For once, Ran didn’t linger.

It was rare for him to walk away so easily, without attempting to cling to you like a parasite or whisper more unsettling nonsense in your ear. Yet, as he disappeared into the shadows, leaving nothing but the weight of his words behind, you couldn’t bring yourself to feel anything but relief.

You weren’t naive enough to believe this was the last you’d see of him, but at least, for now, he was gone.

The black card in your hand felt heavier than it should have been.

Elysium Institute for the Tainted.

The name alone sent a shiver down your spine.

You shoved the card into your pocket and turned on your heel, making your way back to the underground safe house.

By the time you reached your fellow Untainted, exhaustion clung to your body like a second skin. The moment you stepped inside, the familiar scent of damp concrete and candle wax filled your senses. The hideout was small, dimly lit, and barely livable, but it was home—one of the few remaining places where people like you could gather without fear of being captured or converted.

The moment you entered, conversations halted. All eyes turned to you.

"You're back!"

Someone rushed forward—Emily, a short girl with sharp eyes, her expression flickering between concern and relief. She wasn't alone. The others stood close behind her, their faces tense, waiting for an explanation.

"What happened?"

Michael’s voice cut through the silence. His arms were crossed, his jaw tight. “You were gone for too long.”

You hesitated. How were you supposed to explain everything? The near-failure of your infiltration, the unsettling turn of events, the danger that was now looming over your head?

You exhaled and met Michael’s gaze. "The mission was going fine at first. I managed to infiltrate the Untainted facility without raising suspicion. Everything was smooth—I was looking for Maya's documents, but..." You clenched your fists. "There was nothing. No record of her. It’s like she was never there."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

"Are you sure?" Emily asked, her voice laced with disbelief. "Maybe you missed something—"

"I didn’t. I checked everything," you snapped, frustration seeping into your tone. "But that’s not the worst part."

Michael’s expression darkened. "What do you mean?"

You swallowed hard. "Florante Delquiorra was there."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

"Florante?!" Aaron hissed. "That psycho?"

Michael’s hands curled into fists. "How the hell did he find you?"

"I don’t know." You shook your head. "But he did. And worse—he took a liking to me."

A collective shudder ran through the group.

Florante Delquiorra was no ordinary Tainted. His Delusional variety made him one of the most unpredictable. He could fabricate entire fantasies and convince himself they were real. If he had decided he liked you, it meant he had already started crafting an obsession in his mind.

"That’s bad," Emily murmured.

"No shit." Michael ran a hand down his face. "Tell me you got out before he did anything."

"I did," you assured him. "But…" You hesitated, your stomach twisting. "The facility staff caught me. They saw me rummaging through their files—and worse, they saw him take an interest in me."

"Then they know," Aaron muttered. "They know you're not one of them."

Florante’s attention alone was dangerous, but now, the entire facility was aware of your presence.

You were compromised.

A heavy silence settled over the group.

"Did anyone follow you?!"

The barrage of questions hit you at once, the worry in their voices palpable. You raised your hands in surrender, shaking your head. "No one followed me," you assured them, voice steady despite the exhaustion dragging at your limbs.

They didn't look convinced.

"You’re sure?" Emily pressed.

"Yes," you confirmed. "I checked."

A collective sigh of relief filled the room.

Then came the anger.

Michael stepped forward, his dark eyes burning with frustration. "Are you out of your mind? You should have called for backup. You could have been captured, or worse!"

You bristled. "I handled it."

"You handled it?" Michael let out a sharp laugh, running a hand through his hair. "You met Ran, alone, and you think you handled it?"

"Yes," you shot back. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

Michael wasn’t amused. "You always do this," he snapped. "You run off, get into dangerous situations, and expect us not to worry."

"It wasn’t like that—"

"Then what was it like?"

You exhaled sharply. "He gave me information."

Michael’s eyes narrowed. "What kind of information?"

You hesitated. The weight of Ran’s words still sat heavy in your chest.

"Elysium Institute for the Tainted," you finally said.

Silence.

The shift in the air was immediate.

Michael cursed under his breath.

"Michael," you spoke carefully, watching the way his jaw clenched. "I need to go to Elysium."

Michael snapped his head toward you. "Absolutely not."

"Michael—"

"No. No. We just lost a safe infiltration point because of this, and you want to march into an academy filled with the worst kinds of Tainted? Have you lost your damn mind?"

"If Maya is there—"

"We don’t know that she is!"

"We don’t know that she isn’t," you countered.

Michael let out a sharp breath, his frustration bleeding into every movement. "You are not doing this."

"You don’t get to decide that for me."

"I do when it’s a suicide mission!"

"It’s a chance, Michael. One we don’t have anywhere else."

"At what cost?"

The argument stretched into the night.

For days, Michael refused to budge, and you refused to back down. The others remained silent, watching the debate unfold, their own fears and uncertainties keeping them from taking a side.

It wasn’t until exhaustion finally settled deep into everyone’s bones that Michael exhaled heavily, rubbing his temples.

"You’re insufferable," he muttered.

You crossed your arms. "So you keep telling me."

A long pause.

Then—

"Fine."

Your breath caught.

Michael’s eyes were hard, his expression unreadable. "If you’re really going to do this, you’re not going in blind. We prepare, we plan, and you listen to everything I tell you."

Relief flooded through you, though you knew better than to show it.

"Deal."

Michael sighed. "I hope you know what you’re doing."

You hoped so too.

Because once you stepped into Elysium Institute for the Tainted, there was no turning back.