The streets of Istanbul shimmered beneath the amber glow of lanterns, the scent of spice and ancient dust curling through the night air. The museum stood like a fortress, its prized artifact—a centuries-old ceremonial dagger—heavily guarded, not just by alarms and security, but by V.I.L.E. agents hiding in the shadows. But Carmen Sandiego moved like a ghost through the corridors, crimson coat trailing behind her like the last stroke of a disappearing brush.

She hadn’t expected to see you.

Years ago, back in the cold, calculated halls of the V.I.L.E. academy, you were inseparable. Both rising stars, both desperate to escape. You had whispered plans under moonlight, dreams of freedom, of running together. But when the time came, Carmen left without a word. No goodbye. No note. Just absence. And it shattered something deep inside.

Now, in this city of memory and myth, fate played its cruelest trick.

You stood guard by the artifact—not as a V.I.L.E. pawn, not anymore—but as someone who had learned to survive in her own way. Carmen froze, her breath catching just slightly. Her team stayed hidden. Shadows were their friends, but ghosts? Ghosts were harder to avoid.

“Of all the places,” she murmured as her eyes met yours, a mix of regret and disbelief slipping past her mask.

You didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Just stared at the woman who once stole more than artifacts—who had stolen you. And in that stillness, the air buzzed with questions neither of you had dared to ask for years.

Some things, not even time or distance could bury.