Chapter 19: — "Onward to Syntrix Umbra"

I walked down the alleyway, scanning the walls covered in graffiti and the scattered piles of trash, boxes, and random junk. Kaito had told us to meet here, but… where the hell were they? I fished my phone out of my pocket and called, “Kaito? Rin?” My voice echoed off the walls. Silence.

Then I heard it, a weird, wet sound hitting the ground. My stomach churned. I froze, trying to figure out what it was. Then it got closer.

I whipped my head toward the sound, my eyes widening. Oh no. That sound. That sound.

“Yuzuki! Look away!” Rin’s voice squeaked from behind a stack of boxes.

I immediately turned my head. “Uh… okay… okay… I’m looking away! Jesus, Rin!” I hissed.

“Y-you think I had a choice?!” Rin hissed back. “I’ve been holding it for like… forever!”

I groaned and pressed my face to my hands. “Oh my god… this is disgusting. Why does this happen here?!” I muttered under my breath.

There was a long pause, broken only by the faint splashes hitting the alley floor. I tried to act nonchalant, but my stomach flipped every time the sound echoed. “I can’t believe this,” I muttered, “I seriously can’t believe this.”

Then I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Rin was shuffling some cardboard near her feet. “Oh my god… you’re not seriously using that, are you?” I whispered, half to myself, half hoping she’d hear.

“Yeah, yeah, I know it’s gross, Yuzuki!” she snapped, still crouched. “Like I said, there’s no bathroom!”

I took a step back, holding my nose slightly. “Ew… ew ew ew. Just… hurry up, please,” I asked, almost pleading, but of course, she didn’t seem to care.

Finally, she stood up, brushing herself off, or at least pretending to, and held out her hand like everything was totally normal. I froze, my thoughts spiraling like crazy, Oh my god… I can't even… she expects me to shake her hand after... that?

“Are you even listening to me?” she snapped, rolling her eyes.

“Yes! Yes! Totally… I’m… fine…” I muttered, trying to sound calm while my brain screamed WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

I finally asked, careful to keep my distance, “So… you’ve seen Kaito yet?”

She shook her head. “Nope. And don’t ask me again, I just want to sit for two seconds.”

I slumped onto the nearest box, crossing my arms. I swear… only Rin could make peeing in an alleyway look casual. I thought to myself, trying to act nonchalant.

We sat there, waiting, broken only by distant traffic sounds and the occasional creak from a leaning signpost. My nerves were firing, was this alley safe? Were drones watching? And, of course, where the hell was Kaito?

Finally, a familiar voice called out from the far end of the alley. “Rin? Yuzuki?”

I peeked over the box and exhaled in relief. Kaito had finally arrived. I shot a glance at Rin, who gave me a smug little grin, clearly unbothered by the ordeal.

Kaito approached us, his usual calm but serious expression in place. Rin immediately bounced up on her toes, eyes sparkling. “Okay! What’s the plan, Kaito? Spill it!”

“Calm down,” Kaito said flatly, holding up a hand. “I’ll pull it up. You’ll see everything in a second.”

I forced myself to take a deep breath and act nonchalant, even though my stomach was doing somersaults. Just play it cool, Yuzuki. You’ve been through training, right? I thought to myself, trying not to betray how nervous I was.

Kaito swiped a device and a detailed map of the Syntrix Umbra territory appeared between us. My eyes widened. Holy hell… this place is huge. Multiple buildings sprawled across the map, lines marking paths, entry points, and patrol routes. Kaito explained the objective as he pointed to a bunker at the center.

“There’s a box of private information inside the main building,” Kaito said, tracing the path with his finger. “It shows the operations of this territory and might even reveal more about the higher-ups. It’s locked, heavily guarded, both drones and humans, and protected by laser triggers. If those alarms go off…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but I knew enough.

Rin leaned closer, practically bouncing with excitement. “Easy as cake! We can handle this!”

I swallowed hard, my heart racing. Easy as cake? My ass. I’m going to die if anything goes wrong… I forced myself to straighten up and nod, trying to match her energy. “Yeah… fuck yeah, let’s put an end to this crap,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t sound as shaky as I felt.

Kaito continued, explaining how we would sneak in quietly, neutralize guards without alerting others, and secure the box. “Follow my lead at all times,” he emphasized. “One mistake, and this goes from a clean extraction to a disaster.”

I leaned in to examine the map again. The bunker looked impenetrable, laser grids crisscrossing the entrances, guards patrolling in timed patterns, drones hovering above. I could feel my palms get sweaty. This is real. This is actually happening. And if we mess up…

Rin’s hand landed lightly on my shoulder, almost brushing my arm. “Don’t worry, Yuzuki. We’ve got this. You’ve trained for this. Trust me.”

I nodded, taking another deep breath. “Yeah… right. Trust the team,” I muttered to myself, trying to suppress the nerves clawing at my chest.

Kaito tapped a few buttons, highlighting the exact route we’d take through the territory. “We go in, neutralize the immediate threats, grab the box, and get out. Quietly. No heroics, no unnecessary risks. Got it?”

“Yes,” Rin said instantly, fists clenched in excitement.

I forced my own voice to sound firm. “Got it.” Inside, though, my mind was racing. I hope I don’t screw this up. I have to be perfect. For Kaito. For Rin. For everyone.

Kaito's expression was calm but serious as always. “Good. Let’s move.”

My hands itched with anticipation and nerves. Every step toward the Syntrix Umbra territory felt heavier than the last. The training, the blasters, the dodging drills, it all came down to this. One slip, one wrong move, and everything could go sideways.

Rin shot me a grin, clearly enjoying the thrill. I swallowed, trying not to let my fear show. “Alright… time to put everything we practiced to use,” I muttered to myself, gripping my equipment tighter.

Kaito gestured for us to follow him, and we trailed after him down the dimly lit streets to a hoverbus stop. My stomach churned, equal parts nerves and adrenaline, as we waited. The neon lights reflected off the wet pavement, casting long shadows.

When the hoverbus finally glided to a stop, we climbed aboard. The familiar hum of the engine did little to calm my racing heart. Kaito told Rin and me to sit together while he walked to the driver’s compartment.

I leaned slightly toward Rin, whispering, “He really talks to everyone like that… calm, collected… always knows what to do.” She smirked but didn’t reply, her eyes scanning the other passengers like she expected trouble at any moment.

From my seat, I could see Kaito talking to the driver. The bus driver looked skeptical, shaking his head. “I can’t just drop you off there. That’s not my job. I’m not a taxi.”

Kaito’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his tone remained smooth. “Five hundred Syns. Cash, right now. Drop us in front of the Outlux building.”

The driver’s eyes flicked toward the tip, his expression softening instantly. “Five hundred? Done.”

Kaito payed the driver the Syns and smirked at me as he walked back, sliding into the seat next to us. “Sometimes, a little incentive is all you need,” he muttered, his tone half amusement, half business.

I exhaled quietly, trying to hide my nerves. He always made things look so easy, but I knew better. This mission wasn’t going to be that simple.

Rin nudged me slightly, whispering, “You ready for this, Yuzuki?”

I forced a confident smile, though my stomach was twisting into knots. “Yeah… let’s just get there first,” I muttered.

The hoverbus hummed into motion, and we glided silently toward the edge of Syntrix Umbra’s territory, every meter bringing us closer to the unknown danger waiting ahead.

—

The hoverbus came to a gentle stop in front of the Outlux building. Kaito stepped out first, motioning for Rin and me to follow. I hopped off, my legs feeling heavier than usual, like the air itself was pressing down on me.

Kaito thanked the driver with a nod before walking toward the sidewalk, and I could feel my pulse thundering in my ears.

I glanced behind us. There it was. The territory. The sprawling Syntrix Umbra compound stretched before me, walls tall, surveillance cameras glinting in the dim light, drones hovering silently above. My throat went dry, and I swallowed hard.

This was real. This wasn’t training anymore.

Kaito handed each of us a blaster. My fingers wrapped around the cool metal, and I could feel the faint weight grounding me, reminding me of everything I had learned.

“Focus, Yuzuki,” Kaito said, his voice calm but commanding. “Use everything you practiced. Don’t let fear make you sloppy.”

I exhaled slowly, nodding, trying to steady my shaking hands. I could do this. I had to do this. I’d trained for it.

We all paused, taking in the compound one last time before we started moving. Every step forward felt heavier than the last, but I forced myself to match Kaito’s calm, measured pace.

I clutched the blaster a little tighter. Deep down, fear still curled in my stomach, but determination pushed it down.

Together, we headed toward the entrance, ready to face whatever waited inside.