Back in the Hidden City, something felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
Lyra noticed it first.
"Where are the gate guards?"
Kael's expression changed instantly.
"They never leave their post."
Rylan moved ahead quickly.
The answer came fast.
The guards were unconscious.
Not dead.
Drugged.
Inside the command hall they found signs of forced entry.
And blood.
Lyra's chest tightened.
"Who did this?"
The stranger picked up a broken insignia.
Guild symbol.
But something else too.
An inside mark.
Someone helped them.
Kael slammed his fist into a wall.
"I knew it."
Rylan looked serious now.
"There's a traitor."
Lyra felt cold.
After everything…
After all the fighting…
Someone inside still chose the Guild.
A survivor approached them nervously.
"They took Commander Elric."
Lyra recognized the name.
One of the leaders who helped protect refugees.
"Why him?" she asked.
The stranger answered:
"Because he knows our defenses."
Kael looked at Lyra.
"They want to trade him for you."
Silence.
Lyra didn't hesitate.
"Then we trade."
All three men immediately said:
"No."
She stared at them.
"He dies if we don't."
Rylan shook his head.
"And you die if we do."
Lyra's voice hardened.
"I'm not letting someone die for me again."
Kael stepped closer.
"We're not losing you."
She met his eyes.
"You won't."
The stranger finally spoke.
"We do this our way."
A rescue mission.
Not a trade.
Lyra felt relief.
Then fear.
This would be their most dangerous mission yet.
Across the city…
The Guild leader finally arrived.
And he was smiling.