Ava was never supposed to die."
Daniel froze.
The words echoed inside his mind.
His sister.
The sister he had mourned.
The sister he believed was gone forever.
Bill's face was full of regret.
Mr. Stone looked away.
Neither man could meet Daniel's eyes.
Daniel's hands shook.
"What does that mean?"
No answer.
"What does that mean?!"
Before anyone could respond—
WOOOOOOO!
The academy alarms screamed.
The eastern wall collapsed completely.
Stone and debris rained across the battlefield.
Thousands of ghost soldiers surged forward.
Teachers immediately shouted orders.
"Defensive positions!"
"Protect the wounded!"
"Move!"
The war had returned.
Harder than before.
Bill stepped forward.
"We don't have time for this."
Daniel's anger exploded.
"Then make time!"
Black energy surged around him.
The Vessel power responded instantly.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Mary immediately grabbed his arm.
"Daniel."
Her voice pulled him back.
The darkness weakened.
But the anger remained.
Then suddenly—
The sky darkened.
Not because of clouds.
Because of power.
A terrible power.
Everyone felt it.
Ghost soldiers stopped moving.
Teachers froze.
Even the Great 8 looked upward.
Something was coming.
Someone.
A red light appeared above the battlefield.
Then another.
Then dozens.
The lights gathered together.
Forming a giant circle in the sky.
David's face turned white.
The whispers screamed.
"Her."
"Her."
"Her."
Daniel looked toward him.
David had never looked this frightened before.
Then the circle shattered.
BOOOOOOM!
A figure descended from the sky.
The impact crushed dozens of ghost soldiers beneath her feet.
Silence.
The battlefield froze.
A woman stood within the crater.
Long black hair.
Red armor.
Cold golden eyes.
A spear rested across her shoulder.
McLone.
She had returned.
But something was different.
Much different.
The pressure surrounding her was far greater than before.
Even stronger than the Executioner.
The Ghost Army immediately knelt.
Thousands of soldiers.
Kneeling.
For her.
The Great 8 felt chills.
McLone slowly looked around the battlefield.
Then her eyes found Daniel.
A smile appeared.
"Hello, Vessel."
Daniel immediately stepped forward.
Mary grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait."
McLone laughed softly.
Then she looked toward Bill.
The smile disappeared.
For the first time—
She looked genuinely angry.
"Still protecting secrets?"
Bill's expression darkened.
"Don't."
McLone ignored him.
Instead she looked at Daniel.
Then at the family tree file in his hands.
Her smile returned.
"So they finally told you about Caden."
Daniel's grip tightened.
"What do you know?"
McLone laughed.
The sound echoed across the battlefield.
"What do I know?"
Her eyes became cold.
"I know more about your family than you do."
Silence.
Daniel's heart raced.
McLone pointed toward the file.
"You think that is the truth?"
Then she pointed toward Bill.
"You think he is innocent?"
Bill immediately moved forward.
"Enough."
But McLone wasn't finished.
"Ask him."
Daniel froze.
The same words Finn had used.
Ask him.
McLone smiled.
"Ask him where Ava is."
The world seemed to stop.
Bill's face instantly changed.
Everyone saw it.
Everyone.
Daniel's eyes widened.
Mary froze.
David stared.
Lucy covered her mouth.
The Great 8 understood immediately.
McLone had struck a nerve.
A huge one.
Bill looked furious.
"McLone."
But there was something else beneath the anger.
Fear.
McLone noticed it too.
Her smile widened.
Then she lowered her spear.
And pointed it directly at Daniel.
The battlefield trembled.
"I was ordered to bring you alive."
Daniel remained still.
McLone's smile vanished.
"But nobody said anything about your friends."
Instantly—
Her power exploded.
BOOOOOOOOM!
The battlefield shattered.
The Great 8 were thrown backward.
Teachers struggled to stand.
Even veteran Ghost Killers looked shocked.
This was not the same McLone.
Not even close.
Something had changed.
Something had made her stronger.
Far stronger.
Then she raised her spear toward the academy.
And spoke four terrifying words.
"Kill everyone except him."
The Ghost Army roared.
Thousands of soldiers charged forward.
The final phase of the Academy War had begun.
And Daniel realized something.
McLone wasn't here to defeat the academy.
She was here to destroy it.