The hotel room was quiet, save for the faint hum of the air conditioning. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, but it didn't dispel the weight hanging over the group. Nel stood by the window, arms crossed, her pacing mirroring the tension in her voice.
"Explain to me again," she said sharply, "why we're not heading to the hospital. There's one in the town, twenty minutes away, with a ward specifically for essence users. You're all banged up, and frankly, we could all use a check-up after what just happened."
I leaned against the wall, my arms crossed as I watched her. My body ached from the battle, but my thoughts were sharper than ever. "Because something isn't adding up," I said. "Deya pointed it out on the ride back while you and the others were catching up on sleep."
Deya was sitting at the edge of the couch, her sharp eyes scanning the room. "When we first met the Eisenfrost clan head," she said, picking up where I left off, "he asked if we were the ones sent by the Organization."
Nel stopped pacing, her brow furrowing. "Right. And?"
"And," I said, stepping forward, "when we landed, you gave me the option to go covert. Meaning this mission wasn't officially reported to Eisenfrost or its leadership."
Nel tilted her head, processing the thought. "That's true, but… I still don't see why we're avoiding the hospital."
"Think about it," I said, locking eyes with her. "We fought Eisenfrost clan members this morning—turned into essence zombies. That alone is strange, but what's more troubling is that the Eisenfrost are known for their mastery of essence suppression. It's their specialty. If they'd had even a fraction of their usual strength, they could've nullified the zombies completely. But they didn't. Why?"
Nel's gaze hardened. "You're saying they were taken out too fast to respond?"
"Exactly," I said. "The Eisenfrost clan isn't weak. They weren't at the top of the hierarchy, sure, but they had a strong enough foundation to deal with essence outbreaks. Their leader and at least a few level-two users should have been able to handle this, even if they lost some numbers. Instead, we found them completely overwhelmed and turned. It doesn't make sense."
Deya nodded, her tone calm but firm. "It's not just strange—it's deliberate. Someone orchestrated this, and it had to happen fast. The Eisenfrost didn't even have time to use their essence suppression abilities before they were wiped out."
"And then there's the Schattenreich," I added. "They share this territory, yet we haven't seen or heard from them at all. No patrols, no reinforcements, nothing. Even if the Eisenfrost couldn't handle it, Schattenreich should have stepped in. Their absence makes this even more suspicious."
Nel's brow furrowed further as she processed everything. "So what you're saying is… we might be walking into a bigger problem than we thought."
"Exactly," I said. "Someone's either hiding something or actively working to destroy these clans. If we walk into the hospital, we're exposing ourselves before we know the full picture. Right now, we can't trust anything in this area."
Deya leaned back, her expression thoughtful. "If Schattenreich is compromised or involved, going to their territory might be like stepping into a trap. We need to tread carefully."
Amir, cradling his broken arm in a makeshift sling, raised an eyebrow. "So what do we do, boss?"
"We rest," I said. "Everyone here knows how to heal themselves, and now that we've stabilized the essence fluctuations, we should be able to recover enough to move tomorrow. Nel, I need you to reach out to the Organization. Request backup—but stress that we're not leaving the area. Civilians are at risk. And since we're in Europe, ask them to send support from the Obsidian Clan. We'll need the best of the best."
Nel gave a sharp nod. "Fine. But on one condition."
"Name it," I said.
"Next time, you put your team first. I get it—you're trained to prioritize the mission, but this isn't just about you. The Organization sends out operatives for a reason, and if you burn out or get killed, it's not just us who suffer. Your clan going to war with the Organization would be catastrophic. So cut the hero act and think before you leap."
I held her gaze, her words heavy in the air. "My promise to my clan comes first," I said evenly. Then, glancing at the team, my tone softened. "But right now, I'm a team leader. I'll do better. You have my word."
Nel exhaled, her posture relaxing slightly. "Good. Because if I knew I'd be babysitting the Fortune Keeper's son, I would've asked for hazard pay."
"Noted," I said with a faint smirk, my usual demeanor returning. "And don't worry—I wouldn't want to give your clan an excuse to critique my methods either."
Zach, sitting near the door with one leg crossed over the other, finally broke his silence. "I'll take the first guard shift."
Amir, lounging on the couch, grinned despite the weight of the conversation. "We know you will, Mr. Macho."
Nel exhaled sharply, her hands on her hips. "Great. So we're stuck here, banged up and paranoid, with half of a plan. What's next?"
"We do what we came to do," I said, my voice steady. "Tomorrow, we investigate the Schattenreich. If they're involved in this, we'll find out."
"And if they're not?" Deya asked.
"Then we'll need to figure out who is," I replied. Then, smirking slightly, I added, "But for now, Nel, maybe you should go chat up that German clerk you've been eyeing."
"I do like a German," she shot back with a grin.
The faint humor lightened the mood, and for the first time since the battle, I could feel the team's trust solidifying. We were battered and bruised, but we were still standing—and I wasn't going to let us fail.
This was far from over.