The journey back to the city was silent, except for the muted hum of the carrier. Levi sat tense and unyielding, a cold knot forming in his gut. Something felt off. Eve sat beside him, feeling the tension emanating from him. She was exhausted but nervously alert, her mind racing with uncertainty about what awaited them. Were the others they left behind okay? Was Arel hurt? Elion? The stress of the sudden battle and their hasty escape came flooding back, making her stomach twist with unease.

  Upon arrival, they were escorted not to the medical bay, but to a secure briefing room deep within the High Command Wing. High Commander Vulcan was already waiting, fnked by High Commander Revan. The atmosphere crackled with restrained tension as the Verdance Guard operatives assembled along the perimeter of the chamber, standing in silence.

  Two Verdance Guards stepped forward. "By order of the Thaloréan Council," one announced, "the individual known as Evelyn Adams is to be pced under provisional custody for investigation."

  Levi stepped forward before he could stop himself. "Is that really necessary? She needs recovery, not imprisonment."

  Vulcan lifted an eyebrow. "Containment, Commander Bck. Not imprisonment."

  Levi bristled. "You know as well as I do she was attacked. She's not the threat here—those unknown assaints—" he began, voice rising, but Vulcan cut him off smoothly.

  "Precisely why action is required," Vulcan cut in, voice smooth but firm. He gestured to the rge, holographic projection now hovering between them—data streams of resonance activity, spiking wildly off the charts.

  "Not only did this incident occur within Thaloréa's jurisdiction," Vulcan continued, "but reports from multiple civilian witnesses recorded a high-resonance phenomenon. Two figures appearing midair. A portal opening beneath them. Their sudden disappearance." He let the words hang heavily.

  Levi stared at him, incredulous. "Are you seriously doing this?" Eve gnced at Levi, fear fshing across her face. She didn't understand why she was being contained, confusion and unease knotting in her chest as the situation spiralled beyond her control.

  "We would have preferred to handle this quietly," Vulcan said. "But energy spikes picked up by the resonance detectors show that the fluxline network has been damaged and, in some cases, destabilised. The public demands answers."

  Revan shifted slightly, voice low and weighted. "We had intended to manage this under Terra Central Command." His gnce at Vulcan was sharp—almost accusatory. "Discretion was—preferred."

  "As always," Vulcan replied with a faint, diplomatic smile that didn't reach his eyes. "But as you can see, Commander Revan, discretion is no longer an option."

  Levi's fists clenched at his sides. "She’s not a threat."

  "That is precisely what this investigation will determine," Vulcan said.

  Revan exhaled quietly through his nose. "You forget," he said, his tone polite but cold, "that some of us are not eager to throw away our best hopes because of bureaucratic panic."

  "And you forget," Vulcan returned just as smoothly, "that ignoring the risks brought us portal colpse zones in the first pce."

  A tense silence stretched between the two commanders, each refusing to break eye contact. It was like a political battle unfolding between them, a csh of authority and ideology disguised beneath formal words and polite restraint.

  Finally, Vulcan turned, motioning to the Verdance Guards. "Escort her to the Thaloréan Custody Centre. She will receive medical treatment and security evaluation under our council’s jurisdiction."

  The guards moved forward. Levi made an instinctive step toward Eve but was stopped by Revan's firm hand on his shoulder.

  "Enough," Revan said quietly, almost bitterly. "We do not have the political leverage to contest this. Not here. Not now."

  Levi gritted his teeth but said nothing. He could only watch as they wheeled Eve away, her pale face vanishing behind heavy security doors.

  Vulcan's final words drifted after them like smoke:

  "She is no longer an unknown. She is a known risk."

  And for the first time, Levi realized with a sick twist in his gut—the world might turn against her long before she even had the chance to understand who she truly was.

  As she was led away, Eve cast one st look over her shoulder toward Levi, fear shining in her eyes. He stood frozen in pce, unable to reach her. The doors sealed behind Eve, the muted cnk of locks engaging making her flinch. The sterile corridors of the High Command Wing gave way to darker, narrower hallways lined with reinforced gss and humming security fields. Two Verdance Guards fnked her closely, their expressions unreadable beneath their helmets.

  Eve hugged her arms to herself, feeling the cold sink into her bones. Exhaustion dragged at her, but it was the gnawing uncertainty that weighed heavier.

  She hadn’t even been given a chance to speak. No expnation. No chance to defend herself. Just... containment.

  As she was led deeper into the facility, her mind spun chaotically:

  Were the others safe?

  Was Arel hurt?

  Had Elion survived?

  The more she tried to steady her breathing, the more the lingering adrenaline from the battle earlier cwed at her nerves. Every step away from Levi and the others made her feel smaller, more vulnerable—as if she were a pawn being moved out of sight.

  Finally, they arrived at a chamber—minimalist, clinical.

  The room was cold and clinical, the walls lined with monitors quietly reading energy signatures and reinforced energy barriers humming faintly around the perimeter. A single narrow bed and a lone chair occupied the otherwise sterile space, leaving no doubt that this was a cell—no matter how carefully it was dressed up to appear otherwise.

  One of the guards pced a familiar colr around Eve's neck and removed her wristband, ensuring she would have no contact beyond what they allowed. Without a word, they ushered her inside the cold, sterile room. Another guard tapped a panel and activated an invisible resonance field across the entrance—sealing her in.

  Eve stood frozen in the centre of the room.

  Through the faint shimmer of the field, she caught a st glimpse of the hallway beyond—empty, silent.

  Levi...

  Had he fought for her? Had he tried?

  A lump formed in her throat.

  They hadn’t even told her what was happening. Was she being arrested? Imprisoned? Studied?

  Or... worse?

  Slowly, Eve sat down on the edge of the cot, her hands trembling in her p. She stared at the faint light strip running along the base of the wall, letting her mind go numb.

  She hadn’t asked for this.

  She hadn’t even understood what happened, what it meant, what was expected of her.

  And now, it was too te to expin.

  Levi stood motionless in the centre of the briefing chamber long after Eve had disappeared behind the heavy doors. The echo of her final gnce clung to him, tightening painfully in his chest. He barely registered Revan quietly dismissing the guards, or the way Vulcan turned to issue low-voiced orders to his adjutants.

  A cold rage simmered beneath Levi's composed exterior. His hands flexed at his sides, knuckles whitening. It had taken every shred of his discipline not to rip through the guards when they took her away -as if she were some dangerous criminal.

  "This isn't justice," Levi said finally, his voice low and tight. "This is fear."

  Revan’s gaze flicked toward him, unreadable. "It’s politics," he said simply. "And right now, politics outweighs reason."

  Levi’s jaw locked, the frustration burning hotter. In his gut, he knew—he couldn't rely on the system to protect her. He would have to find another way.

  He was released not long after, sent back to the estate where they had been temporarily stationed. The walk through the familiar, winding halls felt hollow, each step weighted with helplessness.

  As he entered the estate’s lounge area, he immediately spotted Arel, Dax, and Kael waiting anxiously. Arel was the first to rush forward, throwing her arms around him in a fierce hug.

  Levi softened instinctively, relieved beyond words that she was unharmed. He wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders, feeling the tension in his chest ease slightly.

  "Levi," Arel said urgently, pulling back just enough to search his face, "where is Eve?"

  Levi's expression darkened. He exhaled slowly, grounding himself before answering. "She's been taken into custody by the Thaloréan Council."

  Arel's eyes widened, horror fshing across her face. "What? Why? She didn't do anything—she was attacked!"

  Dax and Kael both stepped closer, their expressions grim.

  Arel pressed on, voice rising with worry. "What happened exactly? You were gone for nearly a day."

  Levi ran a hand through his hair, pacing a few steps before answering. "It all happened instantly. We were falling and then we shifted to Earth and then all of a sudden appeared along the south shoreline of the ke."

  "What do you mean? You were in Eve's World?" Arel asked sharply, her voice threading between disbelief and confusion.

  Levi exhaled heavily. "Exactly what I said. One moment we were falling—and the next, we were there..."

  All three operatives stiffened, their eyes widening in silent realisation.

  Dax whistled low under his breath, raking a hand through his hair. "She can open portals..." he muttered, the weight of the revetion sinking into the room.

  "Thaloréa sees Eve as a threat," Levi continued. "If she can open portals, it leaves a vulnerability we can't predict. Her abilities are unknown. Her power, unpredictable. And what others might use it for... remains even more dangerous.

  Arel's voice broke the heavy silence, soft and aching. "She must be so scared right now."

  Dax shifted uncomfortably, gncing at Levi. "What can we do?"

  Levi furrowed his brow, remembering the strict instructions Revan had given him—to wait, to not escate things. He paused, exhaling slowly.

  "We wait," Levi said finally. "We have to wait for the Thaloréan Council to release her."

  Kael leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "And will they?" he asked.

  Levi stared downward, his hand running up to push through his hair in frustration. "I don't know."

  Dax cpped him lightly on the shoulder, offering a small, strained smile. "You should get some rest. We can talk with the High Commanders tomorrow."

  Levi retreated to his quarters in silence, the weight of the day pressing down harder with each step. Once inside, he paced the length of the room, his mind whirling. He couldn't stop picturing Eve—the fear in her eyes as the guards led her away...the memory of her small hands trembling over the kindling fire when he had gently held them.

  He scrubbed his hands over his face, restless. There was something there—something he felt whenever he thought about her. It gnawed at him, dangerous and undeniable.

  His thoughts fshed back, unbidden, to a conversation from weeks ago—High Commander Revan's voice, low and warning.

  "Be careful not to get too close, Levi. Attachment blinds judgment. And when judgment falters... others pay the price."

  Levi squeezed his eyes shut, the words echoing in his mind like a distant drumbeat. He had agreed at the time. Detached. Professional. That was how he survived.

  But maybe it was too te.