Myth and Sira shared everything they'd gathered from the bar.
But Myth wasn't as confident as before.
The last failure still clung to him, and his thoughts kept spiraling—anxious, restless, tugging at every possibility of failure.
Should I prepone the plan? It's still early, the Seeker from the police, most likely won't be here. After they arrive, everything becomes harder. Less room to cover up mistakes, and a lot more pressure.
But... maybe I'm rushing again. Making the same mistake as before.
What if the Seeker's already here? Would it be smarter to strike when I'm ready, instead of out of fear?
Originally, he had intended to execute the plan at the end of the week—after gathering enough data on each street, especially Street 3. After several minutes of pacing through mental back-and-forth, he settled.
No. He wouldn't change the timeline.
The only argument for rushing the plan was fear—and fear alone wasn't a good enough reason to act.
Breaking the silence, Myth spoke, voice calm but firm.
"So, like I said earlier… once we've got informants on every street, we move in on the hotel owner."
He looked at Ashley.
"You'll coordinate with all of them. Sira and I stand out too much in the Undercity. Our eyes are too unique for Undercity."
Ashley nodded. "Okay. And on the seventh day? What happens then?"
That's when Myth shared his full plan.
Though a small part of him still worried—especially about whether Walker would go along with it.
---
The week passed quicker than expected.
Every morning and night, the trio trained—sparring in the house itself.
Ashley coached Myth with a sword. The basics first. Then light duels.
Ashley usually won. Sira scored a few victories. Myth always lost. But he was getting better.
He also tried to take Riff's advice to heart.
He listened more. Learned to read people—really read them.
The regulars at the bar became familiar figures. He noted their habits, their tells, their masks.
Who they liked. Who they feared.
Especially those from Street 3.
By the end of the week, they'd set up a small but reliable informant on every major street.
Street 4 and 5 were crawling with police.
The tension was heavy. They were arresting anyone remotely suspicious—like bloodhounds desperate to find Raven.
Now, it was time to move.
To kidnap—or threaten—the hotel owner.
Myth and Ashley waited in a deserted alley, on the shortest path, one that connected the hotel owner's home to the hotel.
They hadn't gone directly to his house as there were too many risks.
He could have a weapon. He could escape through a back door. Neutral ground was safer.
Now, they stood in tense silence, backs pressed to the wall, eyes scanning every passerby.
Street 3's air was thick with dust, as always. Visibility beyond thirty meters was poor—exactly what they were counting on.
They knew the hotel owner's name, body shape, and general appearance.
Eventually, a man matching the description passed the alley.
Myth slipped out quietly, trailing him.
Ashley followed a little behind, off to Myth's right—watching his flank, checking for any nearby onlookers.
But there was someone walking behind Myth. Too close.
Not ideal.
The second alley—their intended strike zone—was just up ahead. They needed clean execution.
Ashley acted fast.
She stepped out toward the trailing man.
Bang.
The dialed-down stun gun fired silently.
He dropped instantly, unconscious before he even saw her.
Thanks to the dusty haze, no one more than thirty meters away could've seen a thing.
Now clear, Myth reached the second alley.
He pulled out his dialed-down stun gun from behind his back.
Bang.
The hotel owner crumpled to the ground, completely unconscious.
They were just a few meters past the alley mouth.
Myth ran forward and began dragging the man into cover.
"Myth?"
Sira's voice came from the shadows of the second alley.
"Yeah… it's me," he confirmed.
She was already in position—ready to help.
Ashley regrouped with them a moment later.
They gently propped the hotel owner against the alley wall.
"So… how are we carrying him?" Ashley asked, glancing between the two.
"Ash, go ahead of us. Signal if you see anyone," Myth instructed. "The abandoned factory's just two turns away. Shouldn't be a problem."
He slung one of the man's arms over his shoulder.
"Sira, can you take the other?"
Sira nodded and moved quickly.
Ashley took the lead, moving about twenty meters ahead, scanning the way.
They walked in silence—dusty, dim-lit silence.
Myth kept his eyes locked on Ashley, trusting her eyes more than his own right now.
Suddenly, Ashley raised her hand behind her back—a silent signal.
Footsteps. Ahead.
"Sira. That building. Now." Myth whispered sharply.
Without hesitation, they dragged the unconscious man into a rundown residential building, crouching behind the staircase. Breaths held.
Ashley kept walking. Calm, casual.
She narrowed her eyes.
A man in uniform.
Police.
He saw her.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Where else? Home," she answered casually.
"The curfew starts soon. Don't stay out late."
"Yes, sir," she replied with a polite nod.
He walked past without a second glance.
A few minutes later, the group resumed their slow march.
Time crawled.
Finally, they reached the abandoned factory.
The door creaked open.The space inside was a large, empty hall. The ceiling had several gaping holes, and the cracked walls threatened collapse.
As they stepped inside, their footsteps echoed. Dust rose from the floor with every movement, swirling in the stale air.
At the center of the room—
Two chairs.
A few ropes.
Sira and Myth dragged the man to a chair and began tying him up.
Myth exhaled. "I think my job here is done."
He turned to the girls.
"Be careful. If things go wrong, don't hesitate to run. Sira, please—no reckless moves."
Sira looked at him, eyes soft.
"Ah… You too, Myth. Be careful."
She stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
"Yeah. I will, Sira," he whispered, hugging her back.
Then he turned to Ashley.
"Don't overdo it, okay?"
"Don't worry."
She stepped in and hugged him as well.
"Okay…" Myth replied, the seriousness in his voice laced with trust.
Ashley leaned back slightly, a teasing smirk on her lips.
"Come back alive, Myth. If you do, your points toward a date with me will increase."
Myth chuckled.
"That's a pretty promising reward. How many do I need, exactly?"
"One thousand," Ashley said flatly.
He grinned. "So you're playing hard to get, huh?"
"I'm not playing. I am hard to get," she replied, sharp and fast.
"Alright then…"
Myth smiled faintly. "See you soon."
Sira and Ashley had their mission.
Myth had his.
A solo mission. A dangerous one.
A mission that mattered a lot.