The helicopter touched down on the headquarters' helipad as the sun rose over Verance.
Slade stepped out, his boots heavy on the concrete. The team followed in silence, their faces etched with exhaustion and disbelief. The explosion at the airfield was still fresh in their minds—the fire, the chaos, the figure of the old man crumbling to dust.
His grandfather.
The architect of the labyrinth.
The man who had destroyed his father's life.
Slade walked into the main room and sat down heavily on a chair. His hands were shaking. His mind was a storm of images and questions.
Ember approached him, her voice soft. "Slade. Talk to me."
"I killed my grandfather."
"You killed the king. The man who built the labyrinth. The man who destroyed your family."
"Same thing."
Raven stepped forward. "
