Charles staggered forward, his chest now burning with agonizing intensity from the Entropy Curse. The curse tore through his defenses, forcing upon him twisted flashbacks: the faces of soldiers he had fought beside in Kandahar, British comrades who bled and died in the desert. Now, their spectral faces twisted into ghoulish reflections within...

He leaned heavily on Simone Graves, whose arm, where the silver talisman had melted to save him from the Mirrorborn’s psychological attack, was wrapped tight in a makeshift bandage. The wound didn’t just hurt; it was a constant, radiating reminder of the human price.

“Underground,” Simone choked out, fighting the searing pain, her focus absolute....

She grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him close until their chests were touching, her breath misting his chin. “I want that gold bathroom. I want the view that proves we made it. I want to walk in here and feel like we own the city, not just haunt it.”

His hands found her waist, gripping tight. “You sound like you want a leash, not a...