Flo jolted awake with a strangled gasp, her heart hammering violently against her ribs. Her breath came in shallow, erratic gulps, as if she had been drowning in her sleep, suffocating under the weight of something unseen yet all too real. Cold sweat clung to her skin, soaking through her thin sleepwear, and the sheets were twisted around her legs, evidence of the violent thrashing that had consumed her during the nightmare.

  But it hadn’t felt like just a nightmare.

  The images were still there—burned into her mind with haunting clarity.

  Her sister, Deborah, shackled to an obsidian wall, her face contorted in agony. Her body unnaturally swollen, pulsing grotesquely, as if something monstrous grew inside her—something that did not belong. The sheer wrongness of it made Flo’s stomach churn. And the laughter—that cruel, mocking laughter of the Titan—it still echoed in her ears, slithering into her bones like ice. The dream had felt too real. Too vivid. Too much like a warning.

  Flo barely hesitated before throwing herself out of bed, her limbs trembling with urgency. She grabbed her coat from the foot of her bed, yanking it over her shoulders, her fingers fumbling with the buttons. Her hands wouldn’t stay steady. They shook as though her body was rejecting the mere thought of what she had just seen. Her damp hair clung to her forehead and neck, but she ignored it. None of it mattered.

  All that mattered was Deborah. If there was even the slightest chance that her sister was in danger, she had to act.

  She bolted for the door, her bare feet striking the cold floor as she rushed into the dimly lit corridor. The headquarter was still steeped in silence, the weight of the late hour pressing down on the halls. But inside her, there was no silence—only the pounding of her pulse, the frantic race of her thoughts.

  Could this be real? Could the Titans have discovered something even worse than their usual destruction? The thought was unthinkable,—planting seeds in women, turning them into vessels for their twisted offspring. Yet the sickening horror of the vision gnawed at her, filling her with dread so profound that she could hardly breathe.

  Then, too fast to stop, she collided into something solid. Someone.

  Strong hands caught her shoulders, steadying her before she could stumble. The familiar scent of steel and leather hit her first, followed by the unmistakable voice of Ron.

  “Flo, what the—?” he started, his tone laced with confusion as he took in her disheveled appearance. His usual air of amusement flickered into something far more serious. “Where the hell are you running off to? You look like you just rolled out of bed.”

  “I did,” Flo choked out, her voice raw and breathless. She shoved his hands off, her entire body vibrating with urgency. “No time, Ron. We need an emergency meeting—right now.”

  That got his attention.

  The easygoing glint in his eyes disappeared instantly, replaced by sharp, unwavering focus. He had seen her in battle, had fought alongside her in moments of peril, but he had never seen her like this—this frantic, this shaken.

  “What happened?” he asked, his voice low, steady. The way he stepped closer, the way his entire stance shifted, told her he was ready to move, ready to fight.

  “I—I don’t know,” Flo stammered, dragging a trembling hand through her hair. “But if what I saw in my dream is real, if there’s even a chance—” She swallowed hard, the words catching in her throat. “The Titans… They’re planting seeds, Ron. In women. Using them as—”

  She couldn’t say it. Couldn’t voice the horror of what she had seen. But she didn’t need to.

  Ron paled. His shoulders tensed, his jaw locking as the weight of her words settled over him. A slow, creeping cold spread through his veins. They had fought Titans before—had seen their destruction, their wrath. But this? This was something else. This was beyond war. This was violation, a level of cruelty even he hadn’t imagined.

  And if Flo was right—if the vision was true—then the women of Elysion weren’t just in danger. They were being used. His stomach twisted. Flo’s breathing hitched, her voice cracking as she whispered the name that made the fear in her eyes unbearable to witness.

  “Deborah.”

  That was all she had to say.

  Ron exhaled sharply, pushing down his own revulsion, his own horror. This wasn’t the time for fear.

  “Okay,” he said firmly, reaching out and gripping her hand, his touch grounding her for a brief moment. “We’ll gather the captains. We’ll figure this out together.”

  Flo nodded, but she was already pulling away, her body still locked in motion, driven by something more than fear—by desperate, unshakable determination. She took off down the corridor, and Ron followed, his thoughts racing, his gut twisting with a sense of dread he couldn’t ignore.

  If the Titans had truly found a way to use the women of Elysion as vessels for their rebirth…

  Then they were already too late.

  ——

  The Equilibrium’s headquarter was a hive of frantic movement, the air thick with tension. The recent fall of Titans’ Keep had sent shockwaves through the kingdom, and the relentless wave of Titan attacks in its wake had stretched their forces thin. The central chamber, normally a place of controlled order, was now a storm of activity. Officers barked commands across the room, scouts rushed in with reports, and scribes scribbled frantically, documenting each new disaster as it unfolded.

  But none of them knew what was coming.

  Flo stormed through the corridors, her mind a blur of panic and determination. Every passing second felt like it was slipping through her fingers, a countdown to something far worse than any of them could imagine.

  As she burst into the chamber, heads turned, startled by the sudden force of her arrival. A high-ranking officer—a woman with short-cropped dark hair and the hardened expression of someone who had seen too many battles—immediately stepped forward, blocking her path.

  "Captain Rozenberg," the officer greeted, her voice firm but respectful. "What’s your urgency?”

  Flo barely stopped to acknowledge the greeting. "I need an audience with the King immediately. And I want an emergency summon for all the captains—right now.”

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  The officer frowned, glancing over her shoulder at the sea of overwhelmed personnel. "Captain, the kingdom is already in crisis. Titans' Keep has fallen, and we're barely holding the defenses as it is. The King—“

  "I don’t care!" Flo snapped, her voice cutting through the noise like a blade. "This isn't just another Titan attack. It’s worse." She stepped closer, lowering her voice but not her intensity. "If what I saw is real, then the Titans have found a new way to destroy us. And if we don’t act now, we’ll be too late.”

  The officer hesitated, searching Flo’s face, perhaps looking for signs of exhaustion, hysteria—anything to explain the sheer desperation in her voice. But what she saw instead was something more dangerous. Something unshakable.

  "Understood," the officer said at last, giving a sharp nod. "I’ll send word immediately.”

  As she turned to relay the command, Flo let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough until Deborah was safe—until they were all safe. She clenched her fists, staring up at the towering doors leading to the war room. One thought burned in her mind, drowning out all others. She had to stop this. No matter the cost.

  ——

  The captain chambers of Equilibrium Headquarters was alive with a quiet but heavy tension. The usual circular obsidian table was surrounded by several captains, their expressions grim, their minds weary from the unrelenting war. Behind some of them stood their vice captains, silent yet observant, acting as both support and witnesses to whatever revelations would unfold.

  Chris Elysionsonn sat in his usual seat, a position that naturally commanded attention despite the table's circular design. His sky blue eyes swept over the room, taking in the mix of veterans and newer leaders who had inherited the burdens of those lost before them. Though his youthful features betrayed little emotion, the weight of his responsibilities was evident in the way he held himself—rigid, unwavering, and watchful.

  To his right, Captain Linh of the Guardian Sentinels sat with an air of quiet dominance. A woman in her prime, her sharp dark eyes missed nothing. Her dark bob, cut with precision, framed a face that was both youthful and severe. Among those present, she was the longest-serving captain, having held her seat before any of the others had even donned their titles. No one in the Order mastered defensive and sacred arts as she did, and her presence alone commanded the respect—even intimidation—of the younger captains.

  Marge Verdant, seated a few chairs away, could feel the weight of Linh’s presence pressing upon the room. It made her shift slightly in her seat, a subconscious reaction to the sheer gravity the woman exuded. Even with all the battles Marge had fought as the head of Phantom Shadows, she knew she was still an upstart in the grand scheme of things. She turned around to see Martin, Hans, and Lorenzo who were all still bruised and wounded from their recent battle.

  Linh, however, was unbothered by the tension she instilled. She turned to Hans Nimbersonn, the captain of Aegis Enforcers, and offered him a small, knowing smile.

  “You look exhausted, Captain Nimbersonn,” she remarked, her voice smooth but edged with amusement. “Long night?”

  Hans exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. “You could say that,” he muttered. “The battle against the Primordial last week… I pushed my limits, and even then, it barely made a difference.” His voice carried frustration—an unspoken admission that despite his skill, the enemy remained overwhelming. “I need to refine my technique. Or find new ways to fight.”

  Linh hummed, an approving nod accompanying her words. “Acknowledging your shortcomings is the first step to overcoming them.”

  Hans managed a faint smirk. “That sounds like something professor Neil would’ve said if he still with us.”

  Linh merely smiled, offering no further words.

  But Hans wasn’t just weary from battle—he was also puzzled. His gaze flicked around the table, noting who was absent. Ika’s seat remained empty—which was concerning. Another vacant chair belonged to Aaron Yeoh, the captain of the Serene Healers. Hans knew exactly why Aaron wasn’t here—he was stretched thin, tending to the wounded as the Titan attacks became fiercer by the day. His absence was unfortunate, but necessary.

  Still, Hans’ thoughts circled back to one pressing question. Why had Flo called this meeting? They had just held one recently—without her, since she had been away in Vibrara. What could possibly be so urgent that she had demanded the presence of all captains on such short notice?

  As he pondered, Marge shifted beside him, tapping her fingers lightly against the table. She had fought alongside Flo enough times to know that this wasn’t just a case of paranoia. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong.

  Chris clapped his hands together once, the sharp sound cutting through the murmurs. All eyes snapped toward him.

  “We’re starting,” he announced, his tone leaving no room for argument. He didn’t wait for the others to arrive. “Time is of the essence.” His gaze flickered toward Flo, the one who had called this urgent assembly.

  Flo inhaled deeply before pushing herself to her feet. Despite the strength she carried as the Vanguard Strikers’ captain, there was a tremor in her stance, a weight that made her seem more burdened than usual.

  “I called this meeting because of a dream I had,” she began, her voice steady but tight. “A vision.”

  The word alone was enough to draw skeptical glances. Some captains exchanged looks—visions weren’t exactly uncommon, but they were rarely taken at face value.

  Flo, however, pressed on. “I saw Titans… seeding women.” The words left her lips like poison. The very notion was revolting. “My sister—Deborah—she was shackled to an obsidian wall. And her body…” Her throat tightened. “Her abdomen was swollen. Something was growing inside her.”

  Silence fell over the chamber. A pregnant woman, carrying something Titan-born. The mere implication of such a thing sent a shudder through even the most battle-hardened among them.

  Flo swallowed, willing herself to continue. “It was grotesque. Alive. Pulsing, twisting—like it wasn’t supposed to be there. Like she was being used as an incubator for something monstrous.” Her voice wavered, but she didn’t let it break. “And I heard laughter. A Titan’s laughter. Mocking. It felt real—too real.”

  A heavy silence settled over the table.

  Hans felt the blood drain from his face. Linh’s sharp gaze flickered to Chris, waiting to see how he would respond. Martin Apollo, usually skeptical of visions, tapped his fingers against the table thoughtfully.

  Chris finally leaned forward, his elbows resting against the armrests of his throne-like chair. “You believe this is more than just a dream.” Flo nodded, her hands clenched into fists. “Yes. And if there’s even a chance that this is real—if the Titans have found a new way to reproduce—then we’re facing something worse than anything we’ve seen before.”

  “Flo, this sounds—” Martin began, but Marge quickly interrupted, her voice firm as she spoke up from her seat.

  “My team has gathered some troubling intelligence,” Marge said, her eyes sharp. She pulled out a dossier, tossing it onto the table for all to see. “The maiden kidnappings haven’t just happened in Vibrara. This is a coordinated effort across Elysion. And from what my sources tell me, the women are being gathered for the very purpose Flo spoke of—they’re being used to bear the seeds of Titans.” She paused, letting her words sink in. “There have been sightings of Rem leading these captives—pregnant women.”

  Flo’s face drained of color at the mention of her former comrade, and a chill ran through her. The mere thought of Rem—once a trusted ally—now orchestrating something so vile made her blood run cold. Whatever Rem was planning, it had to be stopped.

  Lorenzo, who had remained silent until now, crossed his arms over his chest, his face darkened with frustration. “Rem’s planning something big,” he muttered, his voice laced with guilt. “With all the Primordials being released, it’s clear this isn’t just some random act of terror.” He glanced down, his jaw clenching. “I failed to keep them sealed, and now we’re all paying the price.”

  Marge unrolled a massive map across the obsidian table, its surface illuminated by the ethereal glow of enchanted markings. The captains leaned in as she pressed her palm against two significant locations, her voice firm and precise.

  “I’ve managed to track some of the Primordials. Oceanus, for one, is slumbering deep in the Eye of Eyndor, beneath the tidal abyss. He remains dormant for now, but if the Titans are planning something on a grand scale, it’s only a matter of time before he awakens.” She let that sink in before shifting her fingers toward the north. “And the other… well, you all know of Crius, sealed by Professor Neil in the frozen waters of the Northern Lake. His bindings were meant to last an eternity, but the recent shifts in energy suggest something is disturbing them.”

  A hush fell over the room. The implications were dire. Each of them knew what would happen if yet another Primordial was released—the devastation, the chaos, the lives that would be lost. It was a nightmare they could not afford to relive.