Magnus's expression was grim. Haunted. "It says: 'The prison weakens. The seven keys gather. The sleepers wake. The end begins.'" Silence. Just the sound of breathing. Of hearts beating. Of the world waiting. "The Council," Lin whispered. "They're not waiting to be summoned. They're already breaking free." "Exactly." Magnus looked at her. At Jake. "This tablet is a message. A warning. Or a threat. I don't know which. But it means everything we thought about the Hearts is wrong. They're not just prison keys. They're anchors. And the prison is failing. Deteriorating. Breaking down." Jake felt cold. Not from the temperature. From understanding. From realizing what this meant. "How long?" he asked. "How long until the prison breaks completely?" "I don't know. The tablet doesn't say. Could be days. Could be weeks. Could be years." Magnus turned the tablet slightly. More symbols appeared. Glowing faintly. "But Marguerite knew. She looked at this and smiled. Said we have less time than

Sora followed. Sprinting. The sand trying to slow her down. The heat making her lungs burn.They reached the entrance. Sixty seconds left. Harrison threw the rope inside. Anchored it. Started descending.Sora followed. Forty seconds. Down into darkness. Into cool air. Into stone that hadn't seen sunlight in millennia.Twenty seconds. They were inside. Deep enough. Safe.The entrance sealed. Stone grinding. Light disappearing. Darkness complete.Then their lights turned on. LED. Bright. Showing them where they were.A tunnel. Carved. Perfect. Leading down. Hieroglyphics everywhere. Gold inlaid. Beautiful. Terrifying."We're committed now," Harrison said. "No turning back. The entrance won't open again for twenty-four hours. We're here until we find the Solar Heart or die trying.""Cheerful," Sora said. But she wasn't scared. Was she? No. Excited maybe. Nervous definitely. But not scared. This was what she'd trained for. What Mr. Vale had prepared her for. "Let's move. Carefully. Watch

"The Shadow Heart." She gestured to her armlet. The movement making the dress shift. Making Elijah's mouth go dry. "It lets me see through shadows. Track people who manifest tangible abilities. Your Ocean Heart creates water. Real water. Physical constructs. Every time you use it, you cast shadows. Disturb darkness. Leave traces I can follow." She circled him. Slow. Predatory. Hips swaying. The qipao designed to highlight every movement. Every curve. Every step. "Of course, it has limitations," she continued. Voice playful. Teasing. "But revealing those would be giving away my weaknesses. And where's the fun in that?" She stopped. Smiled wider. "You've been the most fun to watch, Elijah. The others are powerful but predictable. Jake Morrison fights. Sora Chen plans. Harrison Reed follows orders. But you?" She laughed. Soft. Genuine. "You improvise. You panic. You make terrible jokes while almost dying. It's entertaining. I've enjoyed observing you very much." "You've been. You've

Iceland. Magnus's compound. Jake's phone rang. He was in the vault. Still staring at the tablet. Still processing what Magnus had told him. Still trying to understand. The ringtone cut through the silence. Harsh. Urgent. Jake looked at the screen. David. Titan security. "Excuse me," Jake said to Magnus. "I need to take this. It might be important." Magnus waved a hand. "Go. The tablet isn't going anywhere. Neither am I." Jake stepped out of the vault. Into the hallway. Stone walls. Cold. Empty. Lin followed. Silent. Watchful. He answered. "Yeah?" "Jake. It's David. We have a situation." The voice was strained. Broken. "Code Black. Mr. Vale and Elena have been taken. Rousseau forces. Professional extraction. They were in and out in under ten minutes." Jake froze. Every muscle locking up. "What?" "They breached Titan. Took Mr. Vale and Elena. Left a message. For you specifically." David read the text. The ultimatum. The demand. Forty-eight hours. Jake couldn't breathe. Could

Egypt. Valley of the Kings. The tomb.Sora ran. Again. Still running. Still dodging. Still barely alive.The mummified guardians moved like death itself. Fast. Relentless. Their eyes burning gold. Their ancient bodies impossibly strong."Fall back!" Harrison yelled. Firing his weapon. Bullets hitting. Doing nothing. "We can't fight them all!""We have to get the Heart!" Sora dodged another attack. A mummy's hand missing her face by inches. "Without it, we can't trade for Mr. Vale! We can't save him!""Getting killed doesn't save him either!"But Sora pushed forward. Determined. Reckless. The Solar Heart was right there. On the pedestal. Twenty feet away. Glowing. Pulsing. Calling.She couldn't lose another father figure. Lost her biological parents young. Lost her uncle to betrayal. Richard Chen destroying her family. Her name. Her legacy.And Mr. Vale. Marcus Vale. The man who'd saved her. Scouted her. Trained her. Given her purpose. Given her Titan. Given her everything.She couldn'