Philip sat at the back corner of the dimly lit café, his eyes scanning the room with the precision of a hawk.

  His mind was racing with the potential of what Elara's intel could reveal.

  The café's ambience was a stark contrast to the urgency of their mission—the soft jazz playing in the background, the murmur of distant conversations, and the clinking of spoons against ceramic mugs.

  The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, but it was the scent of potential betrayal and hidden secrets that kept him on edge.

  Elara's silhouette appeared at the doorway, and he raised a hand, beckoning her over.

  She glanced around before striding towards him, her hips swaying with the confidence of someone who knew she held the upper hand.

  As she sat down across from him, he couldn't help but admire her poise.

  "You've got something for me?" Philip asked, his voice low and expectant.

  Elara nodded, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of her discovery. She pulled out the USB drive from her pocket and slid it across the table to him.

  "I found blueprints and maps for hidden facilities scattered across the city and in the mountains. They're not just labs; they're full-blown research and production centers, way beyond the capabilities of the current city's tech," she whispered, her voice a mix of excitement and apprehension.

  Philip raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.

  "So Mr. Handsome, what did you dig up on Castor?" Elara leaned forward, her eyes dancing with curiosity.

  Philip leaned back in his chair, his expression grim.

  "The place was cleaner than a surgeon's scalpel," he murmured, his eyes reflecting the shadows of the café.

  "It's like Castor never existed. And his relatives," he paused, his voice a whisper, "either dead or vanished without a trace."

  Elara's eyes widened in shock, gripping her cup tightly. The gravity of their situation was sinking in, the puzzle pieces of their investigation fitting together to form an eerie picture.

  "It's like they were all erased," she murmured, her mind racing with the implications.

  "What kind of power does the Gaze have to pull off something like this?"

  "Hmm, I did sneak in the government building," Philip said, his voice barely above a murmur.

  "Their records were impeccable, or so it seemed at first glance. But when I dug deeper, I found something strange."

  He leaned forward, his eyes locking with hers.

  "The files on Castor were wiped clean. It was as if he was never there. No birth records, no military service history, no property ownership—everything about him had been erased. And it's not just him, Elara. The other missing officials I was looking for, their files are all gone too."

  Philip's revelation sent a shiver down Elara's spine. The government's complicity in this cover-up was clear, but what was the endgame? Why erase all evidence of these people?

  "I also managed to infiltrate the orphanage department," Philip continued, his voice hushed as he leaned in closer.

  "They're recruiting orphans for something big. The education department is handing over files of certain children to Gaze Kreame."

  Elara felt a chill run down her spine. The thought of innocent children being caught in the midst of this intrigue was horrifying.

  "The children? For what purpose?" she asked, her voice tight with concern.

  "I don't know," Philip admitted, his expression grim.

  "But it's definitely not for their welfare."

  Elara's mind raced with the implications of her findings.

  "Could these missing officials and the selected orphans be connected to those hidden facilities?" she mused aloud.

  "It's possible," Philip conceded, his gaze darkening.

  "But we need more evidence before we can make any accusations."

  Philip nodded solemnly as Elara shared her suspicions about the missing officials and the children. It was a disturbing thought, but the more they pieced together, the more it seemed to fit.

  "I'll make a copy of the USB for you to take to your superior," she offered, her voice filled with urgency.

  Philip nodded, his gaze never leaving hers.

  "But we can't just hand this over without being absolutely sure," he said, his hand closing over hers briefly.

  "We need to see it for ourselves," Elara said, her eyes flashing with determination.

  The two of them agreed to meet again at Philip's shop, where they could safely discuss their findings without the prying eyes of the government or the mysterious company.

  As they stood up from the café table, they were suddenly struck by an eerie silence that had descended upon the once-bustling street. The crowd had inexplicably disappeared, leaving only the flickering neon lights and the distant hum of the city's heartbeat.

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  Their eyes met, and the same thought echoed in their minds: something was wrong. They had seen enough strange occurrences in Escalar to know when the air thickened with tension.

  Elara's hand slid to her side, feeling the reassuring weight of her concealed weapon.

  Philip's gaze flickered to the door as three figures in black security uniforms stepped into the café. They moved with the confidence of those who knew they had the upper hand.

  "You two need to come with us," one of them announced, his voice carrying a hint of threat.

  Elara and Philip exchanged a knowing glance. They had seen enough to realize that these weren't ordinary security agents. Without a word, they acted in unison.

  The agent closest to them raised his hand, "We strongly advise you to come quietly."

  Without a second thought, Elara and Philip nodded to each other, their eyes mirroring their silent agreement to fight their way out. In one swift motion, Philip sent his coffee cup flying towards the trio, the dark liquid a momentary distraction. Elara, quick on her feet, hurled her chair in the same direction.

  The three agents moved with surprising agility, the chair crashing to the floor as they leapedfrogged over the table. The coffee cup shattered harmlessly against the wall, the liquid spraying across the floor.

  "You're coming with us," the leader of the trio growled, his eyes cold and emotionless.

  Elara and Philip run towards the back door, the sound of chairs scraping against the tiles echoing in their wake. The leader of the trio leapt over the barricade of the fallen chair with surprising agility, his eyes locked on them like a predator stalking its prey. The other two agents followed close behind, their movements calculated and precise.

  "You can't escape from us," the leader snarled.

  Elara's eyes widened as the agents closed in, but she remained unfazed. She knew that the USB in her pocket contained information that could bring down the very foundation of the regime. This was not the time to let fear take hold.

  The leader of the agents managed to grab onto Philip's jacket, but Philip was quicker. With a grace that belied his rugged exterior, he slipped out of it and spun around to face his attackers. Years of hand-to-hand combat training took over, his muscles moving with precision as he threw a punch aimed at the leader's jaw.

  But the agent was no novice. He caught Philip's fist in midair with an ease that suggested he'd seen the move a hundred times before. The other two agents circled them, their eyes gleaming with a cold, mechanical efficiency.

  Philip believe that he had the upper hand with his combat skills but these agents were no ordinary thugs. They were highly trained and moved with a fluidity that hinted at a military background.

  The leader of the trio stepped closer, his grip on Philip's forearm like a vice. He tried to twist him around, but Philip anticipated the move, planting his foot firmly and using the momentum to pivot, taking the agent off balance.

  Elara, not one to stand idle, took advantage of the distraction. She run out the back door of the café, her boots echoing through the narrow alleyways. She knew that sticking around would only make them both easy targets, and she had information that needed to get out.

  Philip, on the other hand, found himself in a desperate struggle. Despite his superior combat training, the agents were not only skilled but also incredibly fast. He had hoped that Elara's speed and agility would give them an advantage, but now he was on his own.

  The leader of the agents, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of the chase, smirked as he tightened his grip on Philip's forearm. Philip felt a twinge of doubt, realizing that these men were no ordinary security. They moved with the precision of elite soldiers, their techniques honed to perfection.

  He tried to fight, to break free and give himself a chance to follow Elara, but their numbers and skill were too much. He threw punches and kicks, each one a silent plea to disengage, but they just kept coming, pressing him against the cold, hard wall of the alley. The sound of their boots echoed off the brick, a rhythmic reminder of the futility of his struggle.

  "You're making this difficult," Philip grunted through gritted teeth as he felt the leader's grip tighten, his knuckles white with the effort of holding him. The smirk on the man's face never wavered, his eyes cold and calculating, like a predator enjoying the thrill of the hunt.

  The other agents had fanned out, searching for Elara. The leader leaned in closer, his breath hot against Philip's ear.

  "Your little friend won't get far," he taunted.

  "Let go!" Philip snarled, trying to wrench his arm free, his eyes darting to the alley's exit. The leader of the agents chuckled darkly, ignoring Philip's struggles.

  "Bastards," Philip spat, his heart pounding in his chest as he realized his escape attempt had been futile. The leader of the agents had anticipated his every move, and now he was pinned down like a ragdoll.

  "Sir, We've contained the situation," the leader of the agents reported, his grip on Philip's arm tightening slightly.

  "The other one escaped, but we have a team on her tail. She won't get far."

  The words crackled through the leader's earpiece, and his eyes lit up with excitement.

  "Ah, so you've sent a Noble Knight," the leader of the agents said, his eyes gleaming with a mix of excitement and respect. His grip on Philip's arm loosened slightly, as if the mention of the elite warrior had given him a newfound confidence in the situation.

  "That's reassuring," one of them commented, a smug smile playing on his lips.

  "Those people are not to be underestimated." As he knew, the mention of the 'Noble Knight' had sent a shiver down the spine of the leader. It was clear that even these highly trained operatives knew of their reputation.

  Elara's heart hammered in her chest as she sprinted through the narrow alleyways, the distant sounds of the agents' pursuit fading slightly.

  She had hoped to throw them off her trail, but she knew it was only a matter of time before they caught up. The adrenaline pumping through her veins sharpened her senses, every shadow and whisper of the night a potential threat.

  Elara had just managed to slip into her car, her heart racing in sync with the engine as it roared to life.

  She was about to pull away when she saw the towering figure standing in the middle of the road, blocking her escape.

  Her instincts screamed at her to drive through, to not let fear take hold. With a deep breath, she floored the gas pedal, expecting the man to flinch, to move aside. But he remained unyielding, his arms spread wide as if to embrace the oncoming vehicle.

  BAM

  The collision was deafening, the airbags deploying with a thud that stole the breath from her lungs. The car's metal crunched and glass shattered around her, but she remained unscathed.

  Elara blinked against the stars that danced in her vision, her mind struggling to piece together what had just happened.

  The world spun as she tried to push herself out of the wreckage, her heart hammering in her chest like a caged bird desperate for escape.

  The man who had been in her path was now standing next to the crumpled hood of her car, utterly unscathed. His uniform was torn and tattered, but his skin remained unmarred by the impact.

  The sight was unnerving, a stark reminder that the person in front of her were not playing by the same rules as everyone else.

  She saw the man tore through the car with ease as he slowly walked up to her.

  She pulled out her gun, her hand trembling with a mix of fear and anger.

  She fired without hesitation, the muzzle flash briefly lighting up the night. But the man's reaction was unlike any she had ever seen.

  He dodged with uncanny speed, the bullets whizzing past him like he was a specter of the night.

  Elara's eyes widened in shock as the man plucked the gun from her hand as easily as if he were taking candy from a child.

  Her vision swam, the edges of her world going dark as she stumbled back.

  The last thing she heard from the giant man, as his words echoed through the darkness as if from a distant place, "You will make an excellent test subject."