"Right... because of those two brats," Dove sighed. "But at least they didn't do anything too stupid..."
"But hey, they're famous all over the internet now, for helping people escape from that concert. Even international news outlets are talking about them." Yolan showed Dove a news article on her phone.
Dove leaned forward, her eyes glued to the screen. "This is unbelievable," she muttered, her voice laced with a mix of awe and concern. "They're calling them the 'Shadow Guardian' and the 'Midnight Phantom.'"
Yolan chuckled, a hint of pride in her voice. "Not bad nicknames, if I do say so myself."
Dove shook her head, a worried frown creasing her brow. "This isn't a game, Yolan. You guys need to be careful. The Seers are still out there, and they won't be happy about this."
"Relax, Dove," Irune said, waving a dismissive hand. "They can handle themselves."
Dove sighed, knowing she couldn't argue with that. "I know…" she mumbled, her voice trailing off.
Just then, Dove's laptop buzzed with a new notification. It was a message from an unknown number.
[Unknown: We know what you did. The game has just begun.]
"Who is it?" Yolan asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Unknown message," Dove replied, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips. "Let me guess, the Seers?"
She quickly regained her composure, a determined look replacing the worry in her eyes. "We have Xian, with his Imagination Manifestation power... he can be stronger than them."
Yolan nodded in agreement, her confidence in Xian unwavering. "Xian and IM are a formidable team. They've proven that time and time again."
"I just hope they don't get in over their heads," Dove said, a hint of worry still lingering in her voice. "The Seers are unpredictable and ruthless."
"We'll keep an eye on them," Irune reassured her. "We'll make sure they stay safe."
Aca burst into the room, her voice filled with excitement. "Guys, guys! There's shocking news!"
The three of them turned their attention to Aca.
Aca was engrossed in her phone. "The guy who was arrested... he claims to be an Inferno Pyrokinetic... without any tools or equipment. And yet... I can see the aura even from this picture..." she showed them the image of the arrested Elang that Xian and IM had subdued.
The room fell silent as everyone absorbed Aca's words. The image of Elang, his eyes ablaze with power, sent a shiver down their spines.
"Inferno Pyrokinetic?" Dove repeated, her brow furrowing. "I've never heard of that before."
"It's a rare and dangerous ability," Aca explained, her voice hushed. "Those who possess it can manipulate fire at will, creating powerful flames and even controlling existing sources of heat."
"So... that wasn't just some special effect?" Yolan asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
"No," Aca replied, shaking her head. "It was real. And it seems the authorities are taking it very seriously."
Dove's expression hardened. "This changes everything," she said, her voice grim. "If the Seers are recruiting people with such powerful abilities, it means they're more dangerous than we thought."
Irune crossed her arms, a determined look in her eyes. "We need to find out what they're up to," she declared. "And we need to stop them before they cause any more harm."
The room fell silent once more, the weight of the situation settling upon them. They knew they were facing a formidable enemy, one with resources and powers far beyond their own. But they also knew they couldn't back down. The fate of their world, their very existence, might depend on their actions.
"We need a plan," Dove said, her voice resolute. "And we need to act fast."
Yolan leaned against the wall, tapping her finger on her chin thoughtfully. "Where do you think the Seers would be hiding?" she asked.
"It's impossible to know in this day and age," Dove replied, her voice laced with frustration. "They could be anyone – ordinary pedestrians, government officials, or even members of other organizations..."
Aca tapped her fingers on the table, a thoughtful expression on her face. "We need to find a way to track them down," she said. "But how? They're clearly experts at hiding their true identities."
Irune slammed her hand on the table, a determined glint in her eyes. "We need to infiltrate their organization. Find out who their leader is, what their plans are, and then take them down from the inside."
Dove shook her head. "That's too dangerous. We don't know anything about them, their resources, or their numbers. It would be suicide."
"We can't just sit here and wait for them to strike again," Irune argued, her voice rising. "We have to do something."
Yolan, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "I agree with Irune. We can't let fear paralyze us. We need to be proactive."
A tense silence fell over the room. The weight of their responsibility pressed down on them. They were the only ones who knew the truth about the Seers and the threat they posed to the world.
"We need to gather more information," Dove finally said, her voice calmer now. "We need to find out everything we can... ah, IM and Xian might know something since they fought Elang. Call them."
"Aye aye," Aca responded, dialing IM's number on her phone.
The phone rang for a few moments before IM picked up. "Hey, Aca, what's up?" he asked, his voice muffled as if he were eating.
"Where are you guys?" Aca inquired, a hint of urgency in her voice.
"I'm alone at home, Xian's still out. Why?" he replied.
"Come to the office with Xian," Aca instructed.
"Why?" IM asked, curiosity lacing his tone.
"Just come," Aca replied firmly.
"Okay," IM agreed, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
The call ended abruptly.
***
An hour later, IM and I arrived at the WRA Company building. As we stepped into the familiar lobby, we could sense a tense atmosphere. The receptionist greeted us with a worried look, quickly directing us to Elevator.
As the floor turn into 20th floor, we entered the room to find Dove, Yolan, Irune, and Aca gathered around a laptop, their faces etched with concern.
"Xian, IM, you're here," Dove said, her voice grave. "We need to talk."
I stepped into the office, the tension in the air palpable. Dove, Yolan, Irune, and Aca were gathered around a laptop, their expressions grim.
"Xian, IM, you're here," Dove said, her voice strained. "We need to talk."
"What's going on?" I asked, sensing the urgency in her tone.
Aca turned the laptop towards us, revealing a news article about the incident at the concert. "The man you fought," she began, her voice shaking slightly, "he claims to be a pyrokinetic... is he in the Seer Organization?"
"Oh, that guy?" I repeated, a chill running down my spine as the memory of Elang's fiery attacks flashed before my eyes.
"Yeah, that's him," IM confirmed.
"And he wasn't lying," Aca added, her gaze fixed on the screen. "Look at this photo they took of him after his arrest."
The image displayed on the screen showed Elang, bound and bruised, but his eyes still burned with an unnatural intensity. A faint aura of heat seemed to radiate from the image itself.
"I can feel it even through the picture," Aca whispered, her voice barely audible. "The energy... it's so strong."
"Hmm... how do I explain it..." I mumbled, trying to gather my thoughts.
Elang was indeed half Seer and half Unveiled, as he had claimed. But if I remembered correctly, Lili had said she was part of the Unveil Commission, which made me unsure about the whole situation.
"Umm... so..." I began, struggling to find the right words.
"So..." I started again, trying to find the right words. "Elang is Unveiled, but he's also a Seer. He said something about being both."
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
"What?" Dove exclaimed. "How is that even possible?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "But he definitely had some kind of connection to the Seers. He mentioned a leader, someone who was controlling him and another person."
"He also mentioned a group called the Unveil Commission. Apparently, they take on all sorts of jobs, even ones that involve hurting people," I added.
A heavy silence fell over the room. The news that the Seers were not only active but also working with some Unveiled was deeply unsettling.
"Shit! They're using our name... Unveiled..." Yolan cursed, slamming her fist on the table.
Dove nodded grimly. "It seems they're trying to turn public opinion against us, to make us look like the villains."
Irune chimed in, "So... they are Seers... but also use the Unveiled name... as their organization?"
I shrugged, "I don't know the details yet... but it seems like it."
Silence descended upon the room as everyone processed the disturbing news. My mind raced, replaying my encounter with Lili, the invisible girl. She had said she couldn't leave the Seers, that they had raised her...
"Also..." I began, drawing everyone's attention.
Everyone looked at me curiously.
"I met this girl who said she wants to leave the Seers but can't because they raised her..."
"Raised her...?" Aca tilted her head, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Well, she's not lying," I spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. "I met a girl last night who claimed to be part of an organization called the Unveil Commission. She said they work for the Seers, carrying out their dirty work."
A collective gasp filled the room. The idea of a Seer-led organization using the Unveiled name to tarnish their reputation was a chilling thought.
"This is bad," Dove muttered, her voice laced with worry. "Very bad."
"We need to find out more about this Unveil Commission," Yolan declared, her eyes narrowed in determination. "Who's their leader? What are their goals?"
Irune nodded in agreement. "We need to expose them for what they are, before they do any more damage."
Aca, her fingers flying across the keyboard, began searching the internet for any information she could find on the Unveil Commission. "There's nothing," she said after a few minutes, her voice laced with frustration. "It's like they don't exist."
"That's because they're operating in the shadows," Dove explained. "They're experts at keeping their activities hidden from the public eye."
Hidden, public... in the shadows... black market? Dark web...?
I got up and went over to Aca. "Let me download the software to access the dark web..."
"Don't use the company computer!" Dove yelled, her voice sharp with alarm.
< Chapter 119 > Fin.