Lily stepped out onto the veranda, her hair loose, her training jacket replaced with a soft robe. The night air was cool against her skin, but her heart was still warm from the day's surprises.

She didn't expect him to be waiting.

Fatty sat on the edge of the koi pond, legs crossed, a dumpling box beside him — half-eaten, of course. His jacket was gone, replaced by a simple shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows. He looked up as she approached, his grin immediate.

"I saved the last dumpling," he said, holding it up like a trophy. "For the champion."

Lily rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her. "You're ridiculous."

"And you're radiant," he replied, patting the stone beside him. "Sit. Before I eat your prize."

She sat, tucking her legs beneath her, the soft rustle of peonies brushing against the wind. For a moment, they didn't speak. The koi swam lazily beneath them, and the lanterns above swayed like sleepy fireflies.

"You really surprised me today," Lily said finally, her voice quiet.

Fatty leaned back on his palms. "Good. I wanted to. You've been carrying too much alone."

She looked at him, eyes searching. "I didn't know you'd come."

"I didn't know I wouldn't," he said. "You're not just training for gold. You're dancing through danger. And I'd rather be here than anywhere else."

Lily's throat tightened. She hadn't cried in weeks — not since Geneva. But something about his presence, his ease, his unwavering loyalty — it cracked something open.

"I'm scared," she whispered.

Fatty didn't flinch. He reached out, took her hand, and squeezed it gently. "Good. Fear means you're awake. But you're not alone. Not with me. Not with all of them."

She nodded, blinking fast. "You made everyone laugh today."

"I make everyone laugh every day," he said proudly. "It's my superpower. That and dumpling diplomacy."

Lily laughed, the sound soft and real.

Fatty leaned closer, his voice dropping. "But with you… I don't just want to make you laugh. I want to be the reason you feel safe enough to cry. To rest. To breathe."

Lily looked at him, stunned. Her heart thudded once, hard.

"You're being serious," she said.

"Terrifying, isn't it?" he grinned. "Don't worry. I'll go back to being cheeky in five seconds."

She smiled, then leaned her head against his shoulder. "Make it ten."

They sat like that, wrapped in moonlight and quiet, the koi drifting below, the peonies swaying around them like guardians of the night.

And somewhere far beneath the city, Solaris stirred.

But for now, Lily was safe.

And she was loved.

__

The Next Day.

The gym was quiet, but not still.

Lily moved across the floor with the precision of a blade — her body honed, her breath measured, her focus absolute. Every leap, every twist, every landing was a declaration: she was ready. Not just for the Olympics, but for whatever Solaris dared to send.

Around her, the air shimmered with silent vigilance.

Coach Carlos barked commands, his voice sharp and rhythmic. Shi Min stood near the vault, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. Shun and Ren monitored the perimeter with Reginald's security team, their movements crisp and coordinated. Goldie leaned against the far wall, his fingers resting near his concealed blade. At the same time, El Padre, together with El Capitan and Pharsa, quietly exchanged signals in a language older than war.

And above them all, the First and Second Shah watched from the shadows — one perched in the rafters, the other cloaked near the entrance, their subordinates scattered like ghosts across the facility. Their presence was invisible to most, but their eyes missed nothing.

Which is why they saw it first.

A ripple.

A distortion in the air near the northeast wall — subtle, deliberate, wrong.

Two Ironsworns emerged from the veil of cursed qi, their bodies cloaked in illusion, their steps silent. They didn't attack. Not yet. They were testing the waters — measuring Lily's rhythm, her aura, her vulnerability.

But they had miscalculated.

The First Shah moved before breath could be drawn. One moment, he was a shadow, the next, he was a storm—his blade slicing through the illusion with a hiss of silver light. The cursed qi shattered, revealing the Ironsworns mid-step, their eyes wide with shock.

The Second Shah struck from behind, his palm glowing with containment seals. One Ironsworn collapsed instantly, his limbs bound by invisible threads. The other tried to flee — but Goldie was already there, his blade pressed to his throat before he could vanish.

Coach Carlos didn't flinch. "Lily, keep going," he said calmly.

Lily nodded, her heart pounding, but her form never faltered. She flipped, landed, and reset. Her allies were here. She was protected.

Fatty, seated near the observation deck with Kim Kim and Chin Chin on either side, leaned forward. "That's what I call a warm-up."

Chatty, munching on a dumpling, added, "If that's the appetizer, Solaris better bring dessert."

Four Eyes stood beside Ling Li, his gaze locked on the scene below.

"They're probing. Solaris is getting desperate."

Ling Li's jaw tightened. She had been preparing to craft the Nirvana Elixir. This rare and sacred tonic could restore spiritual balance and elevate physical resilience. She had also planned to refine body conditioning pills for the others, knowing the battles ahead would demand more than loyalty and skill.

But now, with Solaris circling Lily like a vulture, she couldn't afford a distraction.

She turned to Butler Oda, who stood silently behind her. "Delay the elixir," she said. "And the pills. Until after the Olympics."

Oda bowed. "Understood."

Ling Li's eyes returned to Lily, who was now mid-routine, her body glowing faintly with qi resonance. "She's the priority. Until she's safe, nothing else matters."

The Ironsworns were dragged from the gym, their illusions stripped, their curses bound. The First Shah whispered something to the Second, who nodded and vanished into the ether — already hunting the source of the intrusion.

And far beneath the city, Solaris hissed.

His fingers curled around the edge of the altar, his eyes burning with fury.

'She is surrounded. But she is not invincible.'

Solaris turned to the third Ironsworn, a silent girl with eyes like obsidian and a voice that could mimic anyone.

"Next time," he said, "we don't test. We infiltrate."

But above ground, in the light of loyalty and love, Lily trained harder.

And the flame they would shield burned brighter than ever.

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