LYRIAN AND REONE
Lyrian packed the last of their supplies—food, water, and a few enchanted items Damon had left behind.
When she turned to find Reone, he was crouched near the corner of the room, surrounded by a mess of wires, crystal shards, and bits of ancient metal. His blade-boomerang—his Spiral—lay across his lap.
"Reone?" she called. "Let's go."
"Yeah, just a sec," he muttered, eyes glued to what looked like a pile of junk.
Lyrian frowned. "What are you doing? We don't exactly have time to start a collection."
Reone looked up with that familiar half-smile. "Actually, I think I might've figured out a way to let the others back at the palace know where we are."
Her eyes widened. "Wait—seriously? How?"
He gestured at the pile. "Using this."
Lyrian crossed her arms. "Explain."
Reone chuckled and held up his Spiral. "This is more than just a weapon. It's linked to the palace through Echian's communication grid—magic resonance, all that high-tech stuff that I never thought would be useful, until now."
"So…?"
"So," he continued, lifting a piece of crystal, "if I can rewire the Spiral's beacon and amplify it with these old magical components, it should send a signal strong enough to reach Echian's scanners. Basically, a magical SOS."
Lyrian's face lit up. "That's amazing, Reone!"
Then she paused, frowning thoughtfully. "Wait… what if they get the signal, come here, and we've already left?"
Reone shrugged. "At least they'll know that we're alive. And if they can track us here once, they can track us anywhere," he added, trying to convince himself as well as her.
"Yeah… you're right. We just can't let the Sisterhood reach the temple first," Lyrian said, sighing.
"Exactly." His tone was firm, but his expression tense.
"This shouldn't take long," he added, gathering tools. "Maybe an hour."
"Then let me help," Lyrian said, dropping her bag beside him. "It'll go faster."
He looked up at her, doubtful. "No offense, Lyrian, but do you have any idea how to do this?"
She rolled her eyes. "No. But I'm great at following instructions. So tell me what to do."
He snorted. "You? Good at following instructions? That's funny."
Lyrian put her hands on her hips. "You're one to talk, Mr. 'No one tells me what to do.'"
He raised a brow but smirked. "Touché."
A moment later, he handed her a small crystal shard. "Alright, assistant—hold this. Steady."
Lyrian grinned. "See? Teamwork."
Despite the teasing, they worked in sync—her steady hands holding pieces in place while he soldered magical circuits and rerouted energy through the Spiral. Their rhythm came easily, their feelings for each other resurfacing between silences and sideways glances.
Half an hour later, Reone leaned back, wiping his brow. "Okay. This is it."
Lyrian eyed the strange, glowing contraption. "Really? That's what's supposed to send our SOS?"
"Not with that attitude, it's not," he teased.
"I'm just saying—it looks like it's about to fall apart."
He grinned. "I believe in it. Let's see if it works."
Reone flicked a switch and twisted a small dial. The device hummed to life, faint light pulsing through the crystal and into his Spiral. The air around them shimmered faintly, a low whirring sound echoing through the cave.
"It's working," Reone said, a grin spreading across his face.
"I can't believe it," Lyrian breathed—but then the device started to spark violently.
"Whoa!" she gasped, jumping back as smoke curled from the wires. Reone quickly set it down.
The vibrations and humming stopped. For a moment, all was quiet, only the hiss of cooling metal filling the silence.
Reone cursed and slammed his hand against the desk. "I thought that would work!"
Lyrian stepped closer, laying a hand on his shoulder. "We don't know that it didn't. Maybe the signal went through before it shorted out."
He let out a slow breath. "Yeah… maybe. Though the odds are slim."
She smiled softly. "Slim is all we need."
Reone looked up at her, the frustration in his eyes melting into something gentler. "You're right. There's still hope."
"Exactly," Lyrian said, picking up her bag. "Now can we get out of here? The longer we stay, the creepier this place gets."
"Yeah," he said, standing.
"Shall we?"
Reone nodded, slinging his weapon across his back. Together, they walked toward the cave's exit, their footsteps echoing faintly behind them.
But just before stepping out into the morning light, Reone sent one last hopeful glance back at the half-broken device.
*******
ECHIAN PALACE
The palace was quiet. Too quiet.
In the royal chamber, the air smelled faintly of healing herbs and candle wax. Rhys lay motionless on the bed, his skin pale against the golden sheets. Beside him, Mia sat holding his hand, her thumb brushing over his knuckles. The steady rhythm of his breathing was the only thing keeping her together.
"Is he better now, Dane?" she asked softly.
The wizard's expression was grim but gentle. "He made it through the night. That's a good sign. But…" He hesitated. "He's not out of danger yet. I'm sorry."
Mia swallowed hard and nodded, blinking back tears.
Next to her, Rhys's mother,Mala, finally let out a choked sob, her composure breaking. Mia instinctively reached out and embraced her.
"I've already lost his father," the former queen whispered brokenly. "I can't lose Rhys too."
Mia tightened her hold. "He is going to be fine," she said firmly, though her voice trembled. "You know how strong Rhys is."
The older woman pulled back slightly, studying Mia through tear-filled eyes. "You were supposed to be on your honeymoon in Pyros, Mia. How can you be so brave right now? Aren't you scared?"
Mia's gaze fell on Rhys's face—so still, so quiet. "Of course I'm scared," she whispered. "But I'm choosing not to give up hope."
Rhys's mother gave a faint, uncertain nod. Then her expression turned fierce.
"This is happening because of that so-called nephew of mine."
The woman turned to her daughter-in-law.
"Promise me, Mia," she said, voice shaking. "Promise you'll find that fiend—Damon—and make him pay for what he did to my son."
At the sound of Damon's name, Mia's entire body tensed. Her hands balled into fists of fury. Rage rose through her like fire through oil.
"I promise," she said darkly. "He's going to suffer for what he's done."
Mia left the room reluctantly, glancing back one last time before closing the door behind her. She didn't want to leave Rhys—but the echo of her promise to Rhys's mom and herself burned in her chest.
But how was she supposed to make good on it? They still hadn't located Damon… or Reone and Lyrian, for that matter.
Her communicator buzzed.
It was Seren.
"Hey—it's me," Seren said quickly. "Are you okay?" A pause. "Don't answer that. That's a stupid question. Just tell me how Rhys is."
"Stable," Mia answered quietly. "But not out of the woods. Please tell me you have news."
"Actually, yeah," Seren said. "Mickey and Nova found something. You should come here. We'll explain everything."
Minutes later, Mia entered the tech room, still wearing her torn, ash-streaked wedding dress. The rest of Resonance and the Legion were already gathered around a holo-table.
They all turned to her at the same time, expressing their concern.
"I'm grateful for everything, guys, but I just want Damon. Let's just focus on that."
"Yeah, sure," Sire said.
"What did you find?" she asked without preamble.
"A signal," Mickey said, his fingers flying across the console. "It came from Reone's weapon—his Spiral. We only got it for a few seconds before it vanished."
Mia's heart leapt. "Then they're alive."
"That's what we think," Mickey said.
Nova projected the faint data trace above the table. "The signal is weak, but it was enough to find a location. The signal originated somewhere in the northern region—not far from here."
"But, again, the signal was brief. We couldn't lock down an exact position."
Sire straightened. "If Reone's sending signals, he and Lyrian must be on the move—and if they are, Damon must not be too far behind."
"Then we need to move fast," Mia said firmly. "Gather your gear."
"Whoa, Mia," Diamond interjected. "Are you sure you should come?"
"Yeah," Seren added softly. "Maybe you should stay with Rhys."
For a moment, Mia hesitated. Their words cut deep, echoing her own fears. Her gaze drifted toward the direction of Rhys's room. Then she remembered his mother's tearful plea—and her own vow.
"Catching Damon and finding Lyrian and Reone is important," she said, her voice steady now. "Rhys would understand."
The determination in her eyes silenced the room.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, but no one argued.
Sire nodded. "Then it's settled. We'll board the jet within the hour."
Mia managed a faint smile. "I'm going to change out of this." She glanced down at her wedding gown—once white, now streaked with dirt and grief.
She ignored the pitiful glances from all the others.She just turned and left.
Her blue eyes flashed red in rage and anticipation.
She was going to make Damon wish he'd never even breathed in Rhys's direction.