“Nooooo!”

  Sister Carmel’s voice tore through the storming silence as Zeke’s frozen body slipped from the cliff and plunged into the raging river below.

  She sprinted to the edge, heart pounding. Whitewater roared beneath her like a hungry beast. No sign of his body—just chaos, foam, and fury.

  Her eyes followed the current downstream until she saw it—a waterfall in the distance. Wide, steep, deadly.

  Her breath caught. Her fists clenched.

  "You bastard… what did you do? You betrayed us!"

  Zion stood a few feet away, his face unreadable. Emotionless.

  “Answer me!”

  He finally spoke, voice low and controlled.

  “This is what The Order wants. I’m sorry, Sister. I don’t have the luxury for conversation... and neither do you.”

  He nodded toward the falls.

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  Sister Carmel’s entire body trembled. She wanted to strike him, to scream at him until the heavens shook. But Zeke—

  He was still frozen. Still stabbed. If his body didn’t shatter against the rocks below, he’d drown before the river melted the ice. And if it did melt? He’d bleed out in seconds.

  There was no time.

  She gritted her teeth, stepped back—and leapt into the roaring current.

  ---

  Elsewhere...

  Three shadows tore through the night, feet pounding against gravel and dirt. A blur of motion—dark coats, twisted grins, glowing eyes.

  Jack (breathing heavy, manic grin):

  “For so many eons… and now he shows up? And the Guardian too?”

  He laughed. “Oooh, she gave me a hard time. I missed this!”

  Jester (giggling, bounding ahead):

  “I think the world’s about to throw one hell of a festival! Nyehahahaha!”

  Jovic (flat voice):

  “...Jack. The package. It’s secured, right?”

  Jack (smirking):

  “Of course. Delivered safe and sound.”

  Jester:

  “But what about the first client?”

  Jovic (darkly):

  “You saw what happened. That was a shit show. The Order told us to grab the kid, nothing else. They breached the contract first—should’ve told us about the Guardian.”

  He exhaled, annoyed.

  “I’ll handle it. You two head to the Carnival. Once we reach the town, we split. No more chatter—I need to get there first.”

  They pushed harder, vanishing into the night like ghosts in a storm.

  ---

  Meanwhile...

  Tip-tap.

  Heels clicked softly against polished marble, echoing in the long, dark corridor. Moonlight filtered through tall windows, painting silver across the floor.

  A woman walked with slow confidence, each step deliberate. Her white lab coat swayed with her hips, barely concealing the sensual silhouette beneath. Crimson lips curled into a wicked smile. Her long blonde hair shimmered with every beam of moonlight.

  Eyes like spilled blood. Body like sin.

  She stopped at a heavy black door. Opened it without knocking.

  Juno (seductive smile):

  “Coffee, tea… or me?”

  She winked.

  Silence.

  Then—golden eyes opened in the darkness, glowing like suns in the void.

  Juno (leaning against the frame):

  “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

  Her voice dropped, velvet-sm

  ooth.

  “Why not relax a little... for old times’ sake?”

  Man:

  “You know why I’m here, Juno. Let’s not waste time.”

  Her smile widened.