Chapter 1 First Encounter

The sun in the city of Faulas was blindingly intense, making it hard to keep one's eyes open.

The air was sticky and suffocating, with the sun blazing down on the crumbling buildings like it was trying to scorch the earth itself.

This was the most desolate corner of Yuphia-a barren wasteland torn apart by constant conflict. Countless battles had turned the land into a graveyard, where the stench of death lingered and bodies were left to rot in the open.

As a thick cloud of sand blew across the wasteland, a few dusty military trucks pulled up near some crumbling old buildings. The heat intensified with every inch they moved.

"Captain, they're here." A deep voice came through the earpiece. The sound of trucks moving over the sand could be heard, but it was hard to tell how many people were hiding among the old, broken-down buildings.

"Got it," a man answered, his voice calm and strong, like someone used to giving orders.

The air felt almost unbreathable, the heat pressing down like a weight. Beads of sweat slid down the man's face as his hands tightened. His eyes, however, remained calm and unflinching.

Right then, the car doors swung open. Outside the rundown buildings, dozens of attendants dressed in black stood in perfect lines, waiting for a slender figure also clad in black. She looked very different from the local people in Faulas.

The wind and sand whipped her hair, and her lips pressed tightly together. A light chiffon scarf covered half her face, showing only a pair of sharp, cool eyes that briefly looked toward the faraway high-rise.

Everyone stood stiff and formal, dressed to perfection. As she got out, they all saluted together-it was an impressive show. "Welcome, Miss Spencer!" they called out loudly.

Scarlett Hughes turned her eyes away from the buildings. She gave the crowd a faint smile, her gaze cool and unreadable.

"Was all that really necessary?" Her voice was smooth and steady, without a hint of emotion. The wind scattered fine grains of sand, tugging her long hair like strands of silk dancing in the dry air.

Honestly, she thought they were being too loud.

"Bring them in," she ordered as she put on her sunglasses.

"Yes, ma'am!" The men echoed together, their voices firm and synchronized.

Scarlett walked into the building with her team, unaware that a sniper's laser sight had just moved off her face.

One more second, and her head might have been blown open, with blood painting the ground.

"What's Estrella Spencer doing in Faulas? I think this place might be hiding some pretty shady business for Vertex Worldwide!"

Their goal was to collect evidence of Vertex Worldwide's shady dealings here in Faulas. But things went south fast-three days ago, two of their own got caught in an ambush.

"Captain, they've entered the building. Should we move?" Albin Barnes, closely watching the interior movement, spoke up with a note of tension in his voice.

Faulas was a furnace in the middle of nowhere. The wind carried sand like knives, while the relentless heat made it seem like their faces could melt away at any moment.

Their clothes were soaking wet, and their hands were so sweaty that their guns almost slipped out.

"No need to rush," the man murmured, his eyes fixed firmly on the building's fourth floor. His grip on the gun was steady, showing he wasn't about to lose his cool.

The fourth floor was tightly secured, surrounded by rough steel and concrete that formed a bare, unfinished structure without any polish or decoration.

Inside, Scarlett's people had already dragged in the captured men and lined them up in front of her.

"From Shupbert, huh?" Scarlett's lips curled into a subtle smile. Her eyes scanned the few men dressed in black uniforms brought before her and then they settled on one in a distinctive black outfit that caught her interest.

She let out a soft chuckle, clearly intrigued.

That uniform belonged exclusively to the special forces of Shupbert's military district.

Leaning back against the sofa with a calm, easy grace, Scarlett slid off her sunglasses and studied the man before her with deliberate, unhurried focus.

"This is the guy. We've grilled him for three days straight, using every harsh method we know, but he still won't talk!"

"Really?" Scarlett's smile barely shifted.

The man was battered and bleeding, his skin torn and bruised everywhere, but he clenched his jaw tight, refusing to break.

"To me, no one has an unbreakable will-unless they're already dead." With that, she stepped closer, leaning in just a bit. "So, tell me who you are, why you're here, and what you and your friends are doing sneaking around Faulas?"

While talking, her hand moved up, gently grabbing his jaw. Blood dripped from his mouth, a sharp contrast to the cold fire burning in her eyes.

"It'll hurt less if you just talk," she said softly, her voice low and steady, and her clear eyes unreadable. Her lips were pressed just so, and the sunlight made her flawless skin gleam.

The man lifted his head and noticed the tattoo on her neck-a bright red spider lily, wild and fierce. It was both beautiful and chilling, just like her.

"Still not saying a word?" Scarlett raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled.

Just as Scarlett pressed on, a loud, angry shout came from nearby. "You damn bitch! If you're brave enough, just end us already!"

She looked over with a sharp, cold stare.

"Stop trying to scare me! I'm not afraid of anyone!"

Her eyes looked far away, like she was thinking deeply.

Her hands stopped moving.

In an instant, her soft mood turned cold and distant, making everyone around her feel uneasy.

Unfazed, Scarlett smiled a little and said, "You both know each other, right?"

Then she grabbed a dagger from one of her men, the blade shining sharply as she pressed it against the throat of the man who had sworn at her.

"You're wearing the same uniforms. And you took off your badges beforehand, trying not to give away your identities in someone else's place. Shupbert's special forces don't seem so tough after all."

"What was that, you-" Before the man could spit out his insult, Scarlett's eyes turned sharp and cold, slicing through him like a blade.

A scream cut through the air as blood erupted from his chest. The dagger had driven deep, just beneath his ribs, close to his heart.

"Captain!" Albin shouted anxiously from behind the sniper scope, furrowing his brow and glancing toward the man holding his weapon nearby.

He worried that without quick action, their captured comrades might face a deadly fate.

"Word is, half a month ago, a Shupbert special forces team slipped into Faulas, trying to steal evidence from our experimental base to use as leverage in peace talks over the Hopolis war zone. That team included you, didn't it?"

Hopolis stretched wide between the countries of Yuphia and Shupbert, with Faulas marking the tense border.

Chaos was the norm there. Clashes, thefts, gunfights, and even murders happened regularly.

Still, Faulas was just a small piece of the massive territory controlled by Vertex Worldwide.

A faint smile flickered across Scarlett's lips.

At her signal, several men wearing sterile garments crouched beside the two injured men, injecting them with some prepared serum. "What are you doing?" one of the badly wounded men asked weakly, his voice trembling with pain.

"Quiet," Scarlett hushed, her red lips forming a captivating smile. Her charm was obvious, yet she radiated a powerful, unshakable command.

"I'm giving you a taste of what your country risked everything to find in our secret base. Isn't that what you wanted? Trust me, this will feel like heaven itself."

Her voice dipped into a softer, sweeter tone, but her smile faltered as she sensed a sniper's laser sight on her.

Suddenly, a gunshot cracked sharply, breaking the heavy silence over the dilapidated buildings.

Scarlett's brow furrowed as blood began to drip steadily onto the floor.

She lowered her gaze and caught sight of the dark stain spreading across her chest.