This was the homestretch.

I’d expected to cover the retreat and was fully prepared to take a few more parting blows from Azure to sell the theater.

What I hadn’t expected was the region’s reaction. I’d assumed they would cower in their apartments, waiting for the incessantly repetitive emergency message to fade.

I was wrong.

It seemed that many had not taken the events of Transposition lightly. Nearly dying due to their cowardice had not faded from their memories.

Upon exiting the suite, we were greeted with the image of Azure in the midst of a throng of civilians, arms up defensively as they rained down blows on his head and body. Several mages stood on the outskirts with an assortment of glowing wands and staves, awkwardly holding their fire as the civilians shouted obscenities and beat the ever-living hell out of Azure with whatever blunt objects they could get their hands on. Few of them were Users, and fewer still had any real combat experience, so they were doing minimal damage. Still, it had to be accumulating

“Thought you were going to stand outside my family’s door and look menacing.”

“I tried! They came out of nowhere!” Azure’s mental voice sounded oddly affronted, as if he couldn’t understand why an entire building had taken issue with him.

Miles’ collection of DCPD officers in tactical gear started shouting for people to get down on the ground. Only a few headed the warning. Improvising, I reached out and stoked the anger of those still standing, subtly manipulating them into blocking any potential shots from the assault rifles.

One of the cops upfront grew antsy and broke what had to be at least a dozen department regulations, firing his automatic rifle into the ceiling, then screamed again for everyone to get down.

This time everyone listened, laying down and revealing… nothing.

Everyone waited in tense silence, searching the cluster of civilians for Myrddin’s form. There was a distinct sound of a door latching shut cut through the quiet.

One of the region mages, now prone, was pointing toward the stairway.

“He’s running!” Miles took off, sprinting toward the emergency stairs.

I chased after Miles, outpacing the small stampede of officers easily despite my injuries, throwing open the door to the emergency stairs and chasing after him as he glided down them. Either his agility was significantly higher than mine, or his pre-system training and conditioning pushed him further.

A few steps behind us, Sae vaulted over the railing, straight through the open space of the stairwell like a chitin rocket, plummeting all the way down until she hit the granite floor, stone fracturing beneath her like a spiderweb. “You sold us out, motherfucker!” The scream was filled with so much hatred that it sent a chill down my spine. She was clearly using this as an opportunity to work some shit out.

Miles and I rounded the last flight of stairs, just in time to see Sae hurl Azure through the open doorway.

Azure bounced back quickly and fled into a mix of civilians, Adventurers’ Guild, and law enforcement. I amped up both the mages and officers’ fear of firing in such a crowded area, but there was little I could do to quell the civilians’ rage.

Sae stayed on Azure. I noticed she wasn’t using her claws much, and the heavy strikes that could have floored me were absent.

Azure managed to duck under a wild punch. He grabbed a middle-aged woman and held his crossbow to her head. Everyone stopped.

Slowly, Azure backed toward the door.

I noticed a police rifleman standing on the reception desk, looking far too comfortable with the weapon and situation to be an amateur.

“Keep your head down.”

Azure ducked his head behind the woman’s shoulder. His eyes—gray now, though they’d been cycling through various colors—conveyed utter hate. “Nice makeover. Should have killed you in the trial. Would have been a mercy, considering the end result.”

I winced, jockeying for position on the left. They’d rehearsed this, but Sae still had to bear the emotional brunt of the words. Miles flanked across from me, staggering his movements so we didn’t hit each other with any potential crossfire.

Sae stalked toward him, advancing at the same rate he retreated, her movements smooth, chitin feet clicking on marble. “Let her go.”

“I have minutes. Maybe less,” Azure warned.

That would have to be enough. Across from me, Miles’ face was a mask of focus, bowstring pulled to his chin, looking for a shot. Azure angled the woman toward him slightly.

“You deserve what’s coming. You and the rest of these useless fucks.” Azure sneered at me. I frowned. He was missing the mark somewhat, coming off as a little too villainous. Still, the crowd murmured angrily, pushing in tighter. He extended the crossbow out toward them. “Stay back.”

<Probability Cascade> washed over my bow. I breathed out. And loosed.

The arrow lodged itself in Azure’s crossbow, knocking it to the floor. It clattered to the ground. Azure kicked the woman squarely in the back. Audrey’s vines threw open the door behind him and yanked him through.

There was a wave of thundering gunfire outside. Everyone inside hit the deck. I waited, my heart racing in my chest.

“In pursuit. Suspect is fleeing east across the rooftops.” The message was blasted over several radios.

A slow cheer went up among the civilians, growing to a thunder. I glanced over at them, surprised. I’d thought they’d be disappointed, maybe even angry. Slowly, the reality dawned. They didn’t care about killing the Ordinator. These people had been through hell and come up wanting. And ever since, they’d been seeking an opportunity to prove themselves. Together, they’d driven off a threat and protected me. Just like I’d protected them.

“Thank you,” I said, projecting the words so they carried.

Another round of cheers went up. I wobbled on my feet and shook more hands than I could count, blindsided by this outcome. I’d expected this to lose me credibility, not earn it.

This region is a means to an end. Look at them. The last gasp of the wealthy elite. Before you saved their lives, none of these people would have so much as spit on you if you were on fire. They are tools, nothing more, <Scathing Shell> hissed in my mind.

I struggled against that sentiment. It aligned closely with similar thoughts that had crossed my mind. But that was before all this. Even if my title was right about who they were, they deserved some degree of loyalty for who they chose to be.

Even if none of this was real.

Sae shifted in the center of the lobby awkwardly. There was an unnatural space around her, and while no one was openly staring, they were pointedly avoiding looking at her or growing too close. I hugged her, careful of the arrow in my ribcage. “I’m glad you’re alive.”

“Getting a weird sense of déjà vu,” Sae snorted.

After we parted, the spell of isolation was broken. People approached Sae and thanked her for her help. Asked her questions about Myrddin, her history. I half-listened as she navigated the story we’d agreed on, my attention divided. Because across the foyer, half-shrouded in shadow, Miles watched.

His gaze wasn’t hostile, exactly. More like he was looking at a puzzle with a missing piece, trying to imagine how it all fit together. He gave me a half-hearted smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

All at once, the adrenaline faded and the pain from my wounds grew overwhelming. Dr. Ansari arrived on site, and I stumbled over to one of the plush white cushion chairs and sat down as she pushed through the crowd and began to open her bag, lips pursed in irritation.

“I am sensing this is going to be a recurring theme, Mr. Matthias.”

“You’re probably right.”

The words from Ellison’s message echoed in my mind.

Everything hinges on Iris. Everything.