"As for why you were chosen…" The man who had brought him paused, "It's simple. You're offenders. Liabilities we can afford to spare."
Kade allowed himself a brief, bitter smile. [Offenders, huh?]A cold realization dawned, and his fingers twitched slightly. Could they have found out? Found out about their attempt to locate Haze, his mind briefly flickered to Melly.
He had an inkling it was about breaching the barrier they had in place, but he chose to play dumb. Maintaining a composed demeanor, he asked, "Offenders? Why am I part of this?" His sharp gaze flickered between the mindbugger and the blindfolded man, scrutinizing them for any telltale reactions.
The mindbugger's smile twitched, a brief crack in his polished demeanor before it settled back into place. He tilted his head slightly, a gesture that carried a mocking curiosity.
"Bold of you to think we weren't aware of your little scheme."
Kade's suspicions were confirmed with those words. Yet, it didn't catch him off guard. If anything, he felt a grim sense of relief—they had chosen not to involve her. That was enough, for now.
turning toward him, curiosity flickering across his face.
"What did he do?" Jingo murmured under his breath, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.
Kade's gaze flicked to him, sharp and unwavering, but Jingo only grinned and leaned back slightly, unbothered.
"Tch, oh please," Jingo said, rolling his eyes with exaggerated flair, his tone more playful than anything else.
The movement earned him a serious look from Mark, one that carried far more weight than any words.
Jingo faltered, throwing up his hands in mock surrender. "What?" he protested, his voice lighter now, almost teasing. "I just wanted to know."
Mark remained silent, his expression unreadable yet firm, and for once, Jingo fell quiet under the pressure of that silence.
The mindbugger ignored the undercurrent of tension, moving the conversation forward without skipping a beat.
"More details of the mission will be revealed once we're done here," he stated matter-of-factly. "You have until dawn tomorrow to prepare. Equipment will be provided prior to departure." He paused briefly, as if weighing his next words. "The mission's duration will depend entirely on how long it takes you to complete it. No excuses. The task must be carried out flawlessly."
Kade shifted slightly, his mind turning over the situation. The entire setup felt off, riddled with half-truths and hidden motives. He glanced around the room and caught glimpses of the others—calm, unbothered, almost too collected.
[They must've been briefed before I got here,] he thought, the realization settling uncomfortably in his chest. He exhaled slowly, pushing down his irritation and locking away the questions that bubbled at the back of his mind. For now, he would wait.
"Time to move," the mindbugger said, his voice sharp, void of any patience. "You've had enough time to process." Without waiting for any response, he made his way to the door. Kade stepped aside, letting the man pass. The door creaked as the mindbugger gripped the knob and turned it, pulling the door open. He exited without so much as a glance back.
Just as the mindbugger had left, the blindfolded man stood and followed. Jingo, distracted, glanced down at his boots as he exited the room. The blindfolded man passed by Kade without sparing a single glance, his expression unreadable.
Kade's gaze followed him for a moment, but before he could think much on it, the sound of footsteps pulled his attention back. Turning, he saw Ghent, Jingo, Mark, and Ewald approaching. Their expressions were a mix of irritation and resignation. No one seemed eager, but they all moved forward, knowing there was no choice.
Kade exhaled and fell in line. Whatever lay ahead, it was clear that turning back wasn't his to decide.
×××
The blindfolded man opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Ghent, Ewald, Mark, Jingo, and Kade to enter.
"Ayy, look who it is, we all thought you were dead," Jingo said, grinning widely, though his eyes flicked nervously toward the others. His voice was filled with feigned sarcasm, but it was clear he was just trying to lighten the mood.
Haze, seated on a bench, raised his head, his eyes locking onto the group. Upon seeing Kade, he stood up, surprise evident on his face. "Kade?" he said, momentarily stunned. "What a twist."
Jingo rolled his eyes at the reaction and muttered under his breath, "Why does it always have to be the guy with the bad attitude who gets all the attention?"
Before anyone could respond, the blindfolded man stepped forward.
"These are your teammates," he said, addressing Haze, his tone devoid of warmth. "You'll lead them and brief them on the details of the mission." His words lingered in the air, almost like a weight being placed on Haze's shoulders.
The man paused, letting the silence hang for a moment longer than necessary, before continuing. "If you work as a team, then this won't be as difficult as you all make it out to be. Select your equipment. Go with what you know will suit you best. The clothes you wear now are worn out and unfit for the mission, so they'll be burned, and you'll be provided with new ones—clothes suited to the task at hand."
He glanced around, his blindfolded gaze somehow still managing to feel like it was locking onto each of them.
"We will be watching," he added, the final words heavy with the unspoken threat of surveillance.
With that, he turned and left the room, shutting the door with a soft click behind him.
Haze sat back down, letting the silence drag on for a moment longer. His mind was still tangled from the earlier encounter with the man who had given him orders, his thoughts locked between the urgency of the mission and the shock of Kade now being part of their group. He had hoped for a different outcome, but that had been dashed the moment he'd seen Kade's face across the room. The tension in the room was palpable, but he wasn't about to let any of them see how much it was eating at him.
Mark dropped onto the bench beside him, stretching his legs with a contented sigh. That's when the scent hit—rich, earthy, unmistakable. Koh. Mark's nose twitched, and his eyes widened. "Do you guys smell that!?"
"What, the Koh?" Ghent grumbled, finally breaking his silence. He feigned disinterest, but even he couldn't ignore it.
"Yeah, the Koh," Mark replied, his tone almost reverent. "It's incredible. I didn't think a dump like this could afford something this good."