Emerald Ridge Estate – 6:57 AM
Riva stood on the edge of the glass balcony, wrapped in her oversized hoodie, clutching a warm mug of honey milk. She wasn't scared today. That was different.
She stared at the world beneath—birds darting between glowing eco-trees, streets humming softly under morning drones. She pressed her cheek against the cool glass and whispered:
"They'll come soon, won't they?"
Behind her, Auron paused. He didn't lie.
"Yes."
She nodded once. "Will I have to run again?"
"No," he said. "Not this time."
She turned, her expression soft but steady. "You promise?"
Auron kneeled and looked her in the eyes. "I promise. If they come through that door, they'll leave in pieces."
Underground Combat Simulator, Training Room 3 – 10:15 AM
Kara ducked a low sweeping blow, pivoted on her heel, and jammed her elbow into Auron's ribs. He grunted but barely flinched. They moved like machines — no wasted motion, no mercy.
"Again," Auron barked.
"You're pushing too hard," Kara said, breathless.
He came at her anyway. She spun, twisted under his reach, then swept his legs. He fell, rolled, came up in a crouch.
"You're not sleeping," she said. "Not eating properly either."
"There's no time for sleep," he snapped.
"You're not a god, Auron. You can't fight the world with blood in your mouth and bones grinding against rage."
He paused. Chest heaving.
"She's the only real thing I have left. And they're coming for her."
Kara walked to him slowly. Laid a gentle hand on his back.
"Then we protect her together. As family."
CrowJaw's Briefing – Surveillance Deck – 2:22 PM
Three projection feeds floated in the air, all frozen on faces.
"Left," CrowJaw said, pointing to a tall man in a grey coat. "That's Jan Krael. Ex-agent of the Index. Now Omega affiliated. He's already killed two Seedline candidates."
"Middle one?" Auron asked.
"Lucia Var," CrowJaw replied. "Seedline Second-Gen. Has the ability to mimic system traits. Chameleon class."
"And the third?" Kara asked.
CrowJaw hesitated. "They call him Silence. No voice. No records. But where he walks, everything burns."
Auron crossed his arms. "They're scouting?"
"They're moving. Slowly. Probably waiting on authorization or trying to confirm Riva's presence."
"Let's give them something to confirm," Auron said.
Riva's Room – That Evening
She sat on the floor, sketching with a digital stylus. The screen displayed a small version of her new drawing — a man with glowing red eyes and a black coat, standing over a broken city.
Auron entered quietly.
"Who's that?" he asked.
She smiled. "You."
He paused. The drawing was raw — fierce, sharp lines, smoke bleeding into the sky. He didn't recognize the building in the background.
"What city is that?"
"I don't know," she said. "But I dream about it."
Auron sat beside her. "Tell me."
"There's fire. And people shouting. You're standing on a tall place… watching. Not fighting. Just watching. And when you walk down, the fire follows you."
He stared at her, suddenly colder.
"You think I burn the city?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I think… the city burns when people don't listen to you."
He reached over and pulled her close. She laid her head on his shoulder.
"I won't let that fire touch you," he whispered.
Emerald Ridge – Main Gate – 11:34 PM
The alert went off.
"Breach ping," CrowJaw's voice buzzed through the comms. "Northwestern perimeter. Cloaked vehicle. No transponders."
Auron moved fast.
Patch and Kara were already geared. "Five minutes," Patch said, checking his weapon. "Maybe less."
"Go silent," Auron ordered. "No bullets unless I say."
They moved through the underground tunnel that led beneath the estate. Lights low. No shadows.
The estate's internal A.I. locked down all outer gates. Riva was sealed in the starlight vault — hidden under a false room.
Perimeter – 11:42 PM
Auron emerged from the darkness and found the vehicle — matte-black, low-slung, pulsing with faint heat.
Three figures stood nearby.
One female. Lucia Var.
One large man. Jan Krael.
And between them… Silence.
His face was covered. Entirely black. Only two thin slits for eyes.
"Didn't expect a warm welcome," Lucia said casually.
"You came with a blade to my home," Auron replied. "Expect fire."
"You know who we are."
"I know enough."
Krael spoke. "We don't want her. Not yet. We just want to know… if it's true. If the system passed."
Auron didn't move.
Lucia stepped forward. "We can train her, you know. Properly. Safely. Without you breaking everything inside her trying to protect her from a world that's already broken."
"She's a child."
"She's a weapon," Krael said. "Whether you admit it or not."
"You step another inch," Auron growled, "and I put you six feet under this garden."
Silence raised his hand — no weapon. Just a faint glow from his palm.
Auron's HUD glitched.
A burst of data. A pulse. An attempt to override.
"EMP signature," Kara whispered from the ridge above. "He's trying to force a sync."
Auron snarled. "Not tonight."
He unleashed his system. Not full-blown. But just enough.
[Phantom Seed – Cloak Disruptor: Activated.]
His body shimmered — and then split into three holographic forms.
Lucia blinked. "He's evolved."
The illusions circled.
Patch fired the first warning shot. It ricocheted off the pavement.
Silence lowered his hand.
Lucia held hers up. "Enough. We don't want war. Yet."
"You already have it," Auron said coldly.
"Remember this," Krael added. "We offered peace."
Then they vanished — a flicker, a pulse. Gone.
Later That Night – Rooftop, Emerald Ridge
Auron sat on the roof, shirt off, bruises forming.
Kara joined him, tossing a drink down beside him.
"I've seen that look before," she said.
He didn't speak.
"They touched something tonight. A line you didn't want crossed."
"They saw her," he said. "They felt her through me. That's how connected we are. She's not even trying and they still felt her spark."
"She's more than a spark," Kara said. "She's a flare."
They drank in silence.
Somewhere inside, Riva dreamed again.
Of fire. Of strangers. Of her brother standing tall above a burning skyline.
And this time, she was standing next to him.