Inside Northern Spiritual Town, Vince gathered his team and laid out the new intel.

"Spies among our own? More than a dozen cities had their energy cannons sabotaged during the chaos?"

The Obsidian team stared at him in shock.

"Yeah," Vince said grimly. "A few have been captured… but not nearly enough." He relayed the details Xander had given him.

"One of our own saw something…" Axel muttered under his breath, his gaze shifting to Kaia. "Kaia, you searched the city today. Did you find anything?"

Kaia let out a tired groan. "Don't even bring it up—I'm drained. Aside from the people at the east gate, I did find four Awakened above Level Four inside the city."

Scouring an entire city was grueling work for a Level Four like her. At least she hadn't burned through all her Force before—otherwise, she'd have been forced to consume her Origin resources just to recover.

"Two of them are twin brothers, Dennis and Derek. Big-shot merchants from Ebonreach, here buying land and setting up businesses. Fabian lives outside the city on a plantation. His awakened ability is tied to agriculture—he grows massive amounts of food with it. As for the last one, Jeremiah from the Survey Corps, he's holed up in the hospital."

"A Survey Corps officer?" Miller frowned, his voice sharp. "That's suspicious as hell. We all gathered at the east gate today, and he wasn't anywhere to be seen."

"Not just the east gate. None of the gates. What's a Corps man doing skipping his post?"

Kaia rolled her eyes. "Use your brain. Jeremiah's the *least* likely suspect. His leg was shattered before the battle even started—he's been stuck in the hospital the whole time. Surveillance confirms he never left his room."

Axel leaned forward. "What about the others? Did you bring them in?"

"Dennis and Derek are here," Kaia said with a shrug. "They're pissed, though—shouting that we have no right to restrict their movement, swearing they'll report us the second they leave. Fabian refused to come. Claims his crops will wither if he's away too long, and since he supplies a big chunk of rations for the military, the Ministry of Agriculture backs him. If you want to talk to him, you'll have to go out to the fields."

So far, none of them could be cleared. Merchants with money, a government-backed planter, and a Survey Corps officer—each had connections.

Counting Jeremiah's team of four and Geoffrey, that made eight people under suspicion. Only Jeremiah had a solid alibi.

Axel turned to Miller and Phoenix. "Any word on the cannon operators? Someone must've seen something before Connor died."

"The Atomic Cannon crew was small," Miller replied. "Most of them died when the beasts broke through. The survivors swear they saw nothing. Either they're blind—or they're lying."

Axel exhaled slowly. He knew the dead operators had probably been silenced. If only they'd left behind Life Crystals, he could've pulled the truth from them.

"We don't have much time," Vince cut in. "The team leader's given me authority to seal the town, but that won't last long. In a few days, these people will walk free."

"Then we move now," Axel said firmly. "We'll start with the brothers. Kaia, how strong are they?"

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"They're Level Four, same as me," Kaia replied. "But how far they've refined their Force, I can't say."

Axel frowned. He scanned the team and then beckoned Rosaline and Phoenix closer. "I may need your cooperation later."

.....

In a cramped room inside the temporary military headquarters, two nearly identical men sat tapping their legs impatiently, nursing cups of coffee.

"Is anyone coming or not? Where the hell are they?"

"If nobody shows up, we're leaving!"

Their shouts echoed off the walls, but the soldiers guarding the door didn't even flinch. They stared straight ahead, ignoring them entirely.

That only made the brothers angrier.

"What the hell are you yelling for? Sit your asses down. You're suspects now, got it?" a sharp voice snapped.

Both men froze, then turned toward the door.

Axel stepped inside. Dennis and Derek blinked in disbelief.

"You've got to be shitting me," Dennis scoffed. "Now some kid's gonna interrogate us?"

Derek stood, glaring. "Watch your mouth, brat. What rank are you, huh? You think you can talk down to us? We haven't broken a single law. We're Level Four Awakened. Without proper paperwork, you've got no damn right to hold us here."

"Cooperating with you people is already us doing you a favor. Don't push it."

The twins carried themselves with the arrogance of men. They were here representing the Valemire Group, fat with money and connections. The military treated Awakened with status like them carefully, always with respect.

"Arrogant, huh?" Axel's voice stayed cold. "Fine. Then tell me this—where were you when the fighting started?"

"Home. So what?" Dennis said flatly. "Listen, you don't have the authority to question us. You're barely out of diapers. Go find someone else to pick on before I file a complaint."

They lifted their chins, daring him to push further.

Axel's eyes narrowed. "Oh, you're really that bold? I'm military. You were 'home,' right? So while the beast tide hit, you two just sat around refusing to fight? Refusing to defend the city? In my book, that's treason. Lock their asses up!"

"You—!" The veins in Derek's forehead bulged. Everyone knew: when the military gave an order, even civilian Awakened had to obey. But the beast tide had come so suddenly no reassignment orders were issued. This punk was twisting the rules just to screw them over!

"What do you mean, 'you'?!" Axel barked. "Enough! Guards, bring them in!"

A soldier stepped through the doorway, young and wide-eyed, but when he produced a pair of cuffs, Dennis and Derek exploded.

"You dare?!"

Axel's grin was razor-sharp. "Dare? Of course I dare. Refusing to defend the city means blood on your hands. Arrest them!"

The soldier lunged. And in that instant, the twins' bravado shattered.

The kid's attack carried murderous intent. His palm strike sliced through the air like a blade, the shockwave alone splintering the table in front of them.

"What the—Hell?!"

"You son of a bitch, trying to kill us and cover it up?!" Derek roared. They both struck back at once—brutal, close-range strikes—but the young soldier's palm drove into them like a hammer. They staggered three steps, coughing blood.

"You still dare to resist?" Axel sneered. "Looks like you're hiding something. Kill them here!"

The twins' vision went red. This little bastard was insane. He was actually trying to wipe them out under false charges!

Before they could move again, another figure appeared in the doorway. Tall, strikingly handsome—and hefting the dark, heavy barrel of a cannon aimed right at them.

"Shit…"

"You're really gonna kill us?!"

The weapon thundered, shaking the walls as the shell blasted through the air, blowing the window to pieces.

Dennis and Derek's scalps went numb. At the same time, the soldier's palm came slashing down again, ready to carve them apart along with the cannon fire.

"You fucking lunatic!" Dennis spat, panic tearing through his voice.

And then—an icy blue crystal shimmered across the cannonball, freezing its core. The projectile still tore through the air and out the window, but it never detonated.

The twins collapsed in a heap, drenched in cold sweat.

"Brother," Dennis gasped, trembling, "I was wrong. I shouldn't have talked to you like that." His eyes were fixed on Axel, his face pale with fear.

Derek was no better. He forced himself upright, but his lips were sealed tight. He didn't dare say a word.

The room went still, the silence suffocating. The brothers stared at Axel, their hearts pounding like drums.

Then, Axel smiled. Warm. Gentle. Almost… kind.

"My apologies, gentlemen. I may have gotten a little carried away just now. But everything's fine. Thank you for your cooperation. Truly."

The twins blinked. Their jaws slackened. That smile… it was more terrifying than the cannon.

"Really?" Dennis muttered, his eyelid twitching, terrified it would all flip in an instant.

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