The city burned in silence.
From the balcony of the mansion, Althea watched smoke rise into the night sky. The explosion that had shaken the city earlier was no longer just news. It was a declaration of war.
Dante stood beside her, his presence solid and cold, like a wall between her and the world.
“You shouldn’t stay here,” he said.
Althea turned to him. “Then where should I go?”
Dante did not answer immediately.
“For the first time,” she continued, “you don’t have a plan, do you?”
His jaw tightened slightly.
“I always have a plan,” he said.
But his voice was different.
Less certain.
The mansion was under lockdown.
Guards doubled their shifts. Surveillance systems were upgraded. Every gate was reinforced.
Yet the tension did not fade.
If anything, it grew heavier.
Althea wa
