Base Omega was quiet.
Too quiet.
The Breeding Grounds had left a mark. On everyone.
Kael stood alone in the sparring chamber, sweat dripping from his brow, shirt discarded, flame smoldering along his forearms—not in rage, but in restraint. Every movement he made was precise, deliberate, as though he feared what might happen if he lost control.
The words of his father from that recurring dream echoed louder than ever.
"The past always catches up."
"Still dreaming of the fire?" came a voice.
Kael turned—Natasha stood in the doorway, arms crossed, Fateweaver sheathed at her hip. Ice Arcana shimmered faintly around her.
"I never stopped," Kael admitted.
She studied him. "Good."
Kael blinked. "...Good?"
"If you're still haunted, it means you haven't become numb. That's what keeps you dangerous, Aerwyn." She tossed him a towel. "Get dressed. Edith's calling a strategy meeting. It's urgent."
The War Room
The team gathered, minus the twins—still recovering.
James leaned against the wall, fiddling with bullets. Hook munched absently on a protein bar, the weight of silence for once pressing even her antics down. Luna sat close to Kael, her hand brushing his.
Edith stood at the table, a digital map casting red light up onto her sharp features.
"We analyzed what was left of the Breeding Grounds," she said. "And cross-referenced the arcane tech with recovered blueprints."
She tapped.
A 3D schematic of Obsidian Reach—floating fortress, thought to be a myth—appeared.
"This place is real," Edith said flatly. "We believe it's the Crimson Sickle's stronghold."
Khaleed grunted. "That's suicide territory."
"It gets worse," Edith said, flicking to another screen.
A still image.
A figure in red. Burned coat. Jagged scythe. Fire that wasn't flame, but something hungrier.
Kael froze.
No. It couldn't be.
But he knew that stance. That silence.
That presence.
"That's… Vael," Kael whispered. "My brother."
Luna looked at him, shocked. "You never said—"
"I thought he was dead."
Edith's gaze sharpened. "Well, he's not. He's a commander in Crimson Sickle. Maybe more."
Natasha's voice was ice. "And he's just declared war."
The room was still.
Kael stood slowly.
Then clenched his fists.
"Then let him come."