"Wow, you guys and your acronym quirks. What in gods' na is that now?!" I flailed my hands, exasperated.
Fenrir, clearly enjoying himself, took his ti explaining. Turns out the GSSIN was Mythica's equivalent of the FBI and a secret service rolled into one. Fantastic. Just what I needed—another layer of chaos in my life.
"Let officially welco you as a Gleipnir Agent," Fenrir declared with mock seriousness, then added, "It's the safest way to protect you without drawing attention to your connection with Kaleon. This way, I can guarantee your safety."
"Great," I muttered, sighing in resignation. "Will this ss up my work at CCP?"
"Not at all," Fenrir replied smoothly. "You'll still work there, but now you'll be handling special cases. Think of it as an undercover role. Most of the chaos we're dealing with ties back to these traitors anyway. I believe you've had a taste of that already—like when you worked with Agnos?"
I winced, mories of narrowly escaping disasters flooding back. Fenrir was right. Every "quest" I'd undertaken had been riddled with near-death experiences.
It made sense now that soone—or sothing—was behind it all. But then another thought struck .
"Does Naga know about this? He's my boss, and he didn't exactly seem surprised by my extracurricular adventures. Will he be okay with moonlighting as an agent?"
Fenrir scoffed. "Naga? He's the one who proposed it."
My jaw dropped. "What?"
"And," Fenrir added smugly, "I'm on CCP's board of directors. I helped veto the arrangent."
I stared at him, utterly floored. Just how many hats did this wolf god wear? Politician? Business mogul? FBI director? Life must be great when you're an all-powerful, influential deity with a penchant for ddling.
***********
After my eting with Fenrir, I made my way back to CCP, anticipation bubbling under the surface.
It felt good to finally return after such a long and chaotic journey. The past few months had been a whirlwind—filled with dangerous escapades, bizarre encounters, and visits to places I never could have imagined.
As much as I cherished the experience, nothing compared to the prospect of sleeping in an actual bed again. And best of all, I was free—free from Agnos and Jiuge's relentless teasing and their uncanny knack for driving up the wall.
Life, for once, felt peaceful.
What excited most, though, was my new office. My very own space. No more hot-desking or fighting for a quiet corner.
This was an upgrade I was eager to see. And, as if that wasn't enough, Naga had ntioned new colleagues joining the team today. I had my fingers crossed for normal, drama-free coworkers.
As I whistled my way toward the office, Eldrin intercepted with a beaming smile.
"Carl! Welco back!" he said, clapping on the shoulder. "Congrats on the promotion and the new office assignnt. You've earned it!"
"Thanks, Eldrin," I replied, grinning ear to ear. "It's good to be back. Honestly, I can't wait to get back into the groove."
Eldrin chuckled. "You've been missed around here. Oh, and by the way, great idea with the Potluck Corner for the Unicorns! The staff loved it, and the Unicorns? They're thrilled. Finally, they can get food without having to, uh, 'help themselves' to the staff kitchen."
I laughed. "Glad that worked out. Happy Unicorns make for fewer food-related incidents, right?"
"And the Dragonling caretakers? They've been singing your praises too! That cheat sheet you made? Genius. Your notes on handling the Dragonlings have been officially published in the CCP archives as a reference guide. Fewer accidents, happier staff. You've really outdone yourself."
Hearing all this praise made feel both awkward and proud. For soone like —transported into a magical world I barely understood—it was nice to finally feel like I was contributing. Maybe, just maybe, this whole Mythica ordeal wasn't such a bad deal after all.
As I made my way through the corridors of CCP, I ran into Fiona. The mont she saw , her entire deanor shifted. Her usual cool and composed self faltered, and instead, she greeted with an awkward, "Hey, uh, Carl! You're back!"
I tilted my head, puzzled. Fiona wasn't one to act strange—at least not like this. She seed… hesitant. Was she avoiding ? Did I do sothing?
My confusion only deepened when she added, "Listen, Carl, about Tír na nÓg…" Her voice trailed off, and she looked everywhere but at .
Ah. So that's it. I imdiately pieced it together.
"What about it?" I asked, feigning innocence, though my tone betrayed the hint of a grin forming on my lips.
Fiona hesitated, shuffling nervously. "Erm, well…"
Before she could stumble over her words any longer, I spared her the tornt. I leaned in slightly and gave her a knowing smile. "Fiona, whatever happens in Tír na nÓg… stays in Tír na nÓg."
She froze for a second, processing what I said. Then, as if a massive weight had been lifted off her shoulders, she exhaled a deep sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Carl," she said, her voice softer now, a rare smile gracing her face.
And then, to my complete surprise, she gave a quick, fleeting hug—sothing I didn't think Fiona was even capable of. Before I could recover from the shock, she dashed off toward the lab, leaving standing there with a bemused expression.
Tír na nÓg secrets, I thought with a chuckle. I wasn't sure I wanted to rember most of them anyway.
When I reached my new departnt, excitent buzzed in my chest. What would the office look like? Spacious? Cozy? Would my new colleagues be the hardworking, easygoing types I'd been hoping for?
I opened the door, full of hope—and imdiately regretted it.
Sitting at one of the desks was soone—no, two soones—I hoped never to see at CCP.
The first was a purple-haired guy with unmistakable cat ears poking through his hair. He lounged in his chair, sipping tea with the smug confidence of soone who owned the place. The second was a red-haired fox woman with nine massive tails, each one lazily swishing and threatening to overrun her entire cubicle.
Both of them turned toward the second I entered. Their ears perked up in unison, like predators spotting an unsuspecting prey.
"You're late!" Jiuge exclaid, frowning as though I'd committed a mortal sin. "I've been waiting for you to assign a case already! Aren't you supposed to be so star employee? I thought punctuality was your thing."
Late? Late? I was an hour early! The workday didn't even start until 9:00 a.m.! I scread internally.
Agnos, on the other hand, was more concerned about the room's anities—or lack thereof. He glanced around with a disapproving look.
"This office doesn't even have tea," he said flatly. "How is anyone supposed to work like this? We'll need to stock up on supplies. It's embarrassingly empty in here."
My stomach sank. "What are you two doing here?" I asked, already dreading the answer.
"What do you an?" Agnos smirked, leaning back in his chair. "We're your new colleagues."
I froze. My freedom, so short-lived, shattered in an instant.
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