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 Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2026 8:37 am
Reims clenched his jaw, teeth grinding audibly through the tension that filled the room.
“Unbelievable,” he hissed under his breath. “He tried to murder us again.”
The words came out low but sharp, like he was afraid they might echo and set something off. He forced himself to breathe through his nose and glanced back toward the doorway, toward Alastor’s steady presence there. If not for him, they might all be ash already.
He stepped back carefully, watching where his shoes landed, and when Michel moved closer, Reims exhaled a little shakily. He wanted to thank him, maybe make a joke about how Michel was stuck babysitting him. But he didn’t think the attempt at humor would be worth it.
His flashlight moved toward Amarynthos. “We’ll figure something out. If this place goes, it’s better we’re not in it.”
It didn’t feel right to leave, but the General had already stolen every chance they had to fight back. And right now, survival had to be enough.
Lucien’s ears flicked toward Sessrumnir, then toward Soleiyu as he processed the new information. “Agreed,” he said evenly. “Retreat is the correct move.”
He turned his head slightly toward Alastor. “Don’t remove the tie from the door. The airflow should remain stable if it stays open. Once we’ve cleared the perimeter, we can send a drone to collect residue samples and test for volatility. If the device is armed, we can detonate it remotely. Controlled ignition would neutralize the threat and prevent future use of the location.”
Sessrumnir didn’t take his eyes off the device, not even when Ganymede spoke. “If it’s wired the way I think it is, we won’t have time to test that theory,” he said quietly.
He moved carefully, with slow, deliberate steps, until he was beside Alastor. His hand found his husband’s. The weight of that touch wasn’t from panic, just instinct. A silent promise that neither of them was leaving the other behind.
“We get everyone out,” he said firmly. “Now.”
He shifted his attention toward Ganymede and the others. “We’ll plan recon once we’re clear. Drones, analysis… whatever you need. Just not here.”
He gave Alastor’s hand one more squeeze, then nodded to Ganymede while reaching for Amarynthos to make sure he was close to them as well. He would very much like to not make his kid an orphan. Especially after promising him that they would be careful.
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Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2026 8:37 am
Even with a developing plan, reluctance sat heavy on Ganymede’s shoulders, sustained by frustration and guilt. Amarynthos, Reims, and their friends had been through a horrific ordeal. The swiftness of it didn’t diminish the brutality; if anything the pace made it worse—to understand now more than ever how quickly a situation could deteriorate; to know now in ways they might not have before how vulnerable they were in spite of their power. The war they’d come into was different than the one Ganymede had stumbled her way through at the start. Over the years, the Negaverse had sunk further into the shadows, biding their time as the war itself grew beyond Earth.
Too many of their own failed to understand the threat, either because they lacked the experience or because they’d been fooled into believing a lie. They thought their magic would save them. They thought their goodness would triumph simply because it was right. They thought friendship and teamwork would carry them through. They faced feebler agents and thought themselves on equal footing.
Ganymede had learned the truth long ago: A single, well-trained General was all that was needed to massacre a dozen or more or their own.
She wished Amarynthos and Reims hadn’t been in a position to learn that lesson first hand.
“Damn it,” Ganymede swore under her breath.
With a heavy sigh and a grim frown, she stepped closer to the boys, to the Mauvians, to Sessrumnir, Alastor, and Michel. They had few answers and may come by even less later, but for now they had no choice.
Her thumb touched her phone screen, drawn to the Home button by habit and instinct. She whisked them all to safety, leaving the building as empty as they’d found it.
Fin!
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