The veil of hearts

The Night Everything Died

Helsinki - 2 years before

The explosion shattered the pre-dawn silence, sending shockwaves through the abandoned warehouse district. Felix felt the heat wash over his face from three blocks away, the orange glow painting the sky like a false sunrise.

"No, no, NO!" he screamed, pushing his motorcycle beyond its limits as he raced toward the inferno that had been their safe house.

He was supposed to have been there. He was supposed to have been watching over them while they reviewed the final batch of stolen files. But Noel had called with intelligence about a Nordstrom facility in Prague, and Felix had made the fatal mistake of thinking one night away wouldn't matter.

One night. One goddamn night, and everything had gone to hell.

He threw himself off the bike before it had fully stopped, stumbling toward the building that was now a roaring funeral pyre. The heat was intense enough to sear his lungs with each breath, but he pressed forward, shouting their names into the chaos.

"AINA! DR. LIU!"

Through the smoke and flames, he caught sight of movement in the alley behind the building. Dark figures loading something—someone—into a black van. His blood turned to ice as he recognized the slight form being dragged between two masked men.

Aina. Unconscious, blood matting her dark hair, her body limp as a rag doll.

Felix drew his weapon and ran, his boots splashing through puddles of melted snow and debris. But he was too far away, too slow, and the van's engine was already roaring to life.

"STOP!" he bellowed, raising his gun.

One of the figures turned—tall, broad-shouldered, wearing tactical gear that spoke of military training. The man's face was hidden behind a black mask, but his movements were calm, methodical. He raised his own weapon with practiced ease.

The first bullet caught Felix in the shoulder, spinning him around and sending him crashing into a pile of metal sheeting. Pain exploded through his body, but he forced himself to keep moving, to keep fighting.

The second bullet shattered his left kneecap.

Felix collapsed, his scream of agony lost in the roar of flames and the van's departing engine. He watched helplessly as the taillights disappeared into the maze of industrial streets, taking Aina with them.

It was then that he heard it—a weak voice calling from somewhere inside the burning building.

"Felix... Felix, please..."

Dr. Liu Virtanen. Still alive.

Felix dragged himself across the broken concrete, his shattered leg leaving a trail of blood behind him. The heat from the fire was becoming unbearable, the smoke so thick he could barely breathe. But he could see a shape in the doorway—a man crawling, trying to escape the inferno.

"Dr. Liu!" Felix reached him just as the scientist collapsed, his body a map of burns and bullet wounds.

"They... they took her," Dr. Liu gasped, blood frothing at the corners of his mouth. "They took my daughter."

"I know, I saw them. We'll get her back, I promise. But first we need to get you medical attention—"

"No." Dr. Liu's hand shot out with surprising strength, gripping Felix's wrist. "No time. Listen to me."

"Dr. Liu, we need to move—"

"Promise me," the scientist interrupted, his grip tightening despite his failing strength. "Promise me you'll make them pay for what they've done. Promise me my daughter's suffering won't be meaningless."