The Shadow Boy and the City of Glass

The Trap in the Safe House

The barrel of the heavy energy rifle pointed straight at my chest, and the cold blue light from the weapon filled the dark room.

Uncle Marcus stood in the shattered doorway of the safe house, his gray suit unwrinkled and his expression completely calm. He looked at me not like a nephew, but like a broken machine that needed to be thrown away. Behind him, two armed council guards stepped into the room, their weapons raised and ready to fire at the slightest movement.

You always were too curious for your own good, Arthur, Marcus said, stepping further into the cramped space. His eyes flicked to the computer screen behind us where the secret files were still open, and you brought a little friend with you. How sweet.

Evelyn did not flinch. While Marcus was looking at me, she dropped low behind the desk. Her hand flashed across the surface, grabbing a heavy metal power cell from an open tool kit. Without a sound, she threw the cell hard toward the far corner of the room.

The metal crashed against an old metal filing cabinet with a loud clang.

Both guards spun around instantly, pointing their rifles toward the noise. That single second of distraction was all Evelyn needed.

She stood up fast, her hand glowing with bright yellow electricity. She pointed straight at the nearest guard and released a bolt of lightning. The electrical charge struck him squarely in the chest, dropping him to the floor before he could pull the trigger.

The second guard tried to turn back toward us, but I did not wait. I raised my hand and sent a wave of thick, freezing ice across the floor. The ice caught the guard's boots, locking him firmly in place. Before he could lift his rifle, Evelyn closed the distance and struck him across the face with the heavy butt of her electric pistol, sending him down beside his partner.

It all happened in less than three seconds.

Marcus did not look surprised. He did not even look at his fallen guards. He just kept his rifle aimed right at my head, his finger resting lightly on the trigger.

You think a few sparks and some ice make you a fighter, Arthur? Marcus asked, his voice steady and cold. You were grown in a test tube using genetic material stolen from the council's strongest bloodlines. Every breath you take, every memory you have of your parents, every dollar we spent on your so-called life, it was all paid for by the corporation. You belong to us.

The words hit me like a physical blow. My chest tightened, and the air in the room felt hot and heavy. For sixteen years, I believed I had a real family, real parents who died in an accident, and a real uncle who took care of me. Now I knew the truth. I was an engineered tool, a manufactured shield designed to keep my sister asleep.

You lied about everything, I said, my voice dropping an octave as dark shadows began to curl around my fingers.

I gave you a purpose, Marcus replied, his eyes narrowing. And now that Elena is awake, your purpose is finished. You are obsolete.

Marcus pulled the trigger.

A beam of concentrated energy shot from the rifle barrel, bright and fast, heading straight for my heart. I did not try to dodge. I stepped forward and thrust both hands out in front of me. Dark shadow energy and freezing ice exploded from my palms, combining into a thick, swirling barrier. The energy beam slammed into my shield with a blinding flash of light. The force of the impact pushed me backward, my boots sliding across the concrete floor as the heat tried to burn through my defense.

Evelyn did not waste any time. While Marcus was focused on my shield, she moved fast along the side of the room, closing in on my uncle from his blind spot.

Vance, drop the shield on my count! Evelyn shouted.

Now! I yelled back.

I cut off my power in a single second. The energy beam from Marcus's rifle shot through the empty air where my shield had been, missing me by inches and smashing into the computer monitor behind us.

Before Marcus could adjust his aim, Evelyn reached him. She drove her foot hard into the back of his knee, forcing him down to the floor. The heavy rifle slipped from his hands and clattered against the desk. Evelyn pinned his arm behind his back, pressing her knee into his spine while the blue sparks on her fingers danced dangerously close to his neck.

Do not move, Evelyn said, her voice like cracking ice. The game is over, Marcus.

Marcus let out a rough laugh, his face pressed against the dusty floorboards. He did not look scared. He looked like a man who knew a secret we did not.

You think capturing me changes anything? Marcus choked out, a bloody smile on his lips. The lockdown dome is not just a cage to keep people in. It is a timer. Once the core reaches full power, the entire city of Manhattan is going to be wiped clean to feed the true anchor.

My blood ran cold. I thought of Elena standing alone in the middle of the empty street, her eyes glowing violet.

What are you talking about? I demanded, stepping over the fallen rifle and grabbing Marcus by the collar of his suit jacket, hauling him up to eye level. "Where is my sister?"

Marcus stared at me, his eyes wide and wild. "She is already at the central tower, Arthur. And she is not waiting for you.

Before I could ask another question, the floor beneath us shook violently.

It was not the low, distant bell we heard earlier. This vibration came from deep beneath the building. A low, grinding roar echoed through the walls, and the overhead lights flickered once before dying completely, plunging the safe house into total darkness.

Through the broken front door, the purple light from the street dome suddenly shifted. The glowing barrier turned a deep, bloody crimson, bathing the entire room in an unnatural red glow.

Evelyn pulled Marcus up by his arms, her face pale as she looked toward the window.

The dome is changing color, Evelyn said, her voice trembling for the first time. "That means the core just activated its final phase.

Marcus started laughing again, the sound echoing loud in the dark room.

You are too late, Marcus whispered. The city is already falling.