Ochieng stood outside an abandoned warehouse on the edge of Emerald City, the address from the message glowing on his phone screen.
He knew this was a mistake.
But he had come anyway.
The past had a way of catching up, and no matter how far he ran, Elara was the one name he could never erase from his history.
The steel doors of the warehouse loomed before him, rusted but still standing strong, much like the memories he had buried long ago.
Taking a slow breath, he pushed them open.
---
The dim light from the overhead bulbs flickered as he stepped inside.
And then he saw her.
Elara.
She hadn't changed.
Dressed in a black coat, her long silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her piercing emerald eyes. A beauty carved out of ice—elegant, dangerous, untouchable.
But Ochieng had once touched her.
Had once held her.
Had once trusted her.
And she had repaid him with betrayal.
"You're late," she said, her voice as smooth as ever.
Ochieng took slow steps toward her, keeping his face unreadable. "Didn't think we had a schedule."
She smirked. "We always do. You just never notice it."
Ochieng clenched his fists. "Why am I here, Elara?"
She leaned against a wooden crate, crossing her arms. "Because you need my help."
Ochieng let out a humorless laugh. "The last time I needed your help, you put a knife in my back."
She tilted her head. "That's unfair. It wasn't a knife. It was a bullet."
His jaw tightened.
"Relax, Ochieng. If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have made it through that door."
---
Ochieng took a deep breath, reigning in his emotions. "You're working with Veyron now?"
Elara's smirk disappeared. "Veyron isn't my boss. He's my target."
Ochieng's eyes narrowed. "You expect me to believe that?"
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Believe whatever you want. But Veyron is more dangerous than you think. He's not just coming for you, Ochieng—he's coming for everyone. And when he's done, there won't be a single person left standing in your world."
Ochieng studied her face. "And you care because…?"
Elara exhaled. "Because if he wins, I lose, too."
A flicker of something passed through her eyes—something Ochieng couldn't quite place.
A lie? A half-truth? Or something more?
"You want me to trust you," he said, voice low.
She held his gaze. "No. I want you to work with me."
Ochieng let silence stretch between them.
Elara and Veyron.
A war that had already begun.
And he was standing right in the middle of it.
The only question now was which side to take.
---