The Prime Shard lunged.This time faster.Sharper.More deliberateas if Alex's creative spurt had stirred up something predatory inside it.The guardians reacted in a moment, but the creature's limbs cut through them like tearing silk. Light scattered across the Rift platform, fading into the void.Alex braced himself as the Shard’s limb came crashing downbut at the last second, Amara pulled him aside. They rolled hard across the shimmering floor, coming to rest beside a fractured strand of reality, one where the threads dimmed and pulsed weakly.“Alex!” she exclaimed breathlessly. “Are you okay?”He nodded, though the shock still rattled through him. “Yeah—yeah, I'm fine.”The Shard turned toward them once more.Callum and Mia rushed in from either side, attacking with flanking strikes; he fired high frequency bursts while Mia sliced at the lower limbs of the beast with a fresh pair of thread-forged blades.For a moment, it worked.The creature staggered, giving them breathing room

Elena woke up before Adrian did.She lay and listened to the steady rise and fall of his breathing for what felt like a long, quiet moment. Early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm, gold-pink wash across his bare shoulders. His arm was over her waist, heavy and protective, as if even in sleep his body knew where she belonged.With him.Always with him,The tips of her fingers curled lightly against his chest, and she felt the soft thrum of his heartbeat slow, strong, unhurried. The events of last night still lingered in every corner of the room, in every part of her body, in every thought. The way he had held her. The whispered utterance of her name like a promise he had waited his entire life to make. The way he had kissed her as though he wanted to rewrite her past and build her future with his hands.She smiled softly.Adrian Vale, the man she once thought was made of ice and shadows, slept like a man finally at peace.But it didn't last long.His breath sh

Adrian remained silent, for a pause.He merely remained still observing Elena as though he was contemplating the level of risk he was prepared to let her face…. The extent of truth she was entitled to bear.At last he shifted.He entered the penthouse quietly. With intention and Elena trailed behind him not on his command but because she sensed that what was about to happen would change everything.Adrian paused in front of a cabinet in his study.A cupboard Elena recognized…. She had never witnessed him unlocking it.He placed his thumb on a scanner subtly positioned on the side.With a click the metal locks shifted and the door swung open.Inside wasn’t money.Or weapons.Whatever she anticipated.Just a small black case.Adrian took it out. Set it down on the desk.Elena felt her throat constrict. "Is that all?”“This " he murmured softly "explains why Marcus Eldridge has not rested soundly for years.”He released the case clip.Inside lay a single hard drive.Sleek. Black.Unassum

The Wellspring kept churning after the Oracle disappeared, its waters stirring with dim shapes that faded away before anyone could interpret them. The room grew denser laden, with expectancy, fear and an undefined presence no one could identify.Alex stepped backward breathing irregularly. "She’s toying with us. The Oracle's aim is to frighten us.”Amara kept her gaze fixed on the pool. "Not fearful. Conscious. The Wellspring exposes what we choose to ignore.”Mia crossed her arms firmly. "She mentioned we’d need to give up someone. That’s not going to happen.”The Wellspring abruptly illuminated, beams of light ascending in radiant threads. These threads. Swirled, creating a dome, over the pool a dome composed of vibrant ever-changing symbols.Callum gazed, eyes wide open. "Those symbols… Alex, Mia check it out. They match the ones we spotted at the canyon portal. The identical language.”Alex moved nearer. "The thread-script.”“No, " Amara murmured. "More mature.”The characters shi