My stomach tightened with a mix of adrenaline and dread.
I was tired of the humans.
“Due to the kidnappings, specifically,” he went on, gaze flicking to me for half a second. “We are going to lean into that angle. The scenario theme in this mission is a supernatural kidnapping by the humans.”
My fangs pricked my lip.
Dimitri’s fingers brushed mine, and his desire to comfort me flitted through the bond.
“I’ll give you the overview of your mission. Recently, in Fate Hollow, there’s been a spike in supernatural disappearances. Evidence points toward the Human Resistance Network taking and experimenting on supernaturals using tourmalyke to suppress magical power and knock them out for easy transport.”
A too-familiar chill slid down my spine at the wordtourmalyke. The professors made this missionveryaccurate.
“The most recent case involves four teenagers that were camping at the border between Fate Hollow and the Human Territory,” he explained. “Their species are werewolf, vampire,witch, and fear demon. Abducted right at the border by a covert human extraction team. Only the witch escaped via emergency teleport. She’s traumatized, disoriented, and the clock is ticking for you to locate the taken teenagers.”
He paused.
Concern filled the bond from my mates, and I knew they were worried about me since I had been kidnapped by the humans before.
I sent them back reassurance through our bonds.
“This will be a full-team simulation,” he finished. “You’ll be tested on coordination, diplomacy, infiltration, and crisis recovery. Best of luck.” His attention shifted to Katie. “Intelligence analyst, I’ve sent you all available intel. You’re briefing today.”
Katie’s eyes went wide. She tightened her grip on her tablet until her knuckles turned white. Still, she squared her shoulders and stepped up beside Jarvins, facing us.
Her blonde hair was pulled up into a messy bun with a pen stabbed through it. I briefly wondered if she forgot she put it there. Behind black-framed glasses, her brown eyes were sharper than her posture suggested.
She scrolled her tablet quickly, then cleared her throat. “Patterns indicate that all victims taken from Fate Hollow so far have been young,” she explained. “All were last seen in border-adjacent wilderness. Magical signatures were wiped using human-made chemicals, so unless there’s a witness, we can’t even tell who or what species was taken.”
Ivy frowned. “That’s not comforting.”
Slater shifted, cracking his knuckles. “Bet I could get ahold of some footage somewhere.”
Snakey manifested and hissed his agreement.
Katie continued, “All the collected evidence points to humans. But according to council intel, the Human Council hasdenied involvement in every single incident that points their way. That means if we cross into their territory on this, we’re technically stepping into a sensitive zone.”
Her gaze flicked to Eleanor. “So, Eleanor will need to speak with a Human Council representative so we can get permission to operate near and across the border. We can’t just stroll into human territory and start killing people.”
“Unfortunately,” Zuko muttered.
Jarvins's twig twitched as he smiled. “Very well. Katie, you have full intel access on your tablet. Now, begin your mission. The timeline is not estimated. It will take as long as it takes.”
He tapped a button on the control panel, and the simulator responded with a low thrumming sound before it whooshed.
The smooth floor melted into pine needles and uneven dirt. Crisp, cool air caressed my face, carrying the scent of damp earth and mineral water. Trees shot up around us as the forest of Fate Hollow formed, and we stood in a scraped-out clearing.
I noticed a few overturned backpacks and a ring of rocks where a campfire had been.
“Spread out,” Ivy ordered, her enforcer instincts kicking in the second the simulation fully formed in place.
She and Solon moved, scanning the perimeter. The rest of us followed their lead, each falling automatically into our roles.
Ivy crouched near the edge of the clearing. “Footprints and drag marks over here,” she called.
“Broken branches,” Solon added from the opposite side. “The humans moved fast, and they didn’t care about making noise.”
“I thought you said the humans scrubbed the scene?” Slater asked, squinting at the ground as he walked, hands on his hips.
