Elias paced the cold, dimly lit interior of the warehouse, his breath visible in the chill air. The single hanging bulb swayed gently, casting wavering shadows across the empty space. His hands were stuffed deep in his jacket pockets, his nerves gnawing at him. The message from Lila replayed in his mind.

  "I’m sorry. I overreacted. Can we talk? Meet me at the old warehouse by the pier. I’ll explain everything."

  The location was strange, the timing even more so. But after the way their argument had ended, he felt obligated to meet her, to try and salvage what remained of their relationship.

  A soft laugh echoed from the far end of the warehouse, breaking the silence. Elias’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he stepped closer to the faint light pooling beneath the swaying bulb.

  Lila stood there, her arms crossed, her silhouette sharp against the dim glow. Her posture was relaxed, her expression unreadable, but there was something in her stance that made Elias stop short.

  “Lila,” he said, his voice uncertain. “What’s going on? Why did you want to meet here?”

  She turned slowly, her lips curling into a small, knowing smile. “Elias,” she said, her tone light, almost mocking. “You came. I was starting to think you’d ghost me.”

  Elias frowned, his chest tightening. Something about her tone was wrong—off. “You said you wanted to explain,” he said, his voice hardening. “So explain.”

  Lila took a step forward, her smirk widening. “Oh, I’ll explain, alright. But first, let me ask you something: Did you really think I didn’t know what you’ve been up to? That I didn’t see the signs?”

  “What are you talking about?” Elias demanded, his heart pounding.

  “You’ve been so paranoid lately,” she said, circling him slowly like a predator sizing up its prey. “So secretive. Hiding things from me. From everyone. It was almost cute how hard you tried to keep it together.”

  Elias’s fists clenched, his instincts screaming at him to leave. “Lila, stop playing games. What is this?”

  She laughed, a sharp, cold sound that sent chills down his spine. “This,” she said, gesturing to the empty warehouse, “is where it all comes together. Where you finally realize you’ve been living in a fantasy.”

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  Elias took a step back, his pulse racing. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying,” Lila said, her voice dripping with mockery, “that I’ve been working with Axiom this whole time. From the very beginning.”

  The words hit him like a physical blow. He staggered back, his breath catching in his throat. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “That’s not possible. You’re lying.”

  “Oh, Elias,” she said, laughing again. “You’re so predictable. Always looking for the good in people, even when it’s staring you in the face. Did you really think I was just some sweet, supportive girlfriend? That I didn’t notice the mark on your hand? The odd jobs, the late nights? Please. I’ve been reporting on you to Axiom since the day we met.”

  Elias’s vision blurred with anger, his hands trembling. “You’ve been spying on me? For them?”

  “Of course I have,” Lila said, her smirk turning venomous. “You have no idea how valuable you are to them. How valuable the artifact inside you is. And all I had to do was keep you close, make you trust me. Honestly, it was easier than I thought.”

  Elias’s chest tightened, the betrayal cutting deeper than he thought possible. “You used me,” he said, his voice trembling with rage.

  “And you let me,” she replied, her tone cold and sharp. “You were so desperate for someone to believe in you, to care about you, that you didn’t even see it coming.”

  Before Elias could respond, the shadows in the warehouse shifted, and the low hum of energy filled the air. Two figures emerged from the darkness, their movements smooth and deliberate. Dressed in dark suits, their faces hidden behind featureless masks with the angular "A" insignia, they advanced toward him with mechanical precision.

  Lila stepped aside, her smirk widening as she gestured toward Elias. “He’s all yours.”

  The two agents didn’t hesitate. They moved like shadows, their steps silent as they approached. Elias stumbled back, his heart pounding in his chest. The mark on his hand burned suddenly, a searing heat that shot up his arm.

  “You’re making this harder than it needs to be,” one of the agents said, his voice cold and mechanical. “Come with us, Elias. It’s over.”

  Elias’s anger surged, his vision blurring as the crystalline patterns began to glow faintly beneath his skin. “Stay away from me,” he growled, his voice trembling with both fear and fury.

  Lila’s laugh echoed through the space, sharp and cruel. “Oh, Elias. You really think you can fight them? Look at you—you’re barely holding yourself together.”

  The agents moved closer, their hands outstretched. The air around them seemed to distort, the shadows bending unnaturally as the tension in the room thickened.

  And then the mark flared.

  A blinding light erupted from Elias’s hand, the crystalline patterns spreading rapidly across his skin. The agents froze, their movements halting as the light grew brighter, sharper. Elias’s vision blurred, his head pounding as the artifact’s energy surged through him, wild and unrestrained.

  The last thing he saw before everything went white was Lila’s smirk, her cold, mocking laughter ringing in his ears.