Thalia sat in the sitting room of their cottage, nibbling on a slice of cake on a plate, her gaze drifting around the room as she absentmindedly mused aloud, "I wonder if they were able to get it."
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden creak of the front door swinging wide open, revealing a frustrated and exhausted Lucas and Eric. Both men entered the room with tired groans, collapsing into the chairs with sighs of annoyance.
Eric glanced at Thalia's plate, the sight of the cake momentarily distracting him. "This is getting ridiculous," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
Thalia, who had been watching them with wide-eyed bewilderment, raised her brows. "Where's the guard armour?" she asked, noticing they were empty-handed.
"We weren't able to get it," Lucas replied, his eyes glued to the floor, his frustration obvious.
"Oh..." Thalia said, her expression quickly shifting to one of panic. "Wait, did you two get caught?!"
"No," Eric groaned. "The studio was packed with guards training. The whole place is crawling with them."
"It's impossible to sneak into the backroom with so many people around, let alone leave with the armour unnoticed," Lucas added, his eyes closed in frustration.
"Well, you two have to get it. We need those uniforms," Thalia insisted, her voice rising with urgency.
"Like we don't already know that," Eric snapped, irritation seeping into his tone.
Lucas sighed heavily. "Don't worry. We'll figure out a way. Sooner or later." He forced a smile, attempting to ease Thalia's worry. "For now, just focus on that ID your friend is getting for us."
Thalia nodded slowly, reassured but still uneasy. She glanced back down at her plate, returning her attention to the half-eaten slice of cake.
✨🌙✨
Thalia sat in the cafeteria, tapping her fingers restlessly on the table, her mind far from the noise around her. Ivor sat beside her, eating his food without a care in the world, while Thalia couldn't stop replaying Lucas and Eric's words in her head.
'Maybe I should join them next time,' she thought, her gaze drifting absently.
"Thalia?"
The sound of Alice's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Alice sitting on her other side, watching her with concern.
"It seems you're thinking... a lot," Alice said, her voice a bit awkward.
"Yeah, she's been like that for a while," Ivor chimed in, finally turning towards them. "I just chose to ignore it."
Thalia rolled her eyes at Ivor's casual comment. "Sorry, I guess I've been a bit out of it," she admitted.
Alice hummed thoughtfully before giving a small smile. "Well, I have the ID you needed," she said, sliding it discreetly across the table.
Thalia's eyes lit up with relief and excitement. Finally, something was moving forward in their plan. "Oh, thank you, Alice!"
"But," Alice added with a sly grin, "I get the feeling whatever's bothering you has something to do with your mission."
She tilted her head curiously. "So, what's up?"
Thalia let out a quiet sigh. "Lucas and Eric couldn't get the guard armour," she whispered, keeping her voice low.
Ivor perked up at her word. "Why do you need guard armour?" he asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.
"Nothing much," Thalia replied with a nonchalant shrug, trying to dismiss his question.
"Oh," Alice said, her grin widening as a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "You mean the guards' armour by the training studio?"
"Yes..." Thalia answered slowly, noticing Alice's shift in expression.
"Great! We can help!" Alice said cheerfully, her enthusiasm mirrored by Ivor, who broke into a wide smile.
"Yes! A heist!" Ivor exclaimed, giving Alice a thumb-up, which she returned with a playful wink.
Thalia groaned, clearly unamused. "What? No. This is important. I can't let you two interfere with it," she said firmly, crossing her arms.
"Come on, we'll make sure it goes smoothly," Alice said, winking again.
Thalia sighed. It won't hurt to try right? Maybe they have a plan. Various thoughts filled her mind, before reluctantly nodding.
✨🌙✨
"Welcome to my home!" Ivor declared with a grin, his dark eyes shining with mischief.
He stood in front of a large cottage, the afternoon rays streaming through the clear glass windows. The leaves, bushes, and flowers fluttered around him, while insects buzzed and birds chirped loudly, creating a sense of peace and tranquillity in the grand neighbourhood.
"Are you saying you live in such a quiet place?" Alice asked in astonishment, prompting Thalia to nod frantically in response, both teens still wearing their uniforms.
"Hey!." Ivor snarled, his fingers pointing at Alice. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"She means how can someone so lousy come from a quiet and grand place," Thalia answered blankly, a small smile on her face.
Ivor huffed at the girls, annoyed by their unexpected shade. "Well, this is our operational ground for the heist!" Ivor said excitedly, his voice rising in volume.
Thalia panicked at his loud declaration and rushed toward him, quickly covering his mouth with her palm while shooting him a sharp glare.
"Don't scream about a heist; you don't know who might hear us," Thalia warned, maintaining her intense gaze. His eyes widened, and he nodded nervously in response.
Thalia sighed in relief, releasing her hold on him as Ivor nervously grinned at his recklessness.
"We should head in then," Alice finally said as she held Ivor's hand to enter the cottage.
✨🌙✨
"It's better to start the heist at night," Alice said as she sat in the living room with the two other teens. The room was decorated with plenty of antiques related to Hecate, the furniture grand and elegant as various pictures and portraits were plastered on the wall.
"Nighttime?" Thalia replied, looking confused. "You mean the time when most heists happen? Won't the security be tighter then?"
"She has a point," Ivor shrugged, taking a piece of biscuit from the table and crunching it loudly, showing no care in the world.
"True, but we can take the risk," Alice replied with a shy smile.
"That seems dangerous, though," Thalia said sceptically, raising her eyebrows high.
"That's what makes it fun," Ivor declared with a grin, crumbs of biscuit dusting his face.
"Whose side are you on?" the two girls asked Ivor together, their eyes filled with annoyance.
"Damn, cheer up a bit," Ivor said as he dropped the biscuits he was holding onto the plates. "The security may be tight, depending on how much they value their armour," he added, gaining the attention of the girls.
"So, we should probably ask ourselves that," Ivor continued, his eyes on the plates before returning to his meal.
"The guards primarily focus on protecting the inhabitants of the islands, guarding both the properties and resources found here and coming into the islands," Thalia said, her gaze fixed on Ivor.
"Therefore, the door to the armour will most likely not be guarded at such a high level. Alice, what kind of work does your guardian do?" Ivor asked, his face still covered in biscuit crumbs, making it difficult for Alice to stifle her laughter.
"They mainly work at the island's docks, dealing with new resources and residents coming to the islands," Alice replied, trying to contain her amusement.
"The guards' armour is mostly for uniformity—cultural uniformity, to be exact, not for war or battle" Ivor added as he took another bite of the biscuits. "I'm guessing the Lucas you mentioned might have felt intimidated by the number of guards there."
"They could arrest him since he is an adult and may be a suspect, but it might not be the same for us. The guards don't seem to have a high level of training in their regional powers, unlike you, Thalia," Ivor added with a smirk.
"So, you're saying we could actually bypass them?" Alice asked, amused.
"I mean, I hope so," Ivor shrugged, glancing at his now empty plate. "I actually agree with nighttime since most of the island's residents will be asleep, reducing the risk of us drawing attention and allowing us to focus more on the heist."
"Also, it is beneficial for my powers at least. Though I'm not as skilled, it could work," Ivor added, his eyes meeting the girls'. "What do you think?"
Ivor met the gaze of the shocked and amazed girl, who stared at him with wide, open mouths, astonished by his insights and analysis.
"Oh goodness, you actually do have the ability to think," Thalia said, surprised, a small smile forming.
"Why do you hide these parts of yourself, Ivor?" Alice asked.
"So dramatic," Ivor mused with a grin. "I did tell you I'm quite mysterious."
"Sure," Alice mocked.
"Back to the plan," Thalia said, drawing their attention back. "What about transporting the armour?"
"Yes, they are quite heavy," Alice nodded.
"Oh, I have something in mind," Ivor grinned.
✨🌙✨
The black nighttime sky is painted with glowing white dots, the moon allowing its rays to act as a guide through the dark.
The teens crouched beside a bush near the training ground, the trees and plants shielding them from the guards' view.
Thalia peeked through the bush, her gaze fixed on the building. She noticed that the blind was wide open, and light from the inside reflected through the tinted window. The guards stood inside, chatting and lounging around.
Soon enough, one of the guards walked over to the window and closed the blinds, allowing only the moonlight to guide the teens through the night.
"Okay, the blinds are closed," Thalia said as she turned to her friends, the teens dressed in all-black garments.
"Most of the guards are from the western regions, based on my aura reading," Thalia added with a smirk. "That means there are no Eastern magic users to spot us in the dark."
"Okay, but how are we going to enter?" Alice asked, her gaze fixed on the building.
"A distraction," Thalia replied, turning to Ivor. "We need you to draw attention to yourself and use your shadow transportation to hide."
"Okay, but be quick," Ivor said, his face scrunching up in unease. "I get dizzy if I'm in the shadows too long."
"Okay." Thalia nodded.
Ivor took a deep breath, his eyes turning completely dark like ashes as he dissolved into a swirl of darkness, causing Alice to squeal.
Thalia and Alice kept their eyes on the moving darkness, watching Ivor travel farther away from them before returning to his normal form.
He picked up a rock from the ground and threw it towards the windows, causing the rock to pass through and shatter the glass. Ivor and the girls hissed at the impact, not expecting the glass to break.
At the sudden noise, the bindings opened at once, causing Ivor to dissipate into a shadowy smoke. Some of the guards rushed outside to investigate the commotion, while the others remained inside.
"Should we move now?" Alice whispered to Thalia as the two crouched by the bush.
"No, let's wait a bit," Thalia replied softly.
Ivor, swirling in shadows, surrounded the guards, causing them to flinch. He snickered at their reaction, then transformed back into his normal form to playfully push and poke them before dispersing into smoke again.
"Eastern magic?" one of the guards whispered.
"Yeah, right!" Ivor exclaimed.
The guards jumped and snarled at the sudden sound, while Thalia and Alice groaned in annoyance.
"I don't remember telling him he could speak," Thalia said blankly, an unamused smile on her face.
The girls watched as Ivor's swirling shadows guided the guards out of the building's vicinity, and they yelled and screamed at the dark shapes.
"Now, it's our turn," Thalia said, her gaze fixed on the open blinds and broken windows, where the guards inside stood on high alert.
"We need the lights out," Alice hissed.
Thalia nodded at her suggestion, closing her eyes to feel and draw the mana from the plants around her, gathering enough energy for what she needed to do.
When she opened her eyes, she pulled various vines from the ground. The noise of the earth cracking and shifting as the lush vines emerged caused the guards' eyes to widen.
"What the hell?" one of the guards exclaimed.
"I can feel two auras over there," a different guard said as he started walking out of the building.
"Thalia?" Alice called out to her.
Before Thalia could let the guards approach them, she suddenly directed the vines of plants toward the building. The sound of shattering glass echoed everywhere as guards scrambled to move out of the way. Thalia guided the vines to various lanterns and torches, breaking and shattering them, allowing darkness to reign within the building.
"So much for being stealthy," Thalia mused, staring at the wreckage.
"Let's go!" Alice grabbed Thalia's hand, and they ran into the building before the guards could reach them.
✨🌙✨
The girls sprinted through various hallways, their footsteps echoing everywhere.
"We have to be quick; there are Westerners among them. They can pick on our aura again!" Alice exclaimed.
"Okay, open each door and look through them quickly!" Thalia replied as they opened various doors.
Thalia searched through various doors, her ears picking up the voices of guards heading her way, which caused her to panic.
As she opened another door, she gasped as she stood in front of an elderly man meditating, his eyes closed and candles surrounding him. Not wanting him to be aware of her presence, she gently closed the door and let out a sigh of relief.
Suddenly. Alice appeared beside her, taking her hands and dragging her down the hallway.
"I found it," Alice exclaimed, as she opened a door filled with guards' armour on various armour stands.
"Great job, Alice," Thalia replied with a smile, reaching into the bag at her waist to pull out a sunflower seed.
She held it in her palms and took a deep breath. As she focused, the seed began to sprout quickly, leaving Alice amazed, her eyes wide.
Thalia dropped the seed on the ground, her hands stretching towards the sprouting plant, making it grow in size.
Soon enough, a giant sunflower towered in the room, reaching the height of a normal adult human.
"Wow!" Alice exclaimed.
"Quick, put the armour on top of the flowers," Thalia directed, her hands still reaching out to the plant.
Alice nodded and ran towards the armour stands, removing the armour and throwing it into the petals.
Minutes passed, and the sunflower was filled with armour, prompting Thalia to stretch her hand upwards, allowing the petals to close, covering and shielding the armour.
"We have to be quiet now," Thalia said to Alice. "No more drawing attention to ourselves."
"How?" Alice said, confused. "There's literally a giant sunflower here," she added, pointing to it.
"Fair point," Thalia sighed.
"Let's just run out. Hopefully, Ivor will have our transportation," Alice added, signalling for Thalia to run with her.
"Okay, cover your face with the mask. Our faces can't be spotted," Thalia agreed.
✨🌙✨
Thalia and Alice rushed out of the building and noticed several guards outside. Thalia, still manipulating the large sunflower, guided it toward a bush. She shrank the sunflower to a small size, causing the armour to drop and clatter behind the bush.
Taking a deep breath, Thalia focused her attention on the guards who had spotted them from afar.
"Who are you?!" one of the guards shouted angrily.
"With their stature, they seem to be kids," another guard added, his sharp gaze fixed on them. "You'll be in serious trouble, kids."
Thalia and Alice kept their eyes on the guards, choosing to remain silent as they waited for Ivor.
'Come on, Ivor, where are you?' Thalia thought, conjuring two vines from the ground beside her, ready to fight.
Out of the corner of her eye, Thalia noticed a wagon quickly approaching, crashing through the lush plants, flowers, bushes, and shards of glass on the ground.
The wagon suddenly stopped in front of the girls, causing gasps to leave the lips of both the girls and the guards.
Ivor jumped out of the wagon, holding three container bottles, with a black mask covering his face.
"Smoke bomb!"
Ivor exclaimed loudly, dropping the containers hard onto the ground, the clay bottle shattering immediately on impact.
Smoke and gunpowder filled the air, obscuring everyone's view. Thalia and Alice stood still, shocked by the events as they tried to see through the smoke, hearing only the sounds of annoyance coming from the guards.
A hand grasped the girls' wrists, pulling them into the wagon with a soft thud.
"Let's be quick," Ivor said sharply, directing his attention to the young man in front of the wagon who was holding the reins of the horses.
"We need to grab the armour by the bush," Alice said to Ivor.
"Okay," Ivor replied frantically. "Drive to the bush quickly." He directed his attention to the man in front.
The wagon began moving rapidly through the smoke. Alice and Thalia held onto each other in shock and fear. Suddenly, the wagon halted its movement.
"Get it quick!" Ivor exclaimed.
The girls jumped out of the wagon, grabbing the armour and throwing it into the wagon frantically. Alice, securing the last piece of armour, jumped into the wagon.
"Go! Go! Go!" Alice shouted, noticing the smoke slowly dissolving from the air.
Soon enough, the young man flipped the reins, causing the horses to speed up and leave the vicinity of the building.
Minutes passed, and Thalia turned around, watching the training ground building fade away as the distance grew wider.
"Oh, Hecate," Alice whispered excitedly. "That was awesome!"
"Huh? Who's this?" Thalia murmured, nodding toward the young man at the reins of the wagon.
Ivor grinned. "My big brother," he replied with a shrug.
Thalia looked skeptical, her brows knitting together. "Wait—won't he tell your parents?" she asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
The young man let out a sigh. "No," he said, casting a sidelong glance at Ivor. "He blackmailed me into helping."
Ivor winked. "See? All taken care of."
Thalia grinned, finally relaxing. "Well, let's get moving then."
✨🌙✨
"What?!"
Lucas's confused and shocked voice echoed through the cottage. Eric stood beside him, wearing a puzzled expression with his brows slightly furrowed.
"We were able to get the armour," Thalia announced, while Alice and Ivor fidgeted nervously beside her.
"Aren't they supposed to thank us?" Ivor whispered to Thalia, his grin faltering.
"How did you get it?" Eric asked, his voice sharp and confused. "And who are these kids? Why did you bring them with you?
"Thalia, you're not supposed to involve ordinary people in our mission," Lucas said sternly, his tone unwavering. "This isn't what I meant when I said you could fill them in!"
"Hey!" Ivor exclaimed, looking offended. "I'm not ordinary, mister! You should've seen me throw my handmade smoke bomb or chuck a rock through their windows. So, yeah, I'm not 'ordinary'!"
"Smoke bombs?!" Eric exclaimed.
"Throwing rocks?!" Lucas said, his eyes widening in shock and frustration
"We weren't exactly the stealthiest, but at least we got the armour," Alice added nervously.
Lucas rubbed his temples in frustration. "Thanks... but please don't do that again. It's dangerous."
"That's what makes it fun," Ivor said with a mischievous smirk, earning a glare from Thalia that immediately shut him up.
"You kids should probably head home," Eric added, still puzzled, eyeing their black attire.
"Okay, see you later, Thalia!" Alice said, waving at her as they headed toward the door.
"Yes, see you," Thalia waved back to them.
"I doubt your little heist won't be the talk of the islands tomorrow," Lucas said, folding his arms across his chest.
"Sorry," Thalia said softly.
"It's fine; at least you hid your faces well," Eric added with a shrug.
"The good thing is we got the armour. We just need to wait for Emily now," Lucas said, bringing his hands to Thalia's shoulders with a soft smile on his face.
"You were brave. You and your friends," Lucas added.
"I guess we were."