I received a call from Chris, and as I contemplated whether to answer it or dismiss it, the room suddenly hushed, and everyone's eyes fixated on me as if I were the star of a bizarre reality show called "To Answer or Not to Answer: The Breakfast Dilemma."

I kept swiping that call away, hoping Chris would take the hint. But no, Chris was on a mission, and his ringtone was the battle horn of determination. My frantic dismissals were met with confused stares from my family members, and I could feel my credibility as a phone mastermind slipping away.

But the drama escalated at the third ring when my aunt, with her eyebrows reaching for the ceiling, leaned in and said, "I think you should pick it up, Aadaya." She was looking at me like I was deciding the fate of the free world. Feeling like I'd been cornered into a life-altering decision, I let out a nonchalant hum and said, "Oh, it's just Chrissy..."

Aunt May rolled her eyes so dramatically that I thought they were doing somersaults. She'd been through this before, trying to teach Chris the delicate art of subtlety.

Uncle Ethan, our resident zen master, took a sip of his coffee and said, "Well then, no need to pick it up," with the composure of someone who had transcended the need for phone calls. The table erupted in laughter, and I swear I saw a pancake do a somersault.

Just when I thought the chaos had peaked, Alpha, our family philosopher, chimed in with, "If it's something important regarding the company, you should answer it. It's essential to balance your time between work and home," launching into a profound discourse about the cosmic significance of answering phones. I half-expected him to segue into the meaning of life, but thankfully, the bacon distracted him. It was as if I were having breakfast with Socrates on a caffeine high.

In the end, I picked up the call, but I couldn't help but wonder if Chris had orchestrated this entire circus as an elaborate prank to remind us all that breakfast is never just breakfast in our family.

With Uncle Ethan's stealthy exit and the impending Alpha lecture looming, I felt like I was stuck in a sitcom where the characters keep finding ways to escape awkward conversations. He gave me a sly wink before leaving the kitchen with James, and I couldn't help feeling a bit ditched and betrayed.

As I braced myself for the impending lecture, I secretly prayed for divine intervention in the form of Chris's phone call. I mean, seriously, this was the one time I wanted him to interrupt me with his business updates.

But Chris, ever the master of timing, was nowhere to be found. My phone remained disappointingly silent. I was tempted to do a rain dance or offer my phone a motivational speech, but I refrained.

Just when I was about to surrender to the lecture's fate, my phone buzzed with Chris's name flashing on the screen. I practically leapt out of my chair, my enthusiasm skyrocketing. I made a hasty exit from the kitchen, heading to the back door and stepping onto the porch.

My aunt, who had been enjoying the spectacle from the kitchen, shared a conspiratorial smile with Luna as they giggled at Alpha's bewildered expression. It was like witnessing a live comedy act.

I answered the call, and Chris, in his best nagging parent voice, scolded, "I called five times." I swear I could almost hear him tapping his foot impatiently.

Ignoring his complaint, I urgently asked, "What is it? Tell me the status...

Chris let out an exaggerated sigh as if he were narrating a melodramatic play. He began, "Found an old hut around the mountains of Euthania. People in the nearby village remembered seeing him regularly. The hut is a few miles away from the village, and he only visited the supermarket once every other month. It seems like a decent hideout, but the locals remember him because of his foreign looks. He's been hiding there since the last time."

I could feel the suspense building up, like in a comedy movie right before the punchline. My heart raced as I thought about facing him and the possible confrontations that might follow. My lips trembled with anticipation as I told Chris, "Be there in five..."

And just like that, my breakfast had turned into a comedy of errors, with me on a mission to solve a mystery of me...

*************************************

Five shadowy figures concealed themselves among the dense underbrush, their camouflage outfits rendering them nearly invisible against the backdrop of the encroaching night. They formed a covert circle around a small, nondescript hut, swallowed by the ominous darkness. The sun, in its final descent on this forsaken horizon, cast a sinister, blood-orange pallor upon the forest floor, blanketed with decaying leaves. It was an eerie autumn scene, with skeletal trees, their leaves scant, seemingly ablaze in the fading light.

A buzzing drone, a harbinger of unseen eyes, executed a meticulous reconnaissance pattern above the hut, its pilot hidden behind withered foliage. An unsettling silence hung heavy, broken only by the ceaseless cawing of crows that circled ominously overhead. Their raucous calls were a discordant reminder of life amidst desolation.

The drone's operator, a pale, almost ghostly figure with undeniably human features, manipulated the drone with the deftness of a maestro. His unblinking eyes remained glued to the screen, methodically scouring the vicinity of the hut. As he scrutinized the surroundings, he muttered to himself, his earpiece serving as a vital link in this high-stakes operation. "All clear, Heiress Venturi. No external life forms detected," he reported, concluding his surveillance.

Saddie and Aadaya exchanged a knowing, taciturn glance, their handguns in a death grip. Aadaya performed a meticulous inspection of her ammunition while Saddie attached her silencer, their readiness for the grim mission palpable. Their shoulders tensed in anticipation of the impending horrors that lay ahead. Commending her team's prowess, Saddie issued commands with a steely resolve, her voice slicing through the heavy silence. Saddie spoke into her earpiece, "Well done, Lewis. Mark the rear door. Lewis, take the southern window, and Collin, the northern window. We're breaching the structure." She concluded her orders, her breath suspended for a fleeting moment before she embarked on the mission.

With the uncanny swiftness of vampires, Saddie darted forward, Aadaya trailing closely behind. Aadaya positioned herself at the vanguard, poised to breach the entrance to the hut. Saddie forcefully flung open the door, the explosive sound reverberating through the desolation, and Aadaya stood at the ready, her finger twitching on the trigger. Their silent, ghostly advance left no trace as they crossed the threshold into the living room. Dust and shattered cobwebs bore testament to their intrusion, yet their unwavering concentration endured.

As they inched closer to the arched entryway that led deeper into the hut, a sudden, horrifying disruption shattered their careful composure. Both operatives sprang into action, their weapons aimed with deadly precision, as a lifeless body tumbled heavily from their left, near the entrance to the next room. The door hit the adjacent wall with a forceful thud. Aadaya used her boot to cautiously roll the motionless figure onto its back, revealing a bald, unfamiliar man. His shirt bore a grotesque, crimson stain, and a gruesome, oozing wound. The grim discovery sent shockwaves through their hardened frames, casting a sinister pallor over their mission.

Saddie glanced at the window, giving her team a quick thumbs-up as she and Aadaya pivoted toward a different door, separate from the one leading to the back of the hut. With bated breath, Aadaya tested the doorknob, confirming that it was locked. Their hearts raced, but their exterior remained deceptively composed. They readied themselves for the impending entry.

Saddie took a deep breath and locked eyes with Aadaya, offering a subtle nod of assurance. Aadaya mirrored the nod, and they exchanged a silent count: "1, 2, 3." At the final count, Saddie hurled her body against the door with explosive force, causing it to crash open.

Both women stormed into the sparsely furnished bedroom, their guns at the ready. The room contained scant furniture, with a lone bed pushed against one wall. Their shoulders sagged slightly upon finding no immediate threats, but their readiness remained intact. Aadaya made her way to the window and signalled Lewis with a thumbs-up, silently instructing him to advance.

Meanwhile, Saddie ventured into the open kitchen structure within the lobby of the hut, her keen eyes focusing on the body sprawled before her. She crouched down, scrutinizing the lifeless form. Placing a finger to her earpiece, she relayed instructions to her team. "Guys, the area's clear. You can come in," she directed them.

Aadaya, standing behind Saddie, commented, "This hut looks like it's been abandoned for years." Her voice held a note of confusion, given the apparent lack of recent activity.

Saddie examined the body's hands, then looked up at Aadaya. "The man appears to be human, possibly a local.," she remarked, sharing her initial assessment with Aadaya.

The three men filed into the hut, one after the other, their eyes scanning the surroundings. Saddie took charge upon their entry, issuing orders as they donned their gloves. "Let's conduct a thorough sweep, guys. Get those gloves on," she commanded, and each of them complied, ready to investigate further.

Aadaya stood near the lifeless body when Chris's voice broke through the silence, streaming into the earpieces worn by both Aadaya and Saddie. Chris was stationed behind his computer screen, observing the mission through the feed from the five body cameras. He reported, "Guys, this is the local who provided the information. He claimed to have seen Viscious." Chris's voice held a tinge of surprise as his fingers flew across the keyboard, urgently retrieving information. "His name is Callus Omen, the supermarket manager. He lives alone in the village. We have records of a few petty robberies attributed to him, though nothing recent," Chris added, sharing the newfound details.

Saddie nodded, piecing together the situation. "He likely knew no one lived here and anticipated that we'd come looking for our target. So, he decided to sweep the place for valuables before we secured the area," she mused, her expression reflecting her disappointment at coming up empty-handed. Both women were fatigued from the long flight and the tension that had pervaded the mission, only to find themselves without a breakthrough.

One of the team members, the one in charge of the drone, ventured closer to them. He held a screen and, with a hint of trepidation due to the intense scrutiny, called out, "Heiress Venturi..." Both Saddie and Aadaya turned their full attention to him, causing the operative to gulp nervously. Nevertheless, he forged ahead, "I've noticed something peculiar about this hut." The confusion etched on their faces prompted him to continue, "The geometry of this hut is wrong. It should occupy about three-fourths of the yard, but it doesn't in the living room." He completed his revelation in a single breath.

Aadaya prodded for more information, her intense gaze making him increasingly uneasy. "What do you mean?" she inquired.

Feeling the weight of their attention, and with no way to back down from the revelation, the operative pressed on, "The living room is missing space that should be there. I suggest...a hidden room within this hut."

Saddie and Aadaya exchanged glances, their minds racing to comprehend the implications. Saddie articulated the emerging idea, "So, you're saying there might be a concealed room in this hut?"

Just then, Collins, one of the team members, entered the scene, drawing their attention with a call. A faint, grinding noise resonated within the hut, as though stones were rubbing together and something was shifting. The source of the sound seemed to be the wall next to the kitchen counter, where Collins stood. Intrigued, Saddie and Aadaya approached, standing before the concealed door, which had now revealed itself.

An eerie, yellow light emanated from the hidden room, bathing the small space in an otherworldly glow. It contrasted starkly with the rest of the dim and dingy hut. The room's defining feature was a wall covered from floor to ceiling with books, with a table placed in the centre. Behind the table stood a large chair, and in the corner adjacent to the door was a love seat. The room seemed to have no other entrances or exits, save for the hidden door itself. An old-fashioned lamp on the table cast the sole source of light, casting the rest of the room into shadow. Collins stood transfixed, his gaze locked on the wall opposite the bookshelves, his eyes wide with astonishment. Without turning, he called out, "Heiress Venturi... Alpha Ramose, you might want to see this."

...to be continued

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