DANTEI stood close to the glass window, watching the quiet road below.A line of dark cars moved toward the compound, polished and guarded. I already knew who it was before I even saw the plate numbers.Pa Jake.His arrival came earlier than expected.I didn’t think he would show up those fast, and that alone made my chest tighten.His convoy moved slowly, escorting cars front and back, like a king moving through enemy land.I adjusted my jacket and left the room quickly.By the time I reached the entrance, the cars had stopped.He stepped out calmly, dressed simple but powerful.The kind of man who didn’t need loud clothing to command fear. He smiled the moment he saw me.“How are you doing, my boy?” he asked.“I’m fine, sir. You’re welcome,” I replied, forcing my voice to sound steady.“Thank you.”That smile stayed on his face. He looked relaxed. Too relaxed.When Elizabeth and I visited him before, he wasn’t this warm.His eyes were colder then.Sharper. Now he felt like a storm

RYANI walked in slow circles.The floor felt cold beneath my shoes, but I didn’t seem to feel it.My thoughts were louder than the room. My reflection moved in the glass of the skyscraper window as I passed again and again.The city looked small from up here.Lights everywhere.Movement everywhere.Life everywhere.And yet I felt far away from all of it.I stopped and placed my hand on the glass. I stared down at the streets. Cars moving, people walking, noise I couldn’t hear.I wished I could be with Jasmine.Not hiding her.Not sending her away.Just being her father.I didn’t want her to feel like she was being pushed out of my life. I didn’t want her to think I chose power over her.The truth was heavier than that. The truth was that anywhere I went, anyone who saw me, anyone who recognized me would try to kill me.They wouldn’t miss her too.That thought stayed in my chest like a wound that wouldn’t close.It will take time.I knew that.Time before I could touch her hands agai

RYAN.I sat down on the stage seat, the bright lights warming my face as the hall slowly filled. One by one, people poured in—parents carrying worry on their shoulders, doctors who had run out of answers, families who had prayed for months. They were all here to see the cure I had worked myself to the bone to create. A cure meant for their children. A cure that was born from my daughter’s suffering.This was the real reason I came to Cassian. Not the power. Not the throne. This. Healing children. Saving as many young lives as this city could send to my doorstep. No child who used my medicine should ever suffer again—not after Jasmine’s battle.The seats were almost full now, people whispering among themselves, eyes fixed on the stage. Hope. Fear. Desperation. I could feel all of it like pressure in my chest.A Cassian scientist walked up to me. “Sir, won’t you need extra hands with this demonstration?”“I’m fine,” I answered. “I need to work with this myself.”Since the day I joined C

DANTE.I sat there quietly, waiting for Elizabeth, trying to control the frustration boiling inside me. The guard had just told me she was coming, and I watched him leave the room. The moment he stepped out, the silence felt heavier. I leaned back in the chair, exhaling slowly, thinking about how much time I’ve wasted trying to make my own moves while she keeps blocking every single one of them.I’ve been trying to attack Ryan, to do something meaningful, to push this war forward in a way that shows I’m not just sitting around. But she’s always in the way. Every step I take, she shuts it down. Every idea I try to bring up, she redirects it to herself. It wasn’t surprising; this is exactly how she operates — she wants control over everything. She wants every plan to carry her name, every move to be credited to her.But still… this wasn’t how things were supposed to go. We agreed to work together. I thought she meant it. Now, it feels like she only wants a partner when it suits her—ever

RYANThe sunlight passed gently through the trees and hit my eyes, pulling me out of a restless sleep.We had rested throughout the night, though “rest” was not the right wordMy mind barely stopped racing. After everything that happened yesterday the search, the dead ends, the frustration I only slept because my body force me to.I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. Outside the tent, the forest felt alive. Birds perched everywhere, jumping from branch to branch, their wings brushing against leaves.Some of them kept hitting the same tree as if they were playing. The forest was peaceful, natural nothing like the city… but I couldn’t enjoy any of it.I wasn’t here to relax.I wasn’t here for natureI was here because Mary was missing.Julian entered the tent. He didn’t say anything at first. He just walked over and handed me a cup of tea.I took it and took a sip it tasted fresh, natural, like the forest itself. But even that couldn’t calm me.Then he spoke. “So you won’t go to the hospit