On his way returning from Montgomery, Evans decided to stop at a nearby guest house where he could spend the night before returning to his hideout with the international observers. His body ached from the strain of the road, but more than fatigue, it was paranoia gnawing at him. With Hayes and his cohorts still hunting him, every shadow felt like a spy, every passing glance like a threat. Safety, he knew, depended on caution.The guest house looked quiet—too quiet—but the soft glow of lanterns at the entrance promised temporary peace. Evans adjusted his collar, brushed dust from his jacket, and pushed the wooden door open.For a brief moment, he stopped to think about Samantha, the memories of their last time together returning to him.At that point, he couldn't deny the fact that he missed her. Samantha had opened up something inside of him, that he never thought he'd feel.At first she hadn't looked like someone who'd reciprocate his love, but with time, they've both learned how to

The following morning, Evans suggested they return to Sky Tower and ask Mr. Copper what he might know about all that they had just discovered. Of all the people still within reach, Copper was the only one Evans trusted to provide answers — the one man who might be able to untangle the mess before it consumed them.It was a risky proposal. Evans knew that better than anyone. Superintendent Hayes had eyes everywhere now, and Whitaker’s coerced signature had placed Evans on a knife’s edge, although he wasn't aware of that yet. Returning to Sky Tower was practically walking into a hornet’s nest, but the truth was worth the sting.Jack was the first to voice what all three of them were thinking.“Elara’s men… they’ll be watching. We’re not exactly invisible anymore.”Celestine shifted uneasily, her voice quieter but no less sharp. “Are you sure about this?”Evans tightened his grip on the keys in his hand, the metal biting into his palm. “I’m sure. If we keep running blind, we’re dead alr

The drive to the hospital was a blur. Jackson barely remembered the red lights they ran, the horns that blared in protest, or the jagged silence that sat in the car like a storm about to break. Nancy sat beside him, her hands clutched so tightly in her lap her knuckles shone pale in the dim light. Behind them, James, Samantha, Andrew, and Hailey pressed close together, each wearing the same mask of fear they were too afraid to name.Mr. Copper drove, but all through the journey, he didn’t speak. None of them did. Only the city’s morning sounds filled the silence—the faint hum of traffic, the occasional wail of a distant siren, and their own breathing, heavy with dread.When they pulled up outside Mercy General, the chaos was already there waiting for them. Flashing lights painted the entrance red and blue. Paramedics rushed gurneys inside, while police officers held back onlookers straining for a glimpse of tragedy. Jackson pushed through, his group trailing behind him as if pulled

The hospital corridor smelled of antiseptic and weariness. Bella had been pacing outside Dr. Celestine’s room for what felt like hours. Jackson hadn’t left the bedside since he arrived after the doctor broke the news to him. She could see him through the glass panel in the door—his broad shoulders hunched, his head bowed as though sheer will alone could keep Celestine tethered to life.When the doctor emerged, Bella froze. His expression carried the weight of bad news tempered by careful professionalism. He spoke quietly, updating Jackson on Celestine’s fragile state, the danger of relapse and so on. Bella had caught only fragments—“multiple complications… Beyond modern medicine.”But what struck her wasn’t the words—it was Jackson’s face. The fierce devotion in his eyes. The way he clenched the chair’s armrest like it was the only thing holding him together. The way he leaned forward when the doctor spoke, not for himself, but for Celestine.Bella pressed a hand to her chest, fight

For a long moment, none of the three men spoke. Then Zhang finally shifted, “Our goal here, Mr. Hart, is survival. Not just ours. Not just yours. The world’s.”Jackson’s brow furrowed, suspicion threading his features. Zhang continued.“You face the Red Eclipse — a convergence older than empires. If the Flameborn remains untempered, if the Phoenix bond remains unsevered, the balance breaks. The old fires will return, and with them, Ignis Reclamation.”"Ignis Reclamation..." Jackson repeated, remembering what Dylan had told him then.Dmitry let out a humorless laugh, the sound rough as gravel. “Yes, Mr. Hart. Ignis Reclamation is the ultimate end."Zhang raised a hand, silencing Dmitry before his bluntness tipped the balance too far. “Our offer is simple: we help you prepare. We give you knowledge, resources, access to rites even Copper himself cannot unlock. But in return…” He let the words settle like iron in the air. “You will submit to a monitored ritual. One that will keep the d