Kai vanished. "Shadow Drift Step."A soldier's blade cut through the space he'd occupied a heartbeat earlier, and he reappeared at its flank, palm already moving. "Iron Palm." The impact sent the machine crashing into the wall hard enough to dent it.The second soldier fired. Kai shifted his weight and closed the gap before the beam could correct. "Mountain Fist." Armor crumpled under his knuckles like tin.The third came from behind, blade biting into his shoulder before he could turn fully. Pain flared, and the Fierce Qi in his veins simply absorbed it, folding the injury into fuel rather than letting it slow him. He caught the soldier's wrist, drove his knee into its middle, and finished with a strike that sent it through a support pillar in a shower of dust and sparks.The woman in the coat watched, something unreadable behind her eyes. "His cultivation increased under suppression."Shen Tian deflected another blow, breathing hard. "He didn't increase it." His eyes stayed fixed on

Kai did not sleep willingly.He sat on the edge of a narrow cot, back to the wall, circulating his Qi through channels that finally obeyed him instead of fighting back. The silver leaf had changed that much, at least — his Fierce Qi no longer thrashed like a chained animal. It moved when he told it to move.His mind was another matter.Every time he closed his eyes he saw Elias beside the silver tree. He saw a faceless woman cradling an infant. He saw Shen Tian's shadow bent over an ancient formation, and beneath all of it the same four words, over and over.If you continue, the child won't survive.His eyes snapped open. The room was dark.Scratch.Scratch.Scratch.He was on his feet before he'd finished thinking it, one hand already closing around the blade beneath his pillow."Aria?"Nothing answered but the scratching.He pressed his palm flat against the wall and cold shot up through his arm like he'd touched a live wire. The room fell away.He stood in an ancient city — not the

Dark-blue energy tore from Aria's body and slammed into the side of the vehicle. Shen Tian's Crimson Qi Barrier flared up just in time, the explosion rattling windows three blocks down.Kai spun toward her, heart lodged somewhere in his throat. "Are you hurt?"She shook her head, eyes locked on the shattered device. "It was calling me."The third agent smiled — an ugly, satisfied thing. "Connection confirmed."A voice crackled through the ruined speaker. A child's voice."Bring A-02 to the sleeping district."Kai's expression went glacial. He crushed the device in his fist without breaking eye contact with the soldier."Where is Sophia?"Silence behind the helmet. "Too late," the agent finally said. Kai's Fierce Qi surged so hot the air around him shimmered."Kai." Shen Tian's voice, close, steadying. The agent used the half-second of distraction to trigger a capsule at his belt. White smoke swallowed the street. When it cleared, all three soldiers were gone, leaving only a small meta

Aria had not moved. She stood in front of the chamber, staring at the child. "Who was A-01?"The child placed both hands against the glass. "You.""My name is Aria.""That is the name they gave you after they removed the other one."Aria's breathing turned shallow. Kai stepped toward her. "Don't force yourself to remember.""But I need to know.""You don't need to know everything tonight. You need to still be standing tomorrow.""Since when do you get to decide what I need?""Since you nearly leveled a hallway trying to protect a child you'd never met.""That's not — " She stopped, because it was exactly that, and they both knew it.The child tilted its head. "You wanted to save me."Aria froze. "I did?""You were always trying to escape the room. You said you would take me outside."A fragment of memory flashed through Aria's mind — a small hand gripping hers, a locked door, a voice whispering, Don't be afraid. When the lights turn off, we'll run.She staggered backward. "I remember.

The damaged soldier peeled itself off the wall, cracked armor threaded with gold light bleeding through the fractures."Transfer protocol continuing." Its arm swung toward Ren. "Secure A-03."Kai put himself between the weapon and the child without thinking twice about it. "Try it," he said. "I dare you.""Kai," Aria muttered, "that is not a threat that means anything to a machine.""It means something to me.""That's not the same thing.""Feels the same from here."A red beam cut the argument short, punching through the soldier's skull-shaped helmet. Victor Hale stood on the platform above, a compact energy rifle braced against his shoulder, looking entirely too pleased with himself for a man standing in a collapsing ruin."Everyone," he called, "I'd suggest moving. Possibly quickly.""Where," Kai shouted up, "did you get that?""From the people who built this place." Another shot took the second soldier in the chest. "And judging by their reaction, they'd very much like it back.""Y