Zephany shut the door behind her, the soft click echoing through the empty space. The bedroom was bare, with nothing but the essentials — a bed, a small table, and her laptop. No personal touches. No framed photos. Just another temporary stop.
She sighed, dragging her fingers through her hair before dropping onto the bed. The springs creaked beneath her. Her laptop blinked to life, the login screen of The Archive glowing in the dim room. For a moment, she hesitated.
The familiar logo, featuring a black ace inside an open book, brought no comfort. The ache of failure clung to her like a shadow.
But across the apartment, Kendrick was facing the same burden.
He sat at his own desk, the hum of the desk lamp barely cutting through the silence. His hands hovered over the keyboard. The tension in his shoulders refused to ease. Even after hours of trying to distract himself, the mission's failure played on a loop in his mind.
Alliance: Partnered with Eclipse – Team Bacon.
