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Her mouth tilted, not quite a smile, something more complicated and fleeting.

I put the communicator on the table. “Someone flagged the mission.”

The amusement disappeared from her face. “What does that mean?”

“They know it remains incomplete.”

Her gaze sharpened. “Incomplete as in you haven’t returned me?”

“Yes.”

“Or incomplete as in I’m still alive?”

I did not answer immediately.

Her face changed. “That one.”

“Talia—”

“No.” She sat forward. “Don’t soften it now. Which?”

“The mission included termination authority.”

“I know you were authorized to kill me.”

Not exactly. She knew enough to suspect the order was severe. Not the full wording. Not yet.

I had not told her that termination was not merely a contingency. That the order had been repeated.

My silence lasted too long. Talia saw it.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Before I could answer, the communicator activated.

One pulse. Black priority. My body went cold.

Talia’s eyes dropped to the device. “What is that?”

I picked it up.

The message opened automatically. No sender identification. No routing details. Only authorization language.

TARGET STATUS: ACTIVE.

RECOVERY NO LONGER REQUIRED.

My hand went still.

The next line appeared.

TERMINATION MANDATORY.

For several seconds, I read the words without processing them. The Veil had issued termination orders before. Direct ones. Final ones.

They did not come with ambiguity. No judgment. No discretion.

Complete the objective.