The days slipped by, but Zhu couldn't shake the dull ache left by Elias's silence. Though buried in a relentless stream of paperwork and new leads on the Cold Case and Hollow smuggling rings, the daily arrival of desserts from "J.D."—an unsettling reminder of him—felt like an open wound that refused to heal.
She avoided mentioning Elias around Seth and Qingyi, hoping the weight of the work would keep her team from noticing her unrest. But Seth and Qingyi exchanged knowing glances behind her back, each quietly worried by their captain's growing distraction.
As Zhu combed through aging case files one evening, a recurring name leapt off the page: The Pacifist. Half a decade-old, it belonged to a mercenary known for his skill in acquiring military-grade weaponry from the New Eridu Defense Force—and for orchestrating the disappearance of an unnamed biotech project. It struck her as strange. This alias had gathered dust in the Janus Quarter's archives, yet now, with everything going on, it felt disturbingly relevant.
Holding her tablet, Zhu finally broke her silence. "Qingyi, do we have active contacts in the Defense Force? I think we need to dug up whose this mercenary is."
Qingyi looked up, an eyebrow raised. "The New Eridu Defense Force? I can reach out through some of our military connections—since it's official, Captain." She walked over to Zhu, peering at the screen, where Zhu had carefully connected dots between The Pacifist and several high-profile incidents, including the stolen weaponry and biotech project. "This guy," Zhu murmured, almost to herself, "could be the missing link between the Hollows and the Syndicate's smuggling operations."
Qingyi's expression shifted as she read the name. "The Pacifist? It's been a while since I've heard that alias. I even wiped that alias on my database long time ago Zhu."
Zhu looked at her, surprised. "You know the story?"
Qingyi nodded, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Yes. They called him The Pacifist because he always finished his missions without spilling blood. He was known for getting the job done clean. Almost half a decade ago..." She trailed off, her gaze distant. "You were a rookie back then."
Zhu's brows furrowed. "I've never heard that name before—not in my time."
"Maybe they wanted to bury it, since it's an NEDF case." Qingyi said softly.
As her shift ended, Zhu collected her things and grabbed the usual dessert from "J.D." She cast a glance at Qingyi, who was still busy at her station. "Qingyi, keep me posted on that request, okay? I'm clocking out early today—I'll need the rest before tomorrow's event," she said, referring to the Advanced Weapons Convention at the Golden Eridu Hotel.
Just as she turned to leave, Qingyi's voice stopped her mid-stride. "An NEDF liaison reached out," Qingyi informed her, glancing up. "I'll send you the contact details, Captain."
Zhu's face brightened with a nod. "That's great, Qingyi! Thanks. But remember to take a break yourself, alright?"
Qingyi gave her a slight, knowing smile. "Understood, Captain. Rest well."
As Zhu stepped out, the weight of the case files, the unexpected lead, and the lingering memory of Elias all crowded her thoughts. But for now, she decided to push it all aside—tomorrow would be a fresh start, and she'd need her energy for whatever the convention had in store.
Zhu stood at the crossroads of her thoughts, torn between heading home to her parents or retreating to her empty apartment. Mindlessly, she found herself walking through the familiar streets, each step echoing with uncertainty.
"The next time I see him, I'll definitely arrest him, for giving me these stress." she muttered to herself, her voice a quiet determination against the stillness around her. But beneath her bravado lingered a storm of feelings—Elias had gone dark, leaving an ache that throbbed in her chest.
Once inside her apartment, she dropped her bag on the couch, the thud reverberating through the silence. She shed her clothes, each piece falling away like the weight of her worries, and lay down on the bed, staring up at the shadows that danced across the ceiling.
The darkness enveloped her, amplifying the sense of emptiness that clung to the air like a heavy fog. The stillness was deafening, the silence pressing down on her, making her feel both vulnerable and isolated. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, blurring the edges of her thoughts.
"I'm so confused! Why am I like this?" she cried out, her voice breaking the suffocating silence.
"Is it because Elias stopped responding to my messages?" The question hung in the air, a haunting reminder of the silence that had stretched between them.
"Broken trust?" The phrase echoed in her mind, a bitter pill to swallow.
"He's working with a the Crimson Veil syndicate?" Each thought felt like a dagger, slicing through her resolve, leaving her grappling with the fear of betrayal and longing.
Zhu squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the whirlwind of emotions. The very walls of her apartment felt like they were closing in, the solitude a contrast to the chaotic energy of the convention earlier. With each heartbeat, she felt the weight of uncertainty—her mind spiraling, caught in the web of Elias's shadow and the secrets that threatened to unravel everything she knew.
She drifted into a fitful sleep, tear-streaked cheeks cooling as the weight of the day pulled her under. Hours slipped by, and the clock inched past midnight when a sudden, insistent ringing shattered the stillness of her apartment. Heart pounding, Zhu jolted awake, half-hoping it was Elias calling to finally explain himself.
Groggy and disoriented, she fumbled for her phone. Her voice came out thick and hoarse as she answered, she missed at least 5 calls from Qingyi.
"Yes, Qingyi? You better have a good reason for calling me off duty." She blinked against the dim light, barely able to keep her eyes open, the remnants of sleep still clinging to her.
"There's been a heist report at the Golden Eridu Hotel—just now, Captain," Qingyi replied, her voice steady yet underscored with urgency. The gravity of her words jolted Zhu fully awake, banishing the last threads of sleep.
"A heist? out of all things?"
Adrenaline surged through her veins as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, heart racing in sync with the rush of impending action. She moved quickly, dressing in her uniform with the practiced efficiency of a seasoned officer, each piece of clothing feeling like armor against the chaos awaiting her.
"Qingyi, what's the story so far?" she demanded, forcing herself to focus.
"Just get here, Captain. You need to see this for yourself," Qingyi replied, her tone sharper than usual. "I'll wait at the station."
Stepping out into the night's chill, Zhu quickened her pace, covering the short distance to Janus Quarters. Outside, the station was already a storm of activity—the media had swarmed, cameras flashing and reporters shouting questions. She brushed past the throng, ignoring their attempts to draw her into an interview.
One officer waved her through. "Captain, Chief wants you on site at the Hotel grounds."
Qingyi met her at the vehicle bay, already holding open the door to one of the PUBSEC mobiles. "Better brace yourself, Captain. It's definitely chaos out there."
Zhu climbed in, casting a glance at the crowds. "These reporters—this story's going to be everywhere," she muttered, gripping the steering wheel and pulling out toward the Golden Eridu Hotel.
As they approached the hotel, the glow of flashing PUBSEC lights loomed on the horizon, illuminating the scene ahead. The grounds were a frenzy of activity: officers securing the area, barricades set up to hold back onlookers, and evidence bags steadily filling with hastily collected items. Zhu's stomach twisted with a sense of mounting tension as she pulled up, taking in the heavy presence of law enforcement swarming the scene.
As Zhu arrived, she noticed the Chief talking with Jane, who gave her nod, not quite meeting her gaze.
"Captain, you're late," Jane greeted with a hint of a smirk.
Zhu set her jaw, masking her irritation as she turned to the Chief. "What's the story so far?" she asked, pulling out her tablet to start taking notes.
The Chief inclined his head towards one of the hotel security staff, who stepped forward, looking slightly rattled. "It was two guys," he began, voice tense. "They came out of nowhere, scrambled the security cameras—they were completely invisible on footage."
Zhu blinked, stunned. "How's that possible?"
"Probably military-grade tech," Qingyi interjected. "White Star Institute's been working on cloaking systems for black ops."
Zhu leaned in, frowning. "And you're saying the suspect might have gotten their hands on it?"
Qingyi nodded. "Either they stole it, or they somehow replicated the schematics."
Zhu shook her head, not entirely buying it. "White Star isn't exactly a syndicate. They don't just hand out tech to criminals." She fixed Qingyi with a firm look. "We need to keep our focus. Speculations like that can muddy the investigation."
Qingyi's lips twitched in frustration, but she held her tongue. "It's just a theory, Captain."
The Chief and Jane exchanged a look, watching them with bemused expressions.
Zhu cleared her throat and turned back to the security staffer. "Alright, please continue. Tell us exactly what you saw."
"They moved in with precision. Several guards tried to stop them since they seemed unarmed, but... one of them, he's a skilled fighter," the security guard stammered, casting a nervous glance at the chief as if fearing he might miss a detail. "The other guy... he just went around, tasing anyone who got too close. No one was seriously hurt, though."
Jane leaned in, her gaze sharp. "Did you get a good look? Anything you can tell us?"
The guard swallowed, looking down as if replaying the scene in his mind. "Tall. Both of them. They were... well-built, I guess. But they wore gear that kept their faces covered."
Zhu noted this down briskly on her tablet, her stylus tapping like a drumbeat. "Was anything taken?"
The guard hesitated. "No. No weapons missing, exactly. But they made a beeline for the section where our experimental weaponry is stored."
Zhu's brow furrowed. "So they risked a high-security break-in... just to look?"
Jane raised an eyebrow, watching Zhu with an inscrutable expression, as if already guessing at the captain's thoughts.
"And how'd they escape?" Zhu pressed.
The guard's shoulders tensed. "On a motorbike. It's an Outringer type but it's too silent no engine sound, high-performance types."
Zhu's heart skipped a beat. A motorbike. Her mind flashed to an old lead, images of gang symbols and roaring engines. "A biker gang? They break into an experimental weapons vault just to take a joyride?"
Jane tilted her head, a smirk playing at the edge of her mouth. "Bit dramatic for a test drive, don't you think?"
"Ha-ha, Jane," Zhu replied dryly, not missing the playful chuckle that escaped Jane. She rolled her eyes, pressing on the security guard. "But did any of your staff see biker symbols or anything recognizable?"
The guard shook his head, his face tight. "Not sure. They moved too fast—my staff barely registered what happened. These guys were... seasoned, like they'd done this a hundred times."
Just then, static crackled over the chief's radio, followed by a terse voice. "Chief, there is a probable missing a piece of experimental tech here. Inventory room. You'll want to see this. Over."
They moved quickly, stepping through the barricaded lobby entrance. Despite the commotion, the hotel was still operational, though shaken staff whispered nervously, eyeing the PUBSEC presence and the ever-growing media swarm beyond the barricades. Around them, a lavish event hall lay in disarray—its once-bright lights and decorated tables halted in mid-preparation, eerie in their emptiness.
They walked through the hall and into a large, secured backroom, where crates of high-tech weaponry lined the walls. The signs of struggle were evident—scuffed marks on the floor, overturned objects, scattered debris—but there were no bullet holes or shell casings, indicating the suspects hadn't needed firearms to overpower the guards.
They finally reached the experimental weapons section, where an open military-grade crate sat under a harsh overhead light, its metallic edges gleaming. It was clearly high-tech, the kind of crate that could only be opened with a digital key, sealed tighter than most vaults.
Zhu crouched down, eyeing the empty, sophisticated compartments inside. "What was in here?" she asked, her tone sharp.
The forensics officer on site glanced at her, lifting his gloved hands in a helpless gesture. "We're not certain yet, Captain. We'll need to wait for the manufacturer to confirm the contents. Whatever it was, it wasn't just some off-the-shelf tech."
Zhu's gaze lingered on the crate, a chill running down her spine. Whatever had been stored here was dangerous—and someone was willing to go to extreme lengths to get it.
After a tense wait, a staff member from the exhibitor finally stepped into the room, glancing nervously at the open crate before inspecting its contents. His face paled as he realized the implications.
"This... this crate was encrypted," he stammered, his eyes widening. "Only two authorized personnel had access to the digital key, and it cannot be opened by only using one key." The guy looked back at the PUBSEC team, "Both keys should be initialized when opening the crate."
Zhu's pulse quickened. Her mind raced, recalling the decryptor device Elias had been tracking down—a piece of black-market tech with capabilities far beyond standard security. Could he be connected to this? She caught a look from Qingyi, who seemed to be making the same mental leap. The air grew thick as they exchanged a silent understanding, neither willing to voice the suspicion hanging between them.
"It's an experimental catalyst," the staff continued, glancing between the officers, his voice barely steady, trembling. "This was developed by Imperial Industries. Commissioned by New Eridu Defense Force."
A chill crept down Zhu's spine. New Eridu Defense Force tech again. And Elias had needed a decryptor. The pieces seemed to fit—but there were too many unknowns. I can't jump to conclusions. I don't know if he's involved... but I can't ignore it either.
"What's the exact name of the tech? What does it do?" Zhu asked, forcing herself to stay calm, though her hand instinctively tightened around her tablet.
The staff looked down, swallowing beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "It's called the Etherflux Catalyst. It's designed to absorb etheric matter inside the Hollows and convert it into energy." His voice stammered, nervous. "It's like a Shiyu reactor but in small form."
Zhu and Qingyi fell silent, the weight of the revelation pressing down on them. The implications of that Catalyst were staggering—its potential for power and destruction was clear. And if Elias was somehow connected, things were about to get far more complicated than either of them could have anticipated.
The silence hung thick in the air, like a storm cloud waiting to burst. Jane, ever observant, caught Zhu's tension and quietly approached, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Captain, I can help you with this case," she said, her tone surprisingly gentle.
Zhu kept her gaze fixed ahead, trying to process everything, but nodded reluctantly. "...Alright, but please let me take the lead." Her voice was firm but edged with uncertainty.
Jane's lips curled into a sly smile. "Of course! Don't worry—your secrets are safe with me." She tilted her head, offering Zhu a playful wink that struck an odd, irritating chord.
Secrets? Zhu's thoughts faltered, her brow furrowing. What does she mean, secrets?
A flicker of suspicion stirred in her. Jane always seemed a step ahead, her words layered with double meanings. It was like being teased with pieces of a puzzle she hadn't even realized she was holding. The frustration simmered beneath Zhu's calm facade as Jane's presence lingered, reminding her that trust, here, was anything but simple.