They Who Slaughtered Hope 🌈| Slow Updates/Editing

Chapter 02

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𝚁𝚎𝚗

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𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘯

"Two minutes until the meeting. Do you think Trixcia will make it?" Ren asked his leader, Mitsan Minyaski, who had just returned. Not many people had trickled in yet, so Ren had some time alone with the person who took him under their wing. Every interaction with Mitsan was a reminder of the expectations he carried, and the anxiety gnawed at him.

"Maybe, maybe not. But if she doesn't, she'll have to stay away from Komi until long after the meeting is over. Can't have my best investigator lose two limbs in the same day." Mitsan shot a pointed look at Ren.

A majority of the Syndicate members were now gathered around a black oval table—able to seat twenty-five—in a dimly lit chamber, placing bets on whether Trixcia would make it in time. Only they were referring to her as Nightshade, per her code name.

If she didn't make it, the hand-sculpted door leading to the meeting hollow would slam shut, barring the other members in the room until Mitsan proclaimed the meeting over. Anyone who tried to get in would be bitten by a device built into the door, a contraption that Mitsan affectionately called 'Little Komainu'. The lion-dog was of Japanese roots, just like the Syndicate itself. Funnily enough, the stone door was shaped like the famous creature as well.

To say that Mitsan liked his members to be punctual was an understatement. The dangerous door leaned towards more... sadistic tendencies and everyone knew it.

"One thing is for sure... I can't stand all these people. Makes me nervous," Ren uttered as he collapsed into a vermillion chair. A part of him wished Trixcia wouldn't make it. The girl was a real curtain twitcher when it came to his assignments. One of the many things he now hated about her.

Before, he had loved how interested she was in his work. But even that was poisoned in the aftermath.

Out of the blue, his leader interrupted his thoughts. "It'll be all right, Ren. For now," Mitsan hinted to their ward. The hidden menace was indisputable, and it sent a cold shiver down Ren's back. "And stop the mithering, the meeting is about to start. With or without Trix."

Eventually, the two minutes came and went, and Trixcia was a no-show. One of Mitsan's lackeys passed out envelopes to be opened after the briefing, filled with details for each assignment.

With the government felled, the Verita Aser and Crimson Syndicate both had unbarred access to any and all files. They called it the Turf of Parliament, when the Veritas took over the money and power that came with the royal seat, and the Crimsons nicked the main government's expansive information in the chaotic aftermath. The Verita Aser grasped control with a spectacle, whilst the Crimson Syndicate snatched it away from the shadows.

Much in the same way, the Syndicate planned a large escapade, and the Veritas swooped in to take the spoils. With the previous heads of power slain, the war was at a standstill, each faction reduced to collecting reconnaissance in a race to find the enemy's stronghold. The Syndicate had pulled ahead just enough to give them an edge over the Veritas.

Mitsan cleared their throat, catching everyone's attention with a cunning smile that revealed glistening, feral teeth. "Tonight, as expected, is a strike-and-run mission. The Veritas are hosting a reception, and a select few of us will infiltrate, disguised as rich Verita Aser sympathisers. Weapons smugglers, hired men, spies, and all sorts of questionable people will be here to impersonate. Our remaining forces will join them, although only for the free meal. Our Verita spy, who will remain unnamed and under the code name Nightshade, has attained aliases for each of us. Underworld has detained these aliases for the night," they paused, allowing an incessant banging at the door to pass before continuing.