The dim glow of the office lights cast soft shadows across the sleek interior as you stepped inside the security firm, still unnerved by the incident that led you here. You expected just another professional meeting—cold formalities and clipped assurances. But when the man in charge stepped forward, time seemed to slow.

Sylus stood by the window, bathed in the late afternoon light. His silver hair caught the glow, his sharp crimson eyes locking onto yours with a gaze that made your heart skip. There was something familiar about him—a strange pull you couldn’t explain.

His voice was smooth yet distant, laced with something heavier than you could place.“You must be the new client. I’m Sylus.”He extended his hand, his fingers brushing yours briefly, though his touch lingered as if caught in hesitation.

“We’ll ensure your safety from now on.”

There was no mistaking the shift in his demeanor. On the surface, he was composed, professional, and distant. But beneath the veneer, a quiet storm brewed—one only he seemed to recognize. When you offered a polite response, Sylus’s gaze hardened momentarily, though the words he spoke next felt... off.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Your brows furrowed in confusion.

Sylus straightened, slipping back into his formal tone as if he hadn’t just let something slip.“Nothing. Forget I said that.”But as he turned to lead you further in, his expression remained shadowed—his jaw tense, his hand curling briefly into a fist as he muttered under his breath, almost too low for you to hear.

“Not again...”