Aurelion arrived at Commander Reyes's office at exactly 0800.
The building was the same as before—cold, functional, unremarkable. Guards stood at the entrance, their eyes scanning, their hands resting on their weapons. They recognized him from the day before. They let him pass.
He walked through the corridors, his footsteps echoing on the polished floor. The walls were bare, the lights harsh. The building was designed for efficiency, not comfort.
He reached Reyes's office and knocked.
"Enter."
He pushed open the door.
Reyes sat behind her desk, her tablet in front of her, her expression unreadable. She looked up as he entered, her eyes sharp, assessing.
"Close the door."
He did.
"Sit."
He sat.
The room was silent for a moment. Reyes studied him, her gaze steady, her fingers tapping lightly on the tablet.
"You were in the hangar district yesterday," she said. "You were caught snooping around the restricted area."
Aurelion didn't deny it. "I was curious."
"Curious." Her voice was flat. "You broke through a secured perimeter, entered a classified facility, and spied on a top-secret project because you were curious."
"Yes."
She leaned back in her chair. "Do you have any idea what I could do to you for that?"
"Arrest me. Detain me. Throw me out of the city."
"All good options." She set down her tablet. "But I'm not going to do any of those things."
Aurelion waited.
"Because you're useful." She stood and walked to the window, her back to him. "Vorthar wanted you to live. That makes you valuable. And right now, we need all the information we can get."
She turned to face him.
"Tell me what you saw in the hangar."
Aurelion was silent for a moment. Then: "A cannon. Massive. Covered in runes and mana conduits. Pointed at the sky."
Reyes nodded slowly. "That's the Aegis. It's been in development for three years. It's designed to channel mana from every available source and focus it into a single, concentrated beam. Powerful enough to destroy a demon army. Possibly powerful enough to destroy the Demon King himself."
Aurelion stared at her. "You're going to use it on him?"
"If we have to."
"Will it work?"
She met his eyes. "We don't know. That's why we haven't used it yet."
The silence stretched.
Aurelion processed the information. A weapon powerful enough to destroy the Demon King. A last resort. A final chance.
"And you're telling me this because...?"
"Because I need you to understand." She walked back to her desk, sat down, met his eyes. "Vorthar is out there. The Demon King is out there. And they're both looking for something. Something that's hidden in the ruins. Something that could change everything."
"The shards."
"Whatever they are." She leaned forward. "You've been to the ruins. You've seen what's there. You've been carrying shards that pulse with ancient power. You're connected to this in ways I don't fully understand."
Aurelion didn't deny it.
"So here's the deal," Reyes continued. "You help us. You share what you know. You work with us to find out what the Demon King is looking for. And in return, we help you find your party."
Aurelion's heart skipped. "You know where they are?"
"I know where they were last seen. A settlement to the south, near the coast. They passed through about a week ago. They were looking for you."
He stared at her. "They're alive?"
"As far as I know. But I need you to focus on the mission first. Help us understand what's happening. Help us stop the Demon King. And then we'll find your people."
Aurelion was silent for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
"Deal."
The meeting ended.
Aurelion walked through the corridors of the command center, his mind racing.
They're alive, he thought. Valley's Watch is alive.
They're looking for me.
He felt a surge of something he hadn't felt in weeks—hope.
He walked out into the city, the cold air hitting his face.
I'll find them, he thought. I always do.
The barracks were quiet that night.
Aurelion walked through the dimly lit corridor toward his room, his mind still turning over the day's revelations. The Aegis. The Demon King's search. Valley's Watch. Reyes's offer.
He was almost at his door when he heard the voices.
Loud. Slurred. Coming from the common room at the end of the hall.
"—that guy who got caught in the hangars today."
"Pfft. Some civilian who thinks he's special."
"Heard Reyes let him go. No charges. No nothing."
"Must know someone."
"Or he's got something they want."
Aurelion slowed his pace. He could see them now—three soldiers, their uniforms disheveled, their faces flushed with alcohol. Empty bottles littered the table between them. They hadn't noticed him yet.
He decided to walk past. Not worth the trouble.
But one of them saw him.
"Well, well. Look who it is." The soldier stood, his chair scraping against the floor. He was tall, broad-shouldered, his eyes unfocused but hostile. "The famous civilian."
Aurelion kept walking.
"Hey. I'm talking to you."
He stopped. Turned.
The soldier approached, his two companions rising behind him. They were all larger than Aurelion, all armed, all looking for a fight.
"You think you're special?" the soldier said, jabbing a finger at Aurelion's chest. "You think because Reyes let you off, you can walk around here like you own the place?"
"I don't think anything." Aurelion's voice was flat. "I just want to go to my room."
"Your room." The soldier laughed. "You don't belong here. You're not a soldier. You're not a hunter. You're nothing."
"Let me pass."
"Or what? You'll hit me?" The soldier grinned, his breath thick with alcohol. "Go ahead. Try."
Aurelion looked at him. At the two behind him. At the empty bottles and the hostile faces.
He sighed.
"Fine."
The soldier swung first.
It was a clumsy punch, telegraphed, sloppy. Aurelion sidestepped, caught the soldier's arm, and used his momentum to throw him into the table. The wood splintered. The soldier crashed to the floor.
The second soldier lunged. Aurelion ducked under his grab, drove his elbow into the man's ribs, and shoved him into the third. They went down in a tangle of limbs and curses.
The first soldier scrambled to his feet, rage in his eyes. He reached for his sidearm.
Aurelion was faster.
His hand closed around the soldier's wrist, twisting until the weapon clattered to the ground. His other hand found the soldier's throat, pinning him against the wall.
"Don't," Aurelion said quietly.
The soldier's eyes went wide. He wasn't drunk anymore. He was afraid.
Aurelion held him there for a moment longer, then released him. The soldier slid to the floor, gasping.
The other two were staring, their faces pale, their weapons forgotten.
Aurelion looked at them. At the mess. At the broken table.
"Stay out of my way," he said.
He walked back to his room and closed the door.