The night did not sleep.
It watched.
It listened.
And in every corner of Valenridge, something was moving.
Sebastian stood in front of the large digital screen, no longer weak, no longer recovering—fully back, fully present. His posture was straight, his eyes sharp, his mind clearer than ever.
This was no longer survival.
This was control.
"Zoom that section," he said quietly.
One of the tech men moved quickly, enlarging a blinking point on the map. It flickered once… then again… unstable, like it could disappear at any moment.
Vivian stood beside him, calm but alert.
"It's not a fixed signal," she said. "They're masking it. Moving between points."
Sebastian nodded slowly. "But they made a mistake."
Alaric stepped closer. "What mistake?"
"They're still using one of their old relays," Sebastian replied. "A hidden line… but not hidden enough."
Silence filled the room.
Everyone understood.
This was it.
Their first real opening.
