“I’m everything.”

  The Librarian took a step back, clasping his hands behind his back. “Listen closely, Nyx Volta. The group you’ve joined is… unstable, to say the least. A loosely patched team, thrown together by coincidence and necessity. But given time and effort, it will become something invaluable. Not just to its members, but to the entire structure of the Rings themselves. Make sure it happens.”

  Nyx’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  The Librarian’s gaze remained steady. “You’ll see.”

  Her fingers curled into fists. “You keep acting like you know everything.”

  A smirk tugged at the edges of his hidden face. “Because I do.”

  Nyx grit her teeth, ready to fire back, but before she could, he simply raised a hand in farewell.

  “We’ll talk again soon, Nyx.”

  And just like that—he was gone.

  A heavy silence settled around her.

  Nyx exhaled sharply, forcing herself to steady her breath. That man was playing games—feeding them just enough to make them curious but never enough to actually understand.

  Her gaze dropped to the wristband.

  This wasn’t just a tool for the tournament. It meant something more.

  Nyx exhaled and slipped it into place.

  For now, she needed to regroup. She turned on her heel and headed for the exit.

  BREAK

  Somewhere in the depths of the library, Sam walked alone.

  He hadn’t meant to get separated from the others—at least, not like this. One second, he had been following along, casually browsing the bookshelves, and the next…

  Nothing.

  No sounds. No footsteps. Just silence.

  Sam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, this is weird.”

  He glanced around. The library seemed to stretch on forever, its towering shelves filled with books older than anything he had ever seen. Unlike the others, he wasn’t in some eerie, burnt-out ruin or endless corridor. It was just… quiet.

  Too quiet.

  “Alright, mystery man,” he called out, turning in a slow circle. “I know you’re here. So, let’s get this over with, huh?”

  There was a beat of silence.

  Then—a chuckle.

  Sam turned.

  The Librarian stood a few feet away, his ever-present calm almost irritating in contrast to the unnatural silence around them.

  Sam crossed his arms. “Took you long enough.”

  The Librarian tilted his head. “You were the easiest one to find.”

  Sam arched an eyebrow. “What, do I have a tracking beacon on me?”

  The Librarian let out an amused breath. “In a way, yes.”

  Sam frowned, about to respond, when the Librarian spoke again.

  “You are different from the others, Sam.”

  His tone wasn’t condescending or cryptic—just factual.

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  Sam gave a lazy shrug. “I’d say I’m the only normal one in the group, actually.”

  The Librarian stepped closer. “No, you’re not normal. But unlike the others, you know who you are.”

  That made Sam pause.

  “You don’t wrestle with uncertainty,” the Librarian continued. “You don’t get lost in self-doubt. You don’t question your place in the world.” He gestured slightly. “That makes you rare.”

  Sam scratched his cheek. “Well, thanks for the pep talk, coach. I’ll be sure to give myself a pat on the back later.”

  The Librarian chuckled again. “You joke, but it’s true. And because of that… you’re more important than you realize.”

  Sam’s smirk faded slightly. “What do you mean?”

  The Librarian clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze sharp. “Your presence stabilizes the others. You are the force that keeps them from crumbling.”

  Sam blinked.

  “Nyx, Nigel, William, Dovak—each of them is weighed down by something they refuse to face. Something that drags them into isolation, whether they realize it or not. But you?” The Librarian tilted his head. “You pull people together without even trying. You give them something to rely on, even when they don’t know they need it.”

  Sam hesitated. “That’s… a lot of pressure.”

  The Librarian’s eyes gleamed. “No. It’s simply who you are.”

  Sam scoffed lightly. “So what, I’m the glue that keeps this mess from falling apart?”

  “In a way.” The Librarian’s gaze softened, just a fraction. “So don’t change, Sam. Stay as you are. Because without you, they may never become what they need to be.”

  A silence stretched between them.

  Sam exhaled. “That’s a pretty big claim for a guy I just met.”

  The Librarian smiled. “I know you better than you think.”

  And then—he was gone.

  Sam stood there for a long moment, staring at the empty space where the Librarian had been.

  Then, with a quiet shake of his head, he chuckled.

  “Damn cryptic bastard.”

  With that, he turned and started making his way back.

  After weaving through the towering bookshelves, Sam finally spotted the rest of the group near the exit.

  Nyx, Nigel, William, and Dovak stood in a loose formation—but the tension in the air was thick enough to cut.

  At the center of it stood Claire.

  She and Nyx were locked in a silent battle of wills.

  Their postures were nearly identical—arms crossed, feet planted, expressions unreadable, both radiating an unshakable presence.

  Even without a word, Sam could tell. These two were going to be a problem.

  Claire’s lips curled into something between a smirk and a sneer. “So, you’re the famous General Nyx.”

  Nyx exhaled slowly through her nose. “And you must be Claire Miles.”

  The words were flat. Not exactly hostile, but nowhere near friendly.

  Behind them, Nigel stiffened.

  Miles. Sentinel.

  The pieces clicked together in his mind, but the realization hit like a gut punch.

  His gaze sharpened, his body tensing before he could stop himself. He had been traveling with a Sentinel this whole time.

  The same group responsible for everything. The ones who had turned his home into nothing but smoke and ruins.

  He hadn’t trusted Claire before—but now?

  Now he was seriously reconsidering whether letting her join had been a mistake.

  His grip tightened at his sides. But he said nothing.

  Not yet.

  Claire, meanwhile, tilted her head, her sharp, golden eyes scanning Nyx up and down. “Didn’t expect a Warden to make it this far. Your kind usually fights for ‘order,’ not glory.”

  Nyx’s expression didn’t shift. “And I didn’t expect to meet a Sentinel who lived to talk about it.”

  Nigel’s head snapped toward her.

  Claire’s smirk vanished. Her golden eyes darkened, sharp as a blade.

  "Careful with your words, General."

  Nyx took a slow step forward. “Or what?”

  The air between them crackled with unspoken hostility.

  Claire let out a bitter chuckle. "You think I still answer to those bastards? The Sentinels betrayed me long before I had the chance to betray them."

  Nyx’s gaze narrowed slightly, but she said nothing.

  Claire’s fingers twitched, as if she was considering grabbing her weapon, but instead, she folded her arms tighter. “I may have worn their insignia once, but I don’t anymore. I don’t take orders from anyone. Especially not them.”

  Her words hung in the air, heavy and absolute.

  But for Nigel, it didn’t change a thing.

  A Sentinel was a Sentinel.

  He had been forced to endure their cruelty firsthand. He had watched them execute his neighbors, burn down homes, drag innocent people into the streets like animals.

  Even if Claire had left them, even if she had suffered at their hands too—it didn't erase what she was.

  Dovak, sensing the tension was rapidly heading into dangerous territory, cleared his throat loudly. “Well! Now that we’re all here, why don’t we—”

  “Let’s go.”

  Nigel’s voice cut through the confrontation, sharp and final.

  His tone made it clear—this wasn’t up for discussion.

  Without waiting for agreement, he turned and started toward the exit.

  Nyx didn’t look back at Claire. And Claire didn’t look back at Nyx.

  But they both knew this wasn’t over.

  The warm breeze of the Delta Zone greeted them as they stepped outside, a stark contrast to the heavy tension still clinging to the group.

  For a while, no one spoke.

  The encounters inside the library had left something in all of them—unspoken questions, unresolved thoughts.

  Even Sam, who usually had something witty to say, remained quiet as they walked through the well-lit streets.

  Eventually, as if by unspoken agreement, they decided to split up for the night.

  The hotel complex assigned to tournament participants provided each of them with private rooms—small but comfortable.

  For now, rest was the only thing on their minds.

  But even as they lay in bed, the silence of sleep was not enough to drown out the echoes of the Librarian’s words… and the friction growing between their team.