Status One: Agent (Book One)

The rancid air of the seedy motel room on Red Moon clung to Genevieve Sorel like a shroud, a stark contrast to the sterile, disciplined life she’d known. Her head throbbed, a dull ache that mirrored the crushing weight of her new reality. Traitor. Rogue. The words echoed in her mind, broadcast across every channel, plastered on every screen, a reward offered for her capture.

Her fist slammed against the cheap, plastic desk, the sound swallowed by the room's oppressive silence. No uniform, no helmet, just baggy, anonymous clothes that felt like a disguise, stripping away every last shred of her former identity. She glanced at the grimy viewscreen, its digital display flickering with the latest news.

Then, a familiar face flashed across the screen—her own. The local news anchor, a woman with a perfectly coiffed bob and a severe expression, spoke of an 'extremely dangerous' former agent, responsible for two deaths. Two deaths. A lie. But who would believe her?

The words 'monetary reward' ripped her attention from the screen. A cold dread seeped into her bones. They were close. Too close. Just as the thought solidified, she heard it—the faint thud of footsteps in the hallway outside her door, growing closer. No time. No time to think. She dropped the remote, the clatter loud in the sudden silence, and lunged.