In the Pendragon, every spy and every shadow-runner lived by a simple order—an order carved into their training like a warning sign on a cliff edge.
If you ever stumble on the Synapse Circle, you stop. You don't poke. You don't sniff around. You report back. Immediately.
And that rule wasn't there for show.
The Synapse Circle was the one clan the Pendragons had no clear Intel on. None. Not a single undercover agent had slipped into their ranks. Not one spy had managed to stay planted. Every attempt died quietly before it even began.
Elder Rooney himself set that boundary.
It had been this way for years. The Pendragons avoided the Synapse Circle's affairs like people avoid cursed ground. And most in the clan didn't even know the reason—they just followed the line.
Caspian, of course, wasn't most people.
"I still don't get it," he said, waving both hands like he was shooing away the rule itself. "Why can't we deal with them? They're just a bunch of scientists, nothing harmful."
Elder Rooney gave him a slow look—the kind that carried weight.
"You won't understand," he said. His tone was firm, not angry, just final. "On the outside, they look like harmless researchers. A clan obsessed with technology and magical experiments. But the truth? They're dangerous."
Peter crossed his arms, eyes sharp.
"They most certainly are," he added. "They're probably the biggest clan that's managed to stay this powerful without backing from any faction… and without any ties to the divine beings."
He shook his head slowly, like the thought itself was madness.
"That alone should tell you exactly what they are capable of."
"I thought we had no Intel on them," Cressida asked. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp. She wasn't the type to let loose ends dangle.
"It's general knowledge," Peter replied. "They flaunt it. They show off like it's a sport, and somehow even the divine beings aren't doing anything about their arrogance."
Stan leaned forward a little. "Do we have any history with these people?"
Elder Rooney didn't answer right away. He sat in silence, his jaw tight, as if he was weighing every word before it left his mouth. Finally, he exhaled.
"We, the Pendragons, have always had a history with every old faction in existence," he said. "And the Synapse Circle is not an exception."
He paused again, eyes dropping for a moment—old memories, old dust.
"As a matter of fact… we were very close once. That was until—"
"Until the divine beings attacked us," Peter cut in, clenching his fist. His voice carried a heavy edge. "And just like every other ally we had… they ditched us."
"That's not exactly what happened," Elder Rooney said, his tone firm enough to stop Peter's anger from spilling further. "The Synapse Circle helped in the fight. They stood with us. But it didn't end well."
Caspian scratched his head, confused and a little irritated.
"So what makes them special?" he asked. "I mean, these people are always right behind us in technology. Sometimes even better."
There was a tiny hint of jealousy in his tone—Caspian never hid that well.
"It's their Bloodline," Elder Rooney said.
He leaned back, letting the weight of that statement settle.
"The reason the Synapse Circle stands where they are… the reason they stayed powerful for this long… is because they possess a unique Bloodline. A powerful one. Unique even among the ancient clans."
His voice lowered.
"And that Bloodline is the real reason everyone—divine beings included—keeps their distance."
"The Synapse Circle's Bloodline lets them understand whatever they look at," Elder Rooney said.
Stan frowned. "What do you mean exactly?"
"Their Bloodline is… complicated," Elder Rooney answered. He lifted a hand, as if weighing the right words.
"But think of it like our inspection skill. Only stronger. When they see something—anything—even an alien object no one has ever recorded, their Bloodline tells them what it is. Name, origin, structure… everything. And not just that. It tells them thousands of possible uses for the thing they're looking at."
Caspian let out a low whistle. "That sounds a lot like inspection, true."
"Only better," Elder Rooney said. "Much better. Their Bloodline doesn't stop at information. It shows them what that item can be used for, and even how it should be used. Step-by-step clarity. Deep details. Things scholars spend decades chasing… they get it in a glance."
Stan nodded slowly, connecting dots. "That explains why they're so advanced in technology."
Peter leaned forward. "But… if they know all that, then when they see a problem, shouldn't they also know how to fix it?"
Elder Rooney sighed. A rough, tired sound. He already knew where Peter's mind had gone.
"Yes. And I know what you're thinking," he said. "You're thinking we should go to them. That maybe they have a solution to Stan's condition."
No one said anything, but the room shifted. The idea hung there, heavy.
"But remember this," Elder Rooney continued. His tone hardened, carrying old fear. "This is a clan that even the divine beings could not put under them. The Synapse Circle we knew in the past is not the Synapse Circle we have today. We don't know if they changed sides. We don't know if they're secretly working for the divine beings. And that alone makes them dangerous."
He looked at each of them one by one, making the warning land.
"And remember… if their Bloodline truly sees all, then they might also know a way to wipe out every Pendragon in existence."
Silence settled. The type that makes the walls feel closer.
"Then they should also know a way to find us. And if they haven't… it means they're not looking," Peter said. His voice was flat, but the edge was there.
"We can't take that chance," Elder Rooney cut in. "The Synapse Circle are too powerful and too dangerous. Call Saka back. This risk isn't worth it."
Everyone turned to Stan. The room felt like it exhaled and waited.
Stan rolled his shoulders, steady but tired. "We already have a lead on how to heal me," he said. "And the Synapse Circle are best left alone."
He pointed toward the door. "Have Saka return to the base."
Peter opened his mouth, but Stan kept going.
"But before that… you need to tell us everything you know about the Synapse Circle," Stan said. His tone carried weight—older than his smile. "In case things don't work out too well. I'm done hiding from the divine beings. Or any other clan."
A long pause. Elder Rooney's jaw tightened like he was chewing stones.
"Fine…" he said at last.
He straightened up, old authority sliding back into place. "Let's start with the facts. Just like us, the Synapse Circle has a system that stores their Bloodline."
He let that settle—one clear, heavy block of truth.