The hum of the private jet's engines was interrupted only by Amir's low whistle as he took in the luxury around him. "I could get used to this," he said, running his fingers along the polished wooden armrest of his seat. He leaned back with a satisfied grin, the glow of ambient lighting reflecting off the neatly arranged knives holstered at his side. "They really went all out for us. I mean, private jets, tailored suits… I feel like a boss already."
"Don't let the leather seats fool you," Nel quipped, her eyes still scanning the holographic screen projected in front of her. "This isn't a vacation. Remember, you're not here to enjoy the ride—you're here because the Organization expects results."
Amir shrugged, his grin undeterred. "Results are easier to deliver when you're flying Luxury."
Zach, sitting across from him, adjusted his cufflinks, the intricate designs glowing faintly as they calibrated to his essence. "I'd be more focused on what's waiting for us in Germany. This isn't just about luxury; it's about keeping us sharp. Don't lose sight of that."
"Speaking of what's waiting for us…" I leaned forward opening my eyes from meditation, looking toward Nel. "You said the mission involves investigating strange essence fluctuations. Anything else we should know about the region?"
Nel tapped a few buttons on her wrist device, and a holographic map of Germany appeared, with a flashing marker over a small town in the southwest. "The area you'll be investigating is experiencing strange essence fluctuations—energy levels spiking and dropping erratically. That alone would be enough to raise red flags, and here we've also haven't received reports of the two local clans in the vicinity."
Deya, sitting by the window, perked up at this. "Local clans? Are they friendly or hostile?"
"Neutral, for now," Nel replied, her tone carefully measured. "One is the Eisenfrost Clan, a group that specializes in essence suppression. The other is the Schattenreich, a shadow-based clan with a reputation for covert operations. Neither has officially declared any stake in the situation , but the fact that both are present makes it… complicated."
"Complicated how?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
Nel sighed, crossing her arms. "That depends on you. As the team captain, it's your call whether to engage with them directly or operate covertly. Using them could provide valuable intel, but it also risks drawing unnecessary attention. On the other hand, going covert lets you gather information without interference, but it's harder to establish trust if— when you do eventually run into them."
The weight of her words settled over the cabin. I leaned back in my seat, considering the options.
"Let me guess," Amir said, his grin widening. "You're gonna pick the harder option, aren't you?"
I smirked. "You know me too well."
The jet touched down smoothly on the private airstrip just outside the town. As we stepped off, the heavy weight of the unstable essence hit us like a wall. The air was charged, thick with tension and energy that seemed to crawl along my skin. It wasn't just disorienting—it was suffocating.
Zach froze for a moment, his cufflinks glowing faintly as they enhanced his perception. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing in concentration.
"This isn't just instability," he muttered, more to himself than to us. "It's a sleeping domain."
The rest of the group exchanged puzzled looks. Nel, however, turned sharply toward him, her expression instantly alert. "Explain," I demanded.
Zach straightened, his voice steady but grim. "A sleeping domain forms when a Level Three domain user dies with their domain still active. Usually while in battle. It leaves behind a fragment of their essence, fused to the physical world. It's not fully operational like a normal domain, but it still influences everything within its boundaries—like the essence fluctuations we've been feeling."
"Wait," Amir interjected, his brows furrowing. "So, we're basically walking into a corpse's leftovers?"
"Not leftovers," Zach corrected, his tone grave. "It's more like an echo. But an echo of a Level Three domain user is nothing to take lightly. If the domain's instability grows, it could start affecting realit9y itself. We're lucky it hasn't already collapsed."
"Fantastic," Deya said dryly, her gaze scanning the horizon. "And here I thought this was going to be a simple mission."
"It never is," Nel said, her voice clipped. "Zach, how much time do we have before this becomes critical?"
He shook his head. "Hard to say. It could be hours, days, or weeks. It depends on how long the domain has been left dormant and what's triggering the fluctuations now. But the fact that it hasn't collapsed yet means there's still time to stabilize it—if we move fast."
Before anyone could respond, the oppressive atmosphere grew heavier. Two figures emerged from the edge of the airstrip—a tall man clad in the silver armor of the Eisenfrost Clan, and a shorter figure flowing robes of the same clan most likely a lower rank . Their essence signatures pulsed faintly, restrained but unmistakably powerful.
"Looks like we don't have to find them after all," Zach murmured, his gaze locked on the approaching figures.
Amir grunted. "Yeah, but I don't like how they're just waiting for us. Feels like a trap."
"Could be a trap," Nel admitted, stepping forward to stand between us and the newcomers. "But that doesn't change the fact that they're here, and they clearly want to talk." She glanced back at me, her expression sharp. "Your call, Captain. Do we engage directly or stay covert?"
I straightened my tie, my mind racing through the possibilities. The sleeping domain was already complicating the mission, and the last thing we needed was unnecessary conflict. But avoiding them wasn't an option—not when they were standing right in front of us.
"We hear them out." I said finally, meeting her gaze. "But if they try anything, we shut it down fast."
Nel nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Good choice. Just remember: diplomacy first, violence second."
As we approached the two clansmen, the air seemed to grow heavier with every step. Their eyes locked onto us with unsettling intensity, their presence radiating the kind of quiet authority that came with experience and power.
"Well," Deya muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible. "This just keeps getting better and better."
I didn't respond, my focus entirely on the figures ahead. Whatever was waiting for us in this sleeping domain, one thing was clear: this mission was about to get a lot more complicated.