章 22: Agent Eris

'What would happen in the world as a result of these two paragraphs?' Alex couldn't help but wonder.

As Alex gazed at his mission instructions, fixating on the name Jack Reed, he pondered, 'Why do I have this unsettling feeling that I am the catalyst for these events?'

After settling the bill for his coffee, Alex made up his mind to head towards the location mentioned in the mission instructions, where Jack usually hangs out.

While heading to find Jack, Alex thought again, 'Even if I disregard the cause behind these events and solely focus on their positive outcome, would it be morally justified?'

'Even if the outcome was good, what about the process? What about the lives that would cease to exist in the process of these events, these riots?'

'Will I be one of the lives that were going to cease to exist as well?' Alex anxiously thought.

Then Alex's thoughts turned to BW, leaving him to wonder why a mission like this existed. 'Is BW behind all of this? Are they the ones who will ignite the fire of riots?'

Alex contemplated further, 'If they were the ones behind this, what is their aim?'

'And what will be my role in these upcoming events?' Alex added.

'I have no intention of perishing in some riot,' Alex thought resolutely.

Alex tried to find answers for all of his questions, but even after thinking everything over and over, he couldn't find an answer for his question.

That's why Alex decided and hastened his walk, eager to meet with Jack. 'The key point for all of this is the leader of the freedom fighters, Jack Reed. I need to find him.'

***

After parting ways with Alex, Violet made her way to the shore where the operations center was located. Upon reaching the warehouse site, she double-checked the coordinates. Then she inputted the necessary codes into a keypad on the warehouse gate, which granted her access to the operations center.

"You're late, Agent Eris," a stern voice echoed through the warehouse.

Violet humbly responded, bowing her head. "My apologies, sir. I got caught up with something."

"Don't waste any more time. The package has arrived. He is on the second floor," informed Agent Kirf.

"You have two hours to extract information from him. Leave no stone unturned, even if it seems unrelated," Agent Kirf added before retreating to his office on the third floor.

'He looks a lot grumpier than before,' Violet observed.

'It must be because of that prick, Jay Spencer,' Violet speculated, as she was well aware that Agent Kirf had been undercover, playing the role of Jay Spencer's butler for the past three years.

Violet shook her head and headed towards the second floor to meet her customer.

Violet knocked on the door, despite knowing that no one would be there to open it for her. As expected, she was met with a muffled voice from behind the door.

Despite knowing this would be the case, Violet refused to let it affect her demeanor. She prided herself on being well-mannered, which is why she always knocked before entering.

Upon stepping into the room, she found herself in the familiar, serene ambiance of a white room, furnished with only a pair of chairs and a desk.

As her gaze fell upon the customer, Violet reflected, 'The only constant in this room is the ever-changing face of the customer.'

Violet headed toward the desk and carefully sifted through the files placed on it. As she examined the contents, she couldn't help but notice the customer's miserable appearance.

His mouth and eyes seemed to convey an urgent need to explain something.

With a hushed gesture, Violet interrupted him, saying, "Shh, I'll be with you in a moment."

Returning her attention to the file, Violet meticulously sifted through its pages, organizing the information in her mind. 'Thomas Cain, 18 years old, a 'lesser,' only child. His father died in a mining expedition, his mother is sick and blind.'

Observing these details, Violet couldn't help but think, 'This is quite an unusual customer.'

Placing the file back on the desk, she gently lifted Thomas's head and made eye contact, assuring him, "I'm going to remove this," she said, motioning toward his mouth, then added, "But I need you to stay calm and refrain from screaming."

Noticing his lack of response, Violet raised Thomas's head a little higher, her voice filled with concern. "Can you understand me?" she asked.

When she saw him nod in acknowledgment, Violet carefully removed the cloth that had restrained his speech and settled back into the chair opposite him.

"Before we proceed, I understand you may have a few questions," Violet stated, her tone firm.

"However, I must inform you that I won't be providing any answers."

Leaning closer to Thomas across the desk, she continued, "Furthermore, when I ask a question, I expect nothing but the right answer."

Pointing to her ear, Violet emphasized, "I strongly advise against anything other than that because, you see, I have a very sensitive ear."

After that, Violet sat back in her seat and shifted through the files. She then asked, "Define your relationship with Francis Mullen."

Thomas responded with a feeble voice, "I'm not familiar with anyone named Francis Mullen, whom you mentioned."

Instantly, a sharp pain shot through Violet's head. "I strongly advise you against lying," she hissed and slammed her hand onto the desk.

Thomas slumped further into his chair, overwhelmed by the sudden outburst. "Who exactly are you people? What is it that you want from me?" Thomas weakly questioned.

Violet released a weary sigh. "For once, I just want my customers to behave as they asked," she muttered, rising from her seat and approaching the chained figure of Thomas.

"Don't blame me for this. You forced my hand," Violet stated with a sigh, firmly holding Thomas's head.

In a state of panic, Thomas screamed, "What are you going to do?" He desperately tried to break free, but the chains held him in place. "Stay away from me!"

Violet gently stroked Thomas's head and placed the cloth back over his mouth. "Hush, it will all be over soon."

Violet began injecting mana directly into Thomas's brain, where the pain receptors were most concentrated. The intense infusion caused Thomas to convulse violently, spasm, and cough up blood.

Shaking her head in dismay, Violet thought, "What a mess. These next two hours will feel endless."

***