Chapter 18: Shadows of the Past.

The soft crackle of the fire in Eli’s cabin filled the silence as Eli paced, his brow furrowed in worry. Ava lay draped over the sofa, exhaustion tugging at her limbs, but her mind raced. Her eyes fluttered open when Eli’s footsteps halted, and she felt the weight of his presence beside her. The urgency in the air snapped her fully awake.

"Ava, we need to talk," Eli’s voice broke the stillness, his tone serious and tight.

Ava sat up instantly, her body tense, instincts alert. She read the look on Eli’s face and immediately knew something was wrong. "What’s going on?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

"It’s Talon," Eli said, his gaze steady but troubled. "I saw him leaving the mayor’s house. They were arguing—loudly."

Ava's brow furrowed, and she was already reaching for her boots, slipping them on with swift efficiency. "Do you know where he went?" Her mind whirled with possibilities, each one darker than the last.

Eli shook his head, guilt creeping into his voice. "I lost him in the backstreets. It didn’t look good, Ava. He seemed... different. Like something’s pulling him under."

Ava stood, throwing on her jacket. Her movements were purposeful, decisive, but underneath, a knot of anxiety tightened in her chest. "Thanks, Eli," she said, her voice steady but urgent. "Stay here. I’ll handle this."

She left without another word, the sound of the door closing behind her like a drumbeat in the quiet night. Her boots hit the dirt path with purpose as she made her way through the dimly lit streets of Green Arbor. The night was thick with shadows, the lanterns casting long silhouettes against the town’s walls, but Ava’s thoughts were elsewhere—on Talon, on the storm she could feel brewing inside him.

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Meanwhile, Talon prowled the darker edges of Green Arbor, his breath controlled, his eyes sharp as they scanned the alleys for something familiar, something he hoped he wouldn’t find. The faint glow of the moon barely touched the ground here, swallowed by the towering buildings and dense foliage that crept into the streets. But Talon’s instincts guided him, a silent compass that had been ingrained in him since his days before the Sentinels.

His past—buried for so long under the life he had built—was rising again, like smoke from the flames of the tavern. Each step he took was like walking deeper into his own personal hell, a hell he had once run from. His breath hitched slightly as he spotted it: a familiar marker. A small, nearly imperceptible sign carved into the wood of a nearby wall. A Syndicate mark.

His heart pounded painfully in his chest as he followed the trail, each step pulling him deeper into the Syndicate’s web. Soon, it led him to a narrow, secluded alley, the shadows thicker here, and a figure waiting in the darkness.

The man, hidden beneath a hood, stepped forward, his voice casual but dripping with menace. "Looking for something, or someone?"

Talon’s eyes narrowed, his fists already clenching at his sides. "I’m not here to buy," he growled. "I’m here to send a message. Green Arbor isn’t your marketplace."

The man chuckled softly, taking a step closer, mistaking Talon’s intent. "You’re far from your jurisdiction, Sentinel," he said mockingly, his voice thick with arrogance. "Playing hero in places you don’t belong?"

Talon’s temper snapped. With lightning speed, he grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him against the brick wall, the man’s breath escaping in a shocked grunt. "It’s not a game," Talon snarled, his voice low and dangerous. "I said, leave."

The man’s eyes widened in confusion, his body struggling against Talon’s iron grip. But then, something flickered across his face—recognition. His lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile. "Wait... you’re not just any Sentinel. You’re Holt’s boy."

Talon’s blood ran cold at the mention of his father, the name hitting him like a punch to the gut. His grip on the man’s collar tightened, rage simmering just beneath the surface. "Don’t talk about him," Talon growled, the threat clear in his voice.

But the man didn’t stop. "Oh, you’re that Talon," he said, his voice dripping with dark amusement. "Holt still talks about you, you know. How you turned your back on your own family. On the Syndicate. He still remembers the day you ran, tail between your legs."

Talon’s anger flared, his fists shaking with the urge to strike. Before he could react, a voice cut through the tense air like a blade.

"Talon! Stop!" Ava’s voice rang out as she sprinted toward them, her breath labored from running through the streets.

Talon froze for a split second, his body rigid as Ava skidded to a halt beside him, her hand resting lightly on his arm. "Let him go," she urged softly, her eyes locked onto his.

Talon hesitated, the man’s mocking words still echoing in his mind. But the presence of Ava—steady, grounding—pulled him back from the edge. With a growl of frustration, Talon released the man, shoving him roughly against the wall before stepping back.

The syndicate member coughed, his hand rubbing his throat as he stumbled away, disappearing into the shadows with a final glance of fear and recognition. Ava watched him go, her heart racing, before turning her full attention to Talon.

Ava’s gaze never left Talon, her breath still heavy from running. The tension in his shoulders, the hard line of his jaw—he was fighting something, and it was bigger than she had realized.

"What’s going on, Talon?" she demanded, her voice soft but insistent. "What was that about?"

Talon turned away, leaning heavily against the cool brick wall, his body sagging as if the weight of the world had been dropped on his shoulders. He ran a hand through his hair, his mind swirling with the past he had long tried to bury. Ava stepped closer, her concern palpable.

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"Talk to me," she urged gently, her voice coaxing. "Whatever it is, you don’t have to face it alone."

For a long moment, Talon didn’t speak. His chest rose and fell with deep, uneven breaths, the tension in his body refusing to ease. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and strained. "The Syndicate," he muttered bitterly. "They’re here, in Green Arbor."

Ava’s heart sank, the confirmation hitting her hard. "The Syndicate?" she echoed, her voice tight with disbelief. "What are they doing here?"

Talon let out a dark, humorless laugh. "What they always do," he said, his voice rough. "Sowing chaos. Extending their influence. That tavern fire? That was them. A message."

Ava’s brow furrowed as she tried to piece everything together. "And the mayor?" she asked cautiously, already dreading the answer.

Talon nodded grimly, his eyes dark with anger. "He’s working with them. He thinks it’s good for the town—prosperity, stability. They promised him power, and he took it. Sold us out for a cut of their blood money."

Ava closed her eyes for a moment, the weight of Talon’s words sinking in. "And you...?" she asked softly, her voice trembling with concern.

Talon turned to face her, his expression hard but laced with pain. "My father’s part of it, Ava. He’s always been part of it. When I was a kid, he tried to pull me into it too. Groomed me for it. Wanted me to take over his place in the Syndicate."

Ava’s breath hitched, her eyes widening in shock. She had known Talon’s past was dark, but this—this was a whole different level of danger.

"He ordered me to make my first kill when I was fourteen," Talon continued, his voice hollow. "I couldn’t do it. I ran away, I ran all the way to the Sentinels instead."

Ava reached out, her hand finding his, her grip firm. "You ran, Talon. You made a different life. That’s what matters."

Talon shook his head, his jaw tightening. "Not if the past catches up. Not if it’s back to destroy everything I’ve built."

Ava stepped closer, her voice steady and strong. "We face this together, Talon. You’re not alone in this."

Talon’s eyes softened for a moment, but the conflict within him remained. He met her gaze, his voice low and pained. "I can’t let you be a part of this, Ava. My father—if he finds out you’re involved, he’ll come after you. And he doesn’t leave loose ends."

Ava’s chest tightened with fear, but her resolve didn’t waver. She squeezed Talon’s hand tightly, her voice firm. "I’ve faced worse than your father.

Talon stared into Ava’s eyes, seeing the unwavering determination that had always been there. Her words hung between them, thick with the gravity of what was to come. He wanted to believe that she could face this with him, that together they could stand against the shadows from his past. But deep down, he knew his father’s ruthlessness, the lengths the Syndicate would go to destroy anyone in their path.

He turned away from her, his voice low and rough. “You don’t understand, Ava. My father isn’t just some criminal. He’s high up in the Syndicate. He’s built an empire of violence and control, and he won’t hesitate to destroy anyone who threatens that. He’d come for you first. And he’d make me watch.”

Ava stepped forward, her presence unwavering, her hand still gripping his. “You think I’m afraid of him?” she asked, her voice sharp, cutting through the tension. “I’ve fought my way through things just as dangerous. We’ve both faced death before. Your father doesn’t scare me, Talon.”

Talon let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. “This is different. He’s not just some bandit or warlord. He knows me. He knows how to hurt me, and he’ll use that against us.”

Ava’s voice softened, her grip tightening. “Then we face him together. I’m not walking away from this, Talon. Not from you. I don’t care what your past is—what matters is what we do now.”

Talon’s breath was shaky, the weight of her words sinking into him. He wanted to believe it was that simple. But nothing with his father was ever simple. He leaned back against the brick wall, staring up at the night sky. The stars were barely visible, hidden behind the clouds, just like the hope he had once held onto.

“I’ve spent my whole life trying to outrun him,” Talon whispered, his voice cracking slightly. “Every time I think I’m free, every time I think I’ve buried that part of my past, it finds a way back. Now it’s here, in Green Arbor, threatening everything.”

Ava stepped closer, her hand reaching up to cup his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. “You ran from him before because you were alone. You’re not alone anymore, Talon. We fight this together. You have people here—people who will stand with you.”

Talon looked at her, his expression torn between the desire to protect her and the overwhelming fear that his past would destroy everything they had built. “I don’t want you to get hurt,” he admitted quietly, his vulnerability laid bare.

Ava’s gaze softened, but there was steel in her voice. “I’ve already been hurt, Talon. We’ve all been hurt. But that’s what makes us stronger. We’ve survived because we stand together. Don’t push me away. Don’t push us away.”

Talon closed his eyes for a moment, exhaling a long, shaky breath. The weight of his past, of the choices he had made, pressed heavily on his shoulders. But Ava was right. He wasn’t alone anymore. He had a family here, a life worth fighting for. And maybe—just maybe—he didn’t have to fight it all on his own.

He opened his eyes, his expression softening as he looked at Ava. “Alright,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “We do this together.”

Ava smiled, relief and determination mixing in her gaze. She squeezed his hand one last time before stepping back. “Good. Now, let’s figure out what our next move is.”

Talon nodded, his mind already racing through the possibilities. “We need information. My father won’t make the first move. He’ll wait, let his presence linger like smoke, until we make a mistake. We need to be smarter than him. We need to be prepared.”

Ava crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. “We’ll need to gather our allies. Miko, Jess… anyone we can trust. We need eyes and ears in the town.”

Talon’s jaw clenched. “The mayor is compromised. We can’t let him know what we’re planning. He’s already sold us out once.”

Ava nodded. “Agreed. We keep this quiet. If the Syndicate thinks we’re onto them, they’ll retaliate.”

Talon’s eyes darkened, his voice low and dangerous. “And if they do, we hit back harder.”

For a moment, they stood in the stillness of the night, their shared determination palpable. The Syndicate was already here, already sinking its claws into Green Arbor. But they would fight.

Ava’s voice broke the silence. “What about your father, Talon? What will he do when he finds out you’re standing against him?”

Talon’s gaze hardened. “He’ll come for me,” he said grimly. “He’ll come for all of us.”

Ava stepped closer, her eyes locked on his. “Then we’ll be ready.”

Talon nodded slowly, his mind still clouded with doubt, but the strength of her words pulled him forward. Together. It was what he wanted to believe, what he wanted to hold onto. But deep down, the gnawing feeling remained—the knowledge that this was his fight. That no matter how much Ava wanted to help, there were demons from his past that only he could face.

Ava turned toward the armoury, her voice resolute. “Let’s get to the armoury, gear up, and prepare for what’s coming.”

Talon hesitated for a moment, watching her walk away, his heart heavy with the weight of his decision. He could feel the tension building inside him, the realization that, as much as he wanted to share this burden, he couldn’t let her carry it.

As Ava disappeared around the corner, heading toward the armoury, Talon lingered in the shadows, his breath shallow. His hand rested on the hilt of his knife, the cold steel grounding him as his mind raced.

He couldn’t drag her into this. He couldn’t risk the people he cared about getting caught in the crossfire of a battle that belonged to him alone. His father was ruthless, and the Syndicate’s reach was deep. They would stop at nothing to tear him apart, to take away anyone who stood by him.

Talon’s jaw clenched, his decision solidifying. He looked in the direction Ava had gone, his heart heavy with guilt and regret. But he knew what he had to do.

Quietly, almost imperceptibly, Talon slipped into the shadows, moving in the opposite direction. He didn’t need armour or weapons—not for this. His path led him away from the safety of Green Arbor, away from the people he loved. He was walking straight into the heart of his past, into the darkness that had shaped him.

This was his fight. And he would face it alone.