07 - Confusion
924 Words
The base was eerily quiet when Elise returned, the usual hum of activity subdued beneath the weight of the late hour. She barely noticed as she strode through the corridors, her mind tangled in a web of emotions she refused to name.
The mission. That was all this was. A job. A hunt. A means to an end.
And yet-
She could still feel the way his gaze had lingered on her, the way his presence had wrapped around her like a shadow she couldn't shake.
Vael Laurent D'Rath.
He was supposed to be just another target. A criminal. A monster in human skin.
Then why did she feel this pull toward him?
Her boots echoed in the empty hall as she turned a corner-only to stop short.
Soren stood in the dimly lit hallway, his arms crossed, blue eyes glowing faintly. His power flickered at his fingertips-subtle, controlled, a sharp contrast to the storm brewing inside her.
She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "You're waiting up for me?"
Soren's gaze didn't waver. "Where were you?"
Elise shrugged, stepping past him. "Out."
Soren caught her wrist before she could move further. His grip wasn't harsh, but it was firm. "Don't do that," he said quietly. "Don't brush this off."
Her jaw tightened. "I was performing my role."
"Your role," Soren repeated, voice edged with something unreadable. "You mean going behind my back?"
Elise yanked her wrist free, glaring. "I'm doing what needs to be done."
Soren exhaled, his patience thinning. "You weren't just gathering intel, were you?"
She didn't answer.
"Elise," he pressed, voice low, almost pleading. "You were with him."
The silence between them stretched, thick with tension.
Elise clenched her fists. "I was gathering intel."
Soren's expression darkened. "Don't lie to me."
She looked away.
That was answer enough.
Soren ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in the taut line of his shoulders. "This is dangerous, Elise."
"I know."
"Then why are you doing it?"
Her breath hitched. She could give him the same excuse she always did-that it was for the mission, for the truth, for her family.
But deep down, she knew that wasn't the only reason.
There was something about Vael.
Something she couldn't explain.
Something that terrified her.
Still, she forced her voice to remain steady. "This is my mission. I'm not letting anyone else take it from me."
Soren's eyes narrowed. "I was going to assign someone else to handle this."
"No." The word came out sharper than she intended.
Soren studied her, and for the first time, his gaze wasn't just filled with concern-it was filled with suspicion. "You're too involved."
Elise stepped closer, her golden eyes burning. "That's exactly why it has to be me."
Soren shook his head. "That's why it shouldn't be you."
"I won't let this slip through my fingers," she snapped. "You don't get to take this from me, Soren."
His expression hardened. "This isn't about you, Elise. This is about what's best for the mission. And if your judgment is compromised-"
"It's not."
Soren's silence said he didn't believe her.
Elise swallowed hard, trying to bury the war inside her. The conflict. The unwanted connection she felt whenever she was near Vael.
It made no sense. He was the enemy.
But when she looked into his eyes, she felt something else lurking beneath the surface. Something that called to her in a way she couldn't understand.
And that terrified her more than anything.
She forced herself to meet Soren's gaze. "I need to do this."
His jaw tightened. "Why?"
Elise hesitated.
And that hesitation told him everything.
Soren exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand down his face. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter, but no less firm.
"You're entangled with him, aren't you?"
Elise's chest tightened. "I-"
"You're using this mission as an excuse to see him."
The words cut deep because they weren't entirely wrong.
Elise's breathing was uneven now, her walls beginning to c***k.
"This isn't just about the mission anymore," Soren said, softer this time. "You feel something, don't you?"
Her pulse pounded in her ears. She wanted to deny it. Wanted to shut this conversation down.
But she couldn't lie. Not to Soren.
Elise looked away.
That was answer enough.
Soren let out a breath, stepping back. He didn't say anything for a long moment, and when he finally spoke, his voice was laced with quiet concern.
"This will destroy you," he said.
Elise clenched her fists. "I can handle it."
Soren shook his head. "I don't think you can."
His expression flickered with something-something like disappointment. Or maybe it was something else. Something deeper.
"Elise." His voice was quieter now, but heavier with meaning. "What are you really trying to prove?"
She stiffened.
She wanted to tell him she just needed the truth. That she just wanted to bring justice to her family.
But if that were true, then why was she hesitating?
Why was there a part of her that wasn't sure if Vael was guilty at all?
Why did she feel something else when she thought of him?
Soren watched her, waiting.
And for the first time, she didn't have an answer.
She forced herself to speak anyway. "I just want to find out the truth."
Soren exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "The truth?" He stepped closer, his eyes burning into hers. "Or something else?"
She flinched.
Because the truth wasn't as simple as she had once believed.
And she wasn't sure what she was searching for anymore.
- Writer
