I let the cascade of hot water soak into my bones as if it could scorch away the invisible scars that linger on my skin.

Steam curls around my feet as I step out, catching my reflection in mirror. My eyes immediately land on the pink scar running along the expanse of my back, tracing its path — from the left shoulder down to the right waist.

Before the memory can vividly materialise in the mirror, I close my eyes and let the sound of rain pull me back to reality.

The kitchen is empty when I come down. Neiv, as usual, is holed up in her lair, coming out only to cook for us. She’s probably working on the data we collected from the jet.

Erraiel is probably in her bedroom, starting on her skin care routine or catching some beauty sleep before Kalyn arrives. I know her enough to understand that it’s not about vanity. As the group’s face whose primary job is to be around people, she has to hone her physical appearance into a weapon. And like a good weapon, it has to be taken care of.

And Kalyn... well, she’s off doing her own thing as usual.

I am halfway through dinner when the side door opens and she steps in, soaked to the bone and rainwater dripping from her hair. She goes straight for a linen closet and pulls out a towel. Not a word leaves her lips as she takes the seat beside me in the counter, serving herself.

“What happened?”

Kalyn’s brow furrow in confusion. With her hair twisted in a pile on top of her head, the bruise in her neck is visible, a blooming purple in her otherwise unblemished skin. It suspiciously looks like a hand print. Realising what I’m looking at, she shrugs.

“I ran into a wire.” Changing the subject, she asks, “Are you done eating? Tell Neiv we’re meeting in the war room in ten.”

Just like that, the conversation is over. I carry my plate to the sink knowing I’ll be the one to wash it after meeting. Before I head to Neiv’s lair, I took one last glance at Kalyn just as her posture changes.

Motion activated lights in the stairwell leading to the basement comes on as soon as I descend. I knock on the door to let Neiv know I’m coming in. After the countless times Erraiel and I barged into her lair, she started locking her doors and insisting that we knock before coming in.

“Come in!”

Bluish lowlights illuminate the basement’s interior. The soft hum of the servers permeate the interior along with the quick tapping of Neiv’s keyboard. The light from her monitors illuminate her focused demeanour. On one of the screens, a map of Pulstrane is displayed with red blinking dots.

“Is that the data from the jet?”

“It’s still incomplete,” she replies without turning to me. “The download is taking too long. I know we should’ve used a wider band.”

I don’t say anything to that. When it comes to tech, only Neiv and Erraiel get along. “Well, Kalyn wants us in the war room.”

“Give me a sec. I’m syncing this with Naevis.”

The war room is the team’s central meeting room. It takes up almost half of the house’s second floor and boasts the best technological features inside. One wall is made entirely of screens which is connected to Naevis.

On the adjacent wall are corkboards filled with notes and red strings, testament to countless hours of manual planning. There are no windows but the ventilation is sufficient. At the center, a holotable displays a three-dimensional holographic map of Pulstrane.

As soon as we enter, Naevis’ electronic voice greets us. Erraiel is already in her seat at the round table. Kalyn is in front of the wallscreen, arranging blocks of text. At seeing us, she takes her position at the head of the table, lacing her hands together in front of her.

And she’s wearing a turtleneck.

“Let’s start. Naevis, remain on standby and make a note of additional information we’ll discuss. Erraiel, you go first.”

Erraiel grins and pushes an envelope towards Kalyn, obstructing the holograpm projected from the tabletop. “This is the invitation for Saturday’s auction. It will be held at the Diamond Tower, 7 pm,” she pauses theatrically, watching as the content of the envelope is passed around.

The paper is thick and lavender-scented. I resist the urge to bring it close to my nose. Embossed in gold magnetic ink are the venue, time and date of the event, and the fake name Erraiel is using for this job. I look up, realising she hasn’t finished speaking. “What?”

“Yours truly will be modeling the necklace.”

Kalyn gives a satisfied nod. “What about the jet, Neiv?”

“It’s still transmitting, although the data download is a bit slow. Give or take four hours before completion.”

“Is that enough time?” Neiv nods at the question.

“Wenzie, what about you?”

I shake my head and wave the invitation. “The Diamond Tower is the tallest building in the block. Plus, it’s taking place in the rooftop garden. There’s nowhere for me to watch it from outside.”

Kalyn considers this. “The invitation is only good for one.”

“Can’t we make copies?” Neiv asks.

Erraiel replies with a shake of her head. “Apart from the invitations themselves, they have a list of those who received it for crosschecking.” She throws a pointed stare at Neiv. “A handwritten list.”

Neiv closes , her suggestion shot down before she can say it. Anything outside the cyberworld is inaccessible to her.

“Do we know which security firm they’re hiring?” I ask.

“There are only two most likely candidates, both of which have ties to the mob.”

Neiv raises her hand. “I’ll dig into it. While it’s likely that the transaction is done in cash, a lavish event like this one is going to be taxed.”

“Look into their catering service as well,” I suggest. “The hotel will be needing extra servers for that day. Find out which agency they’ll be using.”

“So Plan A is out. What about plan B?” Erraiel asks.

“No go. The emergency response headquarters is just around the corner. The distraction won’t give us enough time.” On the holotable, Neiv zooms in to the block where the Diamond Tower is located, highlighting the mentioned buildings.

“It’s off the table then.” I turn to Kalyn, realising she hasn’t said anything while the three of us deliberated. “What do you think?”

She pushes her chair back and stands, bracing her hands against the table. “Naevis, bring up Archive 30001029-C on the screen and a 3-D map of Pulstrane on the table. Highlight the hangar, the Diamond Tower, and the target’s home. Make amendments on each location based on the data collected this past week.”

The AI responds in affirmative, following our leader’s instructions.

When Kalyn turns to us, there’s a gleam in her eyes as she makes adjustments for the plan.

Objections are raised, problems identified, contingencies made and finally, we have the final plan. It’s well into two in the morning when we’re finally dismissed.

Erraiel is the first to leave the war room, then Neiv. With only the two of us left, I sigh. “You’re really not going to tell me how you got that bruise?”

Kalyn looks at me. “I already told you, Wenzie.”

We both know she wasn’t telling truth but I don’t push her. Instead, I head downstairs to wash the dishes.

Her footsteps are slow and light as she follows me. I stop by the stairs and turn around to face her.

“I trust you,” she says. “You know that, right?”

“I don’t know, Kalyn. I don’t know if you trust anyone.”

She shakes her head, pursing her lips to hold back what she almost says. “Good night, Wenzie.”

I head downstairs alone.