Another silence fell between them, and Sarah could feel the distance growing again, despite the friendly tone in his voice. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more at play here—more to Vas's plans, more to the danger looming over them both. But as much as she wanted to push him, she knew better. He wouldn't give her anything he didn't want to, and pressing him would only make him retreat further.

"So," she said, forcing a lighter tone into her voice, "Mad Radio, huh? Are you sure it's the right move? Feels like diving headfirst into a shark tank."

Vas shrugged, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Sometimes that's the only way to get what you need."

Sarah chuckled, though it was laced with unease. "You always did have a flair for the dramatic."

Vas tilted his head slightly, his expression softening just a fraction. "You could say that."

But even as he relaxed, Sarah could feel the invisible wall between them. Vas had let her in just enough to keep her close, but never enough to trust her with the full truth. That was his way—always calculating, always controlled.

She sighed inwardly, knowing she wouldn't get much further today. "Well, just... be careful, okay?"

Vas's smirk returned, this time a little warmer. "Always."

And with that, the conversation drifted, the tension still lingering beneath the surface but now tempered by the familiar dance of their friendship—one marked by polite words and carefully maintained distance.

When Sarah left the Hek Mansion, a deep unease settled in her chest. She had tried everything she could to break through Vas's impenetrable walls and gain access to the Hek family library, but even after meeting the notorious Gerald Hek himself, she had not succeeded. The interaction with Gerald had left her more shaken than she wanted to admit. Despite his courteous demeanor, there was something chilling, something ancient and dangerous, lurking beneath his polite words. And still, she hadn't given up on what Nyra had asked her to do.

She pulled out her CipherSync, the sleek device glinting in the fading sunlight. It had only recently been released to the public, and Sarah had made sure to get one as soon as possible. As she typed out the message to Nyra, her fingers moved quickly, recounting everything that had happened inside the mansion—the unsettling conversation with Vas, the cold presence of Gerald, and the frustrating realization that Vas was keeping her at arm's length.

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Within moments, her CipherSync buzzed with a response. Nyra had replied faster than expected, the message short but pointed:

"He's still holding back. That's not what we wanted. We need more."

Sarah's jaw tightened as she read the words, her own frustration echoing Nyra's. They both knew that this wasn't going to be easy. And while Sarah hated to admit it, Nyra was right about one thing—attraction played a crucial role in how fast people let their guard down. In any other situation, Vas should have been more open with her. She was, by all accounts, a striking woman, someone who had never struggled to get close to people when she wanted to. But with Vas... no matter how many times she tried to reach him, to close the gap between them, he remained distant, guarded, and unreadable.

It wasn't just about Vas anymore. There was something deeper at play—something dark, lurking beneath the surface of this whole affair. Sarah could feel it creeping into the edges of her consciousness like a shadow. She glanced back at the mansion, now a silhouette against the evening sky. There was something about that place, about Gerald Hek, that filled her with dread. The weight of his presence, the cold look in his eyes—he was a man who wielded immense power, not just in influence but in something far more dangerous.

Her CipherSync buzzed again, snapping her out of her thoughts. Nyra had sent another message:

"Elliot won't be meeting Vas tonight. That gives us an opening."

Sarah's pulse quickened as she read the text. If Elliot wasn't going to be there, that meant Vas might be vulnerable. It was clear Nyra had been planning this for a while, waiting for the right moment to act. The tension between them was unspoken but undeniable—Sarah knew that Nyra didn't just want her to get closer to Vas for information. There was something more, something Nyra hadn't fully shared.

A third message came through, this one more cryptic:

"I've found someone who can help. We'll make our move tonight. Be ready."

Sarah stared at the words for a long moment, her fingers hovering over the screen as she tried to process the weight of Nyra's statement. This was moving faster than she'd anticipated. Whoever this person was that Nyra had contacted, it was clear things were about to escalate. And suddenly, Sarah felt a chill run down her spine.

She hesitated before responding, the unease in her stomach growing. "Who is this person? What are we doing exactly?" she typed back, hitting send before she could change her mind.

Nyra's response came almost immediately, but it didn't give Sarah the reassurance she was hoping for.

"Just trust me. You'll know when the time comes. The Scribes are about to change forever."

The words hung in the air, heavy and ominous. Sarah's grip tightened on her CipherSync, her mind racing. She had known that things with the Scribes were shifting—that the organization was moving into darker waters. But this... this felt like something entirely different. Something far more dangerous.

As the night began to fall, Sarah couldn't shake the feeling that she was walking into something much larger than she had anticipated. Vas, the Hek family, the mysterious group linked to those horrific sacrifices—it was all connected somehow. And now, with Nyra pulling strings behind the scenes, she couldn't tell whether she was being used as a pawn or if she was truly part of something bigger.

She glanced at the Hek Mansion one last time, its towering form looming over her, casting long shadows across the driveway. A part of her wanted to run, to leave all of this behind. But another part, the part that had agreed to Nyra's plan in the first place, was determined to see it through. She would get into the Hek library. She would find out what they were hiding. And she would make sure Vas trusted her—whether he liked it or not.

Her CipherSync buzzed one last time before she pocketed it, Nyra's final message brief but clear:

"Be ready by midnight."

Sarah exhaled slowly, the tension mounting in her chest. Tonight, everything would change.

And in the pit of her stomach, she felt a growing sense of dread.