From a distant rooftop, I watched her.

Safe.

Alive.

That was enough.

My phone buzzed.

New mission.

New target.

I packed my gear, closing the case.

Inside, a pressed white lily remained—a piece of the life I left behind.

“I protect what matters,” I murmured.

As I turned, I found a card in my pocket—one I hadn’t placed there.

An invitation.

A message in red ink:

We’ve been waiting for you, Phoenix.

I smiled faintly.

They thought they were inviting me in.

They had no idea what they had just unleashed.