NATHAN HAD EXTRACTED Devora from her training so abruptly that she was still reeling from the aftermath. Her training sessions had been rough the last couple of days and it had followed a pretty strict and regular routine. Most of her hours were spent in the gym, building up her stamina and muscles— or rather, lack thereof. As such, she never had too much time for herself. Hence, getting pulled out for a leisurely walk (although they were headed for Julius Cain's office) was a nice reprieve.

The two walked in silence. Other than their footsteps, no other sounds could be heard. The corridor was surprisingly empty. So far, they hadn't passed by a single other agent even though the building would always be rather hectic around lunch hour. It was almost as though every other person in the building was avoiding them but Devora knew that was too far a stretch to be true.

They weren't anyone special, after all.

"So," Devora started to say, sighing as she looked up at Nathan who was walking right beside her. "What does Julius Cain want with me this time?" When she noticed how Nathan winced a little at her question, she frowned. "It's not really for a mission, right?"

Nathan shook his head. As he did so, his hair moved with him, brown locks swaying.

"No."

Immediately, Devora let out a sigh of relief. Truthfully, she was nowhere ready to take on a mission. Not only was she ridiculously unfit, her leg had also yet to fully heal. She would only become a hindrance if she was called into battle. What Candice had said back in the gym to Dallas was very true. In a world with no morality, whoever lags behind gets left behind. She couldn't depend on others to risk their lives for her anymore.

"Then what is it?" Devora prompted.

Exhaling loudly, Nathan dug a hand through his hair. He pulled at the strands idly, seemingly not realizing his own actions but rather was doing it out of habit.

"He didn't tell me much about it," he stated.

"But that means that he did tell you something about it," countered Devora.

"Tch," Nathan made a clicking sound with his tongue once he realized that he was betrayed by his own words. Scratching his head, he said, "He mentioned that he wanted to discuss your life before this and what's to happen from here on. That's all he told me."

Her old life. Oh, how she missed it.

Devora craved to have a taste of normalcy again. It hadn't even been a month since she was ripped away from her perfectly-average lifestyle but she was starting to see it as the grass on the other side of the fence. The idea of returning home was as impossible as taking a bite out of the skies. Some part of her knew that dwelling too much on escaping would just be putting a foot into a nicely polished coffin.

There was no need to waste her time thinking about the impossible. Especially not when there were more pressing things to think about.

Once again, Devora found herself in front of the intimidating large doors that led to Julius Cain's office. She bit on her bottom lip, afraid of what would come from the encounter. Fearing was a task of the fools but it was also what keeps them alive. While Candice's headstrong bravery was admirable, she didn't think it was very wise.

After all, fear is a necessity for all that lives and breathes.

"Come in," a voice on the other side said via a tiny little inconspicuous intercom hidden on the wall behind a photo frame. At Julius Cain's command, Nathan laid his hands on the handles before pushing the door open.

Devora straightened her spine instantly. Although she knew that fear was an inevitable feeling, especially when dealing with someone as frightening and formidable as Julius Cain, there was no need for the latter to know that he held such power over her. As long as she could trick herself into pretending she was strong, that was one step forward in attaining true strength.

Trickery was, sometimes, a necessity.

When they entered through the large doors, Julius Cain was still seated on his desk, rummaging through multiple documents with a frown on his face. His eyebrows were scrunched up, fine lines appearing on his forehead as he rubbed at them. Upon hearing the sound of the doors opening, he looked up immediately. His sullen expression evaporated before Devora could examine it better and he was back to being the cold robot that ruled an empire of killers with an iron fist.

"Ah, Miss Evans!" Cain exclaimed, rising from his seat. He neatened the papers that he had been sifting through before they had entered and as a result diverted his attention, stacking them orderly on one side of the table before making his way over. "Nathaniel," he turned to the boy that walked at Devora's side, the look in his eyes accusing but still lit with humor. "You sure took your time."

"She was in the middle of training," Nathan explained, stepping forward. He then gestured to her bandaged leg. "Her wound reopened mid-way through and we had to bandage it up before coming over."

Cain's eyes darted over, taking a quick glance at Devora's ripped pant leg that was covered with white medical gauze. Nathan's explanation seemed enough to satiate Cain for he didn't question it any further. Instead, he gestured at the couches in the center of the room, placing himself elegantly in the armchair at the head of the table as well.

"Let's not aggravate your injury any further, then. Sit," he instructed, motioning at the couches around him. "It's going to be a long talk. Although I wish it could be a more pleasant topic, I rather not lie."

Devora turned to Nathan, waiting for him to offer a sign on whether or not to advance. Only when Nathan had nodded with a smile had she walked forward. She chose the seat adjacent to Julius Cain, settling on the loveseat on his right. Nathan, on the other hand, chose to sit in the armchair on Cain's left.

The conversation kick-started with a simple question from Julius Cain. It seemed more like a standard obligatory check-in than actual concern but it did make Devora a little more relaxed than before.

"Have you been adjusting well so far?" He asked, leaning back in his seat.

"Yes," she affirmed. "Nathan's been a good partner and teacher and there are others that are helping out as well. I won't be able to catch up to his standards anytime soon, of course, but I believe that I'll make it there within the next few months at this rate."

"That's quite a bold statement," Cain laughed. He nodded his head in Nathan's direction, all while maintaining eye contact with Devora. "You do realize that he is one of the top fighters in my organization, right? If you're feeling safe when around agents like Nathaniel and Miss Clair, then perhaps it's time to revoke their status as the reigning king and queen."

Devora wrinkled her nose. "Candice?"

"The one and only." The corners of Cain's lips twitched. "Pray that you'll never be on opposing sides. Miss Clair is ruthless in battle. Ever since she joined our ranks, I've never seen another agent as outstanding as she. I can only assume that her new apprentice, Miss Lane, will turn out just like her."

Devora's heart rate quickened. She recalled the way Candice threw the knife behind her previously in the gym, slicing the boy's ear without even having to look and aim. She was a deadly force to be reckoned with, there was no doubt.

"But," Cain's voice pulled her out of her train of thought, turning her attention back to him. "We're not here to gossip about the other agents. We're here to talk about you."

Immediately, the blood in Devora's veins went cold. She had momentarily forgotten about the purpose she was called to Julius Cain's office in the first place. Nathan had mentioned Cain wanted to talk about her life prior to getting recruited, prior to getting kidnapped. Her life as an average teenager seemed like a lifetime away. Perhaps it was.

"It's about your family, to be specific." Crossing his leg over the other, Cain tapped his index finger against his knee as he spoke. "To put it simply, for all they know, Devora Evans is now dead."

Thud.

If she had thought her blood was cold, it had turned frosty now. Julius Cain had dropped a bomb on her head without any proper warning and she wasn't sure how she should take the news. Her fingers were quaking, trembling as they found solace with each other. Threading her fingers together, she tightened her grip, bits of her shirt folding in between her flesh as her knuckles turned white.

Julius Cain continued to speak as though he hadn't noticed Devora's reaction. She was sure that he caught sight of her paling expression and shivering hands. However, he simply didn't comment on it and instead chose to further his explanation.

"Since you're now a dead person in the public's eye, you won't have to worry about your family members searching the world for you. This ensures their safety in case you make any enemies in the future that might target them so as to be used against you."

"Why?"

"Why?" Julius Cain echoed, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes." Looking up from her intertwined hands, she glared at him. A tear could be seen at the corner of her eye, threatening to drip down onto her cheek. However, she clenched her jaw and forced her breathing to even out, refusing to burst into tears until she was alone, at least. "Why?" She repeated her question. "Why would you do such a thing?"

Cain scoffed. "I've already explained it in the simplest terms, Miss Evans. It is for the safety of your family members. Think of it this way," Cain adjusted his posture before continuing to speak, "if they were to know that you're alive, any ordinary loving family will come chasing after you. It won't matter if you're in Asia, in Africa, or even if you're in Antarctica. As long as you still exist as a living breathing person, they'll search every inch of the planet for you. That being said, the chances that they actually do succeed will be substantial since you're still in the country. If they're to find you, what happens?"

"We reunite." She glared, lips quivering. "That's a good thing."

"No, it is not," Cain immediately countered. "If you reunite and you continue to meet or communicate, they'll be linked to you. One day, when you make enemies of your own, enemies that are powerful and resourceful enough to hunt them down, they'll be used against you. They'll threaten your family's lives, pursue them, and when you're groveling on the ground begging for them to spare the lives of the innocent..." Cain paused, turning his attention to Nathan. Light danced in Julius Cain's eyes though it was far from amusement. It was dark, much more so than the expressions she had seen him wear before. Devora was unable to discern its meaning but it seemed like he was trying to remind. "Then what will they do, Nathaniel?"

Nathan, who had been quiet the entire time, gritted his teeth. He sighed, turning to look at the other side.

"They'll kill them," he answered monotonously.

"Exactly." Cain nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Miss Evans, do you wish for your family to be caught up with your messy and rather deadly affairs? Sure, they'll grieve for their deceased daughter. It might take them months, years, or even forever to recover from it. However, remember that they'll at least be safe. The lesser they know, the better it is for them."

A part of Devora knew that what Julius Cain said made sense. It was a totally reasonable explanation, perhaps the only logical way for her to keep them out of the murky waters that she had dipped under. If they knew that she was alive and even if she had told them to leave her be, there was no doubt that her parents would try their best to follow her to the ends of the world.

However, no matter how fitting it was, it still wasn't fair. She had forgotten where she was— a place where impartiality was a thing straight out of fairy tales.

"What did you tell them?"

"You died on the night you were kidnapped," Cain answered. "Robbed by a thug and then silenced. Your body was set on fire and discarded in a forest nearby. A body had been left in your place to serve as a cover-up. For all the world outside of this building knows, Devora Evans is now six feet under and has been laid to rest."

"Is that how it is for everyone?" Licking her dry lips, Devora exhaled loudly. "Is everyone dead to their families's knowledge?"

"It is for most," Cain replied.

Devora saw red. "Then that means that someone doesn't have to give up their family."

When she looked across, she saw Nathan twitch in surprise. He attempted to hide it and make it seem as natural as possible but Devora had lived with him for a week. She had almost never left his side the entire time. As such, a lot of Nathan's usual habits became second nature to her.

She turned her attention to her partner instead, Julius Cain temporarily shoved to the back of her mind. She was fuming. Within minutes, her blood ran both hot and cold, boiling and freezing. All four seasons had rushed through her veins and she was now in the height of summer where the heat was unforgiving and forest fires raged without restraint.

Humorlessly laughing, Devora sneered in Nathan's direction. She finally understood why he still spoke to his family in his dreams. After all, he hadn't stopped in real life. He was the lucky one that could still keep in contact with them.

'What made him so special?' The thought made her seethe.

She had assumed that they were in it together. Just a few days ago, she thought that both of them suffered the same unfortunate circumstances and were two lonely souls finding their places in the world. She hadn't known back then, ever-trusting and naive as she was, that he knew fairly well how his family was doing and where they were. They weren't in it together. In this desert, Devora walked alone and there was no oasis like she previously thought.

"So there is someone that is allowed to bypass this rule after all," she spat out. His silence was all the answer she needed. He hadn't even thought to rebut.

Feeling betrayed, she clambered onto her feet. Without as much as a proper goodbye, she stormed out of Julius Cain's office, refusing to look back. The burn on her leg felt like nothing compared to the crippling grip on her heart. She couldn't even breathe properly.

Her new world was filled with monsters. None of them could be trusted.

————

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