The distant wail of sirens cut through the silence of the Abyss District, growing louder with each passing second. Elysia, Anton, Chloe, and Irina stood amidst the wreckage, their expressions grim and exhausted. The stench of blood and scorched debris clung to the air, a stark reminder of the chaos and destruction they had just survived.

But before the authorities could arrive, figures began to emerge from the shadows. Residents of the Abyss District crept closer, their faces illuminated by the dim, flickering neon lights. Their clothes were tattered, patched together with scraps, and their skin was weathered, marked by years of hard living and survival in a world that barely tolerated their existence. They moved with a haunted caution, their eyes sharp and wary, glancing between the bodies of the Purity Front members and the wounded students. Many held improvised weapons—rusted pipes, broken glass, whatever they could scavenge. To them, every newcomer, especially anyone wearing a uniform or holding a weapon, was a potential threat.

Elysia felt their stares, a mixture of anger, fear, and desperation. These people were survivors, scraping by on the margins of a society that had cast them out. In the Academy's walls, students spoke of the Abyss as a place of danger and decay, a reminder of what happened to those deemed unworthy. Yet now, facing these people, Elysia felt a pang of guilt. She had never truly understood the depth of their suffering until now.

The scene quickly changed as the city authorities arrived in force, armoured and armed, their vehicles casting blinding searchlights onto the alleyway. Their faces were impassive, eyes cold, as they surveyed the devastation with thinly veiled disdain. One of them gestured toward the residents of the Abyss District, barking orders to push them back, treating them as if they were scavengers circling a fresh kill rather than citizens of New London.

The authorities' hostility didn't stop there. Their suspicion extended to everyone present, including Elysia, Anton, Chloe, and Irina. They levelled weapons and watchful eyes at them, tense and ready to respond to any perceived threat. Elysia's grip tightened, her heterochromatic gaze flashing with barely concealed anger. It was Chloe, her voice steady but her eyes hardened, who finally spoke up.

"Lower your weapons," she ordered, her voice cutting through the chaos with the authority of someone used to being obeyed. "I am Chloe Rawllings. Yes, that Rawllings."

The lead officer's sneer froze, her eyes darting to Chloe, then back to her team. Slowly, almost reluctantly, the officers relaxed, lowering their guns and giving each other uneasy looks. The Rawllings name still carried weight, even in a place as forgotten as the Abyss District

Yet as the officer's gaze shifted to Elysia, her expression twisted with something more personal, a look of thinly veiled contempt directed at Elysia's heterochromatic eyes. Those eyes were a symbol of her rare bloodline, of her connection to a past long since forgotten. She said nothing, but her disdain was palpable, and Elysia felt it like a slap. She set her jaw, ignoring the sting. There were more important things at stake right now than petty prejudice.

The officer's attention turned back to the wreckage, her tone coldly professional. "What happened here?" she demanded, her voice loud enough to make the huddled residents of the Abyss shrink back. "Who are these people?"

Anton stepped forward, his posture steady and composed despite the exhaustion that radiated from him. "These individuals are members of the Purity Front," he explained, his voice level but strained. "They attacked the academy, aiming to destabilize the Central Magic Grid. We managed to stop them, but they triggered a failsafe before we could completely regain control. That man over there—" he gestured to the dismembered leader "—was their commander, I believe he should still somewhat be alive. The unconscious girl is Sophia, one of our own."

The officer's gaze flickered to Sophia, then back to Anton, her face expressionless as she processed his words. "And the explosion at the academy?" she pressed, her tone laced with suspicion.

Elysia stepped in, her eyes locking onto the officer's with a mixture of defiance and urgency. "The explosion was part of the Purity Front's plan. Nate, one of our team members, stayed behind to contain it. We need to get back to him now."

The officer frowned, clearly weighing her options. Her gaze shifted briefly to Irina and Chloe, who both nodded in solemn confirmation. Finally, with a reluctant sigh, she nodded.

"Fine," the officer conceded. "We'll secure the area and arrange for medical attention for Sophia. But be warned—we don't know the full extent of the damage at the academy. Proceed with caution."

Anton didn't need further encouragement. With a quick nod to his team, he turned and set off, his pace quickening with every step. The others followed, their footsteps echoing through the narrow, litter-strewn streets of the Abyss District, the weight of everything they'd faced pressing heavily on their shoulders.

The academy loomed ahead, its once-grand facade now a fractured silhouette against the smoky sky. The scene that greeted them upon arrival was one of utter devastation. Students, faculty, and more authorities gathered at the academy's entrance, their faces etched with shock and fear. The damage was more extensive than they had feared, the building's proud walls scarred and broken, smoke still billowing from the centre of the explosion.

As they moved through the crowd, Professor Lillian spotted them, his eyes widening as he saw Chloe. Without hesitation, he moved to her, pulling her into an embrace that was both fierce and protective.

"I heard you'd been taken," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. "I was... I was worried, Chloe."

Chloe stiffened at first, caught off guard by his unexpected display of affection. Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—her overwhelming concern for Nate, her relief at being back, and the complex feelings that Professor Lillian's touch stirred in her. For so long, she'd yearned for him to show her that he cared, without him just letting her walk away all the time and keep a wall between them but now, when everything else was crumbling, he finally had.

I'm... I'm fine," she replied, her voice barely a whisper, her eyes downcast as she fought to keep her composure.

Everyone around them watched with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. It wasn't often that a professor showed such personal concern for a student, but in the charged atmosphere, no one dared to question it.

Elysia, meanwhile, was already moving toward the academy doors, her patience worn thin by the time wasted on explanations and protocol. When an authority figure stepped in her way, she scowled, her frustration boiling over.

"Step aside," she said, her voice laced with anger. "We need to get in there."

The officer shook his head, his stance unyielding. "The academy is off-limits for now. We need to assess the structural damage and ensure it's safe—"

"Safe?" Elysia scoffed, her voice rising. "My knight is in there, trying to hold back whatever remains of that explosion! We don't have time for this!"

Chloe joined her, her face pale but resolute. "She's right. We don't know how much longer he can last, or what his current status is after that explosion. Please, let us through." She asked, as calmly as she could.

The arguments continued, tension escalating as the officers and faculty tried to maintain order. But Elysia had had enough. "Oh, fuck this," she muttered, her eyes blazing with determination. She activated her Generalized CAT, summoning a surge of energy that enveloped her in a soft glow. Before anyone could react, she cast a spell that lifted her into the air, her form rising above the crowd. With a second spell, she accelerated, streaking toward the academy's heart, where the Magic Control Grid had once stood.

Anton, Irina, and Chloe didn't hesitate, sprinting after her as fast as their legs could carry them, weaving through the stunned onlookers and debris-filled halls. The path led them deeper into the academy, past shattered windows and twisted metal, the remnants of what had once been their sanctuary.

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Finally, they reached the epicentre—the grid chamber, or rather, what remained of it. A massive crater yawned before them, its edges jagged and unstable, stretching down so far that they couldn't see the bottom. Heat radiated up from the depths, an ominous reminder of the forces that had been unleashed. Standing at the edge, they could feel the faint tremors of magma far below, hinting at the raw, volatile power beneath their feet.

"By the gods..." Irina whispered, her face pale with horror.

Elysia's heart hammered as she scanned the debris-strewn pit, her eyes frantically searching. And then, a faint glint caught her eye—a flicker of movement beneath a pile of rubble near the crater's edge.

"Nate!" she shouted, rushing forward without hesitation. She dropped to her knees, digging through the wreckage with frantic hands, calling upon her magic to lift heavier pieces. The others joined her, their combined efforts finally revealing Nate's battered, unconscious form beneath the debris.

The sight of him brought them to a stunned silence. His chest, bared from the torn remains of his shirt, revealed a grotesque scar—a jagged, twisted mark covering most of his sternum, its edges red and angry, pulsing faintly as if it held some dormant, hidden power. It wasn't the result of the explosion, though that's what everyone assumed.

"How... how is he still alive?" Chloe whispered, her voice choked with emotion as she knelt beside him, brushing a lock of his hair back gently. Her care for him was unmistakable, her hand lingering on his face in a way that sent a pang through Elysia's chest. She hadn't realized how deeply Chloe cared, and the realization left her feeling conflicted.

Nate's eyes fluttered open briefly, his gaze unfocused but laced with his usual defiant edge. "Got... an upgrade," he mumbled, his voice hoarse. He managed a faint, wry smile before his eyes closed again, his body finally succumbing to exhaustion.

They sat there for a moment, each of them absorbing the weight of everything that had happened, the losses they had endured, and the uncertainty that lay ahead. The academy was in ruins, their world fractured by betrayal, and the threat of the Purity Front still loomed like a shadow over New London.

Chloe broke the silence, her voice a whisper. "We have to rebuild. We have to make sure... something like this never happens again."

Anton nodded, his gaze hardening with resolve. "This is just the beginning. Come, let us move him out of here, he needs medical attention.

Anton nodded, his gaze hardening with resolve. "This is just the beginning. Come, let us move him out of here; he needs medical attention."

As they carefully lifted Nate from the debris, Elysia moved to the side, subtly touching the edge of her Generalized CAT device to activate her magic lenses. A faint shimmer passed over her heterochromatic eyes, transforming them both into a uniform, bright blue. The weight of secrecy settled back over her as she glanced around, reassuring herself that her true nature was safely hidden again. She wouldn't allow herself—or anyone else who knew her secret— to face any more complications today.

Together, they carried Nate out of the crater, each step heavy with both exhaustion and relief as they finally emerged from the wreckage of the academy.

In the pristine, sterile confines of the hospital, the group lingered outside Nate's room, their faces lined with worry and weariness. Nurses and doctors moved around them, hushed voices echoing in the quiet corridors. Nate lay on a cot surrounded by advanced medical equipment, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths as healers poured over him, weaving diagnostic spells and running tests.

Hours passed, each one stretching longer than the last. The healers' faces grew increasingly serious with each test, their murmurs carrying a sense of unease. After a while, one of them, an older doctor with a stern expression, pulled Chloe and Elysia aside.

"Is there anything we should know about Nate's... unique physiology?" she asked, her tone cautious but firm.

"What do you mean?" Elysia asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

The doctor sighed, folding her arms. "His body has... anomalies. Energy traces in his blood, highly unusual nerve patterns, and resilience that doesn't match any ordinary human or magical signature we've seen. It's enough to warrant surveillance." Her gaze sharpened. "In fact, we're inclined to limit his contact until we understand what we're dealing with."

Chloe's eyes flashed with indignation. "Limit contact? Nate isn't some specimen for you to study."

"We're not studying him, Miss Rawllings. We're ensuring the safety of everyone involved, himself included," the doctor replied, her tone cold.

Elysia's expression hardened. "I'm Elysia Arundel, and he is my knight, so I'd like to kindly ask you to reconsider that decision." She glanced at Chloe, who nodded with equal determination.

The weight of the Arundel and Rawllings names carried through the hospital like a silent storm. Within minutes, higher authorities were contacted, and Elysia's father, Lord Arundel, was summoned to handle the situation personally. His arrival was swift and commanding, his presence immediately quieting the bustling hallways. With a tense exchange and firm assurances from Lord Arundel, the surveillance on Nate was lifted, and the group was finally permitted to see him.

Inside Nate's room, the atmosphere was quiet, almost surreal. The soft hum of machines surrounded him, monitoring his vitals with a steady rhythm. They took a moment to look in on Sophia as well, who lay in a coma just like her younger sister. The sight of her, so still and vulnerable, left a lingering discomfort in each of them. Even as their resentment simmered, they couldn't ignore the tragic sight of her broken body and the silent vigil kept by Evan Parker, who refused to leave her side.

When they entered Nate's room, he was awake, though he looked pale and disoriented. Anton gave a dry chuckle, stepping forward with a smirk.

"You missed the festival," he said, crossing his arms. "I had to stop all that academy bathroom sex myself."

Nate's lips twitched, a weak smirk appearing as he looked at Anton. "Oh, you're cracking jokes now, huh? Guess the world really is ending."

"Where is Irina? Is she alright?" Nate asks, concerned.

"Yes." Anton replies. "She went back home at the call of our mother.

Elysia stepped forward, her expression unreadable but her eyes filled with a quiet intensity. "Nate... where were you during those six days you were gone?"

Nate's smirk faded, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling as if he could avoid the question. After a moment's hesitation, he answered, "I had... family matters to handle." His voice grew softer. "I saw my father."

Elysia's eyes softened, and without thinking, she reached out, taking his hand gently in hers. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, laced with concern. She knew what it meant for him to see Darian, what kind of darkness that visit might have stirred in him.

Chloe's gaze flickered toward them, her lips pressing together tightly. She forced herself to remain silent, her face a practiced mask of calm, but the sight of Elysia's hand over Nate's left an uneasy knot in her stomach.

Nate, conscious of the eyes on him, hesitated. He pulled his hand away from Elysia's, his expression hardening. "I'm fine," he replied, his tone suddenly distant. Elysia's face fell, a flash of hurt flickering across her eyes before she masked it, stepping back quietly.

Before any of them could press him further about his father, the scar on his chest, or what he might have discovered, the door swung open. A group of officials entered, their expressions severe. At their head was Elysia's father, his expression unreadable as he regarded Nate with an intensity that was almost unnerving.

One of the officials, a tall man with a clipped tone, stepped forward. He held a document in his hands, his voice crisp and impersonal. "Nate Davis, by order of the AetherTech Regulatory Authority, you are hereby under arrest on suspicion of collaborating with an extremist organization and aiding in an attack on a government-sanctioned facility."

A shocked silence filled the room. Elysia's eyes widened in disbelief, and Chloe stepped forward, her expression fierce. "You can't be serious. Nate saved us—he risked his life to contain the explosion!"

The official's gaze didn't waver. "We have reason to believe that Nate's involvement with the Purity Front may extend beyond what was initially apparent. Furthermore, traces of Scripts found in both the Bently girl's brains match that of Scripts found in tests done to Mr Davis. His unique... abilities and the anomalies detected in his body further raise suspicions."

Nate's jaw clenched, but he remained silent, his eyes fixed on the official with a cold, unreadable expression.

Elysia's father, Lord Arundel, cleared his throat, stepping forward with a calm, measured voice. "If I may intercede, I believe this matter requires a private investigation, not public spectacle. Nate Davis is under the protection of the Arundel family, and any further accusations will be thoroughly reviewed before action is taken."

The official looked uncomfortable, but he nodded. "Very well, Your Grace. We'll defer to your judgment—for now. But we will require Davis to submit to further questioning."

Matthias nodded, his gaze lingering on Nate. "That can be arranged."

With one final, distrustful glance, the officials exited, leaving the room tense and silent.

As the officers are leaving, Elysia's father pulls his daughter aside.

"Remember your place Starling... Do not let your emotions cloud your judgement."

Elysia looked at him, her heart aching with an unspoken loyalty and concern that went deeper than she could explain. Yet, her earlier gesture had been brushed aside, leaving her feeling adrift, unsure of how to approach him now.

Chloe and Anton turned their eyes to Nate, their concern palpable as they processed the gravity of what had just happened.

Chloe took a tentative step forward, her voice soft yet determined. "Nate... we'll figure this out. We won't let them take you for something you didn't do."

Nate gave a faint nod, but the shadows in his eyes hinted at the doubts and burdens weighing on him.

The silence stretched, thick with questions unasked, words unspoken. This wasn't the end; it was a harbinger of the challenges yet to come, the shadows that would only grow darker as they delved deeper into the mysteries surrounding Nate and the Purity Front. The scars they bore were only the beginning, marks of a conflict that had barely begun. And as they left Nate to rest, each of them felt it—their world was changing, slipping further from the safety and certainty they'd once known.