"Who are you?" Carter demanded.
The man stood, straightening his arm as he raised it toward the ceiling. Carter's eyes widened. There are too many people in this building, he realized. He lunged toward the receptionist just as the man's arm morphed into a volley of missiles, screaming through the air.
Carter threw up a wall of Dark Faith, shielding the woman and the lobby. The explosion rocked the foundation, but the shield held. With a flick of his finger, Carter commanded the dark energy to shapeshift, sprouting massive bear claws that swiped at the attacker. The man dodged the first few, but the last one connected, sending him crashing through several walls and miles into the distance.
"The building is unstable," Carter told the stunned receptionist. "Get everyone out now."
She nodded frantically as Carter took to the air, pursuing the streak of debris. He found the man floating amidst the wreckage of a distant block. Carter summoned a blade of Dark Faith, but before he could strike, the man opened his mouth, unleashing a searing laser beam. Carter couldn't dodge—not with the residential houses behind him.
He threw up a massive barrier, gritting his teeth against the sheer force of the beam. The shield caught the energy and refracted it upward, sending the lethal light harmlessly into a nearby forest. Carter prepared to rush him, but a massive fist suddenly slammed into the man from above, cratering him into the dirt.
That power... Emma? Carter wondered.
He landed near the crater and bound the fallen man in heavy chains of Dark Faith. As he approached, a frantic beeping echoed from the man's chest.
A robot? No—he's a bomb. Carter instantly encased the man in a containment barrier and leaped back, bracing for impact. Seconds passed. Silence.
Suddenly, a massive explosion blossomed in the sky far above. Carter looked up to see Ron descending toward him.
"So, you took the real one into the sky," Carter realized.
"Hi," Ron said with a casual wave as they landed.
Carter offered a tight smile, but his mind was elsewhere. "I need more power. Even with Dark Faith, I couldn't protect everyone."
Ron noticed the tension in Carter's shoulders. "Is something wrong?"
"Ron, do you know where DA is? I need to refine my abilities."
"You have the Dark Faith," Ron reminded him. "That's more than most."
"I know, but it wasn't enough today."
Ron nodded slowly. "It's a special ability, even among the forbidden techniques. But from what I've seen, yours isn't complete."
"DA mentioned a relic," Carter said. "He said it would sync perfectly with the Dark Faith."
"Let's handle the immediate issue first," Ron said, gesturing to the ruins.
"Follow me, then," Carter replied, beginning to walk. "There's something you haven't told me yet. How did you know Emma wasn't Future Lia?"
Ron took a deep breath. "Okay, listen. I'll explain everything, but save your questions for the end."
Carter gave him a thumbs-up.
"Dream and Lia are sisters," Ron began.
Carter's mouth hung open, but Ron held up a hand. "No questions. They are the daughters of Dr. Thomas—also known as Wulkranoth."
Wulkranoth? The name echoed in Carter's mind.
"Both daughters are under a curse. It's a precision strike—it kills at a fixed time, not a second early, not a second late. Wulkranoth told me it was the work of higher existences." Ron looked at Carter, gauging his reaction.
"If they're sisters," Carter asked, unable to stay silent, "how is one here and the other lived with you 800 years ago? And who exactly is Wulkranoth?"
"Dr. Thomas traveled to the future and left Lia here. Liam's family raised her. But Dream? Thomas left her with me."
Carter went quiet. "My wife was pregnant when she died."
Ron nodded solemnly. "Dr. Thomas had two wives. One was from the family of the Watcher—Lia's mother. The other was from an unknown race—Dream's mother. She died when Dream was a child, so Lia's mother raised Dream until she was four. Then, she was brought to me."
Carter swallowed the truth, the weight of it settling in his chest. He nodded slowly. "Alright."
He tried to sound indifferent, but Ron could see the world shifting beneath Carter's feet.