Chapter 19: Into the Den.

The night enveloped Talon as he slipped away from Green Arbor, his footsteps barely disturbing the ground beneath him. The darkness suited his purpose—it made it easier to disappear, to leave without a trace. Ava would be at the armory by now, preparing for a fight she didn’t know would come without him. He had promised her they would face this together, but deep down, Talon knew this was a lie he couldn’t keep. This battle was his alone, and the path he was now walking was one he had hoped never to tread again.

The weight of his past pressed against him like an invisible force, pushing him forward even as his instincts screamed for him to turn back. But turning back wasn’t an option. Not now. Not with the Syndicate this close to Green Arbor. The realization sent a fresh surge of anger coursing through him. **How could they have set up so close? How had he not known?** It wasn’t just proximity; it was an invasion, a silent occupation that threatened everything and everyone he cared about.

As Talon moved through the woods, his eyes scanned the trees for markers, the subtle signs of Syndicate territory. Each one he found sent a shiver of recognition through him, stirring memories he had spent years burying. The symbols were small, innocuous to anyone untrained, but to Talon, they were like whispers from his past, beckoning him deeper into the abyss.

**It’s been so long…**, he thought, his mind drifting back to his youth. Back when his father had first introduced him to these markers, when each symbol had represented power, control, domination. His father had been a master at reading the underworld’s language, and he had taught Talon everything he knew. **You’ll need this one day,** his father had said. **You’ll be grateful for this knowledge when it’s time to take my place.**

Talon’s grip tightened on the hilt of his knife. His father’s voice still haunted him, even after all these years. **But I’m not you,** Talon reminded himself. **I never wanted to be you.**

The forest thinned as he continued, revealing the broken remnants of a city long abandoned. Crumbling buildings lined the streets like the skeletal remains of a forgotten civilization, their windows hollow and their walls cracked and decayed. Talon moved through the ruins like a ghost, his senses heightened, every shadow and echo a potential threat.

**This city used to be full of life**, Talon thought bitterly, the memories of what the world had once been flashing before his eyes. Now it was just another casualty of the Syndicate’s greed. The sensation of being watched crept over him, and though his body didn’t betray his unease, his mind sharpened, scanning every corner of the ruined streets for signs of movement. **They know I’m here.**

As the night deepened, Talon felt the cold bite of the wind, but the chill he felt had little to do with the temperature. The further he ventured, the more the reality of his mission set in. **This close to Green Arbor. They’ve been hiding here, right under our noses.** His thoughts were a mixture of fury and disbelief. Green Arbor had been his sanctuary, his escape from the world his father had tried to drag him into. And now that world was creeping back into his life like a cancer.

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A building loomed on the outskirts of the city, large and fortified, its walls lined with scattered guards. Talon’s heart thudded heavily in his chest, his muscles tensing as his eyes narrowed. **The Syndicate’s stronghold. This close. How did we miss it? How did I miss it?** He shook his head, dispelling the self-recrimination that threatened to take hold. Now wasn’t the time for doubt.

As he approached, two guards moved to intercept him, suspicion clear in their eyes. Their hands rested on their weapons, their postures tense. "What’s a Sentinel doing here?" one of the guards barked, his tone rough and unfriendly. "Move along before you get hurt."

For a moment, Talon considered his options. He could take them both out, quick and silent, but that would only alert the rest of the Syndicate. Instead, he uttered a single word, a password his father had taught him long ago—a relic of a life he had abandoned. The guards exchanged a wary glance, clearly recognizing the weight of the word he had spoken. The tension rose, but the guard’s defiance wavered.

"Is there a problem?" Talon pressed, his voice steady, though his insides churned.

The guard who had spoken first faltered, glancing at his partner before gesturing for Talon to follow. "No problem," he muttered, though his suspicion lingered. "We don’t see many Sentinels turn up at our doors."

As Talon followed the guards, his mind swirled with conflicting emotions. **Sentinel. That’s who I am. Not who I was.** But the truth of the matter was inescapable: his past and present were colliding, and no amount of distance between them would change that now. He was walking back into the den of wolves, the very place he had fought so hard to escape. **And yet, here I am. Right where he wanted me.**

Inside the stronghold, the atmosphere shifted from the eerie quiet of the outside to the oppressive, suffocating air of the Syndicate’s domain. Dimly lit hallways stretched ahead, the walls stained with the marks of a thousand unseen transgressions. Talon’s senses were on high alert, every sound, every movement a potential threat. He could feel the weight of the eyes on him, though no one dared approach.

**I shouldn’t be here.** The thought came unbidden, followed quickly by a more sobering one: **But I don’t have a choice.** His father had trained him for this—trained him to be a part of this world, to thrive in it. And for years, Talon had done everything he could to escape that destiny. **I ran once. I can’t run again.**

But with every step deeper into the stronghold, Talon’s resolve solidified. He wasn’t the boy his father had raised. He wasn’t Holt’s son, the heir to a legacy of violence and corruption. He was Talon, a Sentinel. And he wasn’t here to join the Syndicate—he was here to end it.

The guard who had been leading him stopped at a heavy door and knocked twice, a signal Talon recognized instantly. His heart pounded in his chest as the door slowly creaked open. The faint glow from within cast long shadows across the floor, and the scent of damp and decay filled the air.

Talon stood at the threshold, his breath steady, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. **I’m not the person I was when I left this life behind. But this is where I must go.**

With a final glance at the guards, Talon took a deep breath and stepped forward, crossing into the darkness beyond.