Krista stood over the fallen Lieutenant, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. Sweat trickled down her brow, and her usually vibrant eyes seemed a shade dimmer. Ken approached cautiously, concern etched across his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

She gave a half-hearted shrug. "Just feeling a bit lightheaded," she admitted. "Using my Curse takes a lot out of me—especially when I'm jetting out Omen like it's going out of style."

Ken opened his mouth to respond, but the distant sound of approaching footsteps froze the words in his throat. Panic flashed in his eyes. "What do we do?" he hissed, his gaze darting around for an escape route.

Krista, however, remained unruffled. She tilted her head, a sly smile creeping onto her lips. "Relax," she said smoothly. "I've got a plan."

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Moments later, a squad of Peacekeepers stormed into the clearing, their heavy boots pounding against the cracked pavement. They halted abruptly, surprised to see their Lieutenant standing tall amidst the rubble. At his feet knelt a young man with disheveled black hair, his hands bound tightly behind his back with metallic cuffs.

One of the Peacekeepers stepped forward, saluting sharply. "Sir! We heard sounds of a battle. Are you all right?"

The disguised Lieutenant—Krista beneath the cloak—nodded curtly. "I'm fine," she replied in a gruff voice, mimicking the Lieutenant's stern demeanor. "I apprehended this suspect. I believe he's responsible for the recent murders of our comrades."

The Peacekeepers exchanged glances of awe. "Incredible work, sir!" another exclaimed. "We knew you were the only one who could handle this."

"Your skills are unmatched, Lieutenant," a third chimed in, practically glowing with admiration.

Behind the cloak, Krista smirked. Too easy, she thought.

Meanwhile, Ken knelt at her feet, silent tears streaming down his face. His mind raced back to just minutes before.

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"Quick, help me get this cloak off him," Krista had said, nodding toward the Lieutenant's lifeless body.

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Ken hesitated. "What are you planning?"

"No time for questions!" she snapped, already unfastening the heavy garment. "We need to hide the body. Over there." She pointed toward a shadowy doorway of an abandoned building.

Reluctantly, Ken helped drag the Lieutenant's body out of sight. As he returned, he barely had time to register Krista's impish grin before she shoved him to the ground.

"Hey! What are you—"

Before he could finish, she snapped a pair of metallic cuffs around his wrists, binding his hands behind his back.

"What is this?" Ken sputtered, struggling against the restraints. "Have you lost your mind?"

Krista chuckled. "Possibly," she quipped. "Found these on the Lieutenant. Probably special cuffs that suppress Blighted powers. Neat, huh?"

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded as he struggled in vain.

She tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I've decided to infiltrate the Peacekeepers!" she announced as if declaring she was going shopping. "Those Divine Relics are way stronger than I thought. I need to do some investigating."

Ken gaped at her. "So your grand plan is to impersonate a high-ranking officer and hand me over as a prisoner?"

"Exactly!" she beamed. "I'll disguise myself as the Lieutenant and gather intel for our revolution! Brilliant, right?"

He stared at her, incredulous. "Brilliant isn't the word I'd use."

She patted his head condescendingly. "Oh, don't be such a baby. You'll be fine. Think of it as... acting practice."

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Back in the present, Ken continued to weep silently. Why me? he lamented internally. Out of all the people in the world, why did I have to team up with this lunatic?

The Peacekeepers hoisted him to his feet. "Get up," one barked, yanking him roughly.

The disguised Lieutenant crossed her arms, her voice authoritative. "Take him in for questioning. And no harm should come to him—yet. We need to extract information about his accomplices. There may be more rebels plotting another uprising."

The squad snapped to attention, saluting sharply. "Yes, sir!"

"You're a true hero, Lieutenant," one said reverently.

"Just doing my duty," Krista replied with a dismissive wave, secretly enjoying the irony.

As they led Ken away, one of the Peacekeepers shoved him forward. "Move it, you piece of shit!"

Ken stumbled, casting a forlorn glance back at Krista. She gave him a subtle wink, barely noticeable beneath the cloak's hood. He groaned inwardly. This is not how I pictured my day going!

The group marched off, leaving Krista alone. She watched them disappear around a corner before allowing herself a quiet giggle.

"This is going to be fun," she whispered to herself.