The next day, Elara returned to Monroe & Monroe headquarters. Employees watched her differently now—some with awe, some with unease.
Nathan greeted her outside the elevator. "There's something off about security. Two guards didn't check in today. I don't like it."
Neither did she.
When the elevator doorways opened on the 33rd ground, they determined themselves staring into the barrel of a rune‑rifle.
Abyss agents.
They were fast, clad in charcoal armor etched with burning red sigils. But Elara was faster. She unsheathed her obsidian blade and slashed the rifle in half, sparks flying.
Nathan ducked behind a desk, shouting into his phone. "Get Vale Security up here, now!"
Elara spun, channeling a surge of magic through her palm. The blast threw one agent into the far wall. The other raised a dagger—too close, too fast.
Then Aldric appeared, stepping from a shadow behind them. With a flick of his wrist, the dagger froze midair, suspended by force alone.
He walked to the man and placed two fingers on his temple. "Return with a message," he said coldly. "The next strike will leave no survivors."
The man vanished in a swirl of smoke.
Elara gasped, blade trembling in her grip. "They're escalating."
Aldric nodded. "And so must we."