INT – ERION'S CAR
The neon lights outside smeared across the tinted window like liquid color, sliding over Evah's reflection in waves of pink and blue.
"Yes, I have all the information." Erion's voice cut through the dim interior—low, controlled, threaded with authority.
The leather seat beneath her felt too soft, almost swallowing her whole as she tried to steady her breathing. They have been talking for a while now, the same language yet the terms are something she does not understand.
"Commander, we need to halt this. I think we're missing something."
"Great," he muttered, grip tightening on the wheel. "It's more intricate than I thought. Bigger people than I expected."
His hands stayed firm on the steering wheel. The harsh neon glow caught the sharp edges of his face, and for a moment Evah could see the fire in his eyes—those blue flames that meant he wasn't simply angry… he was calculating, ready.
"I'll give you the signal," he continued. "Get Phantom and Cloak to investigate for another week."
He tapped a small dot at his ear, the comm going silent as he pulled it off.
Evah's throat dried.
She wanted to speak.
But she wasn't sure if the man beside her was Erion, the familiar jester…
or the Major General, cold and iron-edged.
The difference felt like life or death.
The faint scent of alcohol and cigarettes clung to him.
"Did you drink?" she asked carefully, inching her voice forward like she was testing a minefield. "You're not allowed to do that."
Silas made that clear back then.
He chuckled. Warm. Brief.
"It's a perfume."
He accelerated, the car humming as the speed rose.
"I needed to blend in."
"So you were on a mission in that club?" Her curiosity sparked—she had always wondered what CGO agents actually did.
"Classified information, Bunny."
He shot her a sideways grin—mocking, playful, effortlessly irritating.
The nickname grounded her.
This was Erion.
"Then… were you following me?"
"Possibly."
The traffic light turned red, and the car eased to a stop.
"You think you can just do that? And asking your superior to pass messages is—" His eyes flicked toward her with the sharpness of a reprimand.
Like she was fifteen.
Or five.
"You have my phone! What did you want me to do?"
But the guilt bubbled anyway.
Why did I ask Dr. Riko that? I need to apologize tomorrow.
She tried shifting the conversation.
"Plus, if you already knew everything, why didn't you come sooner?"
"How would I know?" He lifted a shoulder. "Maybe you were enjoying that role-play he mentioned."
His tone dripped with mockery.
"You heard that?!" she yelped.
"Then why didn't you check sooner?"
"You're the one who called late," he replied, unbothered. "I didn't want to interrupt something… affectionate."
The car rolled smoothly into the dim underground parking lot and stopped.
"After all, you're here to 'find love,' right?"
He reused Nina's words with brutal precision.
Evah's mouth fell open.
Humiliation burned through her like a fever.
"I just wanted to be with my friends," she muttered, burning with embarrassment.
Erion pushed his door open without looking away from her.
"I don't have a problem with that."
"Still—you should've come sooner! That creep almost cost me my second kiss!" Trying to shift the conversation.
A soft thud came from his side.
She whipped her head around—
But he was already gone, slipping into the shadows like he always did.
That jester.
Erion stood there, framed by cold white garage lights, smiling like some infuriating prince.
He held his hand out.
He's teasing me again.
Evah hopped out of the car by herself, ignoring the offered hand.
"I'm fine, thank you."
Walking beside her savior—and her boss—felt unbearably awkward, like her skin didn't fit right.
"Sorry, it almost cost you your second kiss."
The voice was low, sincere in a way that almost melted her.
Almost.
Evah turned to him just as he turned to her.
Their eyes met.
"I wonder who the first one was," he said, voice dropping into something heavier, probing.
Evah froze.
The rain.
Cold water.
A strong arm pulling her up.
Warm lips.
A kiss she could still feel if she dared remember.
Her face flared red.
She spun away, ready to deny everything—
—but Erion's smirk was already blooming.
Sharp. Knowing.
He slid into the elevator, tossing her a light gesture.
"Don't reminisce too much, Bunny. We still need to get home first. Hurry."
Her chest tightened so hard she nearly choked.
Her heart stuttered, Her steps faltered and she almost tripped
Embarrassment?
Anger?
Yes.
And he will still not apologize for that!
He was playing with her.
Again.
And the way he shifted personas— is getting dangerously out of control.