The faint hum of the decoding machine filled the silence, but the room was anything but calm. Thalia leaned against the table, her sharp gaze locked on Leon. Nico and Luca exchanged glances, the tension between them almost tangible. Raziel stood with her arms crossed, watching them all like a caged animal ready to lash out.
"So," Thalia said, breaking the quiet, "what's the real reason you're here, Leon?"
Leon's jaw tightened. "I already told you. We need this decoded."
"Right," Thalia said slowly, her tone laced with skepticism. "You just happened to stumble across a relic from House Forgotten, then decided to come running back to us for help. Sounds totally believable."
Raziel stepped forward, her frustration bubbling over. "You think he's lying? Then why are we wasting time here? Either help us or don't."
Thalia's eyes flicked to Raziel, her smirk returning. "Feisty, aren't you? I can see why Leon brought you along. Someone's got to do the talking for him."
Raziel's fists clenched, the faint flicker of flames dancing along her fingertips. "I don't need to talk for anyone. But if you keep wasting our time, I can think of better ways to speed this up."
"Raziel," Leon said sharply, his tone a warning.
Thalia raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "She's got a temper, I'll give her that."
Raziel took a step closer, the heat around her rising. "You want to see temper—"
Leon stepped between them, his voice firm. "That's enough."
Raziel glared at him, her flames subsiding but her anger still simmering beneath the surface. "They're stalling, Leon. You know it, I know it. Why are we even bothering with this?"
"Because we don't have another option," Leon said, his eyes locking with hers. "So stand down."
For a moment, neither of them moved. The tension crackled in the air like static, and even Nico and Luca exchanged uneasy glances. Finally, Raziel huffed and stepped back, muttering something under her breath.
Thalia watched the exchange with interest, a knowing look in her eyes. "Still the same Leon," she said, her voice softer now but no less cutting. "Always trying to keep the peace. How's that working out for you?"
Leon didn't rise to the bait. "I didn't come here to rehash the past, Thalia."
"Maybe you should," she shot back, her tone sharp. "You think you can just waltz in here after all these years and act like none of it happened? Like we're just going to forget how you left?"
Raziel's gaze snapped to Leon, her curiosity piqued despite her anger. "What's she talking about?"
Leon didn't answer, his eyes still locked on Thalia. "I left because I didn't have a choice."
"There's always a choice," Nico said, his voice quiet but firm. "You just didn't want to make the hard one."
Leon's fists clenched, but his expression didn't change. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't I?" Nico asked, stepping forward now. "We stuck our necks out for you, Leon. We risked everything to help you. And when it all went to hell, you disappeared."
"I didn't disappear," Leon said, his voice low and dangerous. "I survived. Just like you."
"At our expense," Thalia said coldly. "We had to clean up your mess. And now you're back, expecting us to play along like nothing's changed."
Raziel's gaze darted between them, the pieces of the puzzle slowly coming together. "So what, you guys have bad blood? Boo-hoo. Get over it. There's a lot more at stake here than your hurt feelings."
Thalia's eyes snapped to Raziel, her expression darkening. "You don't know anything about what happened. So maybe keep quiet until you do."
"Try me," Raziel shot back, her tone defiant.
Leon stepped forward, his voice cutting through the tension. "Enough. All of you."
But Raziel wasn't done. Her hands darted to her belt, and in one swift motion, she drew her tonfas, spinning them with precision. "You two got something to say? Or are you just standing there talking shit?"
Nico smirked, his arms crossed. "Oh, I've got plenty to say. Like how you're just a loudmouth swinging sticks around."
"Fuck you," Raziel growled, surging forward. Her tonfa swung sharply toward his shoulder, but Nico sidestepped with ease, his smirk widening.
"Temper, temper," Nico taunted, laughing. "This is gonna be fun."
Luca moved in next, his steps quick and calculated. Raziel turned to face him, flames sparking to life along the edges of her tonfas. He feinted a jab, and when she moved to block, he swept her legs out from under her with a sharp kick. She hit the ground hard, her tonfas clattering against the concrete.
"Get off me!" Raziel spat as she scrambled to her feet, the flames around her hands roaring higher. She charged at Luca, swinging wildly, but her strikes were uncoordinated, her anger throwing off her balance.
"You're sloppy as hell," Luca said, ducking under another swing with a snort. "Do you even know what the fuck you're doing?"
"Shut up!" Raziel snapped, her frustration boiling over.
Nico moved in behind her while she swung at Luca again. He grabbed her wrist mid-swing, halting her attack. The instant his hand closed around her, Raziel froze.
Her breath hitched, her body stiffening as her eyes widened. The flames around her erupted violently, engulfing her tonfas and flaring out with enough heat to make Nico flinch.
"Let fucking go!" Raziel screamed, her voice cracking as the fire surged higher.
"Shit!" Nico cursed, stumbling back as the heat licked at his arm. He released her immediately, his expression shifting from cocky to alarmed. "What?"
Luca backed away quickly, shielding his face from the fire. "The fuck is wrong with her?"
Raziel staggered, the flames roaring uncontrollably around her as her chest heaved. Her tonfas, still ablaze, swung erratically as she struggled to rein herself in. Her gaze darted around the room, wild and unfocused.
"Raziel," Leon's voice broke through the chaos, steady and commanding. "It's me. You're okay."
She didn't seem to hear him, the fire crackling louder as the heat intensified. "Stay back!" she shouted, her voice trembling. "Don't touch me!"
Leon stepped forward cautiously, his tone softer now. "No one's touching you. You're safe. I'm here."
Raziel's gaze flicked to him, but the flames only grew stronger. "I said stay back!"
Leon ignored her warning, moving closer. Slowly, he reached out and placed a hand on her arm. She flinched at first, but when his hand didn't leave, the flames around her began to waver.
"Breathe," Leon said, his voice calm. "It's just me. Focus on my voice."
Raziel's breaths came in ragged gasps, but she nodded shakily. The fire dimmed slightly, though the air still shimmered with heat.
Behind them, Nico wiped sweat from his brow, muttering, "What the fuck is her problem?"
"She almost burned me alive," Luca snapped, his tone sharp. "The hell is going on here?"
"Back off," Leon said sharply, glaring at them over his shoulder. "You grabbed her. That's on you."
"How the fuck were we supposed to know she'd go nuclear?" Nico shot back, his voice defensive.
"You weren't," Leon growled. "But now you do. Don't let it happen again."
Thalia, who had been watching from the sidelines, chuckled darkly. "Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting. What's her deal, Leon? Some kind of defective splicer?"
Leon glared at her, his tone icy. "Shut the fuck up, Thalia."
Thalia raised her hands in mock surrender, smirking. "Touchy."
Raziel exhaled shakily, the flames around her finally subsiding. She straightened, pulling her arm out of Leon's grip, though her hands still trembled. "I'm fine," she muttered, her voice low.
"Are you?" Leon asked, his tone soft but serious.
Raziel nodded stiffly, gripping her tonfas tightly. "Yeah. I'm fine like the fucking ray of sunshine I am."
Nico and Luca exchanged uneasy glances, their earlier arrogance gone. Luca muttered under his breath, "I didn't sign up for this."
"Neither did I," Nico replied, shooting a wary glance at Raziel.
Leon turned back to the machine, his jaw tight. "Get back to work. Now."
Thalia smirked again, though her eyes held a flicker of caution as she moved to check the progress of the decoding. "Sure thing, boss."
The room fell into uneasy silence, the tension still hanging thick in the air. Raziel stayed rooted in place, her fists clenched as she fought to calm the lingering tremor in her chest.
The tension in the room was thick, the air still heavy from Raziel's outburst. The soft hum of the decoding machine was the only sound as everyone avoided each other's eyes. Thalia leaned against the table, casually scrolling through the data on the screen as if nothing had happened. Nico and Luca hung back, their expressions wary as they exchanged muttered words.
Leon stood beside Raziel, his gaze flicking between her and the screen. "Thalia," he said sharply. "What have you got?"
Thalia sighed dramatically, as if Leon's question was an inconvenience. "Still piecing it together," she muttered, tapping the screen. "Whatever this is, it's old. And fragmented. The language is a mix of House Forgotten code and something else. Something… older."
"Older?" Leon asked, his voice tense.
Thalia nodded, her smirk fading slightly. "Yeah. I've seen scraps of this kind of text before, but not like this. It's… layered. Almost like it was meant to hide something."
"So, can you read it or not?" Raziel snapped, her frustration breaking through.
Thalia shot her a look. "Calm your flames, princess. I'm getting there."
Raziel clenched her fists, her flames flickering faintly before Leon placed a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened but didn't pull away, her jaw tightening as she focused on the screen.
"Got something," Luca said suddenly, leaning over Thalia's shoulder. He pointed to a line of decoded text that had just appeared. "That symbol. It's a marker."
"What kind of marker?" Leon asked, stepping closer.
"Geographic," Luca replied. "I've seen something similar in old scavenger maps. It's a locator."
Nico frowned, his brow furrowing. "Locator for what? A site? A person?"
Thalia's fingers danced across the controls, pulling up a faded blueprint alongside the decoded text. "Looks like a site. See here? This section of the plans is marked with coordinates."
Leon leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he studied the blueprint. "And this site is tied to the core?"
"Could be," Thalia said. "Or it could just be where the rest of the plans are stored. Either way, it's your next stop."
Raziel tilted her head, her frustration giving way to curiosity. "So what's there? More House Forgotten tech? Answers about this… core thing?"
Thalia shrugged. "Could be both. Could be nothing. But if I were a betting woman—and I am—I'd say whatever's at that site is worth finding."
Leon straightened, his mind already working through the possibilities. "Where are the coordinates pointing?"
"Let me refine it," Luca said, tapping a few commands into the machine. The screen shifted, displaying a map overlaid with fragmented data. He pointed to a highlighted area. "There. The Old Divide."
Raziel frowned. "What's the Old Divide?"
Leon's expression darkened. "It's a wasteland. A no-man's-land between the Houses' territories. Scavengers don't go there unless they have a death wish."
"Sounds like fun," Raziel said, smirking despite the weight of the revelation.
"It's not fun," Nico cut in, his voice grim. "It's dangerous as hell. No patrols, no rules. Just a whole lot of things that want to kill you."
"Perfect," Raziel replied, her smirk widening.
Leon sighed, rubbing his temple. "This is going to be a nightmare."
Thalia leaned back, her arms crossed. "You're welcome. Oh, and one more thing—if you're going into the Old Divide, you'll need more than your little tonfas and scavenger tricks. You'll need backup."
Leon shot her a wary look. "You offering?"
Thalia smirked. "Not a chance. But you might want to ask around. There are people who know the Divide better than anyone. They're not exactly friendly, but if you can convince them, they might help."
Raziel scoffed. "Great. More people to convince."
"Welcome to the game," Thalia's smirk lingered as she studied the map on the screen. "The Old Divide," she said slowly, her voice almost amused. "Haven't heard anyone talk about that place in a while."
"You've been there before?" Leon asked, his tone cautious.
"Not personally," Thalia replied, leaning back. "But we've heard the stories. Scavengers who went looking for treasure, tech, or just a chance to disappear. Most of them didn't come back."
"And the ones who did?" Raziel pressed.
"Didn't find what they were looking for," Nico muttered, crossing his arms. "The Divide doesn't give up its secrets easily."
Luca leaned over the map, his brow furrowing. "But this… this isn't just some random location in the Divide. These coordinates are precise. Whatever's there, it's not an accident."
Thalia nodded, her expression turning serious. "House Forgotten didn't leave much behind when they were wiped out. What they did leave? The Houses made damn sure it couldn't be found."
"Why?" Raziel asked, her tone sharp. "What were they hiding?"
"Not hiding," Thalia corrected, her voice cold. "Covering their tracks. House Forgotten wasn't just some tech-obsessed relic from the past. They were destroyers of life. Entire regions wiped off the map, populations erased overnight. At least, that's what the records say."
"That's bullshit," Raziel snapped. "No one's that destructive without a reason."
"Reason or not, they earned their reputation," Nico said darkly. "Cities, towns—gone. They didn't build, they destroyed. And whatever they left behind? It's probably just more of the same."
Raziel clenched her fists, her flames sparking faintly. "So why would they bother hiding their tech if they were so hellbent on destroying everything?"
Thalia shrugged. "Maybe they didn't want anyone else using it. Or maybe they knew it was too dangerous, even for them."
Leon frowned, stepping closer to the screen. "And the core we found? You think it's part of whatever they were trying to keep hidden?"
"It's possible," Luca said, his tone thoughtful. "The blueprint suggests it's meant to interface with something organic. Something alive. If your core matches the design…" He glanced at Raziel. "Then yeah, there's a connection."
Raziel's eyes narrowed. "So what does that mean for me?"
Thalia raised an eyebrow. "That you're walking around with a piece of tech from a House everyone thought was a myth. If anyone else finds out, you'll have more than the Council on your ass."
Leon's jaw tightened. "So what's at the coordinates? More tech? Answers?"
"Could be both," Thalia said, leaning back against the table. "Or it could be nothing. But if those coordinates are tied to House Forgotten, whatever's there might explain why they destroyed so much—and why they wanted to disappear."
"Or it might be more of the same," Nico muttered. "More death. More destruction. You sure you want to find out?"
Raziel stepped forward, her gaze sharp. "Damn right, I do. If this thing is tied to me, I need to know what it is—and why it's here."
"Then you'd better watch your back," Luca said grimly. "The Old Divide isn't just a wasteland. It's a graveyard. And if these coordinates are leading you there, you can bet someone—or something—will be waiting."
Thalia tapped the screen, her expression unreadable. "There's one more thing. The records mention a group—the Forgotten Echo. They're said to know the Divide better than anyone. Some think they're descendants of House Forgotten, but it's more likely they're just scavengers who got too deep into the old tech."
"And?" Leon asked, his voice wary.
"And if you can find them, they might help you survive the Divide. Or they might kill you for even trying."
Raziel smirked, her flames sparking faintly. "Sounds like my kind of people."
Thalia tilted her head, her smirk returning. "Just don't expect them to be friendly. If the stories are true, they're not just scavengers—they're fanatics. Believers in whatever twisted purpose House Forgotten left behind."
"Perfect," Leon muttered, rubbing his temple. "More complications."
Thalia stepped back, her tone sharp. "You're lucky you've got this much, Leon. And let me make one thing clear—this is where our help ends. Whatever you find in the Divide? That's on you."
Leon nodded, his expression grim. "We'll handle it."
Thalia's smirk faded as she glanced at Raziel one last time. "Better hope you're ready for what's waiting out there, princess. House Forgotten didn't just destroy—they erased. And whatever's left of them might do the same to you."