Ethan remained in the war room, the silence of the massive hall only broken by the faint hum of the servers. He leaned back in the obsidian chair, rubbing his temples as he contemplated the war ahead. The sound of light, hesitant footsteps echoed from the doorway. He didn't need to look up to know who it was.

Cassandra walked in, her silk robe trailing behind her. She looked at the holographic maps still glowing on the table, then at the weary set of Ethan's shoulders.

"Is everything alright, Ethan?" asked Cassandra.

"Yes. I'm just preparing for a mission. I'll be heading north within the hour," said Ethan.

Cassandra walked closer, standing beside his chair. She reached out, her hand resting gently on his shoulder. "Everything will be fine. Everyone here trusts you, and they know you'll return," said Cassandra.

"I know. It's just a lot of moving parts," said Ethan. He turned his head to look at her, noticing the faint shadows under her eyes. "But what about you? What are you doing awake so late?"

Cassandra looked away, her gaze falling on the glowing blue icons of the military units. She let out a soft, hollow sigh.

"Since things escalated to this level... I've been feeling a bit useless. My responsibilities have been reduced to almost nothing. I'm used to managing your world, but now that the world is at war, I feel like I'm just watching from the sidelines," said Cassandra.

Ethan reached up, covering her hand with his own. Her skin was warm, a sharp contrast to the cold metal and stone of the command center.

"You're not useless, Cassandra. You're the one who keeps this place running so I have a home to come back to," said Ethan.

"Maybe. But while you're out there facing 'Gods' and storms, I'm just checking inventory and managing staff. It feels small compared to what you're doing," said Cassandra.

"The small things are what keep us human in a mess like this. Don't underestimate your value," said Ethan.

Cassandra walked over to the side bar and poured herself a glass of red wine, the liquid swirling like a dark ruby under the dim lights. She took a slow sip, her eyes fixed on the flickering holographic data of the Arctic mission.

"I never thought I would enter a world like this. I never believed that something like this could even exist in our reality," said Cassandra.

Ethan watched her, his expression softening as he leaned back. "I didn't know it could exist either. It's all happened so fast, how we ended up here... but it's brilliant, isn't it?" said Ethan.

He reached out and caught her hand, pulling her toward him. Cassandra didn't resist. She let him pull her onto his lap, her silk robe rustling against his tactical gear. Ethan leaned in, capturing her lips in a deep, lingering kiss, their tongues meeting with a familiar heat.

After a moment, he pulled back slightly and buried his face between her breasts, breathing in the scent of her perfume and skin. He stayed there for a long time, seeking a moment of peace before the chaos of the North. Cassandra wrapped her arms around his head in a maternal, protective embrace, her fingers gently stroking his hair.

"I know you push yourself so hard, but you really should be careful, Ethan. Ever since you got out of prison, you've been running in every direction at once. I know how strong you are, but please... don't abuse yourself. Even a king has his limits," said Cassandra.

Ethan let out a muffled hum against her skin. "The world doesn't wait for me to rest, Cassandra."

"I know. But if you break, everything you've built breaks with you. Just promise me you'll come back in one piece," said Cassandra.

Ethan lifted his head, looking into her eyes. The blue glow in his pupils was calm, reflected in the warmth of her gaze.

"I'm not planning on dying in the ice. I have too much waiting for me here," said Ethan.

Ethan and Cassandra walked out onto the wide hangar balcony. Above them, the starlit sky was vast and beautiful—a perfect, clear night for flying. The cool air bit at their skin, a small preview of the freezing temperatures waiting for him in the North.

"Tell everyone I'll be back soon. Keep the home front tight, Cassandra," said Ethan.

"I will. Just make sure you're the one leading them back through those gates," said Cassandra.

Ethan gave her one last nod, turned, and boarded the lead command helicopter. He gave a sharp hand signal to the ground crew. "Launch!" shouted Ethan.

The roar of turbines filled the air as several helicopters lifted off simultaneously, their rotors whipping the wind into a frenzy. Below them, a long line of armored SUVs and transport trucks began to roll out of the main gates, heading toward the northern highways.

Ethan adjusted his headset and tapped the intercom. "Jason, I'm on board. Give me a status report. What's our total strength for this deployment?" asked Ethan.

Jason's voice crackled through the comms, steady despite the vibration of the flight. "We mobilized 15 Falcons for the vanguard, Boss. Including the support infantry and heavy hitters, we have about 100 men moving with us," said Jason.

"That's a small army for a 'covert' op. We're going to be a massive target on the radar," said Ethan.

"That's the problem, sir. Moving this much hardware through the Canadian border and toward the coast is going to light up every satellite from here to the Pole," said Jason.

"Advance directly at full speed. I'll handle the cloaking and make sure we aren't seen, but you need to be careful. We don't want any more 'accidental' missile detections," said Ethan.

"Copy that. The ground vehicles have a long haul ahead of them. Even at top speed, it's a three-day journey to reach the embarkation point," said Jason.

Ethan looked out the window as the city lights began to fade, replaced by the dark, jagged shadows of the mountains. He closed his eyes, his mind already reaching out, preparing to use his influence to shield their movements. Three days of travel lay ahead—three days for the enemy to prepare, or for Ethan to plan their downfall.

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