I made the decision at three in the morning, sitting alone in Elder Celeste's old stone circle.
The moonstone pillars hummed with residual energy from her final transfer of cosmic knowledge, silver light dancing across carved symbols that had witnessed generations of impossible choices. Through the power-sharing network, I could feel every supernatural being connected to our coalition—their fear, their exhaustion, their absolute trust that I would find a solution that didn't require watching everyone they loved die.
Four thousand lives against one.
Logan's life against my freedom.
The math was brutal but undeniable.
I stood up, silver light flaring around my hands as cosmic power responded to decision-making that operated on scales beyond human comprehension. Viktor Kane wanted me in Enhanced Protocol custody? Fine. He could have me.
But he was going to discover that surrendering didn't mean what he thought it meant.
