Seraphine floated down to the ground, the five orbs hovering behind her. She approached the broken entrance of Ironwatch Hold, where Mordane, Morren, Stroud, Calder, and the body of Voss awaited. They had all witnessed the end of Shrikecoil.
Morren swallowed hard. "Please… tell me it's finally over."
Seraphine's voice was calm and soothing as she replied, "Yes. That foul creature is gone—permanently."
A collective sigh of relief passed through Morren and the others.
Before Morren could fully relax, Mordane's sharp voice cut through the moment. "Corporal Morren. What was the meaning of breaking formation? You endangered your entire squad."
Startled, Morren stammered, "I… I'm sorry, General."
Mordane's gaze remained steady. "You will face punishment for that."
Morren drew a deep breath, his posture straightening. "I will take full responsibility for my actions. But I could not simply leave my comrade's body to be consumed by that thing. Private First Class Edrin Voss joined us for glory, and he died in action. At least he will get a proper burial," he said, eyes lingering on the scattered remains of the other soldiers, "unlike the others."
Mordane said nothing. Stroud placed a hand on Morren's shoulder. "You did a good thing, Corporal."
Calder, scanning the devastation, asked, "What do we do now? The communications devices are completely destroyed. My team is working on the backup, but it will take a day or two."
Mordane's gaze swept over the dead followers of Shrikecoil. "So many soldiers turned against us… Why? Were they working with that creature from the beginning?"
Seraphine's voice was steady. "No. That creature simply took control of their minds." She shifted her orbs into healing mode, tending to herself first. Her golden eyes scanned the carnage. "I could have restored their minds, but now… they are gone. All I can do is offer my prayers."
Grief settled over the group, fists clenched at their sides.
Mordane finally broke the silence. "Men, today is a tragic day. But we cannot sit idly. We must rebuild, restore communications, and inform the families and loved ones of the fallen."
As Seraphine completed her healing, the group prepared to reenter the dark, blood-streaked base. Suddenly, she raised her orbs, their golden light focused on the team. Calder instinctively lifted his weapon, Stroud readying his sidearm.
Mordane's eyes narrowed. "What is the meaning of this?"
Seraphine's gaze was unwavering. "I need the location of the Void. I know you have it."
"The Void?" Mordane asked, frowning. "What are you talking about?"
"Do not play dumb," she replied, soft yet firm. "That creature was seeking the Void as well."
Realization dawned on Mordane. He nodded slowly. "Yes, we have its location. But what if I refuse to give it to you?"
Seraphine's eyes softened, yet her resolve remained. "Then I will have to compel you to tell me."
Morren and the others exchanged wary glances. Mordane exhaled, lifting his right hand to signal his men to lower their weapons. Stroud and Calder complied.
"Fine," Mordane said. "I will give you the location, but on one condition."
Her eyes narrowed. "I'm listening."
"My men are already en route to bring Angelo here. When they do, you may have him. But until then, you must protect this base from any outside attack."
Seraphine's gaze sharpened. "How do I know you are telling the truth?"
Mordane met her stare evenly. "You don't. You'll just have to take my word. And besides—how do I know you won't simply melt our heads once you get what you need?"
She considered this. "What if I kill you all, and wait for your men to bring the Void? Your communications are down, and nothing stops me from striking afterward."
A faint smile tugged at Mordane's lips. "The reason you can't do that is simple. My men won't return here without hearing from us in twenty-four hours. And if something happens to the person we are keeping, I am certain that Angelo will erase anyone involved. I doubt you want to risk facing him."
Seraphine's expression betrayed a trace of amusement. "Cunning. No wonder you command this base. Very well. I accept your terms."
Mordane led the way into the base, his men following while carrying Voss's body. Seraphine hovered behind them, her orbs lighting the dark, blood-soaked hallways. Together, they moved forward—shadows amid the carnage, wary yet resolute.
Back in the town, Anika and Rhea had managed to stabilize Dorne. He was out of danger now, resting quietly as the two women sat beside him.
Nero glanced at Vinn. Their eyes met, and with a slight nod, Nero turned and walked over to Thom.
"Thom," Nero said, his voice calm but steady. "Can I speak with you outside for a moment?"
"Sure," Thom replied cautiously. "What about?"
"First, let's step out," Nero said.
The three of them—Nero, Thom, and Vinn—left the house and walked a short distance away. Once far enough, Nero stopped and faced Thom.
"Listen," Nero began. "I want to be clear—I'm grateful for everything you, Dorne, and the townsfolk have done for me. But I need you to answer me honestly."
Thom shifted uncomfortably, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
Nero exhaled slowly, pulling the tracker from his pocket. "I know I told you to open this and take a look. But did you tamper with it in any way?"
Thom stiffened, his voice rising. "Are you seriously accusing me of tampering with the tracker, you told me to open?"
Vinn's eyes narrowed into a hard glare. "Just answer the question. Did you, or didn't you?"
Thom glanced between the two of them, his voice trembling. "Yes… I did. But I didn't mean to."
Nero pressed him. "What do you mean, you didn't mean to?"
Thom sighed heavily. "When you and Dorne left me with the open tracker, Dorne came back to grab a compass. I didn't notice him right away, but when he dropped something, it startled me. My hand slipped, and I accidentally cut one of the wires. The blinking light stopped. I panicked, thought it was nothing, so I reattached it. The light came back on, so I thought it was fine."
Vinn leaned forward. "Are you telling the truth?"
"I swear on my daughter, Lina," Thom said. "It was an accident. I should've told you, Nero, but after what happened—with you, the monster, everything—I didn't get the chance."
Nero glanced at Vinn. "See? I told you—they're good people." Then he turned back to Thom. "I'm sorry for doubting you. Please forgive me."
Thom shook his head. "No. I was the one who caused the problem." He looked to Vinn. "So… what exactly did I do by cutting that wire?"
Vinn's expression hardened. "You killed the transmission. We lost the signal."
Thom's eyes widened. "Holy shit! I really messed up. But I reattached it—doesn't that fix it?"
Vinn let out a frustrated sigh. "It doesn't work like that. This isn't some cheap tracker—it's military tech. Once the line's severed, the transmission's compromised."
Before Thom could respond, Kato approached, hands tucked casually into his pockets, but his eyes far too sharp for his relaxed posture.
"What are you doing here?" Vinn asked sharply.
"Rhea told me to send a report back to HQ," Kato replied casually. His eyes flicked to Nero and Thom, then back to Vinn with a grin. "Looks like you're making new friends."
"Quit the nonsense," Vinn snapped. "I was figuring out why the tracker's signal disappeared."
Kato tilted his head. "So? Did you?"
"Yeah," Vinn said flatly. "That guy over there cut the main wire."
Kato blinked. "Seriously?"
"Yeah."
Kato didn't push it further. His gaze wandered across the town, like he was studying the place, committing every detail to memory.
"Hey," Vinn called out to him, "stay with Angelo—or Nero, whatever we're calling him now. I'll handle the report."
Kato smirked faintly. "Fine. I'll keep eyes on him."
Vinn headed toward the Strider, while Kato drifted closer to Nero, his eyes still scanning the town as if he knew it from somewhere long ago.