Ryn looked to his left, a trail of smoke coming from the distance caught his eye immediately.

So it was true…

Shit.

He swung his gaze back to the fleeing administrator.

The man was limping now, desperate, half-exhausted. With a few steps of Aquila, Ryn could reach him—tackle him, interrogate him, rip the relic out of his hands before the Cult ever got the chance to use it.

It was the logical choice.

But a thought crept in, eerily cold.

Why Jay?

In this timeline, he wasn't an established person yet, he was just a civilian—

A chill crawled down his spine.

Do they…know the future as well?

The administrator was nearly out of sight now, cloak whipping in the wind as descended to the streets below.

Ryn could still chase him…but his subconscious told him differently.

If the Cult was targeting even civilians like Jay…then the Ceremony wasn't their only plan.

Jay's kidnapping wasn't a coincidence.

His decision sharpened instantly.

"Damn it," he hissed, pivoting on his heel.

He braced his legs, energy gathering at his feet, white sparks dancing between the tiles.

"Aquila…"

Ryn launched himself forward, toward the source of the smoke.

"Maria," he said into his earpiece, breath tight, "I'm letting the administrator go."

"Understood," Maria's voice crackled through the earpiece, cool but a bit strained at the edges.

"I'll try to track him from here."

A beat.

Then sharper:

"But you'd better have a damn good reason, Ryn."

Ryn didn't wait for her tone to settle.

He was already moving.

Tiles shattered under his feet as he sprinted across rooftops, Aquila flaring in bursts that cracked the air, each step launching him farther, faster.

The smoke got thicker the closer he got, rising in violent curls.

His eyes narrowed.

Jay… Sera… kids… please—

He vaulted over a water tower, dropped onto the final roof, and skidded to the ledge.

Color drained from his face.

The bakery was a torch.

Flames clawed through the windows, spilling out like molten breath. The front wall had collapsed inward, charred beams jutting from the wreckage like broken ribs. Embers drifted upward in a storm of orange sparks.

And in the middle of the alley—

Sera lay on the ground.

Ryn hit the ground beside her before he even realized he'd dropped.

"Sera!" he grabbed her shoulder, turning her gently, eyes searching for wounds.

She was barely breathing. Half her cloak was burned away and her face was covered in soot.

Ryn's pupils constricted.

"No…" he whispered.

Her eyelids fluttered weakly.

"R…yn…?" A faint whisper.

"I'm here," he said immediately, leaning close. "Shit, Sera, what even happened here?"

Her lips trembled, and a shaky breath escaped her.

"Th…three men… a mage…" She winced, coughing smoke.

"I… tried. I almost—" her voice cracked. "The shop… it exploded…"

Ryn's grip tightened on her shoulders, steady but desperate.

"Don't talk. Just breathe. I've got you."

She shook her head weakly.

"No… y-you need to… the kids…" She weakly managed to point her fingers in the direction that the kidnappers fled.

"They…went that way."

"Sera," he murmured, forcing his voice steady, "listen to me. I'll get them back."

She nodded weakly.

Ryn rose slowly, eyes burning gold at the edges as Aquila thrummed under his skin.

"Maria," he said quietly into his earpiece, "Send a healer to the bakery. And give me information on the northern quarter, please."

Then Maria's voice came through, clipped but controlled.

"Understood. A healer is already on the way."

A pause.

"The northern quarter is filled with peaceful residents. If you were chasing someone, it'd be obvious."

Ryn moved, following the drag marks on the ground. He jumped back onto the roof to get a better picture.

The drag marks zig-zagged, likely there to lose any immediate persuers.

Ryn didn't slow.

"Any reason they're going north?" Ryn asked through the earpiece.

"They'll head for the outer edge of the district," she continued. "It's the least guarded gate, perfect to tear right through."

"Which one is closest from here?"

"Northwest," she answered immediately. "Cut through Redwood Alley and stay high. I'll guide you."

Ryn hesitated mid-step.

"…Guide me how? Can you see me?"

Maria's voice came through with a soft, amused scoff.

"Look up, genius."

Ryn did.

High above, perched on a rooftop ledge, was a raven—its feathers glossy black, its wings tucked neatly, and its eyes glowing an eerie, blank white as they stared straight at him.

A chill prickled down his spine.

Maria's Blessing.

Ryn exhaled, focus snapping back.

"Right. Not weird at all."

He pushed off the ledge, energy flaring beneath his feet as he vaulted across the rooftops. Redwood Alley opened beneath him like a dark vein carved through the district, narrow and winding.

Maria guided him without hesitation.

"Two streets forward. Drop down. You'll see a slanted roof—jump it. The tracks converge there."

Ryn didn't question. He moved.

The city blurred beneath him in streaks of shadow and moonlight as the raven soared overhead, matching his pace perfectly.

Ryn sprinted across the last rooftop, boots hammering against tile as Maria's raven circled sharply above him.

"Left," Maria ordered. "Now drop."

He vaulted off the edge, twisting mid-air before landing hard on a slanted surface, rolling with the impact.

That's when he heard it.

Wheels clattered as someone violently snapped on the reins, hooves pounding against stone at a reckless speed.

There, charging down the main northern road, was a wood carriage, swaying wildly as it barreled forward. Its wheels slammed into potholes and scattered crates, almost flipping with nearly every turn.

Civilians screamed and dove aside as it tore past them.

"Ryn—carriage at your two o'clock," Maria snapped. "That's them."

"I see it."

The carriage smashed through a fruit stand, sending baskets flying into the street. One horse reared up, frothing at the mouth, but the driver yanked viciously at the reins, forcing it onward.

The door on the side banged open for a split second.

Ryn glimpsed—

Someone was holding out the Arctis crest. It was Jay.

He launched himself off the rooftop.

Aquila flared under his feet, lighting the air in streaks of white. He landed on a passing awning, bounced, then sprinted along a balcony rail before leaping again onto the next balcony.

Ryn narrowed his eyes.

Two strides. One.

He pushed off the roof edge with all the force he had, arcing straight toward the fleeing carriage.

Ryn landed on the carriage roof with enough force to crack the wooden frame. The entire vehicle lurched, horses screaming as they fought to stay balanced.

The driver whipped around, eyes widening beneath his hood.

"What—?!"

Ryn didn't give him time to finish.

He dropped down behind the man, knees bending. With one quick motion, Ryn slashed at the man's body, cold energy radiating from his sword as the man went limp. His body dropped onto the street as the carriage continued, even without its driver.

But it wouldn't be for long. As soon as the reins went slack, the horses panicked, veering the carriage left.

It plowed straight into a vendor's stall, tearing it apart in a storm of cloth and splinters. Fruit exploded across the street. Civilians shrieked and dove aside as the wagon barreled out of control, bouncing wildly, wheels wobbling dangerously.

Ryn grabbed the wooden frame, trying to stabilize his footing—

Too late.

The horses screamed, bolting in pure terror, dragging the carriage with them.

He lunged toward the front, grabbing the reins—

Only for the leather to snap apart in his hands.

"Damn it—!"

A massive stone fountain loomed ahead.

Ryn's eyes widened.

The carriage was going to hit it. Hard.

He pushed himself off the seat, energy accumulating at his feet as he leapt.

BOOOOM!

The entire carriage smashed into the side of the fountain, wood exploding outward in a violent burst.

Shrapnel flew in every direction.

Ryn landed in a crouch several meters away, dust and debris raining around him.

The wreckage groaned, smoke rising from its twisted frame.

Ryn waited for the screams of frightened children.

None came.

His stomach dropped. He sprinted to the shattered carriage door, ripped it open—

Empty.

Absolutely empty.

But how? He had clearly seen Jay flash the Arctis Crest within the carriage…When did they escape?

Ryn's breath caught.

"Maria…" he said quietly, voice trembling with rising fury.

"…this was a decoy."

For the first time in the entire chase, Maria didn't respond immediately.

When she did, her voice was soft—

"…You're kidding."

"I wish I was."

Silence.

Her raven swooped low overhead, circling tighter and tighter above an adjacent street.

"Ryn, I've got eyes on someone," Maria said, tone shifting from shock to cold focus. "West alley, thirty meters from your position."

Ryn's pulse hammered.

"Describe."

"Tall. Hooded. Carrying three children."

"Alive?"

"Alive," she confirmed quickly.

Ryn didn't wait for more.

He exploded forward.

Aquila flared, blasting him into motion as he vaulted over the fountain debris. He sprinted down the narrow side street, boots slamming against stone, heart pounding like a war drum.

Maria fed him directions in rapid bursts:

He's cutting through a narrow corridor—

Ryn, he's gaining speed—"

"I'm faster."

He turned the final corner—

And saw him.

A lone cultist, with his cloak tattered, carrying three forms.

The kids.

He dropped one child from his grip, scrambling to throw up a spell with his free hand.

Too slow.

Ryn was already there.

His sword angled at the man's neck.

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