Chapter Five The Signal Grows

Morning came gray and quiet.

I woke to the sound of Cole checking the door. June was already sitting up, arms wrapped around her knees. The training from the night before had left a dull ache behind my eyes, but the mark felt steadier.

Cole turned when he heard me move.

“We leave in thirty minutes,” he said. “The longer we stay, the more time they have to narrow the area.”

I nodded and stood. My body felt heavy, but clear.

June looked between us. “Where now?”

“There’s a place farther north,” Cole said. “Old community center. Better sight lines. More exits. We can rest there during the day and move again at night if we need to.”

We packed in silence. Cole handed me a small bottle of water and watched until I drank some. The gesture was practical, not soft, but it registered.

When we stepped outside, the air smelled of river and wet concrete. Cole went first, scanning the street before he let us follow. We walked in a tight group, staying close to the buildings.

Halfway to the next corner, the pressure returned without warning.

I stopped.

Cole noticed immediately. “Thea.”

“It’s coming.”

He moved in front of me. “Hold it. Like last night.”

I closed my eyes and reached for the pressure the way he had taught me. It climbed fast this time, stronger than before. Blood started running from my nose. The vision pressed hard against the edge of my mind.

I saw the community center we were heading toward. Dark. Empty. Then I saw figures moving around it — Wardens. Waiting.

I forced the vision back and opened my eyes.

“They’re already there,” I said. “At the place you wanted us to go. Waiting.”

Cole’s expression hardened. “You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

June’s face went pale. “Then where do we go?”

Cole changed direction without hesitation. “East. There’s another option. Less comfortable, but they won’t expect it.”

We moved faster now.

The new place turned out to be a half-collapsed storage unit behind a row of shuttered shops. Cole forced the side door open and ushered us inside. The air was stale. Dust covered everything.

He barred the door and let out a short breath.

“They’re adapting,” he said. “Using your signal to set ambushes now.”

I wiped the blood from my face. “Then I need to get better at shutting it down.”

“You will.” He looked at me. “But we also need to accept that you won’t always catch it in time. We plan around that.”

June sat on an overturned crate. “How many of them are there?”

“Enough,” Cole said. “And they’re not the only ones interested in her anymore.”

I met his eyes. “The thing that looked at me.”

He nodded once. “It’s still out there. The mark means it can follow even when the Wardens lose the trail.”

The room went quiet.

I sat down across from him. “Then teach me more.”

Cole studied my face for a long moment. There was something careful in the way he looked at me now — not just assessment, but a growing weight of responsibility.

“All right,” he said. “But this next part is harder. You’re going to let the vision rise farther than before, then cut it. You need to know how far you can go without losing yourself.”

June looked worried. “Is that safe?”

“No,” Cole said honestly. “But it’s necessary.”

I held his gaze. “Do it.”

He moved closer and sat in front of me.

“I’m right here,” he said quietly. “If you go too far, I’ll pull you back.”

The way he said it landed differently than any promise Adrian had ever made.

I closed my eyes and let the pressure rise.