Location: The Throne Chamber, Unknown DimensionThe sight rooted Eden in place. Suspended in the chamber of light was a version of herself untouched, unbroken, perfect. Every line of its face was hers, yet free of scars, free of pain, free of memory.Grayson whispered, disbelief tightening his throat. "she looks like you, but she’s not you.”The patriarch raised his hands as if revealing some grand truth. “This is the vessel destined for the chain. You what you call yourself, Eden are an echo. A fragment splintered from her soul, born into flesh prematurely, You were never meant to exist.”The words tore through her like knives. “Never meant to exist?” Her hands trembled, Her chest heaved. Every bruise, every humiliation, every moment of servitude at the hands of the wealthy flashed in her mind. And now this man dared to call her a mistake.Grayson stepped forward, shielding her instinctively. “Don’t listen to him You’re real, You’re flesh, blood, and will That thing he pointed to th

Location: Skybridge District, MidnightThe city was no longer the same.Eden stumbled onto the rooftop of a crumbling high-rise, her body still trembling from the vessel’s destruction. Grayson caught her before she collapsed, his hands gripping her shoulders.The skyline burned with unnatural brilliance. Threads of white and crimson light stretched across towers, linking them in a lattice that crowned the city like a pulsating halo.“What… what is that?” Eden whispered.Grayson’s face hardened.“The Ascendancy Protocol. Marlow’s finally triggered it.”THE SKY BLEEDSBelow, traffic had frozen People poured into the streets, gazing upward in awe and terror as skyscrapers became conduits of power. Windows glowed with symbols no one could understand. Bridges hummed with static.And above all, the Spire the tallest tower in the district throbbed like the heart of a living god. From hidden loudspeakers, Marlow Vex’s voice unfurled across the city.“People of Ashbourne, tonight the old blood

Location: The Cathedral SafehouseThe stained-glass windows were shattered long ago, but the moonlight spilled through their jagged remains, painting Eden in fractured color as she stood before her makeshift coalition.Grayson unrolled a faded map of the city across the cracked altar.“Every pulse of Marlow’s control comes from his Spire, but the Spire itself is shielded. The key isn’t there it’s in the relay towers feeding it. Take one down, and we weaken his grip.”Cole tapped the map with a scarred finger.“This one. South District relay. Guarded, but not impossible. We cut it, we prove to the people that Marlow isn’t invincible.”Eden’s eyes scanned the faces around her exiles, deserters, smugglers, ordinary citizens who had chosen to rise. Each waited for her word. Her throat tightened But she didn’t flinch. “We strike tonight.”PREPARATIONThe safehouse buzzed with movement. Lena armed herself with stolen explosives, muttering under her breath about “suicidal brilliance.” Dorian

Location: The SpireHarriet was led through the winding obsidian halls of Marlow’s fortress, her wrists shackled, her head held high. The guards tried to push her forward roughly, but she moved with a queen’s composure, every step echoing like defiance.She had been stripped of her silks, forced into a plain gown, but nothing could strip the steel from her gaze. The double doors opened, and she was ushered into the throne chamber.There he was Marlow. Crimson eyes glimmering like molten embers, hands resting casually on the armrests of his black throne. Shadows curled at his feet as though the stone itself bent toward him. “Harriet Beaumont,” Marlow purred, his voice smooth as oil. “At last.”A CLASH OF WILLSHarriet did not bow, Did not flinch. She met his gaze head-on.“You sent monsters to butcher innocents. And now you summon me like a guest at your court. What game are you playing?”Marlow chuckled, a sound both amused and chilling.“Straight to the heart of it. I see why the ser

Location: The Spire – Marlow’s Prison ChambersThe air was damp, reeking of iron and mildew. A single torch burned weakly in the corner, its light struggling against the heavy stone walls, Chains rattled with every shallow breath Harriet took.She sat slumped against the wall, wrists bound above her head. Her fine gown was torn, her face streaked with dirt, but her eyes sharp, unbroken glimmered in the gloom.THE MOCKING VISITORThe door groaned open, Footsteps echoed on stone. Marlow entered He wore no armor now just a dark coat, tailored, almost regal. The arrogance in his stride filled the chamber more than any torchlight.He carried a glass of wine as though he were stepping into a drawing room rather than a dungeon. “My lady,” he drawled, bowing mockingly. “How strange to see you without your little court of servants. Tell me does the mighty Harriet Beaumont enjoy the taste of dust?”Harriet forced herself to lift her chin, Her voice was hoarse, but steady. “You’ll never break me