The night sky over the west side of the city burned with a dull orange glow. Smoke drifted above the rooftops like slow-moving ghosts. Sirens wailed in the far distance, rising and falling in broken waves. The streets were empty except for the shadows of Wolfe’s shock teams moving in tight formation. Their armor hummed with strange energy, and their steps were steady and cold.Landon stood on the rooftop of an old factory, breathing slowly. The cold wind brushed against his face and carried the heavy smell of fire and oil. His hands were steady but his heart beat hard in his chest. He could feel the strange new pulse inside him again, the strange whisper of something that was not quite sight and not quite sound. It was like soft echoes moving before him, showing shapes that had not fully happened yet.He kept his eyes focused on the alley below.Claire climbed up behind him, silent but tense, and when she reached him she stopped, watching his shoulders rise and fall. “You do not ha

The night settled over Milwaukee like a heavy cloak, thick with heat and tension. The city was alive with rumors, whispers that moved faster than vehicles, faster than fear itself. Riverline was still smoking after the battle, and while some districts celebrated the small victory, others trembled. Everyone sensed a shift in the air. Wolfe had taken hits he did not expect, and whenever a warlord was wounded, he responded with blood.Priya moved quickly through a series of back alleys, keeping her head low and her hood pulled forward. The neon lights reflected in the puddles around her feet, stretching and breaking with every step. The small device in her hand pulsed with a blue signal, showing multiple dots converging on a safehouse a few blocks ahead.Behind her, Marcus and Navarro followed. Marcus looked irritated, which meant he was ready for trouble. Navarro kept his eyes on every shadow, his rifle held close but lowered, ready to rise in a heartbeat. They were deep in cartel t

The storm lasted through the night. When morning came, the sky over Milwaukee looked gray and tired, like it had been fighting a battle of its own. The Vanguard headquarters buzzed with quiet urgency. Everyone moved quickly, whispering updates, checking equipment, and preparing for the next phase of Claire’s long-game strategy.Landon walked through the hall with a strange heaviness in his steps. His foresight ability flickered every few minutes, showing him short, sharp flashes of troubleblurry shapes of drones moving through alleys, false orders spreading like poison, frightened civilians running. The images came and went like small ghosts tapping at his mind. But he kept moving. Because today was Jin’s day. Today, the digital war would hit its peak.When Landon entered the control room, Jin was already at the center of it all. Screens surrounded him like a glowing arc. He wore a simple hoodie, sleeves rolled back to his elbows. His hair stuck out in messy spikes. His eyes were sh

Smoke still curled up from the broken housing complex as Claire stood at the edge of the collapse. The flames had been put out, but the air still tasted like burned wood and fear. Sirens echoed across the street. Flashing blue and red lights painted her face again and again, revealing how pale she had become.Her hands shook. Not from the cold. But from the thought of Landon buried somewhere in the dark below.Priya stepped beside her. Her eyes were red. “Claire, the building is not stable. If you go in, you might be walking into a grave.”Claire did not blink. “Then I walk into it anyway.”Navarro slowly came forward. His armor was dented and scorched. “We’ll go in together, Captain.”She shook her head. “No. I can move faster alone.”Marcus glared. “Faster doesn’t matter if you die.”Claire turned toward Jin, who was kneeling near a pile of broken concrete with his scanner. “Can you track him?”Jin swallowed. His device pulsed with faint blue light. “Not exactly. I can track the ar

The city did not sleep anymore. Sirens echoed down every street. Windows shook. Every person, every corner, every shadow felt tight with fear.Wolfe had responded to the Marketplace uprising with full anger. Curfews. Executions. Blockades.Mass surveillance drones. Heavy patrols on every road. Shock troopers dragging people from homes. It felt like the whole city was sinking into a warzone. And the Vanguard had no time to rest.Landon moved through the narrow alley behind a damaged bakery. Sweat rolled down his neck. His breath was heavy. His clothes were burnt and torn from the last fight. Behind him, Navarro carried an old man with a broken leg. Priya guided two frightened teenagers. Marcus kept watch behind them, his movements sharp and angry.Claire walked at the front. Her hair was tied back. Her face was pale. Her voice trembled with exhaustion, but her steps stayed steady. “We need to get these civilians to the safehouse two blocks up,” she said quietly.Navarro grunted. “Two