Morning came whether anyone wanted it or not. Angelo hunched on a log outside the CampShip, back turned to the door like a fortress wall. Sol leaned near the entrance, arms crossed, his usual confidence replaced by visible frustration.

A plane carved through distant clouds. Sol tracked it, grasping for anything to break the silence.

"Hey, check it out." He gestured skyward, forcing lightness into his tone. "Plane all the way out here. Pretty random, right?"

Nothing. Angelo didn't even twitch.

Sol's jaw tightened. "Could be skydivers having the time of their lives." His voice climbed slightly. "Then again, when you can literally fly yourself, guess it doesn't sound all that exciting..."

Angelo sat motionless as stone.

"Probably supply drop for Leilani." Sol pushed harder, desperation creeping in. "That's the town close to SolThanor, by the way. Funny name—turns out it's full of Maridian folks, Ex-Inferni refugees who settled after the war ended..."

The words hit Angelo's back and died.

"There's this pretty decent lake nearby too..." Sol's attempt crumbled. He scratched his head, muttering under his breath. "The hell's eating him today?"

The CampShip door opened.

Neiva appeared in the doorway and stopped. Just stopped. Her expression blank as fresh paper, like she'd forgotten what came next.

Sol leaned toward her, voice dropping to a whisper. "Fair warning—he's giving everyone the silent treatment today. No idea what's up, but—" He blinked. "Great. Now you're ignoring me too. Fantastic."

Neiva stepped past him like he was furniture. Her movements mechanical, sleepwalker slow.

Angelo straightened the instant she emerged. Those unpainted stripes on his Trinergy jacket gave him vision in all directions—though it barely mattered when he could track her through their anchor points the second she left her cabin.

Azure smoke flowed out of him, solidifying into Blue beside Sol.

"Solomon." Blue's tone carried a warning.

Relief crashed across Sol's face. "Oh thank god. Somebody's actually talking to me. I thought maybe I'd—"

"Stay calm." Blue cut him off smoothly. "Don't panic."

Sol's eyes widened. "Why would you start with that!? What the hell happened?" He glanced at Neiva, now standing behind Angelo like a defendant awaiting execution.

"I'll clarify momentarily." Blue's formal precision had sharpened to a razor's edge. "Please. Do not interfere."

Sol's eyes bounced between Blue and the others, confusion and worry fighting for dominance on his face.

Angelo turned on the log. His eyes locked onto Neiva—cold, deadly, unforgiving.

She met his stare without flinching. Ice against ice.

"Talk." Angelo's voice could cut glass. "Why did you kill them all?"

Sol went pale. He stared at Neiva like seeing a stranger wearing her face.

"I—" Neiva's fingers crushed her wrist. "What choice did I have!? They refused to stop! They came at me together—all of them! I couldn't pull my punches when they're trying to—"

"Neiva—"

"They threatened to make me their plaything!" The words ripped out of her in a rush. "I was fighting for my survival! I freaked out! I didn't even process what I was doing until it was already over!"

She gasped for air like she'd been sprinting, chest heaving.

Angelo stared. Sol stared. Silence crashed down like a fallen mountain.

"She's telling the truth."

Angelo's eyes widened. Red's voice in his head, serious for once. Actually serious.

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"What?" The whisper escaped before he could keep it internal.

"Zero deception in her emotions." Red's voice carried weight Angelo rarely heard from him. "She's panicking. Traumatized. Push her much harder and she'll break."

Blue's jaw clenched, teeth grinding. His fists balled so tight they shook.

Sol caught it. "Don't tell me..." He turned to Blue, voice barely there. "She went after those bandits by herself? Killed every single one? Because they... because they..." His voice cracked. "Poor Neiva..."

Blue squeezed his eyes shut, his entire frame trembling.

Angelo nodded once, sharp. "Fine. Next question." His eyes bore into her. "What the hell were you even doing there in the first place?"

Neiva looked away, uncertainty flooding back. "I was trying to..."

"Trying to... What?" Angelo's eyebrow lifted a fraction.

"I was trying to finally prove my worth." The words came out shy, uncertain. She shifted her weight. "You literally had Blue babysit me against a single thief. I wanted to demonstrate that I'm capable. I'm sick and tired of being dead weight..."

Pity crossed Sol's face. Blue's expression twisted with something harder to name.

Angelo stared at his feet. Shook his head. Rubbed his forehead like trying to massage out a headache. He stood and walked to her.

He wasn't much taller, but everything about him radiated menace. That permanent frown. Those dead, cold eyes.

Neiva didn't step back. Somehow, despite everything, standing before him felt like the safest place in the world.

Angelo's knuckles rapped against her forehead. Not hard—just enough to break through.

"Knucklehead."

Neiva blinked. "What?"

"How many months have you been an Auron?" Angelo crossed his arms. "A handful?"

She nodded, uncertain where this was going.

"Do you have any concept of how far you've progressed in that timeframe?"

"I... did I really?" The words came out confused, almost disbelieving.

"Yes." Angelo's voice left no room for argument. "Most Aurons dedicate entire lifetimes to training and never achieve what you have."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, knucklehead." He knocked her forehead again, gentler this time. A smile crept across her face despite everything.

"But I'm nowhere near your level..." Her voice carried something new though—a hint of pride underneath the uncertainty.

"Did you honestly expect to match us in a handful of months?" Angelo shook his head. "Reaching even halfway there is exceptional."

Her eyes went wide.

"You've got genuine talent, Neiva." Angelo's expression softened just slightly. "Don't waste your life being reckless."

She wiped at her eyes before tears could fall. "Okay."

"And one more thing." His tone sharpened again. "Never pull something like that again. Understood?"

A giggle escaped her—hoarse, exhausted, but genuine. "Crystal clear."

The tension strangling the air finally broke. Crimson smoke bled from Angelo's skin as Red materialized beside them.

"My turn!" Red's predatory grin was back in full force. "Time for the final question!"

Everyone turned to stare.

He jabbed a finger at Neiva. "What the hell was with that yellow aura?"

Sol's jaw dropped. "No way. You're saying Neiva's a—"

"Duoron." Blue adjusted invisible glasses, the gesture almost smug. "Precisely."

"Holy shit..." Sol's shocked expression melted into a grin.

Neiva's aura flared to life—venomous yellow this time. Her eyes sharpened to dangerous points, like staring at knife edges. "Honestly? Zero clue." She walked to a nearby boulder and lifted it one-handed like it weighed nothing. "But I'm insanely strong when it's active."

Angelo nodded. Red's face twisted with obvious jealousy. Blue stroked his chin, pieces clicking into place.

"Force aura," Blue announced.

"Ohhh!" Neiva set the boulder down. "That's what Force aura looks like!"

Blue stepped forward, warming to the explanation. "Neiva's status as a Duoron clarifies her accelerated development entirely. All the pieces align."

Sol immediately connected the dots, remembering Brian's explanation back in Thunderclap Port. "Right! Dual energy connections means double the Energy Draw Rate!"

"Precisely." Blue nodded with scholarly satisfaction. "Furthermore, Neiva has engaged in EDR training from the very beginning. Combine these factors, and her growth rate becomes not merely predictable, but inevitable."

Neiva's cheeks puffed out. "Hey! You're making it sound like I contributed nothing. Like my genetics did all the heavy lifting!"

Blue considered this seriously. "Mmm... One could certainly construct that interpretation, yes."

"What?!"

Sol jumped in fast. "What Blue's trying to say is—possessing the proper tools is one thing. Knowing how to utilize them effectively is another entirely. Right, Blue?" He shot him a pointed look.

"Mmm..." Blue weighed Sol's diplomatic rephrasing. "I wouldn't necessarily characterize it—"

"Blue's in complete agreement." Sol cut him off smoothly.

Neiva looked unconvinced. Red was laughing his ass off at the whole exchange. The events of last night had already faded into background noise.

"Discussion's over." Angelo sliced through the conversation. "We need to get moving." He turned to Sol. "Next destination's Lei-whatever?"

Sol's smirk returned immediately. "So you WERE listening! You sneaky bastard." He shook his head. "Leilani, yeah. Should locate some ex-SolThanor residents there. Close enough we can secure lodging or establish a camp, then just make trips back and forth while we're digging around."

Angelo was already walking toward the CampShip. "Works for me." He glanced at Blue. "Distance to SolThanor?"

Blue stroked his beard thoughtfully. "According to my calculations, approximately two to three days of continuous travel."

"Tch." Angelo's frustration leaked through. "Even with Trinergy we can't touch a plane's velocity..."

"A PLANE?" Sol actually burst out laughing. "Are you serious? You realize how insanely fast those things travel? Maybe Arch Aurons can pull that off. Maybe."

Angelo rubbed his neck. "Yeah. Should've thought that through." He started toward the ship. "Let's go. We've got a long haul ahead."

Everyone headed for the CampShip—except Red and Neiva, who hung back for a moment.

Neiva couldn't say anything, but her expression spoke volumes. Gratitude. Relief. Understanding.

Red's grin widened. He winked—fast, before Angelo could notice.

And with that, both followed the others inside.

SolThanor was waiting.

And so were their enemies.

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