The road stretched ahead in long, quiet lines.Gray sky. Dark water. Jagged edges of land that never quite softened, no matter how far they drove.It felt unfinished.Like the world here had been carved out halfway and then… abandoned.Carlos kept his hands steady on the wheel, of the car they had rented specifically for this ‘tour’, eyes forward, posture relaxed in a way that only looked casual if you didn’t know him.Because beneath that— He was watching everything.Eli hadn’t spoken in a while.Not since Lofoten.Not since that shift in tone that had settled into something sharper… more deliberate.Carlos let the silence sit for a bit longer before he finally exhaled lightly through his nose.“…So,” he started, voice cutting gently into the quiet, “we just gonna keep driving until we hit the ocean again or—”“That’s enough.”Carlos blinked once.Not because of the words.But because of how calm they were.He glanced sideways briefly.Eli hadn’t moved much—still leaning slightly bac

The hallway outside Selene’s room was quieter than Eli expected.It wasn't empty, it was something he had come to accept. There were always people moving in a place like this. Staff. Security. Guests. He nodded briefly at one the security — while hoping they were really what he thought they were.But despite all the activity going on in the hallway, it was quiet enough.Quiet enough for his thoughts to feel louder than they should.Eli walked steadily, hands relaxed at his sides, his expression neutral—but his mind wasn’t.Not even close.Lyra found me.The words replayed, but not in his voice.In hers.The way she had repeated it, as the word sank in. The way she had looked at him.The elevator ride passed in silence. The soft hum, the faint shift of motion—none of it registered beyond background noise.By the time the doors slid open, Eli was already moving again.Focused.Or at least—trying to be.He reached his room, keycard sliding through the lock with a quiet click before the d

Selene didn’t open the file. For some reason her mind told her she was going to need to sit down for this. But first she needed to leave the hospital.She couldn't tell if it had to do with not wanting the personnel to return telling her he had made another mistake.Or if it had to do with the crowd that was now steadily growing in the hallway.Whichever ever it was she didn't want to know…. So she held the file firmly instead, her fingers pressing just enough against the edges to remind herself it was real.Then she turned, and began walking towards the exit.Her strides… fast but purposeful.The hotel felt different on the way back.Or maybe it was just her.Every sound seemed sharper. Every movement seemed more noticeable. The quiet no longer felt controlled—It felt like something waiting.Selene didn’t slow down until she reached her door.Then— she inserted her Keycard.A click indicating it was open.Glancing around for a slight moment she stepped inside.The door shut behind h

Selene didn’t hesitate.The moment the screen went dark, the decision had already been made.Waiting didn't feel safe anymore.It felt extremely risky.And Selene didn’t deal in risks she couldn’t measure.The flight was secured within minutes.Private. Discreet. Untraceable beyond the layers she allowed.Italy to Zürich wasn’t far—not by her standards—but tonight, every second felt like something that could be used against her.Or worse—Something that could expose her.She moved through the terminal like she belonged there.Because she did.No wasted motion. No unnecessary attention.Just another figure in controlled transit.But beneath it—Her mind didn’t stop.It couldn’t.The memo replayed.The true heir was lost in the fire.Her jaw tightened slightly.Fire. Loss. Replacement.87%.Prototype.Each piece circled the other, refusing to settle into anything complete.And that was what unsettled her the most.Not what she knew—But how close she was to understanding something she w

Eli didn’t react immediately.Not because the words hadn’t registered—but because they had, too clearly.The False Son of Leonhart.For a brief second, something in his chest tightened, something sharp and unfamiliar, but it didn’t reach his face. His expression remained steady, composed, the same controlled calm he had carried into the meeting.If they were watching for a reaction—and they were—he wasn’t about to give them one.Instead, he leaned back slightly in his seat, letting out a quiet breath that almost passed for amusement.“That’s an interesting title,” he said, his tone even, almost conversational, like they had just made a passing comment about the weather.There was a faint shift on the other end of the screen, the kind that came when people expected resistance and didn’t get it.“We prefer accuracy,” one of them replied smoothly.Eli nodded once, like he was considering that.“I’ll keep that in mind.”And just like that, the meeting continued.No one circled back to it.