65. New World

As Stella and Declan made their way back to Mason’s office, the dawn light casting long shadows across the pavement, a strange sensation tugged at the back of Stella's mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was still amiss, that the calm after their battle was deceptive.

Mason greeted them at the door, his face haggard from sleepless nights of research and preparation. He nodded as they entered, the atmosphere heavy with the unspoken relief of survival. Yet, as Mason closed the door behind them, an eerie silence settled over the room, thicker than before.

"I think we did it," Declan said, his voice breaking the tension. "The city's safe."

Mason nodded, but there was no satisfaction in his eyes, only a lingering unease. He walked over to the bookshelf, pulling down the same dusty tome they had been studying. He flipped through the pages, his fingers trembling slightly.

"There’s something I need to show you," he said quietly, his tone almost ominous. He turned the book towa