“Lucy!” Byron caught her before she hit the ground. “Shit. Not now. This is the worst possible time to lose your abilities.”
Her voice came weak but clear. “We were under attack inside these walls too.” She drew a shaky breath. “It was important… to help him. To get him back.”
She reached a trembling hand toward him. “Help me up.”
Byron lifted her gently, but her strength was gone. He guided her to the couch while the others hovered in stunned silence.
Michael sat on the floor where she’d left him, his face buried in his hands. Mandy knelt beside him, tears still falling.
He looked up at her, eyes swollen from crying. “What have I done?” he whispered.
Mandy shook her head. “It’s not your fault, Michael. You were a child. You were conditioned. You survived what most couldn’t.” Her voice softened. “If anything, I’m sorry you went through that. But you’re not alone now. You’re part of a family, our family.”
Lucy lifted her head from the couch, her voice faint. “Michael, while I rest, tell Corey everything you know.”
Michael nodded, still shaking.
“Byron,” Lucy murmured, “help me to the sofa. I really need to sleep.”
Byron carried her there without a word. Davina appeared at his side, "I know a tea that might help,” she said gently.
Byron nodded. “Please.”
Davina hurried off to the kitchen as Byron knelt beside Lucy, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She was already half asleep, exhaustion pulling her under.
Outside, the forest hissed. The sound of vines tightening echoed faintly through the walls. The siege had only just begun.
Chapter 15
Lucy lay asleep on the couch. Whilst the others sat scattered across the room.
Corey was the first to speak. “All right, Michael. Talk. Start from the beginning. Whoarethey?”
Michael exhaled slowly, his hands clasped together. “They call themselvesThe Lucent. The name meansthose who bring light.”
Barnaby looked up from his tablet. “Sounds like another cult.”
“It’s not a cult,” Michael replied. “It’s an organisation. Older than most governments, at least in parts of it. They started as a research initiative decades ago studying human evolution, genetics, the ‘divine spark.’ That’s what they called it. Somewhere along the way, the idea twisted. They stopped wanting tounderstandthe world and started wanting tocontrolit.”
Byron frowned. “Control how?”
“They believe in human supremacy,” Michael said. “Pure humanity. They see everything else as… deviations. Flaws in creation. To them, the future depends on perfecting humanity. No magic, no divine interference, no other bloodlines.”
He rubbed at his face. “They think they’re saving the world from corruption.”
Corey leaned forward, jaw clenched. “So basically, Nazis in lab coats.”
“That’s not far off,” Michael said quietly. “But smarter. Patient. They don’t advertise themselves, and they don’t attack openly unless they’re certain of success. They infiltrate. Fund universities, biotech firms, military labs. They own pharmaceutical companies, health agencies, humanitarian fronts. On the surface, they’re everywhere. But underneath…” He shook his head. “They’ve become a machine built to eliminate anything they considerimpure.”
Barnaby’s fingers flew across his tablet, typing rapidly. “Give me a second.”
Lines of data reflected in his glasses as he muttered under his breath. “Lucent… Lucent Research Division, subsidiary ofNovaGen Biotech… wait—linked toHelix Defence Systems. That’s a military contractor.” He looked up, frowning. “They’re in three continents, UK, US, Japan and connected to something calledThe Ascension Project.”
Mandy’s eyes widened. “That sounds like more than research.”
Barnaby nodded grimly. “Their funding network is massive. Private investors, government grants, even a few charities that look legitimate on paper. They’ve got roots in medicine, security, and education. Their motto is..” he read off the screen, “‘To illuminate the path of human destiny.’”
Davina scoffed. “Well, that sounds ominous.”
