close—too close. But something in Juno's voice made him uneasy.

Lirian (leaning back): "If we were afraid of bad news, we wouldn't be here."

Juno sighed, closing the device.

Juno: "Fine. I'll help you. But after this… you'll owe me."

Riven's grip tightened on his dagger.

Riven: "Just tell us what we need to know."

Juno's expression darkened.

Juno: "Then listen carefully. Because once you go down this path, there's no turning back."

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