The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when Jade and Rael found a safe house in the middle of the city's slums. It was a small, rundown building tucked away from the eyes of the city's guards, a place where fugitives and those with nowhere to go hid in plain sight.
Jade's chest ached from more than just the physical strain. His thoughts kept circling back to his brother, to the coldness in his eyes, the way he'd turned his back on everything they once shared. But there was no time to mourn. Not yet.
"Jade… you okay?" Rael's voice broke through his thoughts.
Jade didn't answer right away. He was sitting against the wall, his hand still gripping the key tightly. He didn't trust himself to speak yet. The emotions swirling inside him were too raw, too overwhelming.
"I will be," he finally muttered. "Eventually."
Rael nodded, but it was clear he wasn't convinced. He sat beside him, his eyes scanning the room before they settled back on Jade. "We're in more danger now. Nebet won't let this go."
Jade took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I know."
Rael frowned. "That's not all. There's the matter of your brother, too. I'm sorry, Jade. I didn't expect him to be involved in all this."
Jade clenched his jaw. "I didn't either. He... he was supposed to be different."
Rael didn't push the matter further. Instead, he pulled out a small map and spread it out in front of them. "We need to get to the Eastern Port. It's the only place where we can disappear for a while. Lay low until we figure out our next move."
Jade's eyes narrowed as he studied the map. "The Eastern Port... that's a long way from here."
"Yeah," Rael said, his voice tinged with a sense of finality. "But it's our best shot."
Jade nodded slowly, but as his gaze moved over the map, his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, that there was more to Nebet's gang, the Ten Shadows, than just their power and their influence. There was a deeper, darker force at play. And his brother, as cold as he had become, was at the heart of it.
"I need to go back," Jade said suddenly, his voice low.
Rael shot him a confused look. "What? Go back to where? Are you crazy?"
Jade stood up, his hand resting on the key again. "I'm not done. I need to find out more about Nebet, about the Ten Shadows. I won't be able to run forever. And I won't leave this world until I've made things right."
Rael shook his head. "This isn't about what's right, Jade. It's about survival."
"I know," Jade said quietly, his eyes fixed on the map. "But survival isn't enough. Not anymore."
There was a long silence between them. Then, finally, Rael sighed and stood up. "I can't stop you, can I?"
Jade met his gaze and shook his head. "No. But you don't have to come with me. I'm going alone."
Rael hesitated for a moment, and then his lips curled into a slight smile. "I'm not letting you face Nebet and his gang by yourself. You need me, whether you admit it or not."
Jade didn't argue. He knew Rael was right. They had made it this far together, and Jade would be lying to himself if he said he could handle this alone. Even if his brother had become their enemy, Rael was the closest thing he had to family now.
"Alright," Jade said. "But we're moving fast. We don't have much time."
Rael gave him a determined nod. "We'll leave at dawn."