Maeson Monroe stared at the wrinkled paper in his hand. The red ink printed at the top of the page made his stomach turn tight. It was a final billing notice from the city hospital. The numbers at the bottom of the page were so large they looked fake. Two hundred thousand dollars. That was the price to keep his little sister breathing on the machines for another month. He folded the paper carefully and slid it into his pocket. He took a deep breath and looked up at the massive glass building in front of him. Carter Industries. The place where he spent his days fixing broken keyboards and resetting passwords.He walked through the rotating doors and joined the river of people in sharp suits. Maeson wore a faded gray shirt that helped him blend into the walls. Nobody looked at him twice. That was exactly how he wanted it. To the people in this building, he was just another IT guy. A ghost who fixed their screens and disappeared. They had no idea what he did when the sun went down. When

Maeson forced his lungs to take a slow breath. He stared into the sharp eyes of Ava Carter. His mind raced through a thousand different lies. He needed one that sounded real enough to satisfy a brilliant historian. He pulled his arm away from her touch and rolled his gray sleeve down to his wrist. He kept his movements smooth and calm."It is just a tattoo from a video game," Maeson said. His voice was flat and steady. "I got it when I was eighteen. It was from an old fantasy game online. I thought it looked cool at the time."Ava narrowed her eyes. She looked from his face down to the glossy photograph in her hand. The silence between them stretched tight. Maeson could hear his own heartbeat drumming in his ears. He knew his excuse was weak, but he also knew she had no proof to connect a quiet computer tech to an ancient artifact."A video game," Ava repeated slowly. The doubt in her voice was thick. She took a step closer to him. "Do you expect me to believe a cheap online game used

The dark purple smoke poured out of the shattered windows high above them. Maeson grabbed Ava by the hand and pulled her into the crowded street. The evening sky was already turning a toxic shade of violent red. People ran in all directions. Cars crashed into each other as drivers panicked. The low hum of the dark magic vibrated through the concrete city sidewalks.Ava stumbled over her own feet. She looked back at the massive glass building of Carter Industries. Tears streamed down her pale face. My father is in there, she cried out. Her voice was lost in the loud sirens blaring across the city.Maeson stopped and turned to face her. He held both of her shoulders firmly. He is gone, Ava. I am sorry, but we cannot help him now. The dark energy took him. If we stay here, it will take us too. We need to move away right now.Ava took a shaking breath and nodded. She wiped the wet tears from her cheeks. Where are we going? she asked.We are going to the city hospital, Maeson said. I need

Maeson stared at Ava in the dark alley. The cold wind blew past them. The red dot on his phone screen continued to blink. He shook his head. That is not possible, he said softly. My sister is just a sick little girl. She has been in that hospital bed for three years. She cannot be the magic child you are looking for.Ava grabbed his phone. She pointed to the glowing map. Look at the direction they are taking her, she said. Her voice was urgent. My father had secret files on a hidden mountain sanctuary. It is an ancient place built to contain the dark magic. He believed the catalyst, the only person who can absorb the energy, was hidden there. But if he already found the child and if his men are taking her there now we are out of time.Maeson felt his blood run cold. He thought about his sister. He thought about her strange illness. The doctors could never figure out what was wrong with her. Her body was just weak. She needed machines to breathe. But what if she was not sick at all? Wh

Maeson kept his hands frozen over the computer keyboard. The cold metal gun pressed harder into his bare neck. He slowly raised his eyes and looked at Ava. Her face was pale with deep fear. A large guard stepped out of the dark fog behind her. He grabbed her soft arms and locked her in a tight hold.Do not move a muscle, the guard holding the gun said. His voice was rough and angry. Stand up slowly and close the laptop.Maeson swallowed hard. He did exactly what the man ordered. He stood up with his hands raised high. The guard pushed him hard in the back. Walk forward, the man commanded.They stumbled out from behind the large gray rock. The bright white light from the transport van hit their faces. They walked right into the open clearing. The tall mercenary with the silver hawk pin turned around. He looked at them and smiled his cruel smile. He unplugged his small black tablet from the massive stone door.Well look who finally decided to join the party, the tall man said. He walked