Michael's eyes opened suddenly. For a few seconds, he didn't know where he was. The dim light of the medical room slowly came into focus as his eyes adjusted, and he stared at the ceiling while trying to remember how he had gotten there. His whole body felt heavy and sore, almost as if he had spent days fighting without rest. His throat was painfully dry, so he swallowed a few times before slowly raising both hands in front of his face. He flexed his fingers, watching them move normally, and memories of what had happened beneath the island came rushing back. The fusion core, the strange energy surrounding it, the feeling of it draining him, and finally the desperate decision he had made to tear himself away from it all came back in pieces. Michael blinked and stared at his hands for another moment. "That was... Really dangerous." He slowly pushed himself upright, pausing when dizziness washed over him. He closed his eyes and waited for the room to stop spinning before standing. H

The next evening, Barry and Adrian sat at a corner table inside a quiet restaurant. The entire place had been rented out for the night, leaving the two of them with complete privacy. Considering the person they were meeting was a member of the UCA, neither of them wanted unnecessary ears around. There was also a good chance that their guest was a president or some other high-ranking political figure, they didn't want civilians to be dragged into whatever was about to happen. Barry sat with his back against the wall, keeping an eye on the entrance while Adrian leaned comfortably in his chair and took another sip from his drink. "What's taking them so long?" Adrian asked, glancing toward the entrance again. "Maybe they're getting their bulletproof vest ready." Barry answered dryly. Adrian snickered. "What country do you think this one came all the way from?" "Who knows?" Barry replied, "The UCA has members scattered all over the world. Could be anyone." Adrian took another sip a

Fog Island. Ian's office was tense. He paced from one side of the room to the other, occasionally glancing through the window toward the eastern side of the island. "The cracks are getting worse.” He muttered in frustration. They were no longer small fractures that could be dismissed as harmless damage. Some had widened enough for people to see the darkness underneath the soil, while others stretched through the forest and toward the shorelines. The island was slowly breaking apart. The people were taking the situation badly. Some had stopped sleeping properly, afraid that the ground beneath them could collapse while they were asleep. Others constantly checked the cracks whenever they went outside, almost expecting them to suddenly spread beneath their feet. Even the soldiers were struggling to maintain their usual discipline. They had weapons, training and experience, but none of that could help them fight an island that was literally coming apart beneath them. Every distant

Gordon arrived a few hours later and met Barry at the eastern Nexarian coast. It was already noon, and the coastal port was busy with sailors, workers and officials moving between the docks. Beyond them, the blue-gray waters stretched toward the horizon, eventually leading to the dangerous region known as the Blackwater Expanse. Barry had been waiting near the designated checkpoint, his eyes occasionally drifting toward the ocean as he wondered how far away Michael really was. After a brief handshake, Gordon looked at him seriously. "Do you have it?" Barry reached into his jacket and brought out the official permit to sail through the Blackwater Expanse. Gordon looked at it for a moment before nodding. Just in time, several Nexarian officials approached them and asked to see the document. Barry handed it over, and they carefully examined the permit, checking its seal and authorization before confirming that everything was legitimate. One of them returned it with a respectful n

"Finally! Someone with a brain." Mira said loudly with a wide smile. She looked around at the others as she gestured at the doctor, "How about we all take a page out of her book and do the needful, huh?" Her bluntness earned a few nervous laughs, but more importantly, it seemed to give some people the courage they needed. A few others began stepping forward, quietly choosing to leave with Michael and Mira. For a brief moment, things seemed to be moving in the right direction. Ian watched as more people joined the group, his jaw tightened. Every person who stepped forward seemed to make his frustration worse. "I've had enough of this nonsense!" He suddenly pulled out his pistol and fired a shot into the air. The loud crack echoed through the settlement, immediately silencing everyone. "Not a single soul is leaving this settlement unless I say so!" People froze. Michael turned toward Ian with disbelief. Mira's smile disappeared, replaced by an irritated expression. "And who ar