Kaelen woke up with a clear purpose that had woken up before him. Everyone else was already moving. Nevyziel knocked on the door and pushed inside without any answer.
She wore the uniform of the god of war's follower and carried the same coat for Kaelen. She put it on a chair and left the room.
Kaelen dressed up and got ready to leave, Nevyziel waiting for him outside with breakfast. They were too late. Others had left.
They had a lot to say about their mission, but they knew it would only bring down their morale.
When they completed their breakfast, Nevyziel tossed the key to Kaelen and led him to the car. Kaelen tried to convince her he hadn't driven a car since he got his license. But who can convince Nevyziel once she has decided? He gave a bright smile, blushing.
Nevyziel knew that and also started smiling. They turned their heads opposite each other and got inside the car.
The roads were long and broad before they entered the jungle. Big leaves covered their windshield, sometimes whipping around windows and hitting their faces.
When they reached the base, at first look, it looked like a town. After focusing, the planning became visible. The mines and watchtowers looked like something the town had built around, not with.
The guards recognized them after all; they were high-ranking followers of the god of war.
She gestured for Kaelen to follow her.
Their first shift was in a warehouse. They managed promotions, demotions, hiring, and firing. Their internal thoughts couldn't get the better of them, and they did their work the way a follower of the god of war would.
Lyne and Nyx roamed around the warehouse many times. What type of assassination required chatting and walking around?
At 2 PM, lunch started. Everyone got the same lunch: coffee and chicken rice.
They went to the house assigned to Kaelen inside the base. They set some chairs on the roof and settled down.
Kaelen walked towards the far edge of the roof and gazed at the biggest watchtower. "Guards are everywhere, and we can't use any power because of the detector. I think the origin is in the mine; running from the warehouse to the mine is the best option we have."
Nevyziel got out of her chair and took a sip of her coffee. "Did you forget we can read identities? Spit it out. What do you have in mind?"
Kaelen sighed and took a sip. "Once we weaken the detector, we can take over the identities of people inside the mine."
Nevyziel took Kaelen's cup and took a sip. "What is your genius plan to weaken the detector? It's too far from both the mine and the warehouse."
Kaelen tried to grab his cup back but stopped himself midway. "Once we weaken the detector, there's only one move. Getting caught is impossible after that."
Nevyziel gave the cup back, empty.
The second shift was in a different warehouse, where they had to watch people work and manage them.
Lyne and Nyx were still roaming, and Silas was nowhere in sight.
"What are they even doing?"
"We already knew they wouldn't work with Silas. After their favorite Aurelion scolded him, they had a lot to gossip about."
"Hey, I have this weird question. But since I am new, it should be normal to think that."
"Yeah, as long as it's not whether I have a boyfriend or not. I don't have any problem."
Kaelen looked at her with the disappointed look people give in movies. Staring in awkwardness. "Is Lyne Aurelion's wife?"
Nevyziel let out a big laugh in the middle of the base.
"Stop, shh..." Kaelen kept trying to stop her.
Her laugh grew even louder.
It ended with her stomach hurting. She still kept wheezing. "Nooo, why would you think that?" She rested her hand on Kaelen's neck.
No reply came from Kaelen.
Nevyziel had gotten used to the silence, but it still annoyed her how he changes when the conversation does not go his way.
As they entered the room, workers were gossiping about something unclear to them, but they understood the bones of it. Two spies had been caught by the captain. They managed to free themselves, but the captain saw their faces.
Kaelen's mouth went dry as he made his theory of their escape. "Do you think they gave our names to get out?"
Nevyziel's grip on the files shifted. A nod came with a slight hum.
The work didn't matter anymore. They sat on the chairs assigned to them and started chatting. Most of it was hatred towards other members of the group.
Another officer came inside the warehouse. They took a deep breath and stood up, ready to fight. Kaelen had his chains prepared.
In the middle of the room, the officer stopped and pointed his fingers towards them. "You two, what are you doing there? Come to the meeting."
They looked at each other, still unsure whether this was a lie to trap them or if there really is a chance for them.
They followed the man to an office in the middle of the base.
He opened the door. A meeting was going on with every high-ranking officer and the captain seated on a throne at the far end.
They kept their faces flat and sat down, apologizing for their lateness.
The captain said, "Enough, back to the topic. How did they get inside? More importantly—they mentioned enemies. People they came here with."
An officer asked, "Why would they come with their enemies?"
The captain crushed the glass of water on the table in front of him. "That is not the main question. We have to find the people they came here with."
No officer added anything else.
"I will be the one to do it as you useless idiots watch; go back to your pitiful work."
The second shift went smoother than the first. The fear had turned quieter; still, they chose to talk like the end of the world was coming after it.
Lyne and Nyx had destroyed the house assigned to Nevyziel. She had no choice but to sleep with Kaelen. With a single bed and no couches.
Nevyziel rested herself on the bed as soon as she entered. Kaelen lay down on the floor.
Nevyziel said in a soft voice, twirling her hair. "Why are you on the floor? This is your own house."
Kalen kept the desire inside him; his silence answered for him.
She grabbed the bedsheet and said in an innocent voice. "As long as you... don't do anything dumb and keep your eyes in the opposite direction, it's fine."
Kaelen stood up and climbed into the bed slowly, eyes towards the wall.