Story Chapter 8: A Suspicious Encounter

Red Mirage had intended to observe the rear entrance for only a few moments, but her curiosity kept her lingering beside the locked door. The red indicator on the access panel glowed steadily while the security camera above continued watching the area. She pretended to stretch, raising both hands to the top of her head as she caught her breath, sweat still glistening across her forehead and cheeks from her jog. Unfortunately, her unusual presence had not gone unnoticed. The uniformed guard beside the entrance narrowed his eyes, stepped away from his post, and approached her with a stern expression. “Ma'am, this is private property. Turn around and place your hands on your head!” he ordered firmly. Red Mirage froze for a brief moment, then turned toward him, widening her brown eyes and letting uncertainty spread across her face. She had to react quickly without revealing the real reason she had been studying the entrance. “Oh! I'm just outside for a morning walk,” she replied in a practiced, nervous voice, her hands hovering uncertainly near her head. She gave a small, uneasy laugh, trying to appear like an ordinary jogger who had accidentally wandered too close to a restricted area. “I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to be here.” The guard remained serious, showing no sign that her explanation had changed his mind. Red Mirage slowly raised both hands onto her head as instructed, keeping her movements cautious while watching him from the corner of her eye. “Are you going to arrest me?” she asked, making her voice tremble slightly as though the possibility genuinely frightened her. Beneath the carefully performed nervousness, her mind was racing. She had lingered too long, and now the guard was focused entirely on her rather than his post. She could no longer casually inspect the door or pretend that she had simply been passing by. For the moment, she decided to cooperate and maintain her innocent appearance, hoping the guard would accept her explanation and let her leave with nothing more than a warning. Yet as she stood beside the restricted entrance with her hands on her head, Red Mirage realized that her attempt to get closer to the facility had brought her into a situation she had not planned for.