Later, alone in his room, Ethan couldn’t sleep.
He replayed every glance, every word, every time she’d leaned into Darius with a ghost of a smile.
What game are you playing, Sophia?
And why did it feel like he was already too late?
As the moon etched silver across his window, his comm cracked alive.
A message.
It came from Felix at dawn.
A single phrase burned into Ethan’s encrypted channel:
“Your presence is requested. No delays. No substitutes.”
He knew better than to hesitate. Felix didn’t request anything—he summoned. And this time, the strings attached were laced with poison and opportunity.
Ethan arrived at the Wyrm Spire Vaults just past eight. The air was heavy with incense and old magic. The kind that slithered beneath your skin if you stood still too long. Guards flanke
