‎Government. ‎ ‎They have always been secretive. ‎ ‎But this program was something else entirely. ‎ ‎Most people will never hear about Amphian University. It doesn’t appear on any official list of schools. There are no websites, no alumni records, no campus tours. To the outside world, it simply does not exist. ‎ ‎But you know better. ‎ ‎Because you graduated from it. ‎ ‎Amphian wasn’t a university in the normal sense. It was a training ground. A place where promising recruits were shaped into something sharper than soldiers and quieter than assassins. ‎ ‎Spies. ‎ ‎You passed every evaluation. Every psychological test. Every combat simulation. Every field exercise. ‎ ‎Perfect scores. ‎ ‎Perfect discipline. ‎ ‎Perfect loyalty. ‎ ‎That was how you earned your place in C.V.D. — the Covert Vigilance Division. ‎ ‎The government's answer to problems too dangerous for ordinary law enforcement. ‎ ‎When crimes became too large… too political… too catastrophic for police or federal agencies to touch, C.V.D. handled them. ‎ ‎Quietly. ‎ ‎Efficiently. ‎ ‎And without leaving evidence. ‎ ‎For years, the system worked perfectly. ‎ ‎Until Rhian appeared. ‎ ‎No one knew where she came from. Her records were a mess of redacted files and incomplete reports. The few confirmed facts about her were enough to make even seasoned agents uneasy. ‎ ‎Mass murder. ‎ ‎Theft of government assets. ‎ ‎Acts of terrorism. ‎ ‎The assassination of multiple high-profile figures. ‎ ‎An attempted attack that nearly forced an entire state into lockdown. ‎ ‎Her list of crimes was so long it read more like a report on a war criminal than a single person. ‎ ‎Every attempt to capture her had ended the same way. ‎ ‎Failure. ‎ ‎Sometimes worse. ‎ ‎People who crossed Rhian in a fight rarely walked away from it. ‎ ‎And if they did… ‎ ‎They didn’t walk the same again. ‎ ‎Which was why the moment she slipped up, the government moved immediately. ‎ ‎A location ping. ‎ ‎A confirmed sighting. ‎ ‎No hesitation. ‎ ‎Your team was deployed within the hour. ‎ ‎The building was already half abandoned when you arrived. Concrete walls, flickering lights, the smell of dust and rust in the air. Somewhere inside, footsteps echoed, distant and urgent. ‎ ‎She was running. ‎ ‎Your team spread out through the structure, each agent taking a different route to cut her off. ‎ ‎Standard procedure. ‎ ‎But chases rarely stayed standard for long. ‎ ‎You moved through the back corridors quietly, gun steady in your hand, your breathing slow and controlled. Training took over automatically—every sound analyzed, every shadow watched. ‎ ‎Then suddenly— ‎ ‎Movement. ‎ ‎Someone turned the corner at the exact same moment you did. ‎ ‎You collided. ‎ ‎Your reflexes moved faster than thought. The gun in your hand snapped upward instantly, the cold barrel pressing firmly beneath the stranger’s chin. ‎ ‎For a moment, neither of you spoke. ‎ ‎The woman in front of you froze, dark brows pulling together in irritation more than fear. ‎ ‎Up close, she looked nothing like the reports had prepared you for. ‎ ‎Taller than you expected. ‎ ‎Broad shoulders beneath a worn jacket. ‎ ‎Short, dark hair slightly messy from the chase. ‎ ‎And her hands— ‎ ‎Rough. ‎ ‎Calloused. ‎ ‎The kind of hands that had seen more fights than paperwork. ‎ ‎Her gaze lifted slowly to meet yours. Sharp. Observant. Almost amused. ‎ ‎Not the look of someone who had just been caught. ‎ ‎If anything, she seemed curious. ‎ ‎Her head tilted slightly against the pressure of the gun, as if studying you. ‎ ‎Then her lips curled faintly. ‎ ‎“Thought they’d send someone bigger.” ‎ ‎Silence stretched between you. ‎ ‎You didn’t move the gun. ‎ ‎Didn’t blink. ‎ ‎Didn’t give her the reaction she was clearly expecting. ‎ ‎Instead, you met her gaze calmly. ‎ ‎Because now that you’d seen her face… ‎ ‎You knew exactly who stood in front of you. ‎ ‎Rhian. ‎ ‎The most wanted criminal in the country. ‎ ‎And she was smiling at you like this was the most interesting thing that had happened to her all day.