Mag-log inAra's heart pounded as she stared at the feed of the top-floor corridor. Ronan was locked in it with Kayla, but he wasn't really fighting back—just blocking, deflecting, absorbing hit after hit. It was brutal to watch. Kayla had player speed and precision on her side. Ronan had nothing but training, instinct, and stubbornness. Every block cost him something, and he still wouldn't draw his gun on her. She was so locked onto that feed she almost missed what Silas found on the second monitor. "Ara, look!" he said, pointing. "The other four didn't stay with Kayla. They went around Ronan while she kept him busy—they're heading down the residential hall!" Her eyes snapped to the feed. Four armed VBNI operatives, moving fast, heading straight for the suite where most of the civilians were holed up. She opened the comms. "Daniel! Dain! Four agents just cleared the stairwell—they're coming right for you!" Inside the suite, the room went cold. Daniel didn't hesitate. He moved the families
Ten years later. The Calder Street house looked the same from outside. Same gate, same wall, same climbing plants that had gotten out of hand again. Noah trimmed them when he was home, complaining the whole time about plants that had no respect for anyone's schedule. Inside, everything had changed. It now looked more like a house filled with people. A real family. The air inside felt different. Lena's photographs covered the kitchen wall. She was twelve and obsessed with the camera she had gotten for her birthday, and she photographed everything — the garden, the street, her father coming through the door before he had his jacket off. She was good. Nikolai told her so every time and meant it. Noah was eighteen now. He had gotten tall, direct, opinionated about everything. He still played chess. Still ate his eggs with opinions about how they had been prepared. He came home from school that Tuesday, dropped his bag in the hallway, and went straight to the kitchen. "I've decid
Ten years later. The Calder Street house looked the same from outside. Same gate, same wall, same climbing plants that had gotten out of hand again. Noah trimmed them when he was home, complaining the whole time about plants that had no respect for anyone's schedule. Inside, everything had changed. It now looked more like a house filled with people. A real family. The air inside felt different.Lena's photographs covered the kitchen wall. She was twelve and obsessed with the camera she had gotten for her birthday, and she photographed everything — the garden, the street, her father coming through the door before he had his jacket off. She was good. Nikolai told her so every time and meant it. Noah was eighteen now.He had gotten tall, direct, opinionated about everything. He still played chess. Still ate his eggs with opinions about how they had been prepared. He came home from school that Tuesday, dropped his bag in the hallway, and went straight to the kitchen. "I've decide
THIRD PERSON Pov The chess tournament was on a Tuesday. Noah had been preparing for three weeks. He had played Viktor twice, his grandmother once over video call, and Nikolai several times, losing most of those games and receiving each loss calmly rather than reacting to defeat. The morning of the tournament he ate his breakfast without commentary, which was how Arianna knew he was nervous. She did not comment on the silence. Nikolai made the eggs without being asked. Noah ate them. At the door, before they left, he stopped and looked at both of them. “What if I lose?” he said. Nikolai crouched down. “Then you learn something”, he said. “And you play again.” Noah considered this. “What if I lose the first game?” he said. “Then you still play the rest”., Nikolai said. “You do not stop because the first one went wrong.” Noah looked at the floor for a moment. “Okay,” he said. He picked up his bag and went out the door. Arianna looked at Nikolai. He stood up.
THIRD PERSON Pov The chess tournament was on a Tuesday. Noah had been preparing for three weeks. He had played Viktor twice, his grandmother once over video call, and Nikolai several times, losing most of those games and receiving each loss calmly rather than reacting to defeat. The morning of the tournament he ate his breakfast without commentary, which was how Arianna knew he was nervous. She did not comment on the silence. Nikolai made the eggs without being asked. Noah ate them. At the door, before they left, he stopped and looked at both of them. “What if I lose?” he said. Nikolai crouched down. “Then you learn something”, he said. “And you play again.” Noah considered this. “What if I lose the first game?” he said. “Then you still play the rest”., Nikolai said. “You do not stop because the first one went wrong.” Noah looked at the floor for a moment. “Okay,” he said. He picked up his bag and went out the door. Arianna looked at Nikolai. He stood up. “He is going
THIRD PERSON PovThe chess tournament was on a Tuesday.Noah had been preparing for three weeks. He had played Viktor twice, his grandmother once over video call, and Nikolai several times, losing most of those games and receiving each loss calmly rather than reacting to defeat.The morning of the tournament he ate his breakfast without commentary, which was how Arianna knew he was nervous.She did not comment on the silence. Nikolai made the eggs without being asked. Noah ate them.At the door, before they left, he stopped and looked at both of them.“What if I lose?” he said.Nikolai crouched down.“Then you learn something”, he said. “And you play again.”Noah considered this.“What if I lose the first game?” he said.“Then you still play the rest”., Nikolai said. “You do not stop because the first one went wrong.”Noah looked at the floor for a moment.“Okay,” he said.He picked up his bag and went out the door.Arianna looked at Nikolai. He stood up.“He is going to be fine”, he
Arianna's Pov:Voss's wife? Was Nikolai married? When?I kept questioning myself. I didn't move, I didn't speak, I just stood there with the tray in my hands and the silence pressing in from every direction, and I told myself to breathe.Asher, the guy who had just said something about Voss's wif
Arianna's Pov The first thing I noticed when I woke up that morning was Noah's breathing. It was wet and sounded like he was having difficulty breathing. I pressed my hand to his forehead, and the heat burning through my palm confirmed what I already feared. He was running a fever. "Mama." His
Arianna's Pov By the time I knew what was happening, Nikolai crossed the room in three tides, cornering me, my back hitting the wall with a full force, his left hand on my waist, the right one resting on my neck deliberately. His lips found mine like he had been hungry for this, and had waited
Arianna's Pov I stared at him. A second passed, then another. The seconds stretched at the edges because my brain refused to process what it just heard."You're married," I said, not as a question, but to process what I had just heard."I'm aware." He responded like it meant nothing."You're stand







