Nathan sat cross-legged on the floor of his meditation room, the faint hum of biofrequency emitters surrounding him like a cocoon. The room was designed for silence—no distractions, no digital interference. His breath was steady, the ring on his finger pulsating gently with every inhale. He focused inward, extending his awareness beyond the room, threading his mind through the city’s ambient noise like fingers through fog.Somewhere, across the city, another meeting was happening—one not on any calendar, one hidden in static and shadow. And Nathan reached for it.His consciousness brushed against the edge of something sharp.A presence.Then—a wall.Not stone or steel. Not electronic.A mind.And not just any mind—a fortress wrapped in smoke and ancient discipline.Nathan pushed.The wall hit back.White-hot pain lanced through his skull. His breath caught. Blood burst from his nose as if something inside his brain had cracked.He recoiled, gasping, one hand clawing at the floor. The

The soft click of her heels echoed against the pavement as Harper stepped out of the pharmacy, adjusting the bag of medical supplies under her arm. Nathan had been pushing himself hard lately—mentally, physically, emotionally—and she’d insisted on handling errands alone this evening. A small favor. A moment of normalcy.She didn’t see the shadow slip behind her until it was too late.A sharp sting pierced her neck, and then darkness swallowed everything.---Lucas wiped the sweat from his brow, staring at the surveillance feed with a crooked smirk. Harper lay unconscious in the middle of a polished steel room, her wrists strapped gently but firmly to a reclining medical chair. The lighting was dim, designed to disorient but not harm. He wasn’t here to torture.He was here to talk.He adjusted his jacket, the sleeves tugging uncomfortably over his still-healing shoulder. The hospital had finally discharged him with a long list of "no activity" warnings—but Lucas had never been good at