SICARII

As Luna, Zak, and the rescued woman exited the castle, the cool night air hit them, a welcome contrast to the chaos they'd just left behind. They moved swiftly through the forest, keeping their pace quick and silent until they reached the extraction point where a waiting vehicle stood ready to whisk them away. They helped the woman inside, then stepped back to face each other.

Zak turned to Luna with a grin, leaning against a tree. "Well, I have to admit, you were pretty impressive back there," he said, crossing his arms. "Nice meeting you, Luna. Maybe we'll cross paths again sometime."

Luna chuckled, brushing some dust off her clothes. "Likewise, Zak. We do make a good team, don't we?" She paused, then added with a playful smirk, "Next time, try not to get yourself surrounded, huh?"

Zak laughed. "Fair point. But I wouldn't mind another round. Let's definitely catch up again if we get the chance." He gave her a mock salute as he turned to head back into the shadows, a grin still on his face.

Luna blinked as the room around her shifted back into the familiar metallic interior of the simulation chamber. The lush forest, the towering castle, even Zak—all of it faded, leaving her standing in the cool, artificial light of the control room. Otto was by the panel, the scientist from earlier still taking notes and occasionally glancing up at her with an impressed look.

Otto approached her with a broad smile. "That was very impressive, Luna. You did even better than I'd hoped. And I know you weren't even showing your full capabilities."

Luna stretched, still feeling the adrenaline from the mission. "Oh, don't start flattering me, Otto. I'll never hear the end of it!" she joked, though she couldn't help the slight smile creeping onto her face.

Otto chuckled, clearly pleased. "The assessment is complete, and you've more than proven yourself. From now on, you'll be on real missions. Lara will be your primary partner, but there may be a few others brought in depending on what the assignments require."

Luna nodded, trying to contain her excitement as her heart raced with anticipation. She'd waited so long for this moment.

"We have a mission scheduled for you in a couple of days," Otto continued, his tone turning more serious. "I'll brief you on the details later, but for now, go ahead and head back to your dorm. Lara will meet you there for a pre-briefing. Get ready, Luna. The agency is excited to see what you'll bring to our ranks."

Luna headed back to her room, exhaustion settling over her as she pushed open the door. She dropped her things, kicked off her boots, and collapsed onto the bed. The adrenaline from the simulation finally wore off, and within seconds, she was sound asleep.

A few hours later, a knock on the door jolted her awake. Groggy, she rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock. Luna dragged herself out of bed and peeked through the eyehole, spotting Lara standing outside. Opening the door, she barely got a greeting out before Lara strode into the room with a grin.

"You were impressive today," Lara said, settling into a chair and propping her feet on Luna's desk. "I watched the whole thing. I think we're going to make a strong team. Your style is precise and quick, and mine's a bit more… direct. We'll complement each other well."

Luna smirked, folding her arms. "That's good to know. Sounds like we'll be able to smash whatever missions they throw at us."

"Confident, huh?" Lara chuckled. "Well, I like it." She leaned back, crossing her arms behind her head. "So, I already got the lowdown on our next mission. We're heading out in two days, and this one's going to be a bit different. It's essentially a bodyguard mission."

"Bodyguard?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound too difficult."

"Yeah, you'd think so," Lara said. "But here's the situation: Nordia and Delria have been at each other's throats for years. This mission involves escorting two Nordian political reps through Delria for a peace summit. They're hoping to negotiate a truce, but not everyone is thrilled about that. Some powerful groups in Delria want nothing to do with peace and will do whatever it takes to sabotage this meeting."

Luna frowned, considering this. "So basically, we're walking through hostile territory with targets on our backs."

"Exactly. And though both sides have promised not to leak details about the summit, who knows what could happen. Delria's not exactly known for its trustworthy reputation. Anyone could try to take advantage of the situation."

Luna nodded, her mind already racing with thoughts on how they could pull off the mission. "Alright, sounds like it'll be a lot more interesting than I first thought."

"Good," Lara said, her eyes lighting up with anticipation. "You'll need to stay sharp. These representatives are pretty high-value, so we'll have to be on our game every step of the way. No second chances."

Luna grinned, feeling the familiar thrill of a challenge ahead. "Let's do it. I'm ready."

Lara clapped her on the shoulder. "That's the spirit. Get some rest while you can. We'll need to plan our route and cover all possible angles before we head out." She stood up, heading to the door. "It's gonna be a test of both skill and patience. But if today was any indication, we've got this."

As Lara left, Luna sat back on her bed, a surge of adrenaline already pushing back her fatigue. She could feel the weight of this mission settling on her shoulders but also a sense of excitement bubbling up. It wasn't going to be easy, but she had a feeling she was exactly where she needed to be.