Chapter 8: Shattered Core
The shattered remnants of the jade sphere lay scattered across Caera's trembling hands, still faintly warm and pulsing with dying energy. Around her, the remnants of the bridge groaned under the weight of the spiritual upheaval, and the distant wail of sirens grew louder, inching closer to their location.
Constantyn adjusted his crooked glasses, his voice sharp and cutting. "You realize the network destabilization is your fault, right?"
Caera shot him a glare, her knuckles white as she clutched the largest fragment of the sphere. "Oh, sorry, let me just reassemble an ancient divine artifact in between being betrayed and almost killed. My bad."
"Don't deflect," Constantyn said, brushing debris off his sleeves with maddening precision. "The core is gone, and Lin Yu—"
"Lin Yu stole it," Caera interrupted, her voice thick with anger. "She's the one who betrayed us. Not me."
"Yeah, about that," Eugene's voice floated over as he emerged from behind a crumbling support beam. His shirt was singed, Baozi clinging to his shoulder like a disgruntled backpack. "I know you're all busy playing the blame game, but maybe we should focus on the bigger issue here: Lin Yu, my ex, just ghosted us with Shanghai's spiritual lifeline."
"Your ex?" Constantyn frowned, clearly unimpressed. "How is that relevant?"
"Relevant?" Eugene repeated, his grin widening in a way that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because I'm the one who convinced her to come back. Or because I told her—what were the words?—plenty of fish in the sea, after she ditched me in Taiwan." His tone was light, but there was an undercurrent of something darker beneath the surface.
Caera's eyes narrowed. "Wait, are you saying you knew she was capable of this?"
Eugene shrugged, his casual demeanor almost exaggerated. "I mean, capable of betrayal? Sure. But stealing the core of a divine artifact and probably selling it to some shadowy organization? Nah, that's new. Even for her."
"Even for her?" Caera's voice rose, incredulous. "Eugene, this isn't some petty breakup drama! She just crippled Shanghai's spiritual network!"
Eugene tilted his head, his grin turning sharper. "You're welcome, by the way. For being the one who brought her back into the fold. Imagine where we'd be without her tactical skills. Oh wait, probably not standing on what's left of a bridge wondering if the city's gonna implode."
"Eugene." Constantyn's voice was low, warning.
"What?" Eugene's grin didn't falter, but his eyes flashed with something darker. "I'm just saying. Maybe if someone hadn't been so busy playing goddess and hero, Lin Yu wouldn't have gotten the drop on us. But hey, hindsight's 20/20."
"That's enough," Constantyn said, stepping between them. "This isn't helping."
"No, it's fine," Caera said, her voice trembling with fury. "Let him talk. Let him get it all out. Apparently, this is all my fault. Again."
Eugene clapped his hands, the sound echoing in the broken silence. "Finally, some self-awareness. Progress!"
"Eugene," Constantyn snapped, his patience clearly fraying. "If you're done being passive-aggressive, maybe we can figure out how to fix this."
"Oh, I'm passive-aggressive?" Eugene laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. "Right, because Mr. Perfect over here is just oozing with positivity. Here's an idea: how about we all stop pretending we know what we're doing and admit we're screwed?"
Baozi, still perched on Eugene's shoulder, let out a low growl. "Humans," he muttered. "Always so dramatic."
"Stay out of this, furball," Eugene shot back.
"That's enough!" Caera's voice cut through the chaos, surprising even herself. She took a shaky breath, forcing her hands to steady as she cradled the broken fragments of the sphere. "We can point fingers later. Right now, we need to figure out where Lin Yu's going and stop her before—"
"Before what?" Eugene interrupted, his tone mocking. "Before she sells the core to the highest bidder? Before she finishes what she started and lets the whole city collapse into chaos? Face it, Caera. She's ten steps ahead of us. And you? You're still trying to figure out which direction to go."
Caera's eyes burned, but she refused to look away. "If you think I'm just going to give up, you don't know me at all."
"Maybe I don't," Eugene said, his grin fading into something colder. "But I know her. And if you think you can outsmart Lin Yu without me, you're even more clueless than I thought."
The words hung in the air, heavy and cutting. For a moment, none of them spoke. Then Constantyn cleared his throat, his tone brisk. "Regardless of your history, Eugene, we need you to stay focused. This isn't just about Lin Yu. The dragon veins are destabilized, and if we don't act quickly, the entire network—"
"Well," Eugene said, his grin returning, sharper than before. "Looks like the show's starting without us."
The rumble reverberated through the city, a low, ominous groan that made even Eugene pause for a fraction of a second. But he quickly masked it with a crooked smile, leaning casually against the crumbling railing of the bridge.
"Well, that's not ominous or anything," he said, his voice light but his eyes sharp. "Who needs a functioning spiritual network, anyway? Overrated, right?"
"Stop it," Caera snapped, rising to her feet. Her hands were still trembling, but she clenched them into fists to steady herself. "You're not helping."
"Helping?" Eugene repeated, feigning surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you had it all under control, Goddess. Isn't this your job? Fixing spiritual disasters and all that divine jazz?"
Constantyn stepped between them, his expression grim. "Enough, Eugene. We don't have time for this. If Lin Yu gets too far ahead with the core—"
"She won't," Caera interrupted, cutting him off. She turned to Eugene, her eyes blazing. "Unless you're planning to slow us down with more of your little comments."
Eugene raised his hands in mock surrender, the grin never leaving his face. "Hey, I'm just here for moral support. And maybe to watch you all implode. But sure, let's play hero."
Baozi, still perched on Eugene's shoulder, yawned loudly. "Humans. Always talking. Never acting."
Caera ignored them, stepping closer to the edge of the bridge and looking out over the city. The skyline was eerily dark, the once-vibrant lights of Shanghai's towers now dimmed to a shadowy gloom. The faint traces of the dragon veins, usually invisible to the untrained eye, shimmered faintly in the distance—cracks of energy radiating like fractures in glass.
"She's heading for the Jin Mao Tower," Caera said, her voice steady.
Constantyn adjusted his sunglasses. "It makes sense. The tower is a key node in the network. If she's planning to reconfigure the dragon veins—or worse, weaponize them—that's where she'll start."
"Then we need to move. Now."
Eugene stretched, looking almost bored. "Sure, let's just sprint into the heart of darkness with no plan and no backup. What could possibly go wrong?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Caera snapped.
"As a matter of fact," Eugene said, his tone suddenly colder, "I do. Let Lin Yu handle it. She's smarter than all of us combined, and she's been two steps ahead since Taiwan. Why not let her finish what she started? Maybe she knows something we don't."
Caera stared at him, incredulous. "Are you seriously suggesting we let her destroy the city?"
"Destroy?" Eugene echoed, tilting his head. "Or save? Maybe you're not seeing the bigger picture here, Caera. Maybe the dragon veins need to be rewritten. Maybe the old ways aren't enough anymore."
Constantyn frowned. "And you're trusting her to decide that?"
"Why not?" Eugene's grin returned, sharp and unsettling. "She ditched me, sure, but I know her better than anyone. And if she's doing this, there's a reason. Besides," he added, leaning casually against the railing, "what's the alternative? Trusting you two to bumble your way into fixing it?"
"Enough." Caera's voice rang out, clear and commanding. She stepped forward, holding what was left of the jade sphere in her hands. "I don't care what her reasons are. She betrayed us. She stole the core. And I'm not going to stand here and let her decide the fate of this city."
Eugene's smile faltered for a moment, but it returned just as quickly. "Bold words, Little Goddess. Let's see if you can back them up."
Without another word, Caera turned and started walking toward the distant silhouette of the Jin Mao Tower. Constantyn hesitated for a moment before following, his expression unreadable.
Eugene watched them go, his grin fading as a shadow crossed his face. Baozi leapt from his shoulder and landed gracefully on the ground, looking up at him with piercing golden eyes.
"Are you going to help them?" the cat asked, his tone unreadable.
Eugene's eyes narrowed, and for the first time, the mask slipped entirely. "Help?" he repeated, his voice low. "No, Baozi. I think I've done enough helping for one lifetime."
And with that, he turned and followed them, disappearing into the shadows of the ruined bridge.
The wind howled around them, carrying the acrid scent of burnt energy and the eerie silence of a city teetering on the brink of collapse. Constantyn adjusted his glasses, his sharp gaze cutting through the gloom as he watched Caera stride toward the Jin Mao Tower's silhouette. But it wasn't the storm or the shattered sphere that unsettled him—it was Eugene's grin.
"Don't tell me you're planning to sit this one out," Constantyn said, his tone clipped. He didn't look at Eugene as he spoke, but the weight of his words hung heavy in the air.
Eugene leaned casually against the crumbling railing, the faint hum of energy from the dragon veins casting strange shadows across his face. "Sit out? Me? No way. I'm just… considering my options."
"Options?" Constantyn turned to him, his expression colder than the wind. "This isn't a game, Eugene. The city is falling apart, and you're still playing your little mental chess match."
Eugene laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. "Oh, come on, Mr. Perfect. Don't act like you're not playing, too. You've been trying to outmaneuver me since day one."
"This isn't about you and me," Constantyn said, his voice tight. "This is about Shanghai."
"Sure it is," Eugene replied, pushing off the railing and stepping closer. "But let's be real—your whole 'heroic academic' shtick? It's just another game. You're just as much a player as I am, Constantyn. The only difference is I'm honest about it."
Constantyn's jaw tightened. "Honest? Is that what you call manipulating people? Using them?"
Eugene's grin widened, but his eyes darkened. "Big words from someone who's been riding Caera's divine coattails since day one. Let me guess—you've got a nice little theory about the dragon veins, don't you? Some clever plan to fix everything and swoop in as the big savior."
"If you have a better plan," Constantyn shot back, his voice icy, "I'd love to hear it."
"Oh, I have plans," Eugene said, circling him like a predator sizing up its prey. "But you wouldn't like them. Too messy for your taste. Too unpredictable."
"Because they don't work," Constantyn countered.
Eugene's grin faltered for a fraction of a second, but he recovered quickly, leaning in close. "You know what your problem is, Constantyn? You think you're the smartest guy in the room. But guess what? Sometimes, brains aren't enough. Sometimes, you've gotta take risks. Make sacrifices. Do things the 'smartest guy' would never even consider."
Constantyn's eyes narrowed. "You mean betray the people who trust you? Like you betrayed Caera? Like you betrayed Lin Yu before?"
The grin disappeared completely now, replaced by something colder, harder. "Watch your mouth," Eugene said quietly.
"Why? Does the truth hurt?" Constantyn's voice was calm, but the edge in it was unmistakable. "Face it, Eugene. You're not half as clever as you think you are. That's why Lin Yu left you. That's why she's always been two steps ahead."
For a moment, the air between them crackled with tension. Eugene's hands clenched into fists at his sides, and for the first time, his mask slipped entirely.
"Say that again," he said, his voice low and dangerous.
Constantyn didn't flinch. "I don't need to."
Baozi, watching the exchange with disinterest, let out a loud yawn. "Humans," the cat muttered. "Always measuring who's smarter. It's exhausting."
"Stay out of this, furball," Eugene snapped, his voice sharp.
"Enough!" Caera's voice rang out from ahead, startling them both. She had stopped near the edge of the bridge, her silhouette framed against the darkened skyline. Her eyes burned with fury as she glared at them.
"We don't have time for this," she said, her voice trembling with frustration. "You two can measure egos later. Right now, we need to stop Lin Yu before she destroys everything."
Eugene shrugged, the grin creeping back onto his face, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Sure, Little Goddess. Lead the way. I'll be right behind you."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Caera muttered, turning away and continuing toward the tower.
Constantyn watched her go, then turned back to Eugene. "If you betray her—"
Eugene laughed, the sound cutting through the wind like a blade. "Relax, Professor. I'm not the bad guy here."
"Could've fooled me," Constantyn muttered under his breath before following Caera.
Eugene lingered for a moment, his grin fading as he looked out over the darkened city. Baozi hopped down from his shoulder, landing gracefully at his feet.
"You can't keep this up forever," the cat said, his voice low.
Eugene didn't respond at first. He stared at the faint glow of the dragon veins in the distance, his eyes unreadable. Then, finally, he whispered, "Maybe I don't have to."
And with that, he followed the others into the shadows, his steps light but his presence heavy, like a storm waiting to break.