The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the curtains of the hotel rooms, illuminating the quiet streets of Clareo's industrial district. Inside the team's temporary base, the sounds of muffled groans and dragging footsteps hinted at the aftermath of a late-night operation.

Reyes stretched in his room, his sniper rifle propped up neatly by the window. His messy bedhead resisted all attempts at taming, but after a quick splash of water and a resigned sigh, he decided to embrace the chaos.

"Breakfast better be worth this early start," he muttered to himself as he slipped on his disguise accessory.

Moments later, the team regrouped in the hallway.

Their disguises were back on, subtly altering their appearances to blend with the crowd. Despite their well-dressed exteriors, the telltale signs of grogginess were hard to miss—drooping eyelids, suppressed yawns, and bedheads that were somehow immune to brushing.

Bo scratched the back of his head, his voice carrying the weight of someone who hadn't quite woken up yet. "Why do hotel breakfasts have to be so early?"

Riggs chuckled, looking equally disheveled. "It's called breakfast for a reason, Bo. You're supposed to eat it before the day starts, not after lunch."

Fon, dragging his feet slightly, mumbled something incoherent about breakfast being overrated but trudged along nonetheless.

As the elevator doors opened to the lobby, the team filed out, immediately drawing attention from the surrounding hotel guests and staff. It was as if an aura of radiance surrounded them, making their presence impossible to ignore.

Whispers began to ripple through the crowd.

"Are they… celebrities?"

"They're so… dazzling."

"Why is it so bright in here all of a sudden?"

Ember, always carrying himself with a mix of confidence and composure, adjusted his cuff links with deliberate precision. He didn't seek attention, but his every movement seemed to amplify the whispers, as though he were commanding a spotlight that didn't exist.

Bo noticed the growing stares and smirked. "You'd think people had never seen a group of sleep-deprived individuals before."

Val's tone was dry as he responded. "It's the disguises. They're a little too good at making us stand out."

Riggs snorted. "Leave it to Doc to make our 'low-profile' appearance look like something out of a fashion magazine."

As they moved toward the dining area, a man carrying a tray of coffee and pastries stepped into their path, entirely unaware of their approach. Without looking up, he bumped squarely into Ember, spilling a bit of coffee onto his own sleeve.

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The room seemed to hold its collective breath.

Ember turned his head slowly, raising a single eyebrow as he regarded the man with a piercing gaze.

The man froze in place, his tray wobbling dangerously. Internally, his mind was a storm of panic. 'Why is it so bright? Who even are these people? Why does it feel like I'm being judged by royalty?'

Exeo, standing just behind Ember, leaned in and murmured low enough for only Ember to hear. "Apologize. We don't need to cause a scene."

Ember gave a small sigh, his voice calm but laced with reluctant politeness. "My apologies. Are you alright?"

The man blinked rapidly, his internal monologue now screaming, 'Even his apology is blindingly perfect!' Out loud, he managed a shaky, "Y-Yes, no harm done. Thank you!"

As the man scurried away, Bo nudged Riggs with a grin. "Did you see that? The poor guy looked like he just stared into the sun."

Val laughed. "It's always Ember. He doesn't even try."

"Some people are just born with it," Ember replied smoothly, his tone carrying a faint edge of amusement.

When they finally reached their table, the group settled in with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

Fon plopped down heavily into his seat, his youthful energy seemingly drained by the early morning. Despite his taller stature, his slumped posture and messy hair gave him the distinct look of a half-asleep kid.

Bo nudged him gently. "You're going to fall into your plate if you're not careful."

Fon muttered something inaudible, his eyes half-closed as he absently speared a piece of fruit with his fork.

Riggs leaned over, grinning mischievously. "Hey, if you're not going to eat that, I'll take it."

Fon's eyes snapped open just enough to glare at Riggs before he muttered, "Touch it, and you're losing a hand."

The table erupted in quiet laughter as Fon resumed his slow, deliberate eating. Every so often, his head would nod forward slightly, only for Bo or Riggs to nudge him awake before he could face-plant into his food.

Reyes, seated beside them, chuckled as he watched the exchange. "Is he always like this in the morning?"

"Worse," Bo replied with a smirk. "This is Fon on a good day."

Across the table, Exeo sipped his coffee with the calm demeanor of someone entirely unfazed by the chaos.

Val, sitting beside him, observed the team with faint amusement, his voice cutting through the banter. "Focus on eating. We don't have all morning."

Riggs gestured dramatically at Fon. "Tell that to our sleeping beauty here."

Fon shot him a halfhearted glare before returning to his food, clearly too tired to come up with a retort.

Ember, who had been quietly enjoying his meal, finally spoke, his tone carrying a faint edge of mock seriousness. "If you're all done acting like children, perhaps we can finish breakfast without further incident."

Bo raised an eyebrow. "Says the guy who caused a man to spill coffee just by existing."

The table burst into laughter again, even Val cracking a faint smile as Ember rolled his eyes.

As the team finished their meal and prepared to leave, the whispers from the other hotel guests hadn't subsided. If anything, they seemed to grow louder, the aura of intrigue following Team Unknown like an invisible spotlight.

"Seriously, who are they?"

"They look like they stepped out of a movie."

"Is it just me, or do they seem… unreal?"

Riggs smirked as he caught some of the murmurs. "Well, at least we're making an impression."

Exeo's tone was dry but firm as he stood. "Enough. Let's get moving."

The team filed out of the dining area, their camaraderie and subtle humor carrying them forward into whatever challenges awaited them next.

Behind them, the hotel guests continued to speculate, their imaginations running wild about the mysterious, dazzling group that had brightened their morning.