The Eclipse Academy ballroom shimmered under chandeliers that dripped light like honey, transforming the usual drab hall into a glittering trap for the elite. Alex tugged at his tux collar, the fabric stiff and unforgiving, like the secrets he carried. The gala—a "fundraiser" for spy tech, but really a front for Vortex's Siren to charm secrets from bigwigs—was in full swing. Music swirled, laughter bubbled, and servers weaved with trays of fancy bites that tasted like nothing. His squad blended in: Jax in a suit that strained at the seams, Mia in a dress that hid her gadgets like hidden weapons, Lila in a gown that hugged her like a second skin, turning heads—including his.
Mia adjusted her earpiece, her smile bright but her eyes darting to Alex more often than not. "Siren's the one in red—charming that tech mogul. My scanner's picking up her voice mod—hypnotic frequencies. Sneaky."
Alex nodded, but his focus split. The system's prompt from earlier nagged at him:
SYSTEM PROMPT: Mission Unlocked! Objective: Steal the Siren's data necklace during her performance. Reward: Unlock 'Charm Resistance.' Failure: 'Ballad Singing 101.' Tip: Use the dance floor—get close, but watch the heartstrings.
Ballad singing? The system's digs were relentless. He glanced at Mia, her dress catching the light, and felt that pull again—her easy laugh from last night echoing, the way she'd leaned in during the VR debrief, her hand lingering on his arm. "You saved my drone," she'd said, eyes soft. But then Lila had pulled him for a quick strategy talk, her touch electric, leaving Mia's expression clouded.
Lila slipped up beside him now, her perfume a subtle spice that made his head spin. "You clean up nice, Thorne," she murmured, her hand slipping into his under the table. "Ready to play bait?"
His throat went dry. "Always." But as they moved to the dance floor, Mia's voice crackled in his ear: "I'll cover from the bar. Don't trip over your feet." Was that a edge in her tone? Or just his guilt talking?
The Siren took the stage, her voice a silken thread weaving through the crowd, pulling secrets like loose threads. Guests leaned in, eyes glazing—her mod at work. Alex and Lila swayed to the music, close enough to feel her breath on his neck. "She's targeting the mogul's aide," Lila whispered. "Necklace has the data—get it during the dip."
He spun her, heart racing from more than the plan. Mia's comms cut in: "Guards shifting—I'll distract." Her drone, repaired and sneaky, zipped overhead, dropping a tray of drinks on a goon with a crash that drew laughs. But as Alex closed in on the Siren, Mia added, "Careful with her, Alex. She's got that charm thing—don't get lost in the eyes."
Lila tensed in his arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Before Alex could smooth it, the Dorks crashed the party—Caleb in a tux too sharp, leading his crew like uninvited royals. "Fancy seeing you here," Caleb sneered, cutting in on a dance nearby. Tessa zeroed on Mia at the bar, her gadget whirring. "Pink hair? Cute. But my tech's better—wanna duel?"
Finn bumped Jax, spilling drinks. "Oops. Fancy footwork, big guy." Rico tried stealth, but his camo glitched, turning him into a walking mirror ball that reflected chandeliers everywhere. Guests gasped, thinking it was part of the show, and the Siren faltered, her mod skipping like a bad record.
In the confusion, Alex dipped close to the Siren, his implant guiding a quick snatch—the necklace in his palm. But her eyes locked on his, voice cooing, "Hand it over, handsome." The mod hit, a fuzzy pull, but the system countered: Charm Resistance kicking in early, a glitchy reward that made him blurt a bad pickup line instead. "Is your name Wi-Fi? 'Cause I'm feeling a connection—wait, no!"
The Siren blinked, thrown, and Lila's shot from afar—tranq dart—dropped her mid-laugh. Chaos erupted—Dorks scrambling, guards fumbling in the mirror-ball glare. The squad bolted, necklace secure, but Mia's face in the van was tight. "Nice save," she said to Lila, voice clipped.
Back at the dorm, the high faded. Jax raided the fridge, Finn's "oops" becoming squad legend. But Mia cornered Alex in the hall, her dress rumpled, eyes searching. "You and Lila looked... cozy out there."
He swallowed. "Mia, it's—"
She cut him off, voice soft but edged. "I get it. But I've been here, Alex. Through the fails, the wins. Just... don't forget that." She squeezed his arm, lingering, then pulled away, leaving him in the hall with Lila approaching, her smile questioning.
The necklace's data glowed on the table—next lead, a bio-lab for the Chemist. But Alex's heart raced for different reasons. The system's chime felt distant, the real prompt unspoken: figure this out before it breaks everything.