VEILBREAKERS!
EPISODE 18 – GLASS SHADOWS
The bunker hums under dim lights. Rain hammers the city above. Kael sits at the steel table, leaning forward, hood up. His fingers tap slowly. Jett leans against the wall, scrolling through a tablet. Ran sharpens his katana in the corner, sparks glinting off the blade.
Jett: [without looking up]"You've been quiet since we got back."
Kael: [calmly, eyes on the table]"Just thinking."
Ran: [grins slightly while sharpening]"That's dangerous for a guy like you."
Kael: [finally looks up, voice cold]"Funny."
The sound of rain echoes through the vents. The monitors flicker, showing maps of the city. One screen blinks red — movement detected near the lower district.
Jett: [noticing the alert]"...They're at it again. Lower district. Same group."
Kael:"The Syndicate?"
Jett: [nods]"Yeah. Third hit this week. They're moving fast."
Ran: [sheathing his sword with a clean snap]"Want me to slice through them?"
Kael: [gives him a look]"No. Not yet. We need to know what they're after."
Ran:"They're after trouble. And we're giving them nothing but silence."
Jett: [tosses the tablet onto the table]"Intel says they've been scouting tech shipments. Military-grade stuff."
Kael:"...That's not their style. Someone's backing them."
He stands, slowly pulling his jacket over his shoulders. The movement is calm, deliberate, like a shadow stretching across the room.
Kael:"Gear up. We're going out."
Jett:"Tonight? With this storm?"
Kael: [gives a half-smile]"Storms are perfect. Nobody sees the blades in the rain."
Ran chuckles low, sliding his katana onto his back.
Cut to: The streets. Rain falls like broken glass. Neon lights bleed across the slick pavement. Kael, Jett, and Ran move through the alleys, silent shadows in hoods. A black SUV idles near a warehouse ahead.
Ran: [whispers]"Two guards. Guns drawn. No insignia."
Jett:"They're masking their signals too. Pro work."
Kael: [eyes narrowing]"Not Syndicate muscle. Too clean."
Kael gestures. They split. Ran melts into the shadows, vanishing like smoke. Jett crouches behind a dumpster, pulling out a compact silenced SMG. Kael steps forward, slow, calm, letting the rain wash over him.
Guard #1: [to the other, under his breath]"Boss said no one comes near—"
Before he finishes, Kael is in front of him. No sound. Just presence.
Guard #2: [startled, raising his gun]"What the—"
Kael grabs the barrel, twists it effortlessly, the metal screeching before the gun clatters into the puddle. A sharp elbow drops Guard #2 instantly.
Guard #1: [backing up]"Who the hell—"
Ran's blade kisses his throat from behind, gleaming under neon.
Ran: [whispers in his ear]"Shhh."
They drag the guards into the shadows. Jett approaches, shaking his head.
Jett:"That was loud."
Kael:"They're not Syndicate. Something bigger."
Ran:"How big?"
Kael: [eyes on the warehouse]"Big enough to hide in plain sight."
Lightning flashes. The warehouse looms ahead, its doors chained shut with heavy locks.
Jett:"Think they know we're coming?"
Kael: [cold smile]"Doesn't matter."
He grips the chain, veins shifting faintly under his skin. For a second, something stirs — Dominion Will, a ripple of unseen force. The chains rattle as if afraid.
Ran: [noticing]"...You did that on purpose?"
Kael: [releases the chain calmly]"No."
He turns away, leaving the chain trembling. The storm roars louder. They're about to enter a war they don't understand yet.
TO BE CONTINUED…