One Hour Earlier-

"Have a good night, everyone!" "You too!" Our shift was over and everybody was getting ready to go home. I was in the back room with some of the other serving girls. I was usually a clerk here at Berlint City Hall but we've been short-staffed since….. well since the other female employees started disappearing. Actually that's why I took the serving job on top of my clerk work; I didn't want to be out in the front and so visible to the public. It was a frightening time, which is why my brother called me every night to check in.

One girl stretched her arms up and yawned. "Ugh, what a day. They should hire more girls; we can't do their jobs plus our own." "I know! We're overworked as it is!" Another co-worker exclaimed. "Ah, you all complain too much. This is only temporary. Your working days will be over once you're married," another girl grinned slyly. I looked at her and didn't say anything. Married, huh….. Yeah, I guess that would solve a lot of problems we're facing lately.

One of my particularly unsavoury co-workers, a blonde-haired woman named Camilla, smirked at me from where she was standing. "Isn't that right, Yor?" "Huh?" I blinked over to her, not really paying attention to the conversation before then. She gave me a malicious smirk. "Don't you want to get married?" "Oh, I uh….. uh….?" "So you have no interest, then? Heh, don't you think that's a little suspicious?" Her forefinger raised up to her bottom lip evilly. One of the other girls nudged her awkwardly. "Don't joke about that, Camilla." "I'm just saying a twenty-seven-year-old lady has no business being single. It certainly paints a target on your back, wouldn't you say?" She asked me this directly.

I frowned, gathering up my things in a hurry. Everybody watched the uncomfortable scene with the air stifling all of us. Yet Camilla would not stop smirking. Her hand rested on her hip in a superior fashion. "Course no one's accusing you of anything, Yor. It's merely an observation. I know how hard it must be for you, being alone all these years." "Excuse me," I tried to brush past her with my bag in my hand. This was a dangerous conversation and I had to leave before it got any worse. I wasn't a spy, but all the secret service needed to arrest you was simply the suspicion. If any of them heard the way she talked to me just now…

As I rushed by, Camilla gave me one last glare, along with another insidious smirk of hers. "You poor thing. I'd invite you to my party this weekend, but it's for couples and I know how embarrassed you'd be showing up on your own. Have a good weekend all the same!" None of the other girls said anything as I basically ran out of there, clutching my bag in my arms. Truth is I don't mind being single, and I definitely don't want to go to Camilla's stupid party. What I do mind is being abducted by federal agents and transported away, never to be seen again. We were living in scary times, and it was getting more tense by the day.

I came outside where some people were standing by the door, but there was no time to catch my breath. The screams and shrieks of another colleague being taken away could be heard for miles. I looked with horror to see a young girl wearing a clerk uniform being dragged towards a vehicle by two agents. More secret service members lined the street, showcasing the massive guns strapped over their shoulders. "Stand back!" They ordered the crowds. I had to get out of there.

I ran as fast as I could, anxious to get home and away from everything. In my haste I took some back alleys, which turned out to be a mistake. Turning a corner, I didn't see these two armed guards standing there, blocking the way. Without looking- I was glancing over my shoulder back the way I came- I accidently bumped into one of them with force. It was so impactful that it pushed me back a little. He looked back to me clearly annoyed.

"What do you think you're doing?" He viciously snapped at me. My feet fumbled back a few steps as fear suddenly gripped me head to toe. These guys work for the secret service….. Oh no!

They, in turn, took a step my way. "Who are you? What's your name?" The other soldier demanded rather loudly. My body began to shake uncontrollably. "I-I'm uh….. uh….." My stammering made them mad- well, madder than they were already. "He asked you a question, girl! Are you so stupid you forgot your own name?!" "Uh n-no! It's um….. uh…." He tisked, rolling his eyes upset. "Never mind! Where's your papers?"

I fumbled to pull them out from my bag. The agent snatched them with force and scanned them over; his partner looked over his shoulder at them. The other agent then side-eyed his partner. "Hasn't she been short-listed?" "Yeah," he nodded, still inspecting my documents. "S-Short-listed for what?" My lips trembled, my hand raising up to my pounding chest. Ignoring my question, the agent crumpled up my papers in his gloved hand and gave me a death-glare. "You're coming with us," was all his said in the scariest voice I'd ever heard. That was the first time I'd ever almost fainted on the spot. My vision got blurry and my head felt suddenly light. My legs began to bucket. The agent's free hand reached up to grab me and I thought I was going to die.

That was until a very strong, black-gloved hand planted firmly overtop my shoulder. My head shot back around me, and the agents both looked forward with prominent frowns. There, standing behind me with his arm now draped over my back and shoulders was a man. A beautiful man. He wore a handsome suit and long coat. He gazed down at my face with kindness, though I could tell it was somewhat forced. The soldiers fired off dangerous glares in his direction while I simply gawked up at him. What can I say? It's the first time a man I'm not related to has stood this close to me. His attention shifted from me onto the two agents, his expression immediately altering when he laid eyes on them. The whole time he refused to let go of my shoulder. It sounded like he was speaking to me but he was obviously addressing them with his words.

"Sorry I wasn't there in time to pick you up from work, sweetheart."