--- Chapter 39: Spiralborne Hunt The rain fell in thin, almost surgical sheets, slicing through the cold night air and clinging to every surface in a glistening, predatory sheen. Eastbridge’s industrial quarter was quiet—too quiet. Every flickering streetlight and distant clank of metal seemed to sharpen the tension hanging in the air. Dante knew the silence was a lie. He crouched low beside a collapsed freight container, water dripping down the hood of his jacket. The Bastion Facility’s mercenaries—Omega Clearance operatives—had been spotted in the district an hour ago, and their movements were deliberate. They weren’t here for patrol. They were here for Aria. And they weren’t alone. The Spiralborne were out. It was the first full-scale hunt Dante had seen since the Red Quarters m*

