Ava stumbled through the cramped tunnels beneath the Charles Bridge, the _Liber Nocturna_'s weight on her back like a living thing. Elian led, his green eyes slicing through darkness, while Lucas covered their rear, gun at the ready. Catherine trailed behind, her gaze still distant, haunted by the shadows that had consumed her.
"We're almost clear," Elian whispered, pushing aside a rusted grate. Night air flooded in, mingling with Prague's scents—river water, old stone, and a hint of smoke.
Ava blinked in the moonlight. They emerged onto a quay, the Vltava River gliding silently below. A motorboat waited, tied to a crumbling pier.
Lucas checked the safety pin on his gun. "Order's closing in. We need to move."
Elian shoved Ava toward the boat. "Get in. We're leaving Prague."
Ava hesitated. The _Liber_'s pages rustled in her mind, urging escape… or warning of traps. "Where are we going?"
"Safe," Elian said, untieing the boat. "For now."
Catherine stepped in first, her movements mechanical. Ava followed, the _Liber_'s weight shifting ominously. Lucas jumped aboard, casting off. The engine roared, propelling them into the river's dark current.
Prague's lights drowned in the wake. Ava felt a rush of freedom… then the _Liber_'s pages turned, writing: _"The hunted become the hunters."_
Elian's gaze met hers. "Ava, what did you—"
Ava's vision blurred. Shadows erupted from the water, tendrils grabbing the boat. The _Liber_'s hunger surged, urging her to write… to unleash.
Lucas fired into the darkness. "Elian, we're ambushed!"
Elian snarled, yelling at Ava, "Control it! Now!"
Ava's fingers trembled. She wrote: _"Shadows, release us."_
The tendrils vanished. The boat lurched forward, speeding downriver. The _Liber_'s pages settled, satisfied.
Catherine's eyes flickered, focusing on Ava. "What's happening?"
Ava's voice was hollow. "I… I don't know."
Elian grabbed her shoulders. "Listen, Ava. The _Liber_ feeds on chaos. You must master it, or—"
The riverbank exploded in gunfire. Bullets splashed into the water. Lucas returned fire, cursing.
Ava wrote frantically: _"Order's bullets turn to dust."_
The gunfire stopped. The attackers' screams echoed, then drowned in the river's flow.
The _Liber_'s pages turned, writing: _"Lesson two: power attracts enemies."_
Ava's soul felt heavier. She was the _Liber_'s weapon… or its target.
The boat sped into darkness, Prague's spires fading like ghosts.