Beyond the mission

Metaphorphisis

Back at the agency, silence hung thick as the surviving agents marched down the corridor, their boots echoing against the cold floor. They entered Raven's office, handing over the secured file.

Raven barely looked up from her desk. "Well done. The mission was a success."

Then she paused, her eyes scanning the group.

"...Where's Simon?"

The room fell quiet.

Too quiet.

Amelia stepped forward, her voice barely above a whisper.

"...He didn't make it back, ma'am."

Raven's fingers froze mid-turn of the file. Her expression didn't change-but her voice sharpened.

"Explain..what happened."

Ava, one of the top S-Ranks, stepped forward with venom in her eyes.

"Oh, we'll explain. Simon's dead-because he happened." She pointed directly at Jason.

Jason, eyes red and swollen, shook his head, tears spilling again.

"I didn't mean for this to happen... He told me not to come, but I didn't listen... and then he... he..."

Raven cut in, her voice cold and mechanical. "There's no point crying over it now. Simon's gone. We'll fill his position. The agency can't afford empty seats."

The words hit the room like a slap.

Ava's eyes widened in disbelief. "Replace him? You don't just 'replace' Simon. He wasn't a desk filler-he was one of the best! We're barely holding the line as it is!"

Jason clenched his fists. His voice, shaky but determined, broke the tension.

"Then I'll do it... I'll replace him."

Every eye in the room turned to him.

Ava laughed bitterly. "You? You're the reason he's gone in the first place. The one person who actually gave a damn about you-and you let him die."

Jason's jaw tightened. He didn't speak.

Ava wasn't done. She smiled, cruel and deliberate.

"Even your own parents didn't want you. Raven had to pay them just to forget you existed-and they didn't hesitate. You were always just a mistake they cashed in on."

Jason stood frozen. The words stung-but not like they used to.

Because now... something inside him had shifted.

Raven's tone darkened. "That's enough, Ava."

But Jason slowly looked up, his voice icy.

"...Do you really think I care about that anymore?" He gave a small, cold laugh. "My parents can rot. They were gone long before this."

He stepped forward, meeting Ava's glare head-on.

"But Simon? He was the first person who actually saw me. And yeah, I messed up. But I'm not staying down."

He took a breath, steel in his eyes."I will become an S-Rank. Not to prove it to you... but for him. And when I do-you'll remember this moment."

The room fell silent again-only now, it wasn't out of shock.

It was the quiet before a storm.

Raven finally looked up, and for a split second... there was something unreadable in her eyes.

"Then prove it i'd like to see you try."

Years passed, and Jason rose through the ranks like a storm-pushing beyond limits, breaking records, and mastering skills no one his age ever dared to attempt. Eventually, he stood at the top-an S-Rank assassin, feared, respected... greater than even Simon had ever been. But despite the glory, something still felt hollow. A piece of him was missing.

Meanwhile, at the Agency, something unusual was stirring. Raven summoned every assassin from D to S-Rank into the central hall. It was rare-unheard of even-for such a gathering to be called, and the air was thick with curiosity and tension.

Stepping onto the platform, Raven's voice rang out strong and clear:

"Over the years, I've watched many of you grow... sharpen your skills, hone your instincts, and bleed for your progress. But today," she paused, scanning the room, "today, I'm going to reward not just your strength-but your potential."

A ripple of surprise ran through the hall.

"I'm selecting six individuals," Raven continued, "for a mission like no other. Complete it, and you'll ascend beyond S-Rank... to Phantom Rank. SS-Rank."

The hall erupted in shock and excitement-SS-Rank was legend. Untouchable. Rumors and whispers danced through the crowd. And then the names were called.

Jason-of course.

Then others followed. And finally, the last name echoed through the hall:

"Daphne Amari."

Silence.

Heads turned. Confused murmurs spread like wildfire.

"Who?"

"D-Rank? Did she say D-Rank?"

"Is this some kind of joke?"

At the back, Daphne stood frozen. Her eyes wide. Her breath caught.

"Me?" she whispered. "There's no way. This has to be a mistake. I just got ranked last week... This has to be some sort of joke!"

As the murmurs intensified, Raven simply smiled. "That'll be all," she said. "Chosen assassins, report to my office. Now."

Jason stood, calm and unreadable. The others followed with pride. And Daphne? She stood on shaking legs, stepping toward the unknown... with the eyes of the entire agency burning into her back.

Inside Raven's private office, the atmosphere was cold and sharp-just like her. The six assassins stood before her in a line. Jason, arms crossed, unreadable. The others-seasoned, focused, confident. Then there was Daphne, trying hard to steady her breath, completely out of place.

Raven stepped back and pressed a button on her desk. Instantly, the lights dimmed and a holographic projection shimmered to life-at the center, a sprawling, high-security mansion pulsed in red.

She spoke calmly, but her tone was laced with gravity.

"Your target is a child. First name: Liam. Last name : Hugh. Age: Ten. Location: Saint Lucian."

The room went still.

"This boy isn't ordinary-he's an asset. Classified. You're to infiltrate the compound, extract him alive, and eliminate all traces of the facility afterward."

The hologram zoomed in, revealing layers of security: guards, lasers, armored drones.

"You get in. You get the boy. You burn it all down."

She locked eyes with them.

"Failure is not on the table."

No one spoke.

Raven paced slowly in front of them, heels echoing on the marble floor. "What I'm about to assign isn't just a mission," she began. "It's a test. A gauntlet. A gateway to Phantom Rank."

Her gaze swept over them. "Five of you are top-tier-S-Rank, well-decorated, trusted. And one of you..." she paused in front of Daphne, "...is an anomaly."

Daphne stiffened. The others shot her a glance. She wanted to disappear.

"But I've seen something in you," Raven continued. "Not raw power, not experience-but something more dangerous. Instinct."

Jason raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Then Raven added, "Only those who make it back alive... will earn the Phantom Rank."

Daphne's throat tightened. Jason finally looked at her-studying her-but not judging. More like... curious.

"And remember," Raven said darkly, "this isn't about fairness. It's survival."

She shut the map. "You leave at dawn."

As they turned to exit, Raven called out, "Jason."

He paused.

"Watch her."

Jason's eyes narrowed slightly. "If she slows us down-"

"Then leave her behind," Raven finished coldly. "No attachments."

Daphne felt a chill run down her spine.

Jason didn't answer. He just walked out.

Daphne clenched her fists and whispered to herself, "...I'll prove them all wrong."