Sylvie's brow furrowed, and her lips parted slightly, as if tasting the bitterness of the word. "Insurance?" she repeated, her voice thick with incredulity. A shadow of confusion crossed her face, her eyes narrowing as she tilted her head, studying Cassian with a mixture of skepticism and growing dread.
He reached into his jacket and produced a small vial of an iridescent liquid, holding it up for her to see. "Nanotoxin," he explained. "I'm not in the business of charity. If I'm going to put my men's lives on the line for you, I need to know you're all in."
Sylvie's stomach churned at the thought, her lips pressing into a thin line as her eyes darted toward the vial in Cassian's hand.
She straightened slightly, though her shoulders remained tense, her hands clenching and unclenching. "You want me to willingly let you put a kill switch in my body?" she asked, her tone teetering between disbelief and defiance. Her brow furrowed deeply, and her jaw tightened, a subtle tremor in her voice betraying the storm of emotions beneath her calm facade.
Cassian's expression didn't waver. "Consider it a gesture of trust," he said dryly. "You follow my orders, and I ensure your family's safety. Betray me, and… well, you know the rest. Although I wouldn't stoop as low as to threaten you by your family, I would stop protecting them."
Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She'd always prided herself on being in control, on staying one step ahead. Now, she was cornered, forced to choose between two evils. But as much as she loathed Cassian in this moment, she knew he was her best chance. The Codex wouldn't negotiate. They wouldn't offer her a way out. Cassian, for all his ruthlessness, had given her a choice.
The Codex Chrysalis operates with a strict hierarchy and uncompromising methods for handling sensitive information. Information is compartmentalized, with operatives given access only to what is necessary for their missions.
Higher-ranking members have a broader view of operations, but even they remain in the dark about the Codex's full scope. Their intelligence network mainly relies on sleeper agents, and a vast system of informants. Breaches of secrecy are dealt with swiftly, often lethally, to maintain the integrity of their operations.
Sylvie, despite being a low-level operative, displayed exceptional ingenuity by obtaining high-value intelligence typically reserved for upper-tier agents. She likely exploited gaps in the Codex's system, taking significant personal risks to gather her information.
The chamber's silence stretched, heavy and oppressive, as Sylvie stared at the shimmering vial in Cassian's hand. The liquid within pulsed faintly, like a living thing waiting to bind her fate. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she forced her breathing to stay steady. This wasn't the time to falter.
Cassian's eyes didn't waver from hers. "You're hesitating." he said, his tone sharp enough to cut through the air.
"Sylvie's fingers twitched slightly, betraying the tension she tried to mask. Her lips curved into a faint, sardonic smile as she straightened her posture, her gaze locking with his. "I'm weighing my options," she said, her voice calm yet layered with defiance. Her eyes flicked to the vial momentarily, her jaw tightening before she looked back at Cassian. "It's what keeps me alive."
Sylvie's mind raced, weighing her choices. There was no escape from this room, no chance to bargain her way out. And he was right about the Codex. They would come for her—and her family—without hesitation. The only question was whether she trusted Cassian to keep his word.
"Wait." She shifted slightly, her eyes narrowing as they bore into his. "How do I know you'll keep your word?" Her tone was sharp, tinged with both fear and defiance. "For all I know, I'll just end up your puppet—or worse, your slave." Her hands trembled slightly, but she masked it by clenching them into fists, nails biting into her palms. "What's stopping you from using me and throwing me away when I'm no longer useful?"
Cassian's gaze remained steady, his tone cool and measured. "You're not wrong to question me," he began, taking a step closer, his presence calm but commanding. "Trust isn't something I expect, nor is it something I offer lightly. But consider this: if I break my word, what do I gain? A dead informant and no way to leverage the information you hold. That's not in my interest, and I don't operate on whims."
The room seemed to shrink around her, the weight of his words pressing down like a clamp, tight and unrelenting. Sylvie closed her eyes for a moment, steadying herself. When she opened them, her gaze was firm. "Do it." she said.
Cassian didn't move immediately. Instead, he studied her, as though searching for any last flicker of hesitation. When he found none, he nodded once.
From his wrist unfolded a sleek injector, its needle gleaming under the sterile lights. The device, an advanced blend of biomechanics and nanotechnology, housed microscopic capsules programmed to release on command. Sylvie's breath hitched as he pressed the device against her neck.
"You might feel a slight sting," he said, almost as an afterthought. Then he activated the injector.
The pain was sharp and immediate, a burning sensation that spread through her veins like liquid fire. Sylvie clenched her jaw, refusing to cry out. Her vision blurred momentarily, and her knees buckled, but she forced herself to stay upright.
When it was over, Cassian stepped back, the injector folding away with a soft click. "It's done," he said.
She touched her neck gingerly, her fingers trembling. The burning had subsided, leaving behind a faint, icy sensation that seemed to hum beneath her skin. "And my family?" she asked, her voice strained.
Cassian's expression softened slightly, though his tone remained firm. "Your mother, Ayla, and your younger brother, Tiran, were extracted from their home at dawn," he said, his words deliberate. "I anticipated your cooperation, but the extraction was necessary regardless. I used sleeper agents to reach them and explain the situation. The Codex's network is vast, and we had to move carefully to avoid raising any alarms."
He paused for a moment, his gaze sharp as he studied her reaction. "You can leave them a message, but don't expect a response immediately. Communication lines have to remain secure. Any misstep could jeopardize their safety."
He stepped closer, his voice lowering slightly. "They are scheduled for evacuation in two hours to a secure location that even I won't have direct access to afterward. The agents have been instructed to move them every twelve hours until the Codex loses their trail entirely. Until then, you can trust that they are under constant protection, with operatives trained to handle any situation."
Sylvie's chest tightened, a flood of emotions overwhelming her. Relief mingled with the pang of guilt for not being there herself. "You did this... before I agreed?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly.
The idea of her family being spirited away, hidden from her, was almost unbearable. But the alternative—their deaths at the Codex's hands—was far worse. She nodded slowly.
Cassian regarded her for a long moment, then nodded. "Good. Then let's get to work."
He retrieved a data tablet from his coat and activated it, the screen flickering to life. "Start from the beginning," he said. "Every detail, no matter how small. I want to know how the Codex operates, who their key players are, and what their endgame is."