Page 225 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

For fifteen minutes he stared out at the passing scenery, relaxing only slightly as the stadium platform came into view.

Rain was the first to reach the train doors, urgency propelling him forward even before the train fully stopped. His gaze swept across the empty platform, searching desperately for the familiar halo of blonde hair. If Jay was here, surely, he’d be waiting.

Impatience gnawed at him as he tapped his necklace repeatedly over the scanner, silently willing the doors to open faster. Protocol dictated that the Royal carriage unload first; a delay that only sharpened his anxiety.

Behind him, Snow’s voice cut through his tension. “What’s wrong?” she asked, wary as she peered over his shoulder.

Rain twisted toward her, unable to hide the stress etched across his features. Her eyes searched his, but he couldn’t explain; it felt irrational. Jay was fine. They’d told the group they were arriving early. His dreams were just dreams.

The door finally opened, sparing him from answering.

He surged onto the platform, senses flaring as he sent out his feelers, searching for Jay’s energy signature.

“Something’s wrong,” he murmured.

He stopped abruptly. His heart dropped.

Snow, intent on staying close, collided into his back. “What the—”

Her words died as she followed his gaze toward the mountains behind the stadium. Smoke—thick, dark, unmistakable—billowed upward, gathering momentum.

Her jaw dropped.

Rain snapped into action, authority taking over.

“Get back on the train!” he commanded, voice sharp. When no one moved, he repeated himself, urgency cracking through his tone. “Now! Get on the fucking train and don’t stop until you’re home. The Reds are attacking. I need you all to get to safety. Snow—go with them. Help them.”

Passengers nearby overheard and panic spread like wildfire.

Snow immediately protested. “I’m not leaving you!” she snapped, pointing toward the smoking mountainside. “And we are not running straight into that blatantly obvious trap!”

Jasmine stepped forward, bewildered. “I don’t understand—why would they attack here? It’s neutral territory.”

Rain pointed emphatically at the thick cloud of smoke. “That is Drazier’s smoke. I’ve fought enough battles against him to recognise it––even without sensing the threat from here.”

He turned to Snow, his glare stern, silently begging her to get behind the Blue border where she’d be safe. She held his gaze stubbornly until he growled in resignation and turned to Jasmine.

“Jasmine, you’re team leader today. Get everyone as far away from here as possible. I need to find Jay—”

The stadium tannoy shrieked, interrupting him. A calm yet firm voice announced that, “due to unforeseen circumstances,” the Tournament had been cancelled, and all guests were to make their way to the platform in an orderly manner. The message repeated on loop as Shadow guards appeared from nowhere, directing passengers onto any available carriage, ignoring the usual boarding protocol.

Rain repeated his order to the team one last time before pushing against the flow of panicked travellers. Snow stayed glued to his side.

He approached a Shadow guard stationed at the gate. The guard startled, fear spiking through his energy as he recognised who stood before him.

Rain towered over him, urgency radiating off him. “What is happening?” he demanded, voice sharp and unyielding.

The guard shifted nervously. “We—We don’t know anything, sir. We’ve been ordered to evacuate the area, that’s it. Maintain peace and order by any means necessary.”

Frustration surged through Rain. Expecting useful information from glorified babysitters had been foolish.

Determined, he pressed forward into the stadium, forcefully clearing a path through the panicked crowd. Screams and hysteria blurred around him; none of it mattered. He scoured every energy signature, searching desperately for that familiar tug.

Nothing.

He clung to the faint hope that Jay was here, but instinctively he knew; if Jay were present, Rain would have felt him by now.

Then, amid the chaos, Rain’s attention flickered to another familiar signature—Storm, the female he had sensed at the bar two nights prior. His heart reacted involuntarily.