The suitcase beside my bed caught my eye, and when I opened it, I was surprised to find my personal belongings from Cyclos neatly packed inside. As I sifted through the contents, it became clear not everything had made it through—but I didn’t care. As long as I had my Nexus, I could summon whatever else I needed, and that small comfort made the unfamiliar feel just a little more manageable. Still, someone had clearly gone to the trouble of sending the suitcase through a portal, though I had no idea who would’ve taken the time to do it.
Maybe it was James.
Nope. Not thinking about him.
He could jump up his own ass and wither, for all I cared.
I sucked in a slow, deliberate breath and collapsed onto the bed, which was the softest I had ever felt. Despite the chaos and pressure of the mission ahead, this moment of quiet was a brief but welcome reprieve.
Closing my lids, I tried to shove aside the hurt and pain lingering right beneath the surface, all of it creeping in now I was alone with my thoughts. Squeezing them shut even tighter, I willed myself to sleep, even if only for a short while. Which by some miracle, I did.
When I finally stirred from the restless nap, my body moved on autopilot. I checked my gear with practiced efficiency, hands going through the motions while my mind wandered elsewhere.
An abrupt knock at the door jolted me back to the present.
“Yes?” I called as Sean pushed the door open, looking like he’d stepped off the cover ofOffensive Weekly. He was decked out in more weapons than any sane person would consider necessary—or practical.
I raised an eyebrow and pointed at the walking armory he’d turned himself into. “You do realize you can summon all that with your Nexus, right? Even during battle?”
Sean glanced down at himself, as if seeing the arsenal for the first time, then flashed me a grin so wide it should have its own zip code. “But then I wouldn’t look so badass.”
I snorted, shaking my head as I finished stowing my last knife in one of the hidden pockets of my clothes.
Sean’s grin stayed firmly in place as his eyes flicked to my gear. “Ready to go?” he asked, his tone a mix of genuine excitement and solid reassurance.
I nodded, then gave my outfit a final adjustment. The snug fit of the fabric and the familiar weight of the knives were oddlycomforting—a reminder that even if the rest of my life was chaos, I still had this.
“Lead the way, oh badass one,” I replied, gesturing for him to go first.
TWENTY-SIX
EMMA
The mission was clear and simple: ensure the Amplifier wasn’t still in the area.
First, we were going to search the western Camp B inside the Metasphere, then move out to the Human World, focusing on Dublin first, where I was to slip into the site undetected, translate an untraceable search for the Amplifier or LiaPrism, and return without leaving a trace.
Easy breezy.
Was I going to admit this was my first operation outside of school? Absolutely not.
Did I conveniently forget to mention my translation could be tracedinsideany Collective? Might have slipped my mind until we were already at the first abandoned Radical site at Crown.
Should I have told them? Without a doubt.
Did I? Nope.
Why? Because I didn’t trust them forshit.
I figured I wouldn’t need to translate inside the Collective, so I kept my mouth shut. We wouldn’t be here for long anyway,portaling out to Dublin after the all-clear. Better to wait and see if they proved worthy of my secrets, which I was sure they wouldn’t.
At midnight on the dot, we touched ground at Emile’s former base, nestled in the rugged Highlands, and I noticed how conveniently it was hidden under the rolling hills and rocky terrain. The network of underground bunkers was cleverly camouflaged, with only a few small, weathered entrances breaking the surface, disguised by overgrown heather and gorse. The ground was uneven, dotted with ancient stones and patches of thick, spongy moss that made every step feel uncertain.
Sean and Caden didn’t hesitate, their forms flickering as they moved into the tunnels below, after they ordered me to stand guard on the windswept hillside. The air was crisp and biting, carrying the scent of peat and the distant call of a lone bird. The wind, strong and relentless, whipped through the valleys, tugging at my clothes and cutting through the layers of wool and leather.
I shivered and for a second, I missed the warmth and ever-present summer of Cyclos.
I started pacing around, hoping the movement would warm me a little. My breath was visible in the frigid air, as I scanned the horizon for any sign of movement. After what felt like an eternity, Caden and Sean emerged from the hidden depths, grim tension written across their features.
