Sylvie's Lament

first blood(part two)

The following day, Sylvie arrived at the designated location - a crumbling warehouse on the fringes of the city. She approached with caution, her senses on high alert. But instead of the hardened faces of Crimson's elite guards, she was met with a sight that sent a jolt through her

Standing amidst a ragtag group of scavengers were three figures, their faces etched with a familiarity that sent a wave of warmth crashing through her. Livia, her fiery red hair catching the fading sunlight, Carlos, his easy grin splitting his face, and Inês, her dark eyes sparkling with a mix of surprise and joy. Her three oldest friends, the ones she'd considered family before Crimson had snatched her away.

A choked laugh escaped Sylvie's lips. "Livia? Carlos? Inês?" she stammered, disbelief warring with a surge of unexpected happiness. "What are you doing here?"
Inês, ever the impulsive one, rushed forward, engulfing Sylvie in a fierce hug. "Sylvie! What are you doing here? We thought you were with the Crimsons!"
Sylvie winced at the mention of Crimson's name, forcing a smile. "I, uh... I was dismissed," she stammered, the lie burning a hole in her throat. "Back on the streets, lost and alone... but then, your agents found me."

The others burst into laughter, a welcome sound in the grimy confines of the warehouse. "Agents?" Carlos chortled, wiping tears from his eyes. "Sylvie, there are no agents here. We're all equal in this organization."
Livia, ever the serious one, stepped forward, her gaze searching Sylvie's face. "Dismissed, huh?"
The skepticism in her voice was clear. "Sylvie, we may be... unconventional, but we're not fools. Tell us what's really going on."

Sylvie hesitated, caught between her loyalty to Crimson, the mission she'd sworn to complete, and the unexpected reunion with her friends. The warehouse walls seemed to close in, the weight of her duplicity threatening to suffocate her, but she made a decision, she lied

"Listen...it wasn't that easy when Crimson kidnaped you guys, I told him to let you go and he said that if that was my decision, he didn't need someone emotional in his organization, so he kicked me out."
She trailed off, her voice thick with emotion. The room held its breath, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air.

Livia, her gaze still intense, finally spoke. "Alright, Sylvie. we believe you, for now. But that doesn't change the fact that you're here for a job. we don't know where the black market is, so we have to get in Crimson's ship and that's when you're in, you gotta help us out, be our bodyguard"

Sylvie, relief washing over her "Absolutely," she said, nodding eagerly. "This is our mission. I'm just here to help you get there."
A few minutes later, they were all crammed into a car, heading towards the port where the ship would be. Sylvie, trying to appear friendly, kept talking to her friends, catching up, then snuck a glance at her phone and quickly sent an email to Crimson.

To: Crimson
Subject: Change of Plans
Message: The Scavengers suspect nothing. Going undercover as bodyguard, We'll snuck on the boat, let your guard know., Will update when on board.

Hitting send, Sylvie shoved the phone back into her pocket. She needed to focus on the task at hand - getting on the boat and maintaining her cover. A part of her worried they might suspect something, but she couldn't afford to dwell on that now.
For now, she was with her friends, and they were headed straight for the heart of the Black Market. What dangers awaited them there, she didn't know, but she was determined to face them head-on.

The rusted freighter loomed in the distance, a behemoth reeking of fish, sweat, and desperation. It was Crimson's transport, and Sylvie's stomach churned with a mix of anticipation and dread. This was it - her chance to infiltrate the Black Market and, hopefully, steal back the Ars Goetia from under Crimson's nose.