The air in the meeting room was thick with a heavy, reverent silence. Damien, Dimitri, Andre, and Pavel stared at the crimson pill in their palms like it was the most precious thing in existence.
The memory was written clearly across all their faces... the elixir Alex had given to Viktor. The miracle medicine that had pulled their commander back from death's doorway and pushed him beyond anything they'd thought possible.
Viktor hadn't just been cured.
He'd broken through to Apex Realm.
From dying to transcendent in the span of hours.
And now Alex was giving each of them something similar.
Alex's gaze swept across all four of them.
"Try them," he said simply. "Right now. See what they do."
The four men exchanged glances... brief, wordless communication that spoke of years fighting together, trusting each other with their lives.
Then, without hesitation, all four raised the pills to their lips.
Damien first. Then Dimitri. Andre. Pavel.
They swallowed simultaneously.
