It had been a terrible month for Reyna Kayree.

  After countless fruitless investigations, she finally got a lead on a reanimation project allegedly conducted by the Order of Mercy. The lead was tied to a young man presumed dead. His dismembered body parts had been found scattered around the city, brought to the Lilies Hospital and stitched back together in the morgue. To everyone’s shock, he was later discovered to be alive.

  As soon as Reyna received this information, she knew she had to bring the man into her custody. He was the key to proving the reanimation project’s existence. With concrete evidence, she could move closer to her ultimate goal. Over the years, she had witnessed global corporations spiraling out of control, meddling in activities that blatantly disregarded public interest. This had to stop before another disaster, like the global drought, occurred. But to achieve that, Reyna needed something monumental, something that would convince Lady Anetta’s Foundation, the organization she worked for, of the growing dangers. Only then could she hope to end – years or decades later, Reyna had to be realistic – the unchecked dominion of these corporations over governments and the public.

  The young man’s miraculous revival had the potential to change everything. If Reyna could bring him to Lady Anetta’s Foundation quarters for study, she would undoubtedly uncover some anomaly within him, evidence that the Order of Mercy was conducting experiments on people. But she blew it. The worst part was that his escape was preventable. She should have anticipated something like this.

  Her source at the Order of Mercy had mentioned a stolen batch of serum said to have the power to revive the dead. They’d also warned her about a peculiar detail: before the theft, staff and security reported a sweet, flowery scent before losing consciousness. Reyna had dismissed the warning, assuming it was an inside job. To her, it was obvious. Some rogue Order members must have used sleeping gas to steal the serum for profit. That deduction had been her mistake.

  She hadn’t anticipated the same tactic being used at the hospital. But it was, and the result was disastrous.

  The young man, barely in his twenties, still bearing stitches at the sites of his dismemberment, including his head, vanished without a trace. Reyna learned nothing about him: no name, no background, no ties to work or study. The only certainty was that he looked unmistakably like someone brought back from the dead.

  Reyna had nothing to identify him. The man was lucky enough to escape the hospital without leaving a single trace behind. For Reyna, it was a catastrophic blow to her investigation into the reanimation project.

  Her failure did not go unnoticed. Foundation superiors reprimanded her for disobedience. Officially, she had no business interfering in a police investigation or pursuing the reanimation project without direct authorization. Technically, they were correct, but Reyna firmly believed her actions were justified. After all, her intentions aligned with the vision of Lady Anetta, the namesake of the Foundation.

  Lady Anetta’s Foundation was established over a century ago during the global drought. Through its efforts, the MAE Corporation was exposed for depleting the planet’s resources for profit. Over time, the Foundation grew in influence, expanding its presence to every major city. It eventually became a trusted partner for governments and local authorities worldwide, cementing its role as a critical force for accountability and humanitarian aid.

  It was remarkable that such an organization, rooted in charity, had achieved such reach. Founded by Anetta Flowers, a young woman dedicated to helping anyone in need regardless of their circumstances, the Foundation’s guiding principle was simple but challenging: no one should be ignored. Yet, as noble as this ideal was, bureaucracy often bogged down its implementation. Too much time was spent deliberating over whether pleas for help were genuine or opportunistic.

  Sometimes, though, the truth behind a plea was stranger than fiction. The most striking example was the case of a lone survivor whose family had been brutally killed. While the police attributed the attack to a pack of wild animals, the man was adamant that it had been the work of a vampire. Initially dismissed as absurd, his claim caught the attention of a determined Foundation member. Upon further investigation, the truth proved even more chilling. A Flesh Eater ring, sentient creatures that fed on human flesh, was discovered and neutralized with the help of local authorities.

  This case set a precedent. From then on, the Foundation and governments agreed that no plea, no matter how outlandish, should go unchecked. Authorities would cooperate whenever suspicious circumstances arose. It was this partnership that led to the creation of the Department for Evaluate, Analyse and Disclose within the Foundation, simply called DEAD, which Reyna now headed.

  At its inception, the department was ambitious. Its purpose was to act as a bridge between the Foundation and the authorities, ensuring that pleas dismissed by others were revisited and thoroughly investigated. But beyond the Flesh Eater case, the DEAD had little to show for itself. Over time, its impact dwindled, and it became a dumping ground for pleas that other departments didn’t want to handle. Most cases were dismissed outright, save for a few forwarded by mistake.

  Still, Reyna believed the DEAD had been a step in the right direction, even if poorly executed. To succeed, it needed more autonomy, a chance to pursue matters without waiting for authorization. That was precisely why she took it upon herself to investigate the reanimation project. Exposing its existence would prove her department’s worth. But with the young man’s escape, her efforts backfired. Now, she was under fire, her credibility hanging by a thread.

  It was a painful blow to Reyna’s pride. The lead was gone. Her team couldn’t determine who, apart from hospital staff and police officers, might have known about the young man in the morgue and used the sleeping gas. Reyna had access to the hospital’s security camera footage, but it didn’t reveal anything suspicious. All it showed was Reyna and two detectives getting knocked out, while the young man remained inexplicably awake, allowing him to escape with ease. That could have been the end of it. Reyna’s only chance at a breakthrough, slipping right through her fingers.

  Then, two weeks after the young man’s disappearance, a terrorist attack, or so it was labeled, occurred at Legare university. At the same time rumors began to circulate that it was a lone attacker whose arms and legs exploded and then regenerated. Most dismissed these accounts as wild exaggerations, the result of shock and psychological trauma among survivors. They claimed it was impossible for a single man to cause such widespread destruction in such a short period. Reyna, however, held a different opinion.

  She believed the attacker was alone, and he was another subject of the reanimation project.

  Her source at the Order of Mercy had mentioned that, three months ago, one of their subjects broke free of control and disappeared. Could that escapee have been behind the university attack? If so, why now and why target that location specifically? Reyna was determined to find out.

  Unfortunately, her superiors, now fully aware of her unauthorized actions, had explicitly ordered her to refrain from interfering with the official investigation. They also directed her to withdraw DEAD’s assistance to the victims of the attack. For two weeks, she’d been trying to persuade them to reconsider, but she’d made no progress.

  Her powerlessness was maddening. Reyna was certain the university attack was connected to the reanimation project. What if the young man who fled the hospital had been a student there? Could he and the attacker be linked in some way? Both appeared to be operating beyond the Order of Mercy’s influence. Reyna wanted to interview witnesses and review the university’s security footage, but her hands were tied.

  The police were handling the investigation, but they had no idea what they were truly dealing with. They were searching for a terrorist bomber who had killed civilians and some of their own. The police wanted vengeance. Would they ever entertain the idea of someone who was dead yet alive? And if someone told them the truth, would they believe it or write it off as insanity?

  “Still no luck, boss?”

  Nadir’s voice pulled Reyna from her thoughts. He was lounging in the office, legs casually propped on a desk piled with documents waiting for review. As usual, he showed no urgency to do his work. Reyna didn’t blame him, though she often had to tell him to do his damn job.

  Truthfully, no one in their right mind wanted to end up in Reyna’s department. Within Lady Anetta’s Foundation, working in the DEAD was seen as a career death sentence. “Reyna’s department.” That was what everyone called it now, the derision so widespread it had nearly replaced the official title.

  Nadir, unsurprisingly, despised his position. He was constantly searching for a way to transfer to a different department, one that wasn’t mockingly referred to by their manager’s name. He still held onto the hope of escaping, but Reyna knew the truth: his only realistic option was to leave the Foundation entirely.

  Sometimes, though, she too wondered if she was the crazy one for staying so long without making any progress.

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  “Not today,” she replied firmly. “But that doesn’t mean we’re stuck. I’d say we’re closer to uncovering solid evidence on the reanimation project than ever before. Two incidents in one month? That’s no coincidence.”

  “Well,” Nadir said with a sly grin, “even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

  From across the room, Laura, seated at a desk in the corner, laughed. Reyna cursed silently, her face remaining composed. As head of the department, she couldn’t afford to lose her temper. I just have to endure it, she told herself. One day, she would rise above the mockery and prove them all wrong.

  Unfortunately, when that day would come was a question she couldn’t answer. For now, she had to deal with subordinates who didn’t respect her.

  Reyna had leverage she could use against them, though she had refrained so far. She knew, for instance, that Nadir and Laura were sleeping together. While not explicitly forbidden within the Foundation, such relationships were frowned upon. Reyna had kept this knowledge to herself, but she wasn’t above using it for personal gain if necessary. There was no room for softness in this line of work. Ideally, Reyna wanted to avoid actions that leaned too far into the morally gray, but she had little concern about moral dilemmas where Nadir and Laura were involved. Neither of them had earned her goodwill or her sympathy.

  “Stop, this is disrespectful to our boss!” Donavan, another member of her department, stood abruptly and slammed his desk. Reyna appreciated his loyalty, even if it came with a dose of clumsiness. His outburst toppled a coffee cup, spilling its contents all over the documents piled there.

  “Shit! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” Donavan stammered, panicked as he scrambled to contain the mess.

  Reyna sighed. Donavan was perhaps the only one who truly believed in the DEAD’s mission, though his enthusiasm didn’t compensate for his lack of finesse. Had he simply come to terms with his position, or was he too naive to realize that Reyna’s department was at rock bottom? To keep it afloat and running, Reyna had taken a pay cut, and her team’s already modest salaries hadn’t fared any better. This explained much of their lack of motivation.

  How much longer can I hold things together? Reyna was painfully aware that she needed a breakthrough.

  “Donavan, clean that up,” she ordered, her tone sharp. “I don’t want to waste our budget making new copies of those documents. If they’re ruined, you’ll pay for replacements out of your own pocket.”

  “Yes, ma’am!” Donavan hurriedly waved the drenched papers in a futile attempt to dry them. It probably wouldn’t work, but at least his frantic effort lightened the mood. Reyna felt a sliver of control return to the room.

  “Nadir, Laura, did you find any cases worth investigating?” she asked, turning to her other subordinates.

  “Nope, nothing from me,” Nadir replied with a yawn.

  “Well, there is something noteworthy,” Laura said, squinting at her files. Her pale blue eyebrows knit together in concentration. As much as Reyna disliked admitting it, Laura was the most competent member of her team.

  “We have a couple of requests involving the devil-touched,” Laura continued.

  “The primary and only known cause of this condition is direct exposure to pure totinium,” Reyna replied. “That’s already under the jurisdiction of another department. We’ll transfer those files to them.”

  “We’ve also received reports of vampires. The victim claims they stole his livestock.”

  “Vampires don’t exist, Laura. And if they did, they wouldn’t bother with animals. And before you say anything about Flesh Eaters, no, they’re only interested in human flesh. What else?”

  “What about this one?” Donavan chimed in, still flapping the soaked sheets in a futile attempt to dry them. “A man is claiming his brother was replaced by a bio-robot.”

  Reyna considered for a moment. “It’s intriguing, but claims like that have never been substantiated. It’s the same as with the reanimation project. Nothing gets us closer to the truth. Frankly, I think we’d get even less traction with bio-robots. We’re already chasing a risky lead, and now we’re being blocked from making any real progress.”

  An awkward silence followed. Reyna surveyed her team. Donavan darted away to fetch a rag for his desk. Laura, looking sour, returned to sifting through her files. Nadir, utterly bored, had pulled out his phone and was scrolling aimlessly.

  “Come on, people,” Reyna said, throwing up her hands. “We have all these files, and nothing you can give me?”

  “I mean, have we ever had anything significant?” Nadir said, glancing up from his screen. “Every matter we looked into has always been confirmed to be a false positive. It’s like we’re chasing ghosts. Honestly, even finding actual ghosts would be wishful thinking at this point. There’s no point in what we’re doing here. Can you stop wasting time on this nonsense, Reyna? Even doing nothing would be more productive than this.”

  That was too much. Reyna tolerated occasional grumbling, but today Nadir had crossed a line. Yes, he despised working here. Yes, he had probably started sleeping with Laura out of sheer boredom rather than any real affection. That was tolerable, so long as he didn’t challenge her authority. But now, it seemed Nadir had mistaken her tolerance for weakness. He was pushing too far, perhaps even angling to undermine her position.

  How annoying.

  Reyna removed her glasses and fixed Nadir with her piercing ocean-blue gaze. The Foundation might laugh at her department, but Reyna had known what she was getting into when she took the reins of the DEAD. She’d seen potential in this fading team, and she had vowed to see it flourish. She would be the one laughing in the end, and no one on her team – not Nadir, not anyone – would stand in her way.

  “Is this all just a waste of time to you, Nadir?” she asked, her voice calm but tinged with menace. An ominous smile curled her lips. Nadir’s smug expression faltered, but he held his ground. For now. “Are you implying that Lady Anetta was wasting her time, then?”

  “What do you mean?” Nadir asked, the bravado slipping from his voice.

  “What I mean, Nadir, is that Lady Anetta always delved into the heart of every matter she worked on,” Reyna replied coldly. “These days, many members of the Foundation, operating under her name, seem to forget that. She isn’t renowned only for her charitable work. Her efforts extended far beyond helping those in need. She devoted herself to uncovering the truth behind the wrongdoings of corporations, even at great personal risk. Ultimately, it cost her life. Yet, her legacy endures.

  “She believed that freeing humanity from corporate control was the most impactful way to serve those who needed her. We have the resources to uphold her vision, but today, most of the Foundation focuses on the more visible and easier aspects of her mission. I’m not saying their contributions aren’t valuable, they are. But Lady Anetta’s Foundation is capable of so much more. If others fail to see that, so be it. Lady Anetta believed in what we’re doing here.”

  Every word Reyna spoke was true. She had never understood why her predecessors in the DEAD had settled for the monotonous task of reviewing pleas for worthiness when they could have leveraged the Foundation’s influence to work with authorities and conduct their own investigations. They could have had their own defining moment, like uncovering the ring of Flesh Eaters decades ago.

  Everything Reyna did was in pursuit of that vision. She had built a network of informants, and forged connections with various representatives of the authorities. It was thanks to this groundwork that she learned about the young man in the morgue. She’d been able to act swiftly, arriving in time to speak with him and even gaining permission from the police captain to take the man into custody for questioning.

  The revelation had the desired effect. Nadir fell silent, lowering his head before picking up one of the files from his desk. Reyna chalked it up as a win. The only question was how long his compliance would last and what she would do when he inevitably stepped out of line again.

  A sudden commotion behind her broke her train of thought. She turned to find Amber standing in the doorway, clutching a laptop. The intern looked disheveled, as usual. Her tangled hair, baggy clothes, and bluish bags under her eyes painted the picture of someone who spent more nights behind a screen than in bed. Reyna didn’t expect much from Amber; people like her usually sought jobs just to survive.

  “I found it!” Amber exclaimed, her voice unusually animated. Everyone turned to her in confusion.

  “What did you find?” Reyna asked.

  Amber strode over to Donavan’s desk and unceremoniously swept everything off it, causing the poor man who had just returned with a rag to wipe the surface to yelp. She plopped her laptop down and began playing a video.

  The footage came from a hospital security camera stationed outside a room where detectives had been interviewing a young man who was supposed to be dead. The video showed Reyna entering the room, followed minutes later by the young man without the left arm sprinting out.

  “What am I looking at?” Reyna asked, her tone sharp. She didn’t need another reminder of her failure.

  “Exactly!” Amber replied triumphantly. “You need to look closely. Watch this.”

  She rewound the footage and pointed at the screen, focusing on the doorway to the room.

  “See this area here?” she asked. “It’s slightly blurred. Either I am crazy, or this blurred section forms the shape of a silhouette.”

  Reyna leaned in, scrutinizing the screen. At first, she saw nothing unusual. It wasn’t until she replayed the video once more that she noticed what Amber was pointing out. She was right. After Reyna entered the room but before the young man fled, a faint, blurry figure appeared briefly in the frame before disappearing. It was barely visible but lingered just long enough to suggest it had released the sleeping gas that incapacitated them.

  “So, what are you implying?” Reyna asked, her mind racing. The possibilities swirled – hypotheses, conclusions, strategies. “Someone else was there besides us, and we couldn’t see them?”

  “I don’t know,” Amber admitted. “But it’s possible.”

  “Invisibility technology? Ghosts? Grim reapers?” Laura began listing speculative ideas.

  “Could be,” Amber replied, her gaze shifting to Reyna. “But if something similar happened at the Order of Mercy when that batch of serum was stolen, I’m betting they caught something like this on their footage too.”

  Reyna wasn’t listening anymore. Her attention was riveted on the video, blocking out the chatter around her. This was it. The breakthrough she’d been waiting for. It might not look like much, but it was enough to take to her superiors, enough to justify continuing her investigation into the reanimation project.

  Two resurrected individuals were already on the loose. Whatever happened next, Reyna would ensure she was there to witness it.

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