In a game of Power, the stakes are higher than you think. And some debts are impossible to repay.
Velena sat at the sleek, glass desk in Ceil's office, the view of the city sprawling beneath her. The lights of Osaka twinkled, but she wasn't seeing any of it. Her mind was a whirlwind, thoughts racing too fast to catch. She had said yes. She had walked straight into the lion's den. And now, she wasn't sure if she could escape.
Ceil had promised her a future of power. A future where she could bury her past. But what was the cost of that power? What would she have to give up to get what he had offered?
The door clicked open, and a voice broke through her thoughts.
"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?
It was him. Ceil. His presence filled the room like a storm on the horizon. Velena's gaze lifted, locking with his. "What do you want from me now?"
THE FIRST TEST...
Ceil walked around the desk, his steps measured and slow. "Now that you are part of my world, Velena, you are going to prove your loyalty. Not with words. With actions."
She raised an eyebrow, masking her unease. "Prove my loyalty? By doing what?"
Ceil smirked, leaning down to meet her eyes. "I have an operation I need executed. Fast. Efficient. It's a delicate job, and I need someone who knows how to navigate… sensitive situations."
Velena's heart skipped a beat. She had no idea what he was implying, but she knew it could not be good. "What kind of job?" she asked, her voice steady despite the hammering of her pulse.
Ceil's eyes gleamed. "A clean-up job. Someone's been digging around in my business. I need them eliminated."
Velena's stomach twisted. Eliminated? She had always been careful, keeping a low profile. But this? This was crossing a line.
"Who?" she managed, her voice barely a whisper.
"The less you know, the better," Ceil said dismissively. "All you need to do is handle it. I'll provide the resources."
Velena's mind reeled. She wasn't a killer. But the coldness in Ceil's eyes told her that refusing wasn't an option.
A CROSSROADS...
The silence in the room was suffocating. Velena knew this moment would define her. Either she could walk away, lose everything Ceil had promised her, and face the wrath of the man who had just taken control of her life... or she could do the unthinkable and dive deeper into the darkness.
"You said you wanted power," Ceil's voice cut through her thoughts, his words almost a taunt. "This is the price of power. Are you willing to pay it?"
She stared at him for a long moment, the weight of her decision pressing down on her. Everything she had built—the life, the freedom, the identity she had carefully crafted—was hanging by a thread.
But her past… it wasn't just a memory. It was a shadow that never let her go. And Ceil, with all his power, was offering her a way out. A way to bury it for good.
At what cost?
Velena stood up slowly, her body tense. She couldn't back out now. Not after everything. Not after how far she had already gone.
"I'll do it," she said, her voice cold. The words tasted like poison, but they were out in the open now.
Ceil smiled, but it wasn't the kind of smile that reassured her. It was a predator's smile. "I knew you'd make the right choice."
THE DARK DEAL...
Velena followed Ceil down the hallway, the weight of her decision pressing down on her like an anchor. Each step felt heavier than the last. She wasn't just working for him now. She was becoming a part of something she didn't fully understand.
Ceil's world was dangerous, and she had just crossed into it. No turning back now.
They reached the elevator, and Ceil pressed the button for the underground level. The doors slid shut, and for the first time, Velena felt the weight of the darkness closing in on her.
THE MISSION...
Inside the underground facility, Ceil led her to a small, stark room. A desk. A computer. A phone. "There's a man," Ceil said, his voice colder than before. "His name is Victor Ebrahan. He's been snooping into my business for weeks. I need him out of the picture. Permanently."
Velena's heart pounded. Victor Ebrahan. A name she knew all too well. He wasn't just anyone. He was a dangerous figure from her past.
"I'm sure you understand the situation now, Velena," Ceil said, watching her carefully.
Her grip tightened on the edge of the table as she looked at him. "You want me to kill him."
Ceil nodded, unfazed. "He's the only loose end. If he talks, everything we've built comes crashing down."
Velena's mind raced. Victor wasn't just an enemy. He was a shadow from her past. And now, Ceil was asking her to take him out.
Velena took a deep breath. She knew that violence wasn't always the solution. Eliminating Victor might have been one option, but there was another way—one where she could make him back off without resorting to extreme measures.
Ceil's gaze remained steady, unreadable, but a faint smirk played on his lips. "So, you don't believe in elimination as the first choice... interesting," he thought.
This wasn't just about Victor. This was a test. To see how Velena handled threats. To see whether she acted with strategy rather than impulse.
She turned to Victor's file, replaying Ceil's words in her mind—"The information must not leak." That was the real objective. It wasn't about removing someone; it was about control.
Could she win this game without staining her hands in blood?