Page 13 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

He pushed deeper, searching for clarity—but the emotions below were a chaotic storm. The Reds were masking their feelings, deliberately overwhelming his channels. Their tactics had evolved. They were countering him directly, using what they could to disorientate him.

Even so, he dug deeper, slipping past the strongest minds and into the weaker ones. From them, he gleaned everything he needed.

And before he could process what they had revealed—

A sharp, high-pitched screech tore through the night.

Without hesitation Rain threw himself off the four-story building, twisting mid-air, using his power to slow the fall. He landed in a crouch on the pavement below.

Hundreds of eyes stared back at him as he lifted his gaze from the ground. Weapons trembling, as he rose to his full height.

A thunderous explosion erupted above as the missile meant for him obliterated the rooftop. Debris rained down, sending massive chunks of brick and metal hurtling toward the soldiers.

Rain reacted on instinct.

He cast an energy barrier upward, deflecting the falling rubble and shielding them all.

Stunned silence followed.

Disbelief churned the air.

The soldiers slowly raised their heads, eyes wide with horror and confusion. Rain had just saved them from the downpour.

And still—they raised their weapons against him.

Scared men make bad decisions and they were petrified. Rain felt their terror like a physical force pressing against him.

He stepped forward, hands raised. His energy barrier shimmered above their heads, a visible representation of both his power and restraint.

“Please,” he called out, voice carrying across the crowd. “Let me cross into my kingdom. Nobody needs to get hurt tonight; I am not here tocause harm. I am just on my way home; we all have families to get home to.”

He stepped forward, weapons clattered as they were readied in response.

A voice cut through the tension.

“DO NOT MOVE, YOUR HIGHNESS!”

The Commanding Sergeant from earlier stepped forward, fear threading through his authority.

Rain stilled.

“You trespassed onto our land,” the Sergeant said, voice steady but trembling beneath the surface. “We have orders to shoot if you do not cooperate.”

Rain felt the man’s fear, it was sharp and acidic, desperate even. The weight of responsibility crushed him. Aware that one wrong move could ignite a massacre.

And Rain knew, with sickening certainty, that if they made a move… If he lost control now…

He would be the one to destroy them all.

The Sergeant repeated himself again, his tone steady but stretched thin, as though held together by sheer will. “Our orders are to shoot if you do not cooperate with us. You must surrender.” The air was thick with apprehension, the tension so taut it felt ready to snap.

“It would not be wise for anyone to shoot at me.” Rain warned, his voice edged with steel. “What are the terms?”

“You must surrender yourself willingly. Allow us to hold you captive, while our King negotiates your release.”

Rain nearly laughed.Negotiate?King Drazier would sooner see him dead than speak to the Blue King. The idea was insulting.

“We both know you’re not taking me captive, Sarj,” Rain said, incredulous. He met the Sergeant’s gaze, reading the flicker of uncertaintythere. The soldiers shifted uneasily, weapons still trained on him, waiting for his next move. Every second stretched unbearably long, the weight of consequence pressing down on all of them.