We moved through the yard slowly, stepping carefully to avoid anything that could snap under our feet. The closer we got to the house, the more details became visible. The windows weren’t broken like I initially thought; they were just dirty, neglected. The curtains were drawn from the inside, which meant someone used this place at least occasionally.

We reached the front door. It was heavy, made of dark wood, and looked solid. I stepped aside and nodded to Cora.

"Your turn."

She crouched down and pulled a small lockpicking kit from her pocket. Her hands moved with quiet precision as she inserted the tools into the lock. I stayed standing, keeping watch, my attention split between the yard behind us and the house itself.

Every second stretched longer than it should have. The wind rattled something loose nearby, and I felt my muscles tense instinctively.

"Almost," she whispered.

A soft click followed.

She looked up at me. "Got it."

I nodded. "Nice."

She pushed the door open slowly, careful to avoid any noise. We slipped inside and closed it behind us.

The interior was completely dark. I waited a moment, letting my eyes adjust. The faint light from outside gave just enough visibility to make out shapes. A wide hallway stretched ahead, lined with furniture that had been covered with thin sheets. The air smelled stale, like the place hadn’t been properly aired out in a while.

"Stay close," I whispered.

We moved forward carefully, our steps controlled.

Then I heard it. A faint sound from deeper inside the house. It wasn’t loud, but it was enough to make me stop instantly. I raised a hand to signal Cora.

She froze behind me.

The sound came again, clearer this time. It was movement, subtle but unmistakable. I leaned slightly toward the wall and peeked around the corner of the hallway.

There was a man sitting in a chair near a side room. A small lamp beside him cast a dim light. He wasn’t doing much, just sitting there with his head slightly lowered, like he was bored or tired.

I pulled back immediately.

"There’s someone inside," I whispered. "Looks like security... shit, there’s a backdoor there."

Cora swallowed quietly. "What do we do?"

"We avoid him," I said. "No risks."

We moved back slowly, retracing our steps just enough to find another path. A narrower hallway branched off near the entrance, darker and less used. We took it without hesitation.

The corridor led us to a staircase.

"We go up," I whispered.

Cora moved first, her steps light and careful. I followed right behind her. One of the steps creaked slightly under my weight, and I froze again, listening for any reaction from downstairs. There was nothing. Either he didn’t hear it or didn’t care enough to check.

We reached the second floor without incident.

Well, if shit hit the fan, I could always use Time Stop. But... I really didn’t want to spend my credits for nothing... because of the penalty Mana gave me.

There were several doors along the hallway. We checked them one by one, moving quickly but quietly. One room looked like a guest bedroom, another like storage. None of them felt like the main room.

Then we found a set of double doors at the end of the hall.

"That should be it," I said quietly.

Cora tried the handle. It was locked.

She knelt down again, pulling out her tools. This lock took a little longer. I kept my eyes on the staircase, expecting to hear footsteps at any moment.

"Almost there," she whispered.

Another soft click.

She pushed the doors open carefully, and we slipped inside, closing them behind us.

The room was large, easily the biggest in the house. Even in the dim light, it was clear that this was the master bedroom. A large bed sat in the center, with wide windows facing the sea. The furniture was expensive, clean, and well-maintained compared to the rest of the house.

Cora immediately took out the small camera from her pocket.

"No time to waste," she said.

I nodded and moved to the other side of the room, scanning for a good spot. We needed somewhere that had a clear view of the bed and most of the room but wouldn’t be easily noticed.

"Here," I whispered, pointing toward a decorative shelf near the corner.

She joined me and adjusted the camera, carefully positioning it between a couple of objects so it blended in. She checked the angle, adjusted it again, then nodded.

"Perfect."

Just as she finished, we both heard something. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

A faint noise from downstairs.

We froze.

Footsteps.

Slow. Approaching.

I looked at Cora, and she looked back at me. No words were needed.

We moved quickly but quietly toward the door. I pressed my ear against it. The footsteps were louder now, moving through the hallway below.

"He’s moving," I whispered.

"We need to go," she replied.

I opened the door just enough to peek outside. The hallway upstairs was still empty.

"Now," I said.

We slipped out and closed the bedroom door quietly behind us, but before I could take another step down the hallway, Cora grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

"Wait," she whispered.

I frowned and looked at her. "What?"

"We can’t leave it like this," she said, glancing at the door.

"What do you mean? It’s closed."

"It’s not locked," she replied. "If Jack comes back and notices that, he’ll know someone was here. People like him pay attention to small things."

I exhaled softly, already getting what she meant. "So we lock it and go."

She shook her head. "No, we still have the front door to think about. If that’s unlocked too, it’ll be obvious."

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to think fast. "So what’s the plan?"

"I’ll stay here," she said immediately. "I’ll go back inside, make sure everything looks untouched, then lock the bedroom from the inside. After that, I’ll leave through the window."

I looked at her. "And me?"

"You go downstairs and lock the front door," she replied. "Then you leave from the back. Less risk of being seen together."

I hesitated for a second, then nodded. "You’re seriously thinking of everything, huh?"

She gave a small, shy smile. "Trying to."

"Alright," I muttered. "Be careful."

"You too."

Cora was acting... different. No stuttering, no shyness. Just pure focus. Wow.

She slipped back into the bedroom without another word and quietly shut the door. A second later, I heard the faint click of the lock turning from the inside.

I stood there for a moment, listening. No sudden noises. No footsteps rushing toward us.

Good.