A swirling vortex of blue and silver light engulfed them as they stepped through the portal. The sensation was disorienting—like being pulled in a thousand directions at once—before they were unceremoniously deposited onto solid ground. A dimly lit corridor stretched before them, metal walls humming faintly with unseen energy. The air was thick with an unnatural silence, as though the space itself was waiting for them to make the first move.
Audrey was the first to regain her bearings. She straightened, pushing back the slight dizziness, and immediately scanned the surroundings. Every corner, every potential blind spot, every exit—she cataloged them instinctively. The safe house was well-hidden, its layout strategic. Whoever had designed this place had built it for secrecy and survival.
Kenzo, standing a few steps behind her, remained quiet. His sharp gaze swept across the room, his expression unreadable. He wasn't just looking at the physical aspects of the safe house—he was seeing beyond, perceiving layers of reality no one else could. His ability allowed him to uncover hidden truths, and right now, the entire place was teeming with secrets waiting to be unraveled.
Hana exhaled, rolling her shoulders as she took in the sleek, high-tech environment. The place was stocked with weapons, gadgets, and a control panel that flickered with unread data. Her fingers itched to test them out. Everything here was unfamiliar, yet instinctively, she knew she could use them if she had to. She wandered towards a glass case displaying an array of knives, the cool glow of the lights reflecting in her calculating eyes.
Then, breaking the tension, Damian flopped onto the nearest couch with a dramatic sigh. "Alright, I call dibs on the biggest room!"
Audrey turned to him, arms crossed. "You don't even know how many rooms there are."
Damian grinned, stretching his arms behind his head. "Doesn't matter. I called it first."
Hana scoffed, not even looking up from the weapon display. "You sound like a kid fighting over the front seat of a car."
"Damn right," Damian shot back. "Except in this case, the front seat is a king-sized bed with a killer view. Mark my words."
Kenzo finally spoke, his voice calm but pointed. "Maybe you should check if the rooms are even safe before claiming them."
Damian waved a hand dismissively. "Pfft. Safe or not, I could punch through any danger that comes my way."
Audrey sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That's not the point. We need to assess everything before we start making ourselves comfortable."
"Too late," Damian smirked. "I'm already comfortable."
She shot him a look, but before she could say anything, the lighting in the room shifted. A soft hum reverberated through the walls, and a sleek interface materialized on the far end of the chamber. The AI system had detected their presence.
"Welcome," a calm, automated voice echoed through the space. "Designated identities confirmed. This location is now registered as your primary operational base."
Audrey stepped forward, studying the holographic interface. "It's interactive," she murmured, her fingers hovering over the projected controls.
Kenzo, beside her, frowned slightly. "There's more here than what's being shown." His eyes flickered as he tapped into his ability, sensing the hidden layers beneath the surface. "This place holds encrypted information. We'll need time to uncover everything."
Hana, finally peeling herself away from the weapon display, glanced over. "Sounds like a problem for later."
Damian, still lounging, raised a hand lazily. "Or never. Let's just enjoy our haunted sci-fi mansion."
"It's not haunted," Audrey muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Yet," Hana added, smirking.
Kenzo ignored them, focusing on the interface. "This place was designed for more than just hiding. It's a tactical base, probably used before by others like us."
"Ugh," Damian groaned, "Can we at least check out our rooms before the conspiracy theories start?"
Without waiting for an answer, he pushed himself off the couch and strode down the hall. The others exchanged glances before following. The corridor stretched into a series of doors, each leading to a separate chamber. The first one slid open automatically as Damian approached.
"Dibs!" he announced, stepping inside. His victorious expression faltered as he looked around. "…Oh, come on."
The room was far from the lavish suite he had envisioned. A simple bed, a storage unit, and a starkly minimalistic design greeted him.
Hana peered inside and snorted. "Not exactly the penthouse you were hoping for, huh?"
Damian scowled. "This place is too neat. It's creepy."
Kenzo, leaning against the doorway, smirked faintly. "So, you're giving it up?"
"Hell no." Damian dropped onto the bed, testing its comfort. "…Alright, I'll make it work."
Hana rolled her eyes and moved on to the next room. Hers was nearly identical but had a workbench in the corner filled with small tools and electronic components. She let out an approving hum, already imagining the modifications she could make.
Audrey found her room at the end of the hall. It was quieter than the others, with a simple desk and a large, wall-mounted screen connected to the main interface. She could already tell this was where she'd spend most of her time—analyzing, planning, staying two steps ahead.
Kenzo's room was darker, the windows heavily tinted. There was an air of mystery, as though it had been designed for someone who preferred to remain unseen. He closed the door behind him, exhaling slowly.
A new life. A new purpose.
Back in the common area, Damian had already started digging through the kitchen cabinets. "Alright, serious question," he called out. "Do we even need to eat anymore?"
Hana glanced at him, her brow raised. "Why?"
"Because if we don't, I'm about to waste my time making a sandwich."
Kenzo leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "We don't need to, but we can."
"Good enough for me." Damian proceeded to slap together the most haphazard sandwich anyone had ever seen.
Audrey sat down, watching them interact. It was strange—less than a day ago, they had still been human. Now, they were something else entirely, standing between the worlds of the living and the dead. And yet, despite everything, some things hadn't changed. Damian was still obnoxious, Hana was still effortlessly cool, Kenzo was still unreadable, and she was still the one keeping them all in line.
For better or worse, this was their new reality.
"So," Damian said around a mouthful of food, "When do we start kicking ass?"
Audrey sighed. "Tomorrow, we figure out our next steps."
"Tomorrow," Hana repeated, spinning a knife between her fingers.
Kenzo merely nodded.
Damian grinned. "Fine. But I get to call dibs on all the fun missions."
Audrey smirked slightly. "Not if I out-plan you first."
He gasped dramatically. "You wound me."
She rolled her eyes, but there was an undeniable warmth in her chest. They had no idea what awaited them, but in this moment—sitting in the dim light of their safe house, trading jabs and settling in—she felt something close to certainty.
They weren't just survivors. They were a team. And together, they were about to change everything.