The Cold Chain of Blood

Mercury adjusted her cap slightly, her hand steady despite the fire burning within her.

She stood across from the man who had once called himself their father, a man who had abandoned her and Milo years ago without so much as a backward glance.

The small café seemed far too bright for a moment like this, and the faint murmur of chatter around them grated on her nerves. Still, she kept her voice even, her gaze unwavering.

"You know why I'm here," she began, sliding a neat stack of papers onto the table. "Milo's contract."

The man looked up at her, his expression unnervingly calm, almost detached. His presence carried an ominous weight as if he were testing her limit with every second that passed.

He tilted his head slightly, a faint smile creeping across his lips, but Mercury wasn't going to let him unsettle her.