"It's just what I had in mind," Morrigan remarked, inspecting the finished weapons with a critical eye. The dark, deadly blades that now pulsed with Tenebra's essence seemed to meet her approval. "Now, let's move on. With the amount of Anima you possess, we can forge at least one more spirit like Tenebra."

"Alright. Where to next?" Vas asked, already feeling the connection with the newly forged blades.

"Do you have access to The Canopy?" Morrigan asked, her gaze sharpening as if she sensed something in the distance.

"Of course I do. The only reason the Hek family doesn't live there is because my grandparents prefer the estate," Vas replied with a shrug, though he felt a flicker of curiosity.

"Good. Then that's our next destination. I can sense another powerful spirit there—one that could aid you just as much as Tenebra," Morrigan said, her tone firm with certainty.

With that, they set off toward The Canopy, the towering upper district of the city, where wealth and power clung to the high-rise towers and floating platforms above the sprawling metropolis below.

Meanwhile, at the Sync Research Center, Gerald stood silently overseeing the children's treatment. Lorraine, at Celine's request, had focused her attention on Octavia, ensuring her recovery was handled with care.

"How are they?" Gerald asked, turning his gaze to Hugh, who was monitoring the healing process.

"They're physically stable. Their wounds will heal, but the mental toll is significant," Hugh answered, his voice somber. "According to their account, they were teleported into an ancient city, where they were meant to be sacrifices to some forgotten gods. They came up with a plan, and in the end, it worked—but only after they fought these beings for a time before help arrived. They're struggling now with the realization of how vulnerable they were."

Gerald nodded. "The mental shock must be hard to bear, especially once the adrenaline wears off."

"Exactly," Hugh continued. "While they worked well under pressure, the experience of feeling so powerless—facing gods, no less—that's going to take time to process and heal."

"And Octavia?" Gerald asked, his voice quieter, yet charged with concern.

Hugh hesitated, then spoke carefully. "That's… complicated. Sigdra achieved something remarkable, but we still can't determine if Octavia truly has a soul."

"She does," Gerald interjected firmly. "My daughter has decided to accept Octavia as her own, and that's final. She's a Hek now."

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"Understood," Hugh said, nodding with respect. "I'll make sure she gets the attention she needs."

"And your other grandkid?"

"He should be fine," Gerald reassured. "Focus on your job. I'll handle the rest," Gerald said, dismissing the matter as he began walking away, his mind already shifting to other concerns.

He had received reports earlier about Vas. Now that the crisis with Sigdra was over, Gerald had sent Stray to quietly watch over him. According to Stray, Vas had returned to the Hek mansion but had ventured into The Undercity shortly after. Stray mentioned in his report that Vas had done something unusual—disappearing for a period before reappearing in a dark alley. The details were vague, but Stray had kept a careful eye on him and confirmed that Vas was now heading toward The Canopy.

Aleara sat on the edge of the pristine bed, her hands clenched into fists on her knees. Beck sat across from her, his eyes dark with exhaustion. They had been going over what had happened, but no amount of retelling could make sense of it.

"I keep thinking about it," Aleara said, her voice shaky. "The way the Hekatonkheires looked at us—like we were nothing. Just toys to be broken."

Beck nodded, staring at his hands. "I've never felt so... small. Like we didn't even matter."

Aleara's breath hitched as she spoke. "When we got teleported to that place... I thought that was it. I thought we were going to die there."

Before Beck could respond, the door opened, and Victor stormed in, his frustration written all over his face. Carmilla followed close behind, her usual composed demeanor replaced by tension.

"We should have done better!" Victor blurted out, his voice rough with anger. "When Beck and I tried to fight, we only made things worse. We made that hooded figure suffer because of our failure."

"Victor—" Carmilla began, but Victor cut her off.

"Zola was right," he admitted bitterly. "I didn't want to listen, but she was right. Listening to her is what kept us alive. I hate to say it, but we would've been screwed without her."

At that moment, Zola entered, her face pale and her hands trembling. She looked like she'd been carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her usual fire was dimmed, but the determination was still there, flickering just beneath the surface.

Amy arrived shortly after, walking slowly, her brows furrowed in deep thought. She caught Zola's eye and gave her a small nod of recognition. They had led the plan together, Amy's analytical skills complementing Zola's leadership. Amy knew Zola had taken the brunt of the responsibility, and that weighed heavily on her.

Zola spoke first, her voice thick with emotion. "We wouldn't have made it without all of us working together. And… I don't want to go through something like that again, but if I had to, I'm glad I had you all with me."

Amy chimed in, her voice soft but resolute. "I was scared out of my mind. But we made it work. We kept each other alive."

Victor sighed, his anger finally subsiding into something softer. "Yeah, we did. And I need to give credit where it's due. We wouldn't have survived without your plan, Zola."

Carmilla, normally sharp and distant, let out a long breath. "We worked well together. That's something we need to remember."

Lily entered quietly and took a seat beside Amy. She'd been thinking about Vas the entire time, feeling her heart lift only when his message came through. It wasn't until now that she could focus on what they had all been through together. She smiled faintly at the group.

"You guys are family," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "That's what this feels like. We were there for each other when it mattered."

As they sat together, an unspoken bond formed. They had faced something beyond anything they could have imagined, and they had survived—because they had one another.