The tension in the room is unbearable. Everyone is shouting over one another, their voices bouncing off the cold metal walls of the command center. Kat is pacing furiously, her boots echoing against the floor. Keegan leans against the far wall, arms crossed, trying to keep his frustration in check, while Claire stands at the console, her fingers twitching as if she's resisting the urge to slam it.

Hail stands near the doorway, his eyes burning with fury. He hasn't stopped glaring at the holographic map of Earth displayed in the center of the room. It shows the spread of Vermidia's Spawn like an infection, the red zones growing larger by the hour.

"We can't just rush in blind!" Claire shouts, slamming her hands on the console. "We need a plan, or we'll all end up dead!"

"There's no time for plans!" Hail fires back, his voice like a thunderclap. "Every second we waste, Vermidia gets stronger!"

"And what's your brilliant idea?" Kat snaps. "Go charging in there alone and hope for the best?"

"Maybe I will!" Hail growls, his fists clenching.

"That's enough!" I shout, my voice cutting through the chaos. Everyone stops, turning to look at me. I feel the weight of their stares, but I don't care. My hands are trembling, but I ball them into fists and step forward.

"Have all of you forgotten something?" I ask, my voice cold. "Dreadwind didn't just try to kill us. He kidnapped Dylan."

Keegan straightens from the wall, his jaw tightening. "No one's forgotten that," he says quietly.

"Really?" I say, shaking my head. "Because it sure sounds like you have. You're all so focused on Vermidia's next move, but before we do anything, we need to get Dylan back."

There's a heavy silence, broken only by the hum of the ship's systems.

Hail steps forward, his expression hard but his voice softer than I expected. "Alyse is right," he says, though the words sound like they cost him. "They wanted him alive for a reason. We need to figure out what that reason is."

"What could they possibly want him for?" I ask, my voice cracking. "Why take him and not just..." I trail off, unable to finish the sentence.

No one answers. The silence stretches on, oppressive and suffocating.

Claire finally speaks, her voice hesitant. "He's powerful," she says. "But so are we. Why him? Why now?"

"I don't know," Keegan admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "But it's not like Vermidia does anything without a reason. Whatever it is, it can't be good."

"Fuck it, it doesn't matter why they took him," Hail snaps, his voice rising again. "What matters is that we get him back. And when we do, I'm going to make Domnik and his mother pay for everything they've done."

"Hail," Claire says, her tone cautious. "We all want revenge, but we can't let it cloud our judgment."

"My judgment is just fine," Hail says sharply, his eyes blazing. "I'm not going to sit around and play chess while they have Dylan, not after what they did to Red, to my-." Hail pauses as if he's about to go into his family again, his sister, Mia, Eluna, Zen, hell even his father Chronos Magnus, but he doesn't. He just stands there and shakes his head. "I'll find Domnik, and I'll kill him. Then I'll deal with Vermidia."

"Hail-" Keegan starts, but Hail cuts him off with a glare.

"I'm not waiting," Hail says firmly. "We can't afford to. Every second we hesitate, Dylan is suffering."

I look at him, trying to meet his eyes. "And what if we lose someone else because of your recklessness?" I ask, my voice quiet but steady.

Hail's jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think he might snap back. But instead, he turns away, his shoulders tense.

"We won't," he says finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

The room falls silent again, the weight of our uncertainty pressing down on all of us.

"Then we start with finding Dylan," Claire says finally, her voice firm. "But we do it smart. We're no good to him if we're dead."

Everyone nods, though the tension between Hail and the rest of us lingers like a storm cloud. I glance at the holographic map, my chest tightening. Dylan is out there, somewhere, and I can't shake the feeling that we're running out of time.

---Dylan---

The chains dig into my wrists, cold and unyielding. My arms ache from being suspended for so long, and the rough edges of the metal cuffs bite into my skin every time I move. I hang in the dim chamber, the air thick with the smell of burnt metal and something rancid that stings my nose. The faint hum of machinery vibrates through the walls, like a countdown ticking toward something I can't stop.

I keep my head down, my breaths shallow, pretending to be more broken than I feel. But I'm listening.

"Everything is in place," Vermidia's voice echoes across the room, smooth and sharp like a blade. "The Crux of Amerei, the Heart of Iridian, and now the DragonsBreath. It's taken a century of planning, but the pieces have finally aligned. All we need now is the solar storm."

"Which is mere hours away," Domnik replies. I hear the smug satisfaction in his voice, and it makes my blood boil.

"Indeed," Vermidia says, her tone dripping with pride. "Once the storm hits, its energy will amplify the machine beyond anything this world has ever seen. Iridian will rise again, stronger than ever. His power will eclipse even the gods."

"Your name will be etched in history," Domnik says, his voice reverent. "The one who brought Iridian back to claim his throne. And mine," he adds, his tone laced with arrogance. "The slayer of the Scarlet Phoenix."

Red.

The name hits me like a knife to the chest. My breath catches, and my vision blurs as the words sink in. No. No, that's not possible.

"He fought valiantly," Domnik continues, as if to twist the blade. "But in the end, he was just another mortal."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I feel like I'm drowning, the air stolen from my lungs. Red... is gone?

My arms shake against the chains, and a ragged breath escapes me, drawing their attention.

"Oh, he's awake," Vermidia says, amusement in her voice. Her heels click against the floor as she strides toward me. I lift my head, glaring at her through the haze of my grief and fury.

"You're lying," I spit, my voice raw. "He's not dead."

She crouches in front of me, her face inches from mine. Her smile is venomous, her eyes gleaming with dark delight. "Oh, but he is, dear boy. And you'll join him soon enough. But first," she leans closer, "you're going to help me." her finger brushing across my cheek.

"Help you?" I snarl. "I'd rather die you dumb broad!"

Her laughter echoes through the chamber, cold and hollow. "That's the idea," she says.

Domnik steps forward, his expression unreadable. "Are you sure he'll survive long enough?" he asks, gesturing to me.

"That's the fun part, isn't it?" Vermidia says with a smirk. "Will the mighty Astralis burn out, or will he endure?"

She stands and paces slowly, her voice carrying across the room like a dirge. "Your powers, Dylan, are a conduit for cosmic energy. The perfect channel for the storm's power. When the solar storm strikes, I'll use you to funnel its energy into the machine. Your pain will be... exquisite."

I lunge against the chains, blue light igniting in my hands despite the restraints. "You'll never get away with this!"

She turns, unimpressed, and flicks her wrist. A wave of force slams into me, pinning me back against the wall. My light fizzles out as pain ripples through my body.

"Oh, Dylan," she says, her voice mockingly sweet. "You really don't have a choice."

Domnik watches in silence, his gaze briefly meeting mine.

"You won't win," I hiss through clenched teeth.

Vermidia laughs again, turning back to her machine. "Oh, but I already have."

---Keegan---

Red's chest rises and falls, but it's too shallow for my comfort. The medbay lights hum softly, their glow reflecting off the bandages wrapped tightly across his torso. His face is pale, but at least he's alive. I kneel beside him, my voice barely a whisper.

"You really got yourself messed up this time," I mutter, brushing a hand through my hair. "Not that it's new for you, huh?"

Silence fills the room, broken only by the quiet beeping of monitors. I lean closer, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I get it now, you know? Why you didn't tell me about him. My dad, I mean." My voice cracks, and I let out a bitter laugh. "You were trying to protect me, weren't you? From what I'd find out. From what it would do to me."

I glance down at my hands, flexing my fingers. "I hated you for it. For keeping it from me. But I think... I think I forgive you now. Not that you can hear me, unconscious and all."

The sound of footsteps pulls me from my thoughts. I look over my shoulder to see Hail leaning casually in the doorway, arms crossed. His silver hair is disheveled, and his piercing eyes seem heavier than usual.

"Stop brooding," he says with a sigh, shaking his head.

I snort. "You're one to talk."

Hail lets out a low chuckle, surprising me. "Fair point," he admits.

I stand, folding my arms. "What's the plan, boss?" I ask, my tone light but not entirely joking.

"Don't call me that," Hail says immediately, shaking his head. "I'm not the leader. Not even close. Red might be down for the count, but that doesn't mean it's me."

Before I can respond, a chorus of voices fills the room as the rest of the team gathers behind him. Claire pushes past Hail, her eyes blazing.

"You need to stop saying that, Hail," she says firmly. "You're not fooling anyone. You're the one holding us together right now, whether you like it or not."

"Yeah," Kat chimes in, leaning on the doorway with her arms crossed. "You've got more experience with Vermidia than any of us. You should be the one leading us into this."

"You'd be great if you stopped drinking and blinding yourself with revenge," Claire adds, her tone blunt but not unkind.

Hail scowls at her, but there's no real bite to it. Alyse steps up next, her voice softer but no less determined. "She's right. You've been through hell, Hail, but you're the best shot we've got right now."

Kylen nods in agreement, though he stays silent.

Hail exhales slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. I can see the conflict in his eyes-he doesn't want to admit we're right, but deep down, he knows it.

Finally, he straightens up, his jaw set. "Fine," he mutters. "I'll stop drinking. I'll stop letting revenge blind me. But this isn't about me being a leader. This is about us stopping Vermidia, and that's the only thing that matters."

"What's the move, then?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

Hail's expression hardens. "We need to find Dylan. Wherever he is, Vermidia will be close." His voice drops, a cold edge creeping into it. "We'll kill two birds with one stone."

The weight of his words settles over the room. There's no cheering, no argument, just grim determination. We all know what's at stake, and we're ready to see this through, no matter what it costs.

-

---Kat---

The view through the massive observation window is breathtaking-Earth spinning slowly below, the darkness of space stretching infinitely around us-but I can't enjoy it. My mind races as Claire explains her idea, her hands moving animatedly in the air.

"We can use satellites to track gravitational anomalies," she says. "Dylan's powers always leave a trail of distortions, especially when they're being used intensely. If we overlay that data with the dark void signatures we picked up from the Madium samples, we might be able to pinpoint where Vermidia is keeping him."

I tilt my head, impressed despite the tension. "That's genius," I admit.

Claire flashes a quick smile and rushes over to her console. Her fingers fly across the keys, data streaming across the holographic screens. I glance at Hail, who's leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He looks calm, but I know better-it's the kind of calm that hides a storm.

A moment later, Claire lets out a frustrated groan. "No, no, no! The solar storm-how did I forget?" She smacks her forehead. "The storm's electromagnetic interference is throwing off my satellites. I can't get a clear reading!"

I step closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we'll figure it out."

Claire turns to face the group, her expression riddled with guilt. "Maybe coming here was a mistake," she says softly. "I wasn't thinking clearly. I just knew we had to get somewhere safe, but now the storm could seriously hurt us, and I don't know if the shielding here is strong enough to withstand it."

"It's fine," Hail says, his voice steady. "You made the best call you could at the time. The question is, where do we go now? If Earth isn't safe because of the Spawn, we need another option."

"The Bridge Lab," Kylen suggests. "It's isolated enough, and if the military hasn't already overrun the place looking for us, we might stand a chance."

"It's a risk," Hail acknowledges, "but it's one we'll have to take if we want to survive this storm and find Dylan."

Claire nods, a glimmer of hope returning to her eyes. "The lab has other tech I can use-stuff I didn't have time to set up here. It might give us another shot at tracking him."

"Indiana, then," Keegan says, his tone resolute. "We're heading to the lab."

Claire points toward the far hallway. "There's a lander in the docking bay. It's small, but it'll get us back to the surface."

Before anyone can move, a groggy voice cuts through the air. "Indiana? Why... are we going back to Indiana?"

We all turn to see Red sitting up, his face pale and his movements sluggish. Claire is the first to rush over to him, her hands glowing golden as she stabilizes him with her powers. Alyse follows close behind, tears of joy in her eyes.

"Easy, Red," she says. "You're in no shape to be moving around, let alone fighting."

Red shakes his head, his gaze darting between all of us. "What happened? The last thing I remember..." He trails off, his eyes narrowing as memories resurface. "Dreadwind. He took the DragonsBreath. He's with her now, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Hail says bluntly. "We'll fill you in on the details later, but right now, you need to rest. You're too weak to go anywhere."

"I'm coming with you," Red says firmly, his voice hoarse but determined.

"You're not in any condition-" Hail starts.

"I don't care," Red interrupts. "Even if I can't fight, I can still help. Guide you. Advise you. Whatever it takes."

Claire sighs, her hands glowing once more as she channels more energy into Red. "This is the last boost I can give you for a while," she warns. "You'll be strong enough to walk, but you're staying in the lander once we're on the ground. Got it?"

Red nods, though the defiance in his eyes says he'll do what he wants when the time comes.

Hail shakes his head but doesn't argue further. "Fine," he mutters. "But don't push it, Red. We can't afford to lose you again."

The group exchanges a look-silent but unified. There's no room for doubt now. We're all in this together, every step of the way.