Ten figures appeared at the entrance of the Whitmore family's Hidden Territory in the blink of an eye. Lyla was among them, giving instructions with practiced ease.
Victor and Regis had been paired together. Markham with Blackie. Leeroy with Micah. Ryan stood beside a man Ethan didn't recognize, while Lyla herself was partnered with Dragon Child.
Ethan frowned. What were they planning? Each team had the same pattern: one local guide paired with a strong fighter. And that unfamiliar man… he seemed oddly familiar, though Ethan couldn't place him.
The last time Ethan had crossed paths with Starfall, in the Silverwood family's Hidden Territory, he hadn't gotten a proper look at the man's face. Back then, Starfall had been shrouded in ghostly energy, black smoke curling around him like a second skin. Now there was none of that. His aura felt entirely different—ordinary, almost human. No wonder Ethan hadn't recognized him.
