If the announcement had been visible only to him, it might have been bearable. But no—the message blazed in large, bold letters, illuminating the room like a second moon.
Zach's expression turned to shock. Announcements like this were rare, even during Phase One.
As Selina and Charlotte closed in, the announcement left him no choice. Fearing interrogation and desperate to escape, he spun around and bolted. Their shouts echoed behind him. Just as he burst out of the room, he caught a fleeting glimpse of two enormous balls of fire suspended in the sky. There wasn't time to investigate, however—the sound of Selina and Charlotte's voices near the trapdoor spurred him on.
"Custodia, Elanor—get her!" one of them commanded.
By sheer coincidence, Elanor and Custodia were passing through the corridor. At their mistress's order, Custodia immediately pivoted, her eyes locking onto Zach as the moon shone directly on him.
Without hesitation, Zach darted down the corridor. Elanor whipped out a small, walkie-talkie-like device and issued orders, "Nightwalkers, station yourselves at coordinates 5, 13." After a burst of static, a reply came: "Right on our way."
Zach raced through the sprawling mansion. His comm glowed red, once again flashing the announcement for everyone to see:
"ALL OLA CORP PERSONNEL, PLEASE RETREAT TO YOUR DEPARTMENTS!"
The maids he passed exchanged puzzled glances before understanding instantly as Elanor and Custodia swept by.
Pushing his legs harder by channeling 20% of his power, Zach sprinted on. Yet, the mansion's maze-like corridors meant it took nearly thirty minutes to locate the concealed trapdoor.
After about fifteen minutes of frantic running, he reached an intersection. One path led to the dining hall; the other was uncertain. Instinctively, he turned right—hoping to avoid Danica. Though he'd only met her last week at the ruins, her friendly presence had warmed him, and he couldn't bear the thought of seeing her disappointed.
The mere thought tightened his chest with aching regret. After two more intersections, he finally spotted a door with a window beside it, revealing the moonlit front yard.
Before he could reach it, a group of six figures materialized suddenly. They were clad entirely in black, their faces hidden while their bodies were accentuated by tight clothing that sculpted their waists into near-perfect hourglasses.
"Man, what kind of technology makes that possible?" Zach thought.
Before he could decide his next move, the sound of approaching footsteps filled the air. In moments, Elanor, Custodia, Selina, and Charlotte appeared—and behind them, a figure about Selina's height.
"Danica…" Zach murmured.
There, behind her parents, Danica's face was etched with mixed emotions. She couldn't believe that the friend she once trusted would follow her parents into the secret room.
"Anna…" Danica whispered, glancing at Zach before lowering her head in disappointment.
Zach's heart churned as he watched the group of six produce gun-like devices. Overwhelmed by both fear and Danica's hurt, his instincts screamed, "Safety first!"
He bent his knees and leaped. The sound of shattering glass rang out as he crashed through a window—barely missing a tree in his frantic escape.
The moon's glow intensified as it revealed his true self: his short hair, flat chest, and sharply defined, almost alien features shocked those who saw him. They had never seen anything like this transformation.
Without pausing, Zach sprinted toward the gate and vaulted over it, vanishing from the Nightwalkers' view.
Though the night was still young, Royal Road resembled an abandoned district. The streets lay empty, lit only by festive mansions—the Everhart mansion standing out as the brightest. In this darkness, Zach's changer swiftly morphed his clothes into a sleek black suit and jacket, pulling a hood over his head to blend into the shadows.
***
"We lost her."
After a thirty-minute search with their most advanced tracking technology, the Nightwalkers returned empty-handed. Selina's face was dark with worry—their secret was perilously close to exposure. Confusion mingled with fear: Why would a retreating announcement appear so suddenly, and why broadcast it to everyone? Who, or what, was Ola Corp?
Charlotte squeezed her shoulder gently, sharing her unspoken questions. She then turned to Danica, whose expression, though composed, betrayed small tears at the corner of her eyes.
"Danica, go to your room."
Reluctantly, Danica turned and left the living room. Selina watched her wife—who had just dismissed the Nightwalkers—before breaking down in tears. Despite being the dominant figure, Selina leaned on Charlotte for emotional support.
"Shh," Charlotte murmured, embracing her as they moved to the couch. For ten long minutes, Selina wept, with Charlotte holding her through the storm.
When their tears finally subsided, Selina wiped her eyes and whispered, "W-what are we going to do? The higher-ups will kill us for this."
The confidentiality clause was enforced so strictly that no one had ever even seen the meeting rooms—not since the tragedy with the Starling family.
"I-I don't know… What if they hurt Danica too?"
Charlotte cried, the thought of their twenty-year-old daughter in peril intensifying her sorrow.
Danica stood silently in the corner, her back pressed against the wall as she wiped a tear away with a handkerchief. In so little time, her world had crumbled: her first friend, Anna, was now hunted by the Nightwalkers, and her parents trembled in fear of the higher-ups' retribution.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded at the door. A Nightwalker in identical black gear dropped her hood and spoke anxiously, "Mistress, the higher-ups are—"
Before she could finish, Charlotte cried even harder as Selina enveloped her in a tight embrace.
This was no ordinary Nightwalker—it was Selina's sister, Terrisa Everhart, the representative of the Leader, known also as Selina Everhart.
Terrisa's expression shifted at the sight of their grief. She waited until they had calmed before speaking.
"Mistress, the higher-ups have declared they are unavailable for the time being because of some recent discovery."
Rather than easing their fears, the news deepened the certainty of their impending doom.
Before Terrisa could say more, another Nightwalker entered. This one, with her hood down and a face contorted in fear, interrupted, "Mistress, the news: there are two enormous metal balls of fire floating in the sky—each carved with a giant letter 'A'!"
Terrisa stared in disbelief while Selina and Charlotte noticed a faint red glow seeping through the curtained window. With a swift snap of Selina's fingers, the curtains slid aside.
Suspended high above were two massive, flaming spheres—each emblazoned with a colossal "A." The brilliant light they emitted flooded the room, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
It was only 8:00 PM, yet outside the world resembled midday. The stars had vanished, outshone by the terrifying display.
Every soul in the room felt an instinctive urge to flee as dread crept over them, signaling that something catastrophic was imminent.
***
When the thick clouds finally dispersed, the entire Royal Road district blazed with a morning-like brightness.
Zach lifted his head, spotting the twin fiery spheres again in the sky. His comm flared, once more broadcasting the ominous announcement.
A chill shot down his spine as his instincts urged him onward. Running down the street, he watched as, one by one, people emerged from their homes to gaze in horror at the flaming orbs—some even beginning to scream.
After exiting Royal Road, Zach cast a glance back and murmured, "Sorry," before vanishing into the distance.
Out of sight, in a shadowed corner where the light from the burning spheres barely reached, silhouettes stirred. From the darkness emerged a man, his smile eternal and knowing.
"We meet again, Officer Zach," he murmured.