The cool night breeze kissed the balcony, laced with the faint hum of violins and distant laughter from the ballroom behind them. Below, Zyphorion's golden skyline shimmered like a mirage of power—untouchable, surreal, divine.
Phantom stood still, leaning slightly against the railing, the silver edge of his mask catching the lantern glow like a blade under moonlight.
Beside him, the thief was quiet. Her silhouette was calm, unmoving, but her golden-green eyes behind the fox mask were alive—watching, calculating.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then—
"Shall we start?"
The thief turned her head slightly, her golden-green eyes peering through her fox mask.
"Start what?"
Phantom smirked. "Unraveling the truth."
A pause. The tension in the air thickened.
"First," Phantom continued, shifting his gaze toward her. "Who you are."
The thief tilted her head.
"You are no ordinary thief."
"That's not a secret, that's a fact." The thief smirked confidently.
Phantom sighed."The secret is that you are not an independent thief, you are— "
A pause.
"An important member of the fifth and unknown VVIP organization present at the auction."
No reaction.
But Phantom could sense it.
The subtle inhale. The pause in her pulse.
Good. She was listening.
"Second," he went on, voice calm but sharp. "Sentinel and your organization… they're connected. Deeply. And not as enemies, but as allies."
A faint flicker in her expression. Ah. There it is.
Phantom smirked. "Third…" He turned, meeting her gaze fully. "I know its name. I know where its headquarters is. And I know exactly how it ties into Sentinel."
The thief remained perfectly still, her posture unshaken. But Phantom could feel the slight shift in her breathing.
Phantom didn't blink. He slowly turned his head to the side—
—and looked straight at you.
The reader.
"But let's not spoil the twists all at once, shall we?"
A smirk tugged at his lips.
The thief's brows furrowed slightly beneath her mask. "Who are you talking to?"
Phantom just chuckled, waving it off. "Fourth thing." His voice turned serious again. "Why you're here tonight."
The thief crossed her arms. "Enlighten me."
Phantom tilted his head slightly. "Because of me."
Silence.
Phantom leaned closer, voice now intimate—like sharing a secret with the night.
"Because of my mission."
The thief finally reacted. Her eyes narrowed.
"Your mission?"
Phantom gave her a lazy nod. "The one given to me by Sentinel. The mission that forced our paths to cross."
Phantom let the moment stretch before delivering the final blow.
"Fifth." His voice carried the weight of certainty. "I know exactly what that mission is."
He turned, looking at her directly.
"Aspen Technology."
A sharp gust of wind blew past them.
The thief didn't move. Didn't blink.
But Phantom knew.
She wasn't just surprised.
She was shaken.
The wind swirled between them, carrying the weight of Phantom's words. Aspen Technology.
The thief, despite her reputation for composure, let out a small, amused breath.
"Hah…" She crossed her arms, her posture relaxed, yet her eyes remained sharp behind her fox mask. "You're more impressive than I expected."
She tilted her head slightly, studying him. "You know almost everything. So, what now? Are you here to get in my way?"
Phantom smirked. "That depends on what you say next."
A pause.
Then—
She smiled.
Not just politely—but like someone about to flip the board mid-game.
"Before that," she said, voice calm but cutting through the air like a blade, "I want to ask you something."
Phantom raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Go on."
"Where's the tracker?"
He blinked.
Gave a dumbfounded look.
Too dumbfounded.
"Tracker? What tracker?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about."
Phantom held the expression for a beat too long. Then, with a small sigh, he reached into his coat.
You never missed a move, did you?
He looked at the small tracker resting in his gloved palm.
The moonlight shimmered on its sleek surface, quiet and unassuming—just like the moment it first found its way into his coat pocket.
You never even looked at me directly when slipping it in… but I still caught you. That moment stuck in my head longer than it should have.
He stared at it for a beat longer than necessary.
Then, softly… almost like the wind carried his voice rather than his breath, he spoke.
"Because..."
His fingers gently closed around it.
His tone dipped—low, deliberate, intimate.
"This was the first gift you gave me."
He looked up, crimson eyes flickering beneath the mask—not teasing, not smug.
Sincere.
"How could I throw it away?"
...Damn it. Why did I say that out loud?
The thief's entire body paused—shoulders tightening, breath catching in her throat. She stepped back half a pace, not because she wanted to… but because something inside her jolted. Like her heartbeat had misfired.
No mask in the world could hide that.
She didn't respond at first. Her eyes locked on his, wide with a flicker of something unguarded—not fear, but vulnerability. A crack in her glasslike calm.
Got her. Not with strategy. Not with intel. But with the one thing no thief expects—sentiment.
She let out a scoff—but this time it wasn't sharp or snide.
It was quiet. Disarmed.
"You're ridiculous," she muttered, trying to summon her usual chill, but it didn't land the same.
Her voice was just slightly off rhythm. Her poise not fully recovered.
Phantom said nothing.
He didn't need to.
That silence hit harder than any comeback.
The thief exhaled through her nose, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear—an unnecessary gesture, more reflex than control.
"...Let's collaborate."
But Phantom could hear it.
The hesitation.
The way her words felt like a cover-up.Like she was trying to reset the mood—to pull herself back into the game.
But the board had already flipped.
Phantom exhaled, as if he had already expected this outcome. He reached into his coat pocket and adjusted his gloves.
"Before I give you an answer…" His crimson eyes flickered beneath his mask. "Let me also reveal one last secret."
The thief raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"You have a crush on me."
It's a gamble. But the reaction will tell me everything I need to know.
Silence.
The atmosphere shifted. The tension, once calculated and sharp, shattered in an instant.
"W-WHAT?!"
The thief stumbled half a step back, her composed demeanor cracking like glass.
"Y-YOU'RE JOKING."
Phantom casually adjusted his cuffs, completely unfazed."Nope. It's the truth."
The thief's golden-green eyes darted around, trying to piece together an argument. "I—That's—I don't—"
Phantom chuckled. "Caught you."
She clenched her fists. "Tch… you're insufferable."
Phantom, satisfied, elegantly lowered himself onto one knee.
The thief froze.
Her face beneath the mask turned a shade darker. "W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Phantom took her hand smoothly, elegantly, like a scene straight out of a classic romance novel.
"Even if it means killing people…" His voice was low, unwavering.
"Even if it means destroying this entire planet…"
His fingers gently brushed against her wrist.
"Even if it means becoming a villain the world despises…"
He pressed his lips softly against the back of her gloved hand.
"I will do it if it's for you."
The thief's breath hitched.
Phantom rose to his feet, looking her dead in the eyes. "I will get it done."
Then—without another word—he turned and walked away.
Leaving her standing there, heart pounding, completely and utterly stunned.
Phantom stepped out of the balcony, his footsteps light against the marble floor. The air inside the ballroom was warm, lively—filled with laughter, music, and chatter. Yet, for him, everything else blurred into static.
Because—
His eyes met another man's.
Across the grand hall, standing by the staircase, a lone figure watched him.
A man dressed in a tailored midnight-black suit, his hands casually resting in his pockets. His aura was unreadable—calm, calculated, dangerous.
But what caught Phantom's attention wasn't his outfit.
It was the hawk mask covering the upper half of his face.
A mask that symbolized precision. Ruthlessness. Vision.
The man didn't move.
Didn't speak.
He only smiled.
Glitch, finally freed himself from the ring and the moment he came out he felt the sudden change in atmosphere. The air felt heavier, the tension creeping in like a silent storm.
"...Oi." Glitch whispered. "Who is that?"
Phantom's lips barely parted.
His voice was a whisper.
"The real culprit."
The masked man's smile widened.
And then—
V…