The giant golden envelope burst open with a sharp sound like glass snapping under heavy pressure, spraying bright yellow light across the frozen lobby.I grabbed Elena’s arm and yanked her backward just as a sheet of thick paper shot out of the envelope like a knife. It slammed into the marble reception desk, cutting straight through the wood as if it were soft paper."Stay behind me," I said, pulling my iron gun from my coat and keeping my eyes locked on the glowing paper."Do not worry about me, Kyle," Elena replied, her voice cold and steady. She reached into her pocket and pulled out my cheap plastic pen, spinning it between her fingers with a calm precision that showed she was ready for whatever was coming. "The Higher-Ups think a fancy summons will scare us. They do not know we are already done following their rules."The frozen security guards and office workers standing around the lobby did not move. They remained stuck in place like stone statues, their eyes completely blank,