The silence that followed our tactical briefing wasn’t one of peace; it was the heavy, pressurized quiet that precedes a storm. Jackson’s hand remained on my neck, his thumb tracing small, soothing circles against my skin, but I could feel the tension vibrating through his palm.
"Three weeks," Jackson announced, his voice echoing with Alpha authority. "We leave in twenty-one days. I want every warrior in the 'Ghost Phase' rotation to be in peak physical condition. Ethan, coordinate the staggered training sessions. Serena, I want the med-bay stocked for a siege. We don't move until the logistics are airtight."
Twenty-one days. It sounded like a lifetime and a heartbeat all at once. It was three weeks to master a power I barely understood, and three weeks to say goodbye to the relative saf
