Back at the base, the atmosphere felt heavier than usual. The mission had been intense, and though they returned with the stolen file, Ejilah couldn't shake off the lingering feeling that everything had changed.
Aron walked beside him in silence, stealing occasional glances at his friend. Ejilah was unusually quiet, eyes locked in thought.
They passed through the underground hall, flickering red lights lining the dark steel corridor. At the end stood a wide door guarded by two men in black.
One of them stepped forward. "He's waiting."
Ejilah nodded, and both he and Aron entered the dark-lit meeting chamber of Sin — the mafia boss.
Sin sat at the far end, back slightly slouched on a luxurious black-leather chair. A cigar hung loosely from his lips, the smoke curling up like dancing shadows. Around him stood several other trusted captains, but the moment Ejilah and Aron stepped in, he raised his hand.
"Everyone out," Sin ordered.
The room cleared within seconds.
Aron looked at Ejilah. "I'll wait outside."
Ejilah didn't respond immediately. His mind was racing — the system, the video, his father, and now Sin's quiet history with the unexplainable.
"What do you think the military wants from you?"
Sin laughed, a deep rumble in his chest. "Probably cooperation. Maybe help covering it up. Or maybe they're just scared."
Ejilah crossed his arms. "Are you going to the meeting?"
Sin stared at the smoke curling in the air for a moment. "I'm thinking about it."
Then, he turned toward Ejilah. His sharp eyes cut through the shadows. "What did *you* see in that file?"
Ejilah's expression didn't flinch. "A warning."
Sin nodded slowly. "Then maybe we're both in more trouble than we thought."
At that moment, Sin's phone rang. He answered without hesitation.
A male voice on the other end spoke, loud enough that Ejilah could hear.
"We know you've seen the file. This isn't a threat, it's a truth. If we don't meet — the world burns. There's more than just your underground at risk now."
Sin grinned. "Oh, now you want my help?" he said mockingly. "You'll get your meeting — but I decide the terms."
He hung up.
Ejilah tilted his head. "You trust them?"
"I trust no one," Sin replied simply.
Sin chuckled. "I've seen worse."
Ejilah leaned forward, lowering his voice. "You knew."
Sin didn't deny it. He stood up, walked to the wall, and pressed a button. A hidden cabinet slid open, revealing a shelf of strange items — artifacts that didn't look like they belonged on Earth. Glowing stones, a cracked helmet made of a strange black metal, and a dagger that pulsed with faint blue light.
"I've been doing this for a long time, kid," Sin said, walking back. "You think running the underground is just bullets and bribes? I've walked through tunnels that shouldn't exist. Fought men who bled silver. Met someone who made fire obey his fingers like a pet dog. Magic? Alien? Doesn't matter what you call it. The world's been hiding too many secrets."
Ejilah's thoughts drifted back to the video. His father — or the man who looked like him — had warned of an alien queen and a draining of Earth's core. Was that the same power Sin was referring to? Or was there even more?
"How did you survive all that?" Ejilah asked.
Sin smiled, tapping his temple. "Not by being the strongest. But by learning fast. Knowing when to kill, and when to listen. That's what makes a king."
Ejilah gave a small nod, and the door clicked shut behind his friend, leaving only him and Sin.
The silence stretched for a moment before Sin finally broke it.
"So?" he said, taking a slow drag from the cigar. "Did you get the damn thing?"
Ejilah pulled the flash drive from his pocket and tossed it onto the desk. "Here. Everything they've been hiding. Top-tier clearance."
Sin leaned forward, picked it up, and eyed it with mild amusement. "Not bad."
Ejilah's gaze stayed sharp. "But that's not what you care about, is it?"
Sin chuckled. "You're smart, kid. No, it's not." He leaned back. "The military called. Claimed the file holds something... 'world-altering.' Said they want to talk."
Ejilah narrowed his eyes. "And you just agreed to that?"
"I told them to choke on their self-righteous pride," Sin said with a smirk. "Told them that if they wanted something from me, they better bring a hell of a lot more than words."
Ejilah's jaw clenched. "Did they mention aliens?"
Sin froze. For the first time since Ejilah had known him, the man's smirk faltered. Just slightly.
He let the silence hang before replying, slowly, "They said something about the fate of the world. So yeah... aliens."
Ejilah studied him carefully. "You're not surprised."
The two stood in silence for a moment, heavy with the weight of the unknown.
Then Sin's gaze sharpened. "Keep your friend close. Don't say anything about what you saw. I've got a feeling this is only the beginning."
Ejilah nodded. "Understood."
He turned and left, heart pounding. He hadn't told Sin the most important part — the man in the video, the one who warned of doom, wasn't just some government whistleblower.
It was his father.
And the more Ejilah thought about it, the more he realized:
He wasn't ready for the truth. But it was coming, anyway.