𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 [𝙁𝙖𝙙𝙚]

¹

A convoy of matte-black vans and armored trucks snaked through Los Angeles, Kingdom's logo stark against the steel gray of the vehicles.

In one of the back vans, a person sat in silence, his right hand resting limply on his knee—metallic, cold, and unyielding.

With each turn of his wrist, it caught a faint gleam of light, harsh and unwelcoming. He flexed his fingers slowly, feeling the mechanics click into place, and grimaced, letting out a soft breath through gritted teeth.

Shaking off the discomfort, he reached for a tablet beside him, bringing up a report filled with schematics and updates on Kingdom’s latest Radianite weapon modifications.

The new gear promised increased output, augmented accuracy, and a host of other enhancements—all powered by Radianite. Weapons to give them an edge in the conflict with the Omega World.

The Kingdom Corporation had outfitted the group with cutting-edge equipment for years, but these new modifications took it further.

“So, if a week of overseeing weapon modifications isn’t bad enough, I’ve to endure a week around them as well,” he muttered, scrolling past diagrams of Radianite enhanced Vandals, Phantoms and more.

Each one was intended to bring maximum damage with minimum trace, a testament to Kingdom’s efficiency. He closed his hand into a metallic fist, still not feeling completely familiar with it after years.

“Babysitting weapons—what an assignment,” His thought was dry, sarcastic.

The convoy made a turn, and he glanced out the tinted windows at the city flashing past—a brief glimpse of his reflection staring back from the glass.

If only the people they’re assisting would know about the lengths Kingdom has gone to develop these weapons.

───※ ·❆· ※───

Meanwhile, across town, five Valorant agents gathered around a cluttered table in a vibrant little ramen shop, filling the small space with laughter and conversation.

Neon was the first to notice the flickering news broadcast on a wall-mounted TV just beyond their table. She squinted at the screen, her smile faltering as she absorbed the report.

“…two confirmed dead in Sacramento,” the reporter was saying, his expression suitably grim. “…the cause of death is undetermined…”

“That’s the second case this week,” Neon muttered, nudging Jett with her elbow.

Jett tilted her head, curiosity sparking in her blue eyes. “Do they even know how they died?”

“Doesn’t say,” Neon replied, squinting at the screen. “Just that they were found in an unusual condition.”

The Filipino’s gaze shifted, her normally bright expression dimming. “It’s always teenagers or young adults, always Radiants. It’s… I don’t know, creepy.”

Across the table, Fade’s expression darkened as well. She’d heard stories like this before, ones that had cropped up in hushed rumors or the notes of people whose loved ones had vanished without explanation.

She clenched her jaw, thoughts drifting involuntarily back to her brother’s disappearance.

She’d combed through police records, news clippings, scoured online forums filled with grieving families and unanswered questions.

Nothing. Never did she get any solid confirmation of his fate.

“Fade?” Neon’s voice snapped her from the memory.