The Abyss District remained under a tense lockdown as the authorities scrambled to contain the aftermath of the carnage. The incident was already making headlines, with journalists and officials speculating about the "massacre," though details were murky. As far as the public knew, a group of mercenaries had entered the Abyss for reasons unknown and had been slaughtered in a scene so horrific that even the most hardened cleanup crews were shaken.

Irina stood in a dimly lit corner of the Abyss District, far from the prying eyes of the authorities and media. The faint glow of Aether-powered lights barely illuminated the twisted ruins around her. She adjusted her hood and glanced down at the data stick in her hand.

She'd acquired it from her handler—a Syndicate contact who had slipped it into her possession during her last covert meeting. The information was damning, a detailed breakdown of the warrant issued for Nate Davis and signed by the heads of the Rawllings, Vossen, and Arundel families. It didn't take much to connect the dots: the group of mercenaries sent into the Abyss District had been after him.

Her hands trembled slightly as she inserted the data stick into her tablet. Aetherium-infused text glowed faintly, the warrant's details stark against the dark background. Her breath hitched as she read the lines confirming Nate's status as the target.

He's alive. But what did he do to make them come after him like this?

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She wasn't naive enough to believe the warrant was fair—Nate had clearly been scapegoated for something larger. It was also clear that the Syndicate had something to do with the signing of the warrant. But that didn't explain the brutality of the massacre. The cleanup reports she'd intercepted painted a grisly picture: bodies torn apart, burned alive, and crushed beyond recognition. It didn't sound like Nate at all.

Irina exhaled deeply, her mind racing. She couldn't reveal where she'd gotten the information, not even to Anton. He couldn't know about her ties to the Syndicate. But he needed to have this. Carefully, she crafted a simple message with an attached copy of the warrant and sent it to his private terminal under an anonymous alias.

As she slipped into the shadows, her chest felt heavy. She was protecting Anton, but how long could she keep her dual loyalties hidden?

Anton stood in the student council room, staring at the holographic display of the warrant he had just received. He had no idea who had sent it, but the details were clear.

"The top three families signed this," he said, his tone measured but taut with anger.

The rest of the group—Chloe, Elysia, Susana, and Evan—gathered around the display, their expressions ranging from shock to confusion.

"This is about Nate?" Susana asked, her voice incredulous.

"Apparently," Anton replied. "They didn't just sign off on it—they sent mercenaries after him. And whatever happened in the Abyss District..." He trailed off, his jaw tightening.

"It was him," Chloe said, disbelief colouring her tone. "You're saying Nate did that?"

Elysia's stomach churned. She stared at the warrant, her mind flashing back to the moment Nate was leaving and he started to absorb both her life force and Chloe's. Could this be the same thing?

"I'm not so sure," she said, her voice quieter than usual.

Chloe turned to her, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean? Who else could have done something like that?"

Elysia hesitated, struggling to find the words. "I just mean... Nate's never been violent like that. He's always fought to protect people, not to..." She swallowed. "Not like this."

Anton crossed his arms. "He did have that incident in the academy remember? It sounds rather similar. But whether it was him or not, the fact remains: the families signed off on this without telling us. That's what we should be focusing on."

Elysia's expression darkened. "You're right. I'll get answers from my father."

"And I'll go to my family as well and see what I can find out," Chloe said firmly.

The heavy oak door to Lillian's office swung open with a loud creak, startling the young professor. Chloe stormed in, her face a storm of barely contained fury.

"Chloe," Lillian began, his tone calm but cautious. "What's the—"

"Don't," she snapped, slamming her hands on his desk. "Don't pretend you don't know why I'm here. The warrant. For Nate. Did you know about it?"

Lillian's expression shifted, a flicker of regret crossing his face. "I did."

Her fists tightened against the wood. "And you didn't think to tell me? To tell any of us?"

"Chloe, listen—"

"No," she cut him off, her voice rising. "You don't get to justify this. You signed off on sending mercenaries after one of our friends. One of my friends."

Lillian's eyes narrowed slightly. "I signed because it was necessary, Chloe. The families demanded action after the grid collapse, and Nate, taking into consideration all the speculation surrounding him, plus the fact he survived that explosion... is dangerous. You know that as well as I do."

"Don't you dare use that as an excuse," she hissed. "You didn't just sign away his safety—you signed away his trust. And ours."

Lillian's jaw tightened. "Do you think this was easy for me? Do you think I didn't weigh every possible outcome? The families saw him as a threat, and I had to act."

"No," she said, her voice trembling with anger. "You chose the easy way out. You chose to follow orders instead of fighting for what's right. And if you think for a second that I'm going to forgive you for this..." She trailed off, her voice breaking slightly.

Lillian's expression softened, though his own frustration was clear. "You care about him," he said quietly. "More than you're willing to admit."

Chloe's lips pressed into a thin line. "This isn't about that. This is about you betraying someone who trusted you."

"And what if I told you I did it to protect you?" he countered.

She froze, her eyes narrowing. "Protect me? From what?"

"From him," Lillian said simply. "Because if he loses control, it won't just be the Abyss District that suffers. It will be everyone."

The Arundel estate was as imposing as ever, its towering spires casting long shadows over the grounds as Elysia marched inside. Her father was in his study, as expected, but it was her mother who intercepted her first.

"You're upset," Lady Arundel said, her tone clipped but unreadable.

"Of course, I'm upset," Elysia snapped. "You signed the warrant for Nate. Why didn't you tell me?"

Her mother's expression didn't waver. "Because you wouldn't have understood."

"Try me," Elysia said, her voice cold.

Lady Arundel's eyes narrowed. "Drakkar is a danger to our family and to this world. The families acted accordingly. I acted accordingly."

Elysia opened her mouth to argue, but a deep, resonant voice cut through the air.

"And yet, you humans act surprised when your so-called allies turn against you."

Elysia turned to see Darian, Nate's father, entering the room. His presence was overwhelming, his golden eyes glowing faintly as they locked onto hers.

"Lord Darian," Lady Arundel said, inclining her head.

Darian ignored her, focusing solely on Elysia. "Do you know what your dear Drakkar did?"

Elysia's breath caught. "What are you talking about?"

"The explosion," Darian said simply. "The one that destroyed your precious grid. He didn't survive it by chance. He moved it."

Elysia frowned. "Moved it where?"

"To hell," Darian replied, his voice cold. "To a portion of hell controlled by one of the most powerful families there. And in doing so, he declared war on them."

Elysia's heart sank. "He was trying to protect us."

"And look where it got him," Darian said bitterly. "Hunted by your kind and ours. I warned him this would happen. I warned him you humans would turn on him the moment it was convenient. Yet he didn't listen. What a stupid child. You think his choice to shield your precious grid from destruction absolves him of guilt? He dragged Hell into your mess. Do you have any idea what he unleashed? What kind of wrath awaits him now?"

Elysia didn't respond immediately, her mind spinning. The pieces were falling into place—the explosion, the grid collapse, the warrant, the massacre in the Abyss. It was all connected, and Nate was at the centre of it.

Lady Arundel's calm but calculating voice interrupted her thoughts. "If Drakkar is so determined to play saviour, then let him face the consequences of his actions. He has made his bed, Elysia. It is not your place to fix this."

Elysia's head snapped toward her mother, anger flaring in her eyes. "It is my place! He's my knight—my responsibility. If you're so quick to abandon him, then fine. But I won't."

Darian chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with condescension. "How noble of you, little princess. But what exactly do you plan to do? Wave your title around, and hope to find him before both Hell and humanity do?"

Elysia stepped forward, her voice unwavering. "I'll find him. And I'll bring him back."

Back at NovaMyst, the tension in the student council room was suffocating. Elysia had called an emergency meeting, and everyone's nerves were on edge. Anton leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the ground as he processed the information. Chloe paced furiously, her footsteps echoing in the silence. Irina sat still, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her face unreadable. Susana and Evan, seated on opposite ends of the table, exchanged uneasy glances.

Elysia stood at the head of the room, her expression resolute but tinged with frustration. "We know Nate's involved," she said firmly. "The incident in the Abyss District proves it."

"You don't know that for sure," Chloe countered, spinning to face her. "All we know is that a group of mercenaries was sent after him and ended up dead in the Abyss. And the way they were killed?" She hesitated, as if trying to find the right words. "Even if Nate survived the explosion... what if it wasn't him who did this?"

"It was brutal," Irina said quietly. "The reports described things no human could possibly do. Bodies torn apart, some of them burned to nothing, others... crushed. If it was him, what does that mean?"

Elysia's fists clenched at her sides, but her voice remained calm. "It doesn't matter what it means. What matters is that Nate is out there, and he's in danger. We have to find him."

Chloe threw up her hands in exasperation. "And if it was him? If he's the one who did that? Are you ready for that possibility, Elysia? Because I'm not."

The room fell silent, the weight of Chloe's words settling over them like a heavy fog. Elysia glared at her, but before she could respond, Chloe spoke again, her tone sharper now.

"I haven't forgotten what happened the night he left," Chloe said, turning to Elysia. "When we went to his dorm, when he—whatever that was—happened to us. That wasn't normal, Elysia. Whatever he did to us, it was dangerous. And you're telling me that this massacre in the Abyss District isn't connected? You're telling me you haven't thought about what he's capable of?"

Elysia's heart sank. Of course, she had thought about it. The memory of that night—the pull of her own life force being drained, the sheer power radiating from Nate, just like before—was seared into her mind. But she couldn't bring herself to say it aloud. Instead, she kept her expression stoic, her voice steady.

"I don't know what happened that night," Elysia said carefully, "and neither do you. But I do know Nate, and this—" She gestured to the report Anton had brought up on the holographic display. "This isn't him. He's not a killer."

"You don't know that," Chloe snapped, her voice rising. "We thought we knew him, but after everything, can you really say that with certainty?"

"I can," Elysia shot back, her gaze unwavering. "And even if I'm wrong, I'm not going to abandon him. Not now."

Anton cleared his throat, cutting through the heated exchange. "Whether it was him or not, there's something else at play here. The massacre in the Abyss District wasn't random—it was the result of those mercenaries being sent after him. And they were sent because of the warrant."

"What about it?" Evan asked, frowning.

Anton stepped forward, his expression grim. "The warrant wasn't just a decision made by the families. It was pushed. Orchestrated. The Syndicate is involved."

Chloe stopped pacing, turning to Anton with a sharp look. "The Syndicate? Who the hell are they?"

Anton's jaw tightened, his hesitation almost imperceptible. "The Syndicate is... an underground organization. They operate outside the law, dealing in illegal experiments, black market enhancements, and unregulated Aetherium technology. They're connected to everything from rogue mage research to weaponizing Aetherium implants. They don't care about ethics, only results."

Irina's hand tightened against her lap, but her face remained unreadable as Anton spoke.

"And you know this how?" Chloe pressed, suspicion creeping into her tone.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"I've got contacts," Anton replied smoothly, his voice calm and controlled. "Black ops types. They've been tracking the Syndicate's movements for years. From what I've been told, the Syndicate's influence extends far beyond what most people realize. If they've managed to manipulate the families into signing off on this warrant, it means they have a specific interest in Nate."

Elysia's brow furrowed. "You're saying the Syndicate convinced the most powerful families in the world to target Nate? How?"

"I don't know," Anton admitted, though his mind was racing with the truth he wasn't ready to share. "But they're known for finding leverage. Secrets, corruption, blackmail—they use whatever they can to get what they want."

Chloe folded her arms, scepticism clear on her face. "And what exactly do they want with Nate?"

"That's the real question," Anton said. "The Syndicate doesn't act without reason. If they're interested in Nate, it's because they see him as valuable—either as an asset or as a threat."

Evan frowned, leaning forward in his chair. "So, let me get this straight. This Syndicate somehow got the top families to sign off on a warrant for Nate, sent mercenaries after him, and now they're... what? Hoping to capture him, to either, use him, turn him into an experiment or kill him?"

"That's one possibility," Anton said, his voice tight.

Chloe's frustration boiled over. "This just keeps getting worse. First, the families sign a warrant for Nate without telling us. Then we find out he's somehow tied to this massacre. And now there's an entire organization of criminals involved? How are we supposed to deal with this?"

Elysia spoke up, her voice steady but resolute. "We deal with it by finding Nate. If the Syndicate is after him, we need to get to him first."

Chloe turned to her, exasperated. "And do what, Elysia? Hide him? Fight off the Syndicate and the families? You're talking about going up against forces way beyond our control."

Elysia's jaw tightened. "I'm not asking anyone to come with me. I'll go alone if I have to."

Irina's voice was quiet but firm. "That's not a good idea. The Abyss District is dangerous enough on its own, and with the Syndicate involved..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "It's not just risky—it's suicidal."

Elysia's gaze swept across the room, landing briefly on each of them. "I know the risks, but I can't just sit here while Nate is out there, alone and hunted. If there's even a chance that I can help him, I have to try."

Finally, Chloe's frustration boiled over.

"I haven't forgotten what happened the night he left," Chloe said sharply, turning to face her. "When we went to his dorm, when he—whatever that was—happened to us. That wasn't normal, Elysia. Whatever he did to us, it was dangerous. And now you're telling me this massacre in the Abyss District isn't connected? You're telling me you haven't thought about what he's capable of?"

Elysia swallowed hard, the weight of Chloe's words pressing on her. Of course, she had thought about it—the memory of that night haunted her. But she couldn't bring herself to say it aloud.

"I don't know what happened that night," Elysia said carefully, "and neither do you. But I do know Nate, and this—" She gestured to the report Anton had brought up on the holographic display. "This isn't him. He's not a killer."

Chloe's voice softened slightly, though her frustration remained. "You don't know that. We thought we knew him, but after everything, can you really say that with certainty?"

"I can," Elysia shot back, her gaze unwavering. "And even if I'm wrong, I'm not going to abandon him. Not now."

Chloe folded her arms tightly across her chest, her expression a mix of anger and concern. For a moment, she seemed like she might argue further, but then she let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping.

"You're so damn stubborn," Chloe muttered, her voice cracking slightly. "You always have to save everyone, don't you? Even if it gets you killed." She glanced away, her jaw tightening. "You scare me sometimes, Elysia. You throw yourself into danger like you're invincible, like nothing can touch you. But what if you can't save him? What if he doesn't want to be saved? Have you thought about that?"

Elysia blinked, caught off guard by Chloe's vulnerability. For all her sharp words and fiery temper, Chloe rarely let her guard down like this.

"Chloe," Elysia said softly, stepping closer. "I know the risks. I know it's dangerous. But Nate's not just some lost cause. He's part of this group—part of my family. I can't just leave him out there, not when I can do something about it."

Chloe hesitated, her eyes searching Elysia's face for a long moment. Then, reluctantly, she nodded. "Fine. Go after him. But you damn well better come back alive, you hear me? I don't want to lose both of you."

A small smile tugged at Elysia's lips, and she nodded. "I promise."

Chloe shook her head, letting out a shaky breath. "You'd better. Because if you don't, I'll kill you myself."

Anton sighed, rubbing his temples. "If you're going, you shouldn't go alone."

"I'll go with her," Susana said, breaking her silence. Her voice was calm but determined. "She shouldn't go into the Abyss by herself. And besides, two people are less conspicuous than a whole group."

Elysia raised an eyebrow. "You're volunteering?"

Susana shrugged. "I am dead remember? Or at least I should have died that's what all the news said about me, nothing else. So, for all intents and purposes Sophia Bently doesn't exist anymore. That gives us an advantage. People in the Abyss won't be looking for me—or you, for that matter, given you're and royal and all so together, we might have a chance to find something."

Chloe sighed heavily, her frustration giving way to resignation. "This is still a bad idea. But if you're going to do it, at least keep us updated. We need to know what you find."

Irina's voice was quieter this time, but her concern was evident. "And be careful. If the Syndicate is involved, this is bigger than we realize."

Elysia met her gaze, a flicker of gratitude in her eyes. "I will."

Anton nodded, his expression grim. "We'll cover for you here. Just... don't do anything reckless."

Elysia smirked faintly. "Reckless? Me? Never."

Susana rolled her eyes. "Sure. Let's get going before they talk us out of it."

With the plan set, Elysia and Susana began their preparations, steeling themselves for the dangerous journey ahead. For better or worse, they were going into the Abyss to bring Nate back—and to uncover the truth behind the forces conspiring against him.

The Abyss District loomed before them, an urban sprawl of decay and defiance, its jagged skyline illuminated by flickering neon signs and the faint glow of Aetherium-powered street lamps. The heavy smog hanging in the air seemed almost alive, twisting with the faint hum of machinery and distant shouts. Elysia and Susana paused at the district's threshold, the stark contrast between this chaotic underworld and the polished opulence of NovaMyst's city core striking like a slap to the face.

Elysia adjusted her cloak, pulling it tighter around her as her heterochromatic eyes scanned their surroundings. She had only been here once before, during the Purity Front's attack on the academy, but the district had transformed since then. What had once been a desperate slum fighting for scraps of power now seemed like an unruly beast unleashed. The people of the Abyss District weren't cowering anymore—they were thriving in their chaos, but the cost of that freedom was etched into every crumbling wall and bloodstained alleyway.

Susana glanced at Elysia, her voice low and wary. "It feels different, doesn't it? Like I'd heard the stories about the district but I never expected it to be like this... the whole place is ready to boil over."

"It's not just the place," Elysia replied, her eyes narrowing. "It's the people."

As they stepped into the district, the change in atmosphere hit them like a wave. The streets were alive with activity, but it was a far cry from the structured order of the city. Vendors hawked their wares at makeshift stalls built from scavenged metal and broken Aetherium cores. The goods on display ranged from counterfeit implants that crackled with unstable energy to vials of black-market Aetherium essence, glowing faintly in the dim light. Children darted through the crowd, their laughter tinged with an edge of desperation as they pickpocketed distracted passersby.

But the crime and violence that simmered just beneath the surface soon became glaringly obvious. A scuffle broke out near one of the stalls, and Elysia turned just in time to see a man with glowing mechanical arms, which somehow served as a makeshift CAT, slam another into a pile of rusted debris. Sparks flew as the implants on his arms discharged, the victim convulsing violently before collapsing in a motionless heap. The attacker sneered, swiping a handful of Aetherium vials from the stall and disappearing into the shadows without a second glance.

Susana winced but kept her composure. "This isn't survival anymore. It's something else."

Elysia nodded, her gaze lingering on the corpse now being rifled through by two children, their faces expressionless as they stripped the body of valuables. Her stomach churned, but she forced herself to move on. This wasn't a place for empathy—it was a place where weakness was devoured.

Further down the street, the dim light revealed the remnants of a bloodied brawl. A gang of augmented thugs stood in a loose circle, their laughter cruel as they watched a man bleed out in the centre of their ring. His body twitched, his synthetic leg sparking erratically where it had been ripped from its socket. One of the gang members, a woman with glowing red eyes and a jagged scar running down her face, leaned down and whispered something into the dying man's ear before plunging a blade, which was also a CAT, into his chest. The gang roared with approval, their voices echoing down the alleyway.

Susana's jaw tightened. "We need to be careful. If they figure out, we're outsiders—"

"They won't," Elysia interrupted, her voice hard. "Stick to the plan, and we'll get through this."

They pressed on, weaving through the labyrinthine streets and doing their best to avoid drawing attention. The deeper they ventured, the more unsettling the sights became. A woman stood at a corner, her heavily augmented body glittering with exposed wires and glowing circuits. She smiled seductively at a passing man, her voice distorted as she purred an invitation. When he hesitated, her fingers tapped a pattern into her arm, transforming it into a serrated blade with a mechanical hiss, and she whispered something that made the man pale and stumble away.

Elysia's grip tightened on the edges of her cloak. The district was a microcosm of everything broken in the world—a place where desperation, power, and violence collided in a brutal dance. It was no wonder Nate had disappeared into the shadows here. If he was anywhere, it was in this madness.

Finally, they reached the site of the massacre. The air here was heavier, the faint metallic scent of blood still lingering despite the authorities' attempts to clean the area. Elysia activated her ability, her heterochromatic eyes glowing faintly as threads of Aetherium flared to life around her. The threads danced and twisted, reconstructing fragments of the scene with eerie clarity.

Bloodstains painted the walls and pavement, their patterns chaotic and violent. Broken weapons and shattered implants littered the ground, their jagged edges glinting in the faint light. Elysia's ability revealed faint traces of magic—dark, primal, and raw. She could almost feel the echoes of the violence, the rage and desperation that had fuelled it.

Susana watched silently as Elysia pieced together the aftermath. "This doesn't feel right," she said finally. "This isn't like Nate."

Elysia didn't respond immediately, her gaze fixed on the reconstructed threads of Aetherium. The brutality of the scene was undeniable—limbs torn apart, bodies crushed, and weapons twisted beyond recognition. But there was something else, something colder and more detached. It was as if whoever had done this wasn't just killing—they were sending a message.

"He's given up," Elysia murmured finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's not himself anymore."

Susana frowned, her expression troubled. "You don't know that for sure. Besides would he really be capable of doing something like this?"

"No," Elysia admitted, her stomach twisting. "But if he did this... if he's capable of this now, it means he's stopped caring. And that's worse."

They continued their search, following the faint traces of Aetherium deeper into the district. The signs of the massacre grew fainter, the threads of magic dissipating into the chaotic energy of the Abyss. Despite their efforts, there was no sign of Nate.

Elysia stopped in the middle of the street, her shoulders slumping as the weight of their failure settled over her. "We're not going to find him like this."

As they ventured deeper, past the violence and despair, they stumbled upon a rare sight—a makeshift school hidden within the shell of a ruined building. Children sat on the ground, their faces smudged but intent, as a woman taught them to read from a battered tablet powered by jury-rigged Aetherium cores. A handful of adults stood nearby, distributing small bowls of food to those gathered.

Elysia paused, her gaze softening as she watched a young boy offer his portion to a younger sibling, his tiny hands trembling with hunger but resolute. It was a glimmer of humanity amidst the chaos—a reminder that even here, in the heart of darkness, people were trying to hold onto hope.

Susana placed a hand on Elysia's arm, her voice quiet but firm. "We should keep moving. If we stay too long, we'll draw attention."

Elysia nodded reluctantly, her gaze lingering on the bloodstained ground. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time, that every moment they spent searching was another step closer to losing Nate forever. But the image of the makeshift school lingered in her mind, a small beacon of light in a place that desperately needed it.

By mid-January, the Abyss District was a powder keg ready to explode. The collapse of the magical grid had done more than destabilize the region—it had given the district's downtrodden inhabitants a taste of autonomy. Counterfeit CAT devices flooded the black market, powering cheap, unstable implants that transformed ordinary people into walking weapons. The imbalance of power between the district and the rest of New London was narrowing, and the result was chaos.

Riots erupted nightly, sparked by desperation and a thirst for revenge. For decades, the Abyss District's residents had been treated as outcasts, shunned and exploited by a society that thrived on their suffering. Now, they were fighting back. The district's makeshift militias targeted supply routes, corporate installations, and even government checkpoints, their strikes carried out with brutal precision. The response was equally violent—quarantine zones had been fortified, and the military patrolled the city's perimeter with a heavy hand. Martial law blanketed New London, and the media demonized the Abyss residents, painting them as criminals intent on destabilizing the city.

But the reality was far more complex. For every riot that spiralled out of control, there was an unseen hand trying to maintain order. Whispers spread of a vigilante—a lone figure patrolling the Abyss District's labyrinthine streets, fighting back against both sides. Those who had witnessed the figure in action spoke of his ruthless efficiency, his ability to quell riots as easily as he dismantled overzealous enforcement squads. Some called him a protector, others a traitor, but all agreed on one thing: he was the only thing keeping the district from igniting into an all-out war.

Despite his best efforts, there was only so much one person could do. For every riot he stopped, another erupted elsewhere. The authorities were making things worse, not better, their heavy-handed tactics leaving the district's residents angrier and more desperate. Soldiers in gleaming armour patrolled the quarantine zone, their Aether-powered weapons crackling with lethal energy. Civilian casualties were dismissed as collateral damage, and any attempt to flee the district was met with violence.

The group at NovaMyst had spent the past month following the chaos from the confines of the academy. Their investigation into the warrant had confirmed what they already suspected: the Syndicate had orchestrated it, manipulating the top three royal families into turning on Nate. But the focus now was the toll this was taking—not just on Nate, but on the world around them.

Elysia stood in the council room, staring out the window at the academy's serene grounds, which felt like a world away from the carnage in the Abyss. "He's doing everything he can," she said softly, almost to herself. "But it's not enough. They're going to destroy everything, and he's... he's out there trying to hold it together on his own."

Chloe sat on the edge of the table, her arms crossed tightly. "This is exactly what the Syndicate wants. They've thrown him to the wolves, and now they're just waiting for him to either break or die."

"Or become something worse," Anton added darkly, his eyes shadowed. He was perched on a chair, his gaze fixed on a glowing data pad filled with news reports from the district. Each one painted a grim picture: riots, killings, and clashes between militias and authorities.

Evan leaned against the wall, his expression grim. "The authorities are just making it worse. They don't care about fixing anything—they just want to crush the district into submission."

"Crush isn't the right word," Susana said, her tone sharp. "They want to eradicate it. They see the Abyss as a cancer, something to cut out and burn. And they don't care how many people die in the process."

Irina, who had been sitting quietly, spoke up, her voice calm but laced with tension. "It's not just the authorities. The district itself is imploding. People are turning on each other, fighting over scraps, over power... It's like watching a building collapse in slow motion."

Elysia turned back to the group, her expression resolute. "Then we have to go. We have to find him and bring him back."

Chloe shot her a sharp look. "Bring him back? To what? Do you really think the academy, or the families are going to welcome him with open arms after this?"

"We don't have to bring him back to the academy," Elysia countered. "But we can't just leave him there. If he's trying to stop this, he's putting himself in danger every second he stays."

Anton rubbed his temples, his voice steady but edged with frustration. "It's not that simple, Elysia. The Syndicate is watching everything. If we make a move, they'll see it. And if we try to bring him out, they'll come after all of us."

"Then we deal with it," Elysia said firmly. "I'm not going to sit here and do nothing while he's out there fighting alone."

Chloe sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You realize how insane this is, right? The district is a war zone, the Syndicate is waiting for any excuse to pounce, you have to worry about your engagement because I guarantee you the Read family is not going to support this little adventure of yours, and Nate... He's not the same person who left. We saw what happened before he left, Elysia. That wasn't normal."

Elysia flinched but didn't respond. She knew exactly what Chloe was referring to—the moment in Nate's dorm when he had absorbed their life force, his scar burning with demonic energy. Elysia had kept the truth of what she'd seen to herself, but the memory haunted her. If Nate's power had spiralled out of control, it wasn't just his life at risk—it was everyone's.

Evan cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "Look, she's right about one thing. He can't stay there forever. And if we're going to do something, it has to be soon. The longer this goes on, the worse it'll get—for him and for everyone else."

Susana nodded slowly. "If we're going, we need a plan. And we need a reason that'll get us out of the academy without raising too many questions."

Chloe sighed again, her frustration giving way to resignation. "I might be able to arrange that."

Anton raised an eyebrow. "You have a way to get us out of here?"

"I have... contacts," Chloe said carefully. "But it'll take some convincing. And it'll be limited—maybe a week, no more."

Elysia's gaze softened slightly. "Thank you."

Anton exchanged a glance with Irina, his expression unreadable. Fine. But if we're doing this, we need to be smart about it. No running in blind, no splitting up, and no unnecessary risks. We can't afford to lose anyone else."

The group exchanged determined nods, their shared resolve solidifying into a plan. They would go into the Abyss District, find Nate, and bring him back—no matter the cost.