Morning crept in slowly after the storm, sunlight slipping through my curtains like it was afraid to disturb anything. I must have dozed off in the middle of my thoughts last night. My head still felt heavy.
I washed up, dressed, and stepped out.
"Morning, Hunter!"
Cody leaned against his doorway.
"Morning," I said, pausing when I noticed the shadows under his eyes. "Didn't sleep well?"
"Is it that obvious?" His attempt at a laugh fell flat.
"You look like someone beat sleep out of you."
He froze at the top of the stairs. Something was off.
"I keep having the same dream," he murmured. "Over and over. And it doesn't feel like a nightmare. It feels like a warning."
His irises shifted—dark fading into foggy gray. He was using his powers.
"I can see them," he whispered. "The holes. The cracks. Everywhere."
My stomach dropped.
Cody's abilities weren't the type you ignore—dimensional perception, aura sensing. If he said something was wrong, then it was catastrophic.
"There's an over-concentrated power somewhere," he said shakily. "The dimension holding it can't contain it. It's pulling on weaker ones to stabilize."
Dimensional strain.
If the tear worsened, realms would bleed. Beasts would form. Invasions would start.
"And the source?" I asked quietly.
He swallowed. "The Demon Realm. I know it."
Fear flashed in his eyes.
"It'll be fine," I told him gently. "Whatever comes—we're Guardians. We face it together."
Before he could answer—
"Do I have to drag you two down here myself?!"
Annabeth's voice thundered from below.
We muttered "Sorry," and headed down.
Breakfast was uncharacteristically silent. Master Xavier was locked in his study again—probably speaking with the Council. We knew they existed, Tyra's powers and dragons-shaped birthmark on her neck was proof.
There were seven Dragons that made up the Council as such Tyra could use seven abilities- portions of their original power.
This made her a weapon on her own.
After breakfast, I slipped my cloak on and quietly moved toward the door—
"Hunter!"
Zayn. The last person I wanted on this mission.
He slid down the railing, half his jacket on. "Heading out?"
I sighed internally. "Yeah."
"Perfect. You will accompany your king to the market."
My king?. I almost died. I snorted internally.
"I'm not going that way," I muttered.
"That wasn't a question. It was a royal order." He started tailing behind me.
He begged after that. Literally begged. I caved. I'm too soft-hearted.
Elton was lively as always. No one realized what going on in their precious town.
Zayn shopped while I leaned against a street lamp, eyes scanning the crowd for Amanda. I thought of ways to find her... I suddenly remembered the narrow street she took last time—the same route Jace and I used when we first encountered Zarin.
I pushed off the lamp, ready to slip away—
"Okay, so I've got everything!"
Right. Zayn. I completely forgot about him.
"You done?" I turned around casually.
"Were you about to leave without me?" he frowned.
"Of course not," I lied.
"I thought you'd take long, so I wanted to get myself a drink."
I was good at lying on the spot for some reason.
He squinted his eyes as if finding it hard to believe me.
"Here." He handed me two of the bags
I just rolled my eyes and took them.
We headed home. He talked; I didn't listen.
Then—
A scream tore across the street.
A girl's scream.
Zayn and I spun around instantly.
Chaos exploded like fire. Townsfolk ran in every direction, knocking over stalls, trampling baskets. Purge Officers shouted, guns drawn.
Bang! Bang!
Wild gunshots cracked through the street, bullets hitting the stone ground.
Zayn and I ducked behind a corner, hearts racing.
And then—
She burst through the stampede—
"Amanda?!"
Her hair was messy, her face streaked with dirt and tears. She stumbled, breathing so fast she looked minutes from collapsing.
Behind her—
Purge Units.
A lot of them.
They fired again. Bang!
She fell to her knees in exhaustion.
Zayn froze beside me—shock for a heartbeat—then his entire stance shifted. Shoulders tense. Eyes sharp. Protective.
"Hunter."
That single word said everything.
The officers pointed their guns at her.
The townsfolk ran like frightened animals, screaming as bullets ricocheted.
"Now!" I shouted.
We sprinted.
I tossed off my cloak and wrapped it around her.
"Get up, Amanda!"
She lifted her head weakly, eyes wide with terror. She pushed to stand—but her legs gave out.
"I… I can't…" she cried.
"Hunter, they're closing in!" Zayn's voice was desperate. "I'll carry her. I won't get caught."
"Go!" I yelled, lifting Amanda onto Zayn's back.
Zayn dropped the groceries—something he'd normally never do. He didn't care. He only cared about her.
I'd never seen him like that.
More Purge Units turned the corner, weapons raised.
"Seize the girl! She carries a contamination signal!"
"Move!" I shouted.
Zayn took off, vanishing in a flash.
I snatched the dropped groceries and ran after them.
I burst through the house entrance and slammed the door behind me.
"Hunter!" everyone exclaimed at once.
Amanda collapsed onto the floor, trembling violently.
I dropped the bags and knelt in front of her.
"Amanda… what happened?"
She lifted her shaking hand, voice breaking.
"M-my father…" she whispered. "They took him. The Aetherytes in our house turned black—they said he used magic. I don't understand… I don't have magic, Hunter—they sensed something in me—"
Her voice shattered.
We all went silent. Even Master Xavier, seated calmly in the corner, seemed to darken.
Gunshots still echoed faintly outside.
"Hunter…" Amanda sobbed, dirt and tears streaking her face. "Please—someone—save my father. Save him… please!"
She broke down completely, and we surrounded her, trying to calm her as the world outside spiraled into chaos.
___
After some minutes, Amanda had fallen asleep from exhaustion. She lay curled on the couch, breathing softly, finally still after everything she'd survived. The rest of us stayed in the common room, no one speaking, the silence pressing down like a physical weight.
We all understood the gravity of this.
"Who is she?" Katara finally asked.
"The girl I get flowers from," I said quietly. "The one whose father I think Zarin is after. Her name is Amanda."
Everyone's expression shifted—they connected the dots instantly.
"And her father has been captured by the Purge Units," Tyra muttered. "This is going to be… incredibly difficult."
I swallowed. "Please, guys. I made a promise to her—to protect her and her father. I can't go back on that."
I wasn't just asking for help. I was dragging all of them into a promise I made alone.
"Hunter, promise or not, we're doing something about this," Jace said, nudging my shoulder in reassurance.
"The real problem is getting into the Purge Headquarters," Annabeth pointed out. "Security there is insane"
"But first, shouldn't we check Amanda's house? Something must've triggered the Purge Units." He was surprisingly logical.
"She said she doesn't have magic," Iris said, frowning. "So why did they detect a signal from her?"
A heavy realization settled in the room.
Amanda didn't have magic… but she had lived beside someone who had it. And not to talk of the powerful artifact that could be in their possession.
"Whatever it is, we need to be careful," Cody said quietly. "But fast. They could execute him at any moment."
The room fell into an even deeper silence.
The Purge Units had the advantage.
Time. Numbers. Authority.
And we had… almost nothing.
Except each other.
And one more thing.
"We need help," I finally said. "And I know exactly who to ask."
All eyes shifted toward me.
I exhaled slowly.
"I guess it's time… to trust him completely."