The darkness in the underground vault felt thick and cold, as if the concrete surrounding Cassian had turned to ice. The sound of heavy tactical boots approached from the main corridor. There were three people, maybe four, moving with highly trained coordination. They were not ordinary security guards. They were a cleanup unit sent by the Coven Entity.
Cassian did not turn on the lights. He closed his eyes, letting his other senses take over. The heartbeats of the intruders were clear in his ears, a rhythm of anxiety masked by professional silence. He gripped the quill pen given to him by Mr. Chen. The pen was not just a decoration; its tip had been modified by the Syndicate with liquid metal nerves capable of piercing bulletproof vest fibers.
Finish them without leaving a cyber trail, C
