Through the portal, Marcus saw a city that shouldn't exist. Not buildings exactly, but structures that shifted between architecture from a dozen different cultures and time periods. Roman columns bleeding into Gothic spires, which morphed into crystalline towers that looked like they'd been grown rather than built.And everywhere, people. Hundreds of them moving through the streets with the same supernatural grace Marcus recognized in himself. Some looked almost entirely human. Others had features that marked them as something else—eyes that glowed, skin with patterns like his own, proportions that were just slightly wrong."My God," Sophia whispered, her tablet frantically recording everything. "It's not just an army. It's an entire civilization."Catherine's voice came through the speaker with unmistakable pride. "Fifteen generations of hybrids, all living together, building something new. We have scholars, artists, engineers, healers. Not just soldiers, Marcus. A whole society."Ma

The air in the sanctuary felt thick, wrong, like breathing through syrup. Marcus's supernatural senses were screaming warnings, but not about danger—about wrongness. The dimensional space itself was sick, reality bleeding at the edges like an infected wound."It's worse than it looks from the outside," Richard said, steadying Marcus as he stumbled. "The dimensional decay affects perception. Give yourself a minute to adjust."Marcus forced himself to breathe, to let his transformed body adapt to the alien environment. Slowly, the sanctuary came into focus properly. What had looked peaceful from Earth showed its cracks up close. Buildings flickered, sometimes there and sometimes not. The ground beneath his feet felt uncertain, like it might stop existing at any moment."How long do you really have?" he asked."Three days. Maybe four." Lyra appeared beside them, her silver hair seeming to phase slightly in and out of visibility. "The dimensional anchors are failing. When they go complete

Marcus woke up to the smell of antiseptic and the sound of arguing. His hands were wrapped in bandages that felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, and every nerve ending in his body was filing a formal complaint."He's awake," Elena said, and suddenly she was there, her face hovering above him. "Don't try to move. Your hands are pretty messed up.""Define messed up.""Third-degree burns at minimum. Some kind of dimensional scarring that our doctors have never seen before. And you're completely human now—no trace of supernatural abilities remaining." She said it gently, but Marcus heard the underlying concern."So I'm useless.""You saved four hundred sixty people. That's the opposite of useless."Marcus tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. His body felt wrong, lighter somehow. The constant hum of supernatural energy that had become background noise was gone, leaving him feeling naked and vulnerable."How long

The command center was in organized chaos when they arrived. Screens showed news broadcasts from around the world, all covering the same story: Victor Ashford had unveiled a massive complex somewhere in international waters, a floating city designed specifically for supernatural beings."He's calling it Haven," Sophia said, pulling up architectural schematics. "Three square miles of advanced technology and supernatural infrastructure. Housing for ten thousand residents, training facilities, research labs, and enough defensive systems to repel a small army.""When did he build all this?" Sarah demanded. "You can't construct something that size overnight.""He didn't. According to the intelligence Raven's people gathered, he's been building it for years. Ever since the Syndicate started planning their integration project." Sophia zoomed in on specific details. "It's built on what used to be an oil rig platform, expanded and modified with technology that's decades ahead of anything human

Marcus found Elena on one of the facility's observation decks, staring out at the city lights. She didn't turn when he approached, which told him exactly how upset she was."I'm sorry," he said, because he didn't know what else to say."For what? Making the smart tactical decision? Choosing pragmatism over principles?" Her voice was flat. "You did what you thought was necessary. I get it.""But you don't like it.""I don't like what it means." Elena finally turned to face him. "Five years ago, you were the guy who always tried to do the right thing, even when it cost you. Now you're making deals with crime lords and sacrificing ethics for expedience.""Five years ago I was naive. And weak." Marcus leaned against the railing, his ruined hands making balance difficult. "The world broke me of that.""Did it break you, or did you let it change you into something you never wanted to be?"The question hit harder than any physi