Meanwhile, in the quiet of her high-rise condo, Valencia steps into her spacious apartment, the automated lock door clicking softly behind her. She takes a slow breath, letting the weight of the night settle onto her as she moves through the dimly lit space. The soft voice of the city is muffled, and the stillness of the room feels almost foreign after the chaos of the evening. The clock ticks rhythmically in the background while she walks to the closet with ease, undoes her coat, and loosens the collar of her shirt. The familiar smells of Christmas potpourri and cinnamon drift through the air, a comforting scent of old memories.
After a quick shower, Valencia moves to her bedroom and slips into comfortable clothes. With a tired sigh, she slumps into bed, the cool sheets of welcoming relief. With a quiet exhale, she closes her eyes, finally allowing herself to relax.
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The next morning, the noisy ring of Valencia’s phone pulls her from the slumber. It’s an unscheduled call from Yei.
“...Hello?” Valencia answers the phone in a raspy voice from sleep.
image [https://imgur.com/a/e1biEE7 ]
“You’re awake, great. Today’s commission is quite unusual,” Yei says in a professional tone. “I’ll need you in the office to discuss the strategies by 9 a.m. No vehicle transportation.”
Valencia doesn’t need to ask why. The cryptic tone suggests discretion, and her mind immediately begins to focus. There’s no question in that implication that she will have to change the means of travel, another ability of hers that she’s long kept to herself.
“Understood. I’ll be there,” she replies, handing up before any further exchange.
She turns toward the digital clock on her bedside table, at 8:10 a.m. With a quiet exhale, she pushes herself up from the bed and moves through her morning routine. The plan is simple, as it always is. By 20 minutes before the appointment, she’s dressed and sipping a hot cup of coffee. She still has a few minutes to spare, so she settles in front of the news, her attention half-distracted as the news reporters discuss the rising influence of a research corporation. Her brow furrows slightly at the mention, but she quickly dismisses it, focusing instead on the final preparation.
As the news fades into the background, she takes her last sip then sets the cup aside, and rises from the dining table to leave. She checks that everything in the apartment is in order: all windows and doors are securely shut. She pauses for a moment before retracing her steps back to her bedroom, handbag in hand, ready to leave. The house key remains untouched on the counter--she doesn’t need it.
With a flick of her hand, she vanishes.
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In the blink of an eye, the world around Valencia shifts, and she finds herself standing in a plain, unremarkable office room. Nothing out of the ordinary – just a standard working desk, some chairs, and the soft fluorescent light overhead.
Yei, on the other hand, stands at the far end of the unfamiliar room, expecting Valencia to appear at that exact spot. The two of them seem to be around the same age. Her light brown hair is streaked with blonde contrasts and the intricate lotus tattoo covers her chest. The design, detailed and flowing, seems almost alive. On her left cheek, a faint Chinese character “24” tattooed on her skin caught on attention of anyone looking at her.
“Right on time,” Yei says, her voice cool but with a slight appreciation. “Let’s head to the meeting room.”
Valencia gives a small nod as she follows Yei through the long corridors.
The Lotus group consists of only a few individuals, with Valencia among the main ones who go out into the field to handle their peculiar commissions. Over the years, Yei has steadily built a reputation as a private investigator specialising in unusual crimes and cases. Through her efforts, she has managed to gather commission for the group. The tasks often involve removing abnormalities in people’s lives or environments—spirits, mysterious creatures, or objects tainted with unnatural energy. On rare occasions, it may even extend to possession in humans, a usually challenging and delicate task that requires thorough strategy.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Judging by Yei’s urgency, this mission seems likely to fall into that rare category. Nevertheless, this isn’t Valencia’s first time having an unusual mission like this, and she is prepared for whatever comes next.
The meeting room is just as featureless as the office room; however, it resembles a small investigation space, with walls lined with shelves stacked with documents, maps, and a mix of photographs pinned to the corkboard. A faint scent of old paper and coffee lingers in the air. It’s the kind of place that speaks of constant analysis and quiet contemplation, the kind of environment that welcomes urgency and strategy.
Yei walks to the far end of the room and turns on a projector. The light dims, and a clear image of a middle-aged man and a company title appears.
“The client is affiliated with Aether Research Corporation.” Yep begins, her tone lower and serious. “You’ve probably heard of them– “
“Nope,” Valencia cuts her off flatly, arms crossed, leaning against the table.
Yei glares at her and smacks the top of Valencia’s head with the remote projector without hesitation. “I’m explaining, and you’ll listen quietly,” she snaps, rolling her eyes as Valencia rubs her head with an apologetic smile and gestures for Yei to continue.
Yei exhales sharply before clicking to the next slide. Aether Research Corporation is well-known for running prestigious training programs and funding scholarships for so-called ‘gifted individuals.’ They partner with all the top-ranking universities around the world to support research projects and internships, and they develop advanced medical treatments for rare diseases as well.
“Their glowing reputation isn’t as pristine as it seems,” Valencia comments.
Yei pauses mid-sentence, she considers responding, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she exhales and clicks to the next slide, choosing to let the comment linger unchallenged or supported.
Yei continues to describe the client’s position, he is a head of research at the corporation, a man of high status who has requested to remain anonymous. He is referred to only as Mr. R, and he had confided in Yei an unpleasant issue: he had been feeling strangely drained as if something were extracting away his energy. During the day, he felt fine, but at night, a different hunger overcame him—an insatiable craving for fresh, uncooked meat.
It wasn’t long before Mr. R’s nightly consumption of red meat became more desperate. He tried to stop, concerned for his health, but the cravings didn’t subside. Eventually, he woke up one morning to a disturbing discovery of a dead cat, half-devoured, torn apart as if something had feasted on it in the night.
Valencia, sitting quietly, begins to deduct the possible source of this mystery as Yei’s words fill the room. When the story reaches its darkest part, Valencia, who has a neutral expression on her, calmly raises her hand, stopping Yei mid-sentence.
“That’s enough for now.”
Understanding, Yei nods and clicks to the next slide, revealing a detailed plan of action and things to take precautions.
“Mr R lives alone, which is fortunate, as there won’t be any unexpected witnesses during your mission. However–”. Yei continues looking serious. “This case involves the client himself. Unlike other commissions, like the last one, there’s no outsider to witness what happened. This means you need to be extra careful in solving the problem without revealing your visible abilities to him.”
Valencia falls back against the chair, her gaze fixed on the projector screen, she recalls the news from this morning about the rising influence of an unnamed research group. She finds some distance correlations in the stories, but not in a way she likes.
Then, Valencia’s eyes gleam with a sudden idea. She straightens up and turns to Yei, her tone shifting to one of quiet determination.
“I need you to get something for me, you know, the D-code,” Valencia says with a hint of inappropriate excitement.
Yei knows exactly what she meant. “Asking someone who works in the line of the justice system to get illegal goods? Really?”
“But we’re not official anyway, are we?” Valencia smirks. “Come on, this isn’t our first time doing this.”
“Don’t even get me started on how you almost got caught using ‘that’ for other past commissions’...” Yei sighs and gives in if it’s something that would help keep Valencia's ability hidden, “Fine. And I wish it went well this time. We both know the risks.”
Valencia gives a small nod and signature smile, “It will be fine.”
“Lastly, the client expects you at his residence tomorrow night at 8. I trust you’ll handle this with precision, as always.” Yei clicks off the projector, saying her final words.
After finalising the plan, Valencia stands up, ready to leave. She pauses for a moment and glances back at Yei with a slightly soft expression. Her voice fills with a rare warmth as she addresses her best friend and work partner.
“…And as always, if you need any help with your normal investigation, I’ll always be happy to help you, Yei.”
Yei sighs, brushing off the offer with a dismissive hand wave. “I can handle my job, Valencia.”
Valencia gives Yei one last glance before she leaves in the same way she came. Yei watches her go, her mind elsewhere. She stands there for a long moment and stares into the space Valencia had occupied, connecting something lost in the past. She says quietly to herself, is she still feeling guilty about that incident?