Page 112 of Cerulean Truth
“I’m not creeping up on anyone,” I grunted.
He grinned.
“Shut up,” I grumbled, punching him in the gut, but he laughed it off. What are best friends for if not to serve as punching bags.
"All right, all right, I'll let it slide for now... My fucking allmightyness, who would have thought..." He grinned.
I shot him a withering stare, downing the rest of my drink in record time.
I was walking backto the Winter Palace, planning on going for a short swim, when my Nexus buzzed with a sudden sense of urgency. Shit. That was never good.
I pulled it out, and Lena's face popped up, looking all distressed. Double shit. Lena was one of the Trackers, monitoring the LiaPrism for suspicious translation in the Human World.
“What is it?” I growled.
“There were eight translationsat the outer gate, but they vanished, and I have no record of a group clearance coming through today.”
“I’m on my way.” I slammed my Nexus shut, shifted into fly-mode, and tore through the air toward the Videmus building at full-speed.
I almost yanked off the entrance door, my clearance barely preventing me from being decapitated. Left, right, left. I navigated the maze-like corridors in under three minutes—a personal best—before bursting into the control room like a battering ram.
Lena—her brow furrowed in concern—met my gaze as I approached, and motioned toward the LiaPrism, hovering over her desk.
“We have a breach,” she said, her voice tight with urgency. “The Radicals are inside the Layers. I think they’re trapped somewhere, but I can’t be sure.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Show me.”
She gave a curt nod and closed her eyes. Her familiar pink haze shot out and connected with the LiaPrism, which flaredbrighter at the recognition of Lena’s translation. Within seconds, the prism showed exactly what she meant.
“See? There were at least eight of them at the outer gate, translating their entrance into Cyclos, but they never entered the fjords, and none of the swings have been used,” Lena explained, her expression grim.
I nodded, the weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders. “I’ll deal with it.”
“James, it’s too dangerous,” she protested. “You need to stay here and coordinate.”
“I need to see this for myself,” I insisted. “Emma’s safety is on the line. I can’t just sit here and watch.”
I turned around to leave but Lena's hand shot out, gripping my arm. “Be careful, James. They won’t hesitate to use any means to get what they want.”
“I know,” I said, my jaw set. “I won’t let them.” They’d be dead in less than an hour.
“Lena. Tell the Maumars if you have to but keep the Council out of it for now. I’ll tell them myself,” I ordered my former pupil.
Lena raised a brow. “You’re still First Offensive. This is entirely your jurisdiction. As far as I’m concerned, I did my duty by informing you. I’m sure you’ll inform whomever you deem fit to know.”
I gave her a quick nod, appreciating her matter-of-fact demeanor.
With that, I bolted out of the command center, heart pounding with dread.Emma.They must've come for her again.
Luckily, I knew exactly where they were. Because, what no one besides the Maumars knew, was I had taken extra safety measures after Emma’s abduction. I had created a Sublayer, between the outer gate and the fjords, effectively trappingeveryone without clearance. We hadn’t even told the rest of the Council, just in case my theory of a mole turned out right.
Instead of portaling out, energy surged through me, and propelled me upwards in a frantic rush. I crashed through the ceiling, soaring into the sky without a moment to spare.
With every fiber of my being, I launched myself forward, the howling wind ripping at my clothes as I flew over Cyclos. The sole idea they came for Emma again, fueled my every move, each heartbeat echoing like a drum in my ears. Every muscle in my body strained with the effort as I raced through the sky, a blur of motion against the backdrop of the Collective below.
The shimmering barrier of the Third Layer loomed. I didn’t flinch. Summoning every ounce of strength, I charged ahead. With a fierce burst of energy, I shattered through the last two Layers, like it was nothing.
The Sublayer manifested a window, custom-made for its creator to fly through, leading me into a maze of mirrors that I had crafted in secrecy. I plunged into the labyrinth, the echoes of the Radicals' whispers urging me on.
