As Seyfe finally pushed open the heavy door to Aki's office, he was still catching his breath from the long, punishing climb. Forty flights of stairs—forty—just to reach the Overseer Handler's office. His legs felt like they were ready to give out, and his heart still hammered against his ribs.
He shot a glare at the hallway behind him, muttering under his breath, "All the taxes... and yet not a damn working elevator?"
The office itself was almost absurdly plain considering the climb it demanded. White walls, a large steel desk, neatly stacked papers, and a single large window that overlooked the crumbling expanse of the dead cities beyond the perimeter. Aki sat calmly behind the desk, her face as unreadable as ever, flipping through what looked like another cadet's report without even glancing up.
Without being told, Seyfe walked in, placed his thickly stacked report on the small table near the front, and straightened up, still feeling the burning in his calves.
Aki finally looked at him, her cool gaze assessing.
"You look half-dead," she said flatly.
Seyfe rolled his shoulders, forcing down the grimace.
"Maybe install a working elevator next time?" he said dryly.
Aki simply gave the faintest tilt of her head, as if considering the idea... before promptly ignoring it.
"Your timing's decent. Sit. You're not done yet."
Seyfe sighed inwardly. Of course he wasn't.
"I'm about to task you with another mission," Aki said as she slid an article across the desk toward him.
Seyfe picked it up, glancing over the paper. His eyes caught a name he didn't recognize, and he raised a brow.
"This time, I want you to act as a field observer for a particular man," she continued, her voice even, "and you'll be paired with another cadet."
Seyfe let out a dry chuckle, folding the article once and slipping it into his pocket.
"All these missions just to make sure I don't graduate, huh?"
Aki gave a slight shake of her head, almost like a teacher humoring a slow student.
"All cadets will graduate after six months," she replied coolly. "No need to worry. Until then, you'll continue to be assigned missions like this."
Seyfe leaned back slightly, staring at her for a moment before shrugging.
"Figures," he muttered.
"Right, this time you'll be paired with Ferez — the same guy you were with during the first task," Aki said, tapping a finger on the desk.
"Who?" Seyfe asked blankly.
Aki gave him a long stare.
Right... Seyfe hadn't even bothered learning most of his own squadron's names aside from the three monsters that stood out.
"Get familiar fast," she added. "You'll be relying on each other out there."
So I'm supposed to meet this guy?" Seyfe asked, crossing his arms.
"Later, yes," Aki replied, unfazed. "As for your special person, it's going to be Mr. Henzel — the man running for mayor in one of the street sectors."
"You do know I don't blend well with politics, right?" Seyfe said, half-expecting her to reconsider.
Aki simply smirked, handing him a small dossier.
"Good thing you're not there to talk politics. Just observe."
Right...
As Seyfe was dismissed, he made his way down to the cafeteria to grab a late snack. The place was quiet, the buzz of exhausted cadets filling the air. While scanning the room, he noticed one cadet sitting alone at one of the corner tables, staring intently at a small photo in his hand.
The guy had striking red hair and sharp brown eyes, his features clean and composed — admittedly better-looking than most. Even better than Seyfe himself, who, frankly, never had the luxury of worrying about appearances after the life he lived.
Seyfe squinted slightly.
"That's gotta be Ferez, right?" he muttered under his breath, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Seyfe grabbed a plate with a small slice of chocolate cake and made his way over, casually approaching the cadet.
"Mind if I sit here?" Seyfe asked, voice steady. "Looks like I'll be spending some time with you for a mission."
The cadet glanced up, and sure enough, the name tag on his uniform read Ferez.
"Umm, yeah, sure. This table's welcoming," Ferez replied with an easy smile.
As Seyfe pulled out a chair and sat down, Ferez added, "I heard from Ms. Aki that we'd be partners for a mission starting this week."
Seyfe simply nodded, taking a bite of his cake.
"Glad it's the grumpy guy I know of," Ferez chuckled, teasing lightly.
Seyfe just let out a soft grunt, more amused than annoyed.
"At least I have my hormones in check," Seyfe rebutted dryly.
"Oh, let's not go there," Ferez sighed, slumping slightly in his seat.
There was a short pause as they both nibbled on their snacks before Ferez leaned in a little, lowering his voice like he was about to share a secret.
"By the way, since we're observing a politician, do you think we might get paid extra?" he asked, a hopeful glint in his eye.
"Are you a greedy bastard now?" Seyfe said, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh no, not really," Ferez chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "But since it's a high-profile mission, maybe we'll get some consolation awards, right?"
"Well," Seyfe said, picking at his cake, "pray at least. Miracles happen."
Ferez leaned back on his chair, arms crossed loosely as he smirked.
"Maybe if we do good, they'll even shave off a little from our debt."
Seyfe snorted, shaking his head.
"You're dreaming. The only thing they'll shave is more years off our lives."
"Hey, positive thinking, man," Ferez laughed. "We might even get a promotion if we survive playing babysitter for a politician."
"Promotion to what?" Seyfe muttered. "Professional punching bags?"
Ferez only laughed harder, nearly tipping his chair back.
"Man, you really know how to kill the mood. But honestly... if this Henzel guy really becomes mayor, maybe he'll remember the two lowly cadets who made sure he didn't get shot."
Seyfe gave a half-smirk, finishing the last bite of his cake.
"If he remembers us, it'll probably be for mopping up his blood if things go south."
Ferez shook his head, still smiling.
"Well, whether we're remembered as heroes or janitors, guess we're stuck together for this one. Let's not die stupidly, yeah?"
"Fine by me," Seyfe said, standing up and stretching. "Just don't slow me down, pretty boy."
"Pretty and fast, you'll see," Ferez grinned, standing as well. "See you at the briefing later, partner."
Seyfe just gave a small nod before walking off, hands in his pockets, already mentally preparing himself for another round of headaches.
Babysitting a politician. Just my damn luck.
And who said Seyfe is willing to get shot?
Later that day, Seyfe and Ferez found themselves standing in front of the a reinforced door leading to the lower briefing room—a small concrete bunker hidden under the training field. It was quieter than usual, the thick walls muffling even the distant sounds from practice drills.
The door buzzed open, revealing Aki seated at a long table with several folders laid neatly before her. She wore her usual stoic expression, a tablet in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other.
"You're late," she said flatly, not even looking up.
"We're on time," Ferez protested, checking his watch. "It's still five minutes before the scheduled briefing."
Aki finally glanced at them, her eyes sharp as knives.
"Five minutes early is ten minutes late in my books. Sit down."
The two quickly took seats at the table. Aki set her tablet down and slid two folders toward them.
"Your target is named Gerral Henzel. He's a politician aiming to secure a foothold in the Eastern Reconstruction Zone. Officially, your mission is field observation—make sure no threats reach him during his campaign speech two days from now."
"Unofficially?" Seyfe asked, arms crossed.
"Unofficially," Aki said, leaning back slightly, "if you spot anyone suspicious, you're permitted to neutralize before they cause an incident. Quietly. No public displays, no panic."
Ferez opened his folder, scanning the document inside.
"Security detail, public appearance schedule, potential threats list... damn, this guy's stepping into a hornet's nest."
"Which is why you're both going," Aki said simply. "One stays close to Henzel, posing as part of his hired bodyguard. The other blends into the crowd, observing from a distance."
She gave them both a pointed look.
"Decide your roles before deployment. I don't want arguments on the ground."
Seyfe and Ferez exchanged glances. Seyfe shrugged.
"I'll take the crowd."
Ferez grinned.
"Guess I'm stuck looking pretty next to the politician, huh?"
"You fit the type," Seyfe muttered.
Aki continued, her tone sharper.
"Remember—this mission isn't just about Henzel. There's something moving in the dead cities again. Intelligence suggests a faction is targeting upcoming political figures. If things go wrong, extraction is priority one."
Seyfe narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Faction?"
"You'll get the details if it becomes relevant. For now—memorize your routes, schedules, and cover identities. You move out tomorrow morning."
Aki stood, gathering the folders and tablet.
"Dismissed."
As Seyfe and Ferez stood and made their way out, Ferez leaned in closer, whispering with a mischievous smile:
"Bet you miss writing reports now, huh?"
Seyfe didn't respond, but the twitch in his jaw said enough.