The next morning, Zack and Eli sat beside the small river, bathed in warm sunlight. Zack felt calm and resolute as he stared into the flowing water.

  “I’ve become stronger, Eli,” he said. “In this single night, I’ve learned more about demons than I did in the past ten years.” He took a deep breath, his eyes burning with ambition. “I want to join the Research Team. And go even further. I need to uncover the truth behind demons—and I will wipe them all out.”

  Eli’s reply was short, but it was everything Zack needed to hear.

  “I’m in.”

  Zack’s eyes widened. “Really? You mean it, Eli?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wow, that’s awesome, man!” Zack laughed, overflowing with excitement. “Let’s go check on Gina—see how she’s doing.”

  “Go ahead,” Eli replied. “I’ll head to the market. I’ll take care of the food.”

  And so their paths split.

  ?

  The Stately House of the Ashford Family

  Meanwhile, in the luxury and affluence of District Water, the days passed quietly. This was the heart of Brittania, the centre of power and prestige. The royal families and the elite lived here in stately, elegant buildings. The streets were pristine, the people impeccably dressed, and everything radiated wealth and perfection.

  Celia sat at a long table in her family’s estate, across from her father, Richard Ashford, head of the Ashford family. His voice was stern and commanding.

  “Celia,” he said, “your brother Derek has told me how well you performed outside the Walls. I’m proud of you. But it isn’t enough. You must rise through the ranks of the Royal Guard as quickly as possible and ultimately become the next Queen of Brittania. King Thorne will not rule much longer, and the Bellgraves and the Darwyns are already circling the throne.”

  Celia cut him off. “Derek is amazing—let him be king!”

  Her father’s gaze was unyielding. “Celia, you are the incarnation of the angel. The divine. You are the chosen one meant to save humanity.”

  Celia stood up and stormed away. All her life, her father had drilled this into her, and now that she had discovered someone else possessed the same power, everything felt wrong. The truth she had lived by her entire life was suddenly crumbling. She no longer knew what to believe.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  ?

  At the Research Team headquarters in District Air—a clean, orderly district inhabited by more ordinary citizens and buildings—the atmosphere was tense. Natasha sat at a long table, waiting impatiently.

  “Thomas, where is he?” she asked, irritation slipping into her voice.

  “Lucius is on his way,” Thomas replied.

  At that moment, the heavy door to the meeting room opened. An imposing man with an authoritative presence stepped inside. His gaze was calm yet piercing, and his presence filled the entire room. Natasha, Thomas, and Kevin rose immediately.

  “I’m here,” he said in a deep, resonant voice. “Which of the two is the one who killed the A-rank demon?”

  Natasha adjusted her glasses and exhaled. “There are three young talents. I believe each of them would be a valuable addition to our team.”

  Lucius cut her off. “One of them is from the WDF, correct?” he said, referring to Zack. “I have no interest in stealing personnel from other divisions. The other two—tell me about them.”

  Natasha’s expression grew troubled. “Eli… he crossed the Wall alone. He found us alone. He rescued Gina alone. He’s the only one who could have killed the A-rank demon. But he barely speaks. There’s something off about him.” She hesitated, searching for the right words. “If you recruit him, please place him under Tony.”

  Lucius studied her, then nodded. “I trust your judgment. And the other?”

  “Celia,” Natasha continued. “She’s extremely talented and agile. Smart and calculated. I’d say she scores highly in every category.” Her gaze sharpened. “And most interesting to you—she’s likely from a royal family.”

  Lucius’s eyes glinted. As head of the Research Team, he was deeply entwined with Brittania’s politics and power structure. A royal in his ranks was invaluable.

  “Natasha,” he said, “you’ve done well. You may formally recruit those two.”

  “But the third is valuable too!” Natasha protested.

  “I’m sure he is, but as I said, I do not poach members from other divisions.”

  “He looks very much like your predecessor,” Natasha said softly, as though the words were difficult to utter.

  Lucius stared at her in shock. “What did you say?”

  “In appearance,” she clarified. “He looks like him. I think… I was only a child when I saw the old leader and founder of the Research Team.”

  “What’s his name?” Lucius asked, tension creeping into his voice.

  “Zack…”

  “Last name?”

  “I don’t know. I only know he’s from District Fire.”

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Thomas said as he stepped in. “But his name is Zack Miller.”

  Lucius’s eyes widened further. “That’s impossible…” he murmured. “Natasha, recruit him as well. Immediately.” And with that, Lucius turned and left the room.

  Natasha closed her eyes as her thoughts began to race. She remembered the founding of the Research Team. Originally, it had been created to support the Royal Guard—but the founder had a second agenda. He had proof that other cities existed beyond Brittania. That proof had never been found, and for years they had searched beyond the Walls, never discovering another city or another human.

  Lucius believed in his master’s vision with unshakable faith. He pursued that truth relentlessly. Could Zack finally be a step toward it? Could he be the key to finding the other cities and exposing the demons?

  Natasha was so lost in thought that she failed to notice the two young men standing before her. Thomas and Kevin waved, eyes wide. Kevin tugged her cheek with two fingers while Thomas tried to get her attention. She startled, snapping back to reality.

  “Huh? What?” she exclaimed.

  Thomas smiled awkwardly. “We need to go recruit our new members,” he said. “Coming?” Kevin gave him an encouraging shove and chuckled.

  ?

  On the rooftop of the Research Team building stood Lucius, the wind tearing at his coat. Beside him, motionless as a statue, stood a tall, lean yet muscular man. His dark brown undercut barely stirred in the wind.

  “We know almost nothing about him,” Lucius said, his voice urgent and partly swallowed by the howling wind. “Only that he’s dangerous. He killed an A-rank demon—alone.”

  A faint, sardonic smile crossed the man’s face. His eyes, sharp and unreadable, gazed out over the sprawling city below, its lights fragile from above.

  “Good,” he said, his voice low, tinged with raw, dangerous excitement. “That’s exactly the kind of boy we need.” He turned his gaze to Lucius. “But there’s also an A-rank demon inside our walls—one we haven’t found yet.”

  Lucius nodded, grave. “I’m leaving both the boy and the A-rank to you. I have a meeting with William, Marcus, and King Clay Thorne.” His eyes darkened with meaning. “We’ll speak again soon, Tony.”

  And in a sudden, invisible motion, Lucius was gone—dissolved into nothing, as if the wind itself had carried him away. The man remained alone, silhouetted against the rising sun, with the city and all its secrets at his feet.

  The silence before the storm.

  After this chapter…