As Darius, clad in his immaculate white suit, gracefully ascended the staircase, the festivities exploded.
Amidst the flashing lights of the reflectors and the loudly blasting music, Tia stood in the corner, her dress shimmering in the dim light. She closed her eyes and indulged in a sip of the expensive wine she held delicately in her hand.
'This should be a good opportunity. He finally went upstairs...'
Around her, the crowd moved in rhythms dictated by the beats, but Tia was focused on something entirely different. The invisible tendrils of her kinetic force began their journey, feeling their way out from her proximity. Like ghostly fingers, they trailed behind the corner, barely making a presence as they brushed the walls and the floor.
Her senses heightened as the tendrils moved. They came upon a staircase and, with gentle persistence, began their ascent. One step at a time, they moved higher, each step echoing the anticipation Tia felt.
Through her expanded touch, she registered a guard's presence on the staircase. Her lips curled into a sly smile. 'One guard on the staff staircase. The location is too close to the crowded place—a single mistake would draw atention. Alright, time for a small distraction.'
The faint light reflected off a ring she wore, making it glint momentarily. With a focused thought, a vial materialized within her palm. It contained a dark red liquid.
Holding her breath, she uncapped the vial. Using her telekinesis, she guided a single droplet out, holding it suspended in the air.
Among the dancing and laughing crowd, a group of women in elegant black dresses stood out. They chatted animatedly, their glasses of wine held loosely in their hands. Tia's attention zeroed in on one of the women, her target.
'Enjoy my berserk potion.' This time, it wasn't as gaseous as in the hospital, as she had time to calmly purify most of the air elements out of it.
The droplet moved, directed by Tia's invisible force. It hurled through the air, darting between heads and avoiding the wandering hands of the crowd, looking nothing more than a stray glint of light lost amidst the flashing lights and mirrors.
As the target woman laughed at a joke, the droplet silently plunged into her glass of wine.
'Nice, all in place.'
The woman took a sip of her wine, Tia's heart pounding with anticipation to watch the show that was going to happen.
The redhead woman ceased to move, frozen like an ice statue. Just as her friend opened her mouth to speak, the woman moved and punched her straight into her voluptuous chest, sending her to the floor.
"You plastic whore!" Her guttural shriek cut through the venue, outpouring even the background music and drawing all the eyes to her.
Tia didn't pay them any attention as she saw the black-suited guards rushing in from every direction. Shouts, yells, and the unmistakable clamor of a commotion filled the air. Using the commotion, she took a calculated risk, slipping out of the grand hall, right behind the corner.
'Alright, it seems to work.'
The guard, drawn by the escalating situation, sprinted past her, his attention fully on the altercation, not even noticing the drunk-looking Tia leaning against the wall.
The yelling of women got even louder in the hall behind her.
"Let me go, you bitch!"
"Mirinda, I have enough of your fake nose! Let me break it for you!"
Tia smirked inwardly, 'Now or never.'
Not looking back, she turned to run, her high heels not making any sound as she ascended the smooth, metal staircase.
Just in a few seconds, she reached the second floor, stopping before the chrome double door barring her path. There was no keyhole, no knob, nothing that she could utilize to break through.
'I hate the modern doors...'
The distant sound of footsteps started echoing from below. They grew louder, more distinct, each footfall getting closer. Tia's mind raced. She had mere moments before the guard would see her.
'Shit! Beating the guard would be no problem, but it wouldn't be silent.' Her heart raced as the steps were getting closer and closer. She could already see a black shadow ascending the staircase like a vanguard of its owner.
She had to avoid raising the alarm at any cost until she located the man, otherwise, there would be a risk of him running away or holing up in some panic room.
In a blend of desperation and determination, she shoved against the doors.
To her surprise, they moved! Slipping through, she was met by a strikingly contrasting sight: a corridor constructed of obsidian-like metal, gleaming under dim lighting, chrome doors adorning its length.
With a last effort, she silently shut the chrome doors behind her, pressing her back against them and catching her breath.
'Really? They weren't even locked. If they put even half of the money they gave to the architect that designed this monstrosity into the security, I would be screwed up.'
There were no guards, and the entire second floor was seemingly empty. Still, Tia remained cautious, knowing that the greatest obstacle would likely be the personal bodyguard of her target. Even though she didn't know much about him, from the intel she obtained, he was a superhuman with unknown powers.
'Where did he go?'
Just as she started to question, one of the doors opened, and a man in a white suit and five bodyguards in black, with masks on their faces, stepped out. The time seemingly stopped as the two groups looked at each other.
"Who are you? What are you doing up here?"
Beep!
<<<<<<>>>>>>
New mission:
Basic Objective --> Kill Darius Binks
Bonus Objective 1 --> Kill the chief personal bodyguard -> 1 X Esper Point
Bonus Objective 2 --> Kill all the bodyguards -> 1 X Esper Point
Bonus Objective 3 --> Kill the target and his bodyguards before the reinforcement arrives -> 1 X Esper Point
Basic Reward --> 2 x esper point; 3 X +1 to Random Stat
<<<<<<>>>>>>
'Ohh, here we go again.'