Scene One: Hope
The air outside the Guild felt different that evening, heavier somehow, as though the city itself was holding its breath. At exactly six o'clock, Katherine slipped out of the office and onto the dim streets, Cecelia falling into step beside her. Neither of them said much at first. They didn't need to. Both carried the weight of what waited at Madison Square Garden, and both understood how dangerous this choice was.
Ezra had been the last one to see them off, his voice low but steady as he gave quiet instructions to the others. "Shadow them. Keep distance. Don't let them know you're there. If it goes bad, you step in."
Tousin remained in the Guild office, wired into the intercoms and trackers, his eyes on the shifting lights of the city map. "I'll keep the line open," he had promised. "If anything moves against you, I'll see it."
So Katherine and Cecelia walked. They didn't take the Guild's transport vehicles or summon any portals. The Garden wasn't far, and moving by foot meant no noise, no smoke trail, nothing to alert Seraphyne or Caleb of their arrival. The silence stretched until Cecelia finally broke it.
"You know," Cecelia said, her voice soft but edged with nerves, "the last time I saw Caleb before all of this… we were kids."
Katherine glanced at her. "Kids?"
Cecelia gave a faint smile, but it was tinged with regret. "We grew up in the same neighborhood. My dad worked in the city for a while, and Caleb's family lived two streets down from ours. He was… different, even back then. Strong, protective. The kind of kid everyone else leaned on. I was shy. Didn't talk much. But Caleb…" Her eyes softened at the memory. "He made space for me."
Katherine let her speak, listening closely. Cecelia's words were steady, but there was a fragile warmth underneath.
"He used to meet me outside our building every morning before school," Cecelia continued. "Made sure I didn't walk alone. He'd tell me stories—half true, half made up—about how he was going to grow up to be someone important. Said he'd protect everyone he cared about. He meant it, even back then. I think that's why it hurts so much to see him like this."
Katherine stayed quiet for a moment, weighing her words. "And then you left."
Cecelia nodded, her jaw tightening. "My dad got transferred overseas. We didn't have a choice. I remember the day we packed; Caleb was furious. He didn't say goodbye. He just… walked away. I always thought I'd see him again. Didn't think it would be like this."
Katherine breathed out slowly. "That explains it. No wonder you're so drawn to him."
Cecelia glanced sideways. "What about you? When did you meet him?"
A small smile tugged at Katherine's lips, though it was bitter at the edges. "I was seventeen. Didn't know who I was yet. Didn't know what I could do. There was this group of kids—older, cruel, the type who pick at weakness. They cornered me behind the old gym, pushed me around, laughed when I cried." She looked down at her hands, flexing them slightly. "I thought I'd break. Then Caleb showed up. He didn't hesitate. He took every single one of them down. Not with powers, not with anything special. Just… sheer will."
The memory brought a strange warmth to her chest. "That was the day I realized some people fight not because they want to, but because they can't stand to see others hurt. He didn't even know me, not really. But he protected me anyway. Since then, I've always seen him as… someone I could count on. Like an older brother I never had."
Cecelia stopped walking for a moment, studying her carefully. "You don't have feelings for him?"
Katherine shook her head firmly. "No. Caleb is important to me, but not like that. He's family in every way except blood. My heart…" She paused, her voice dropping, eyes hardening with resolve. "My heart belongs to Jeremiah."
They walked again, their footsteps echoing against the empty streets. Katherine's voice grew heavier, steadier, as she spoke the truth she rarely admitted out loud.
"Jeremiah isn't just another Sentinel. He's the reason I haven't broken apart a hundred times over. He sees me—not the fighter, not the weapon the Guild wants, but me. And I will save him. I don't care what it costs. Even if I have to burn myself out, even if I have to fight Caleb with everything I have… I will not lose him."
The determination in her tone made Cecelia shiver.
For a while, neither spoke. The weight of Katherine's vow hung between them. Finally, Cecelia exhaled slowly, nodding. "Then let's promise each other something. Whatever happens in there, whatever Seraphyne throws at us—we face it together. No more holding back, no more running."
Katherine stopped, turning to her fully. She reached out her hand. Cecelia hesitated only a moment before taking it. Their grip was firm, more than a handshake—it was an oath.
"Together," Katherine said.
"Together," Cecelia echoed.
The Madison Square Garden loomed ahead now, its massive frame silhouetted against the night sky, lights flickering weakly across its surface like dying embers. The streets around it were empty, too empty. The silence pressed in from every side, broken only by the faint hum of Tousin's voice crackling through the earpiece.
"I've got your locations," Tousin reported. "No movement yet. Stay sharp. I'll keep you covered."
Katherine tightened her grip on Cecelia's hand once more before letting go. Her heart was already racing, but her mind was clear. Tonight would change everything.
They stepped forward.
Into the Garden.
---
Scene Two: Outnumbered
The gates of Madison Square Garden creaked open with a metallic groan that echoed through the quiet night. Katherine and Cecelia exchanged a look, both tense, before stepping inside. The air was heavy, charged, like the stillness before a storm.
Their footsteps crunched against the pavement as they crossed into the vast arena. The silence was suffocating. Every seat in the stadium was empty, shadows stretching across the rows.
Then, one by one, the floodlights snapped on. Harsh white beams bathed the football field in unnatural light, throwing long, jagged shadows across the turf.
At the center of the field stood Caleb. His posture was rigid, his head slightly tilted forward. But his eyes glowed with an unnatural purple hue, flickering like wildfire trapped in glass.
"I told you to come alone," Caleb's voice echoed, low and hollow.
Cecelia stepped forward without hesitation. "That was my decision. If Katherine was going into danger, I wasn't going to let her face it by herself."
Caleb's gaze snapped to her, the glow in his eyes intensifying. For a brief moment, something human flickered there, but it was swallowed by the purple light.
And then Seraphyne appeared. She materialized from the shadows like liquid darkness, her form tall and imposing, her hair flowing unnaturally as though caught in a wind no one else could feel.
"Well, well," Seraphyne's voice purred, dripping with mockery. "The loyal little sister and the stubborn leader. You Sentinels never learn, do you? Always charging into my web."
Katherine's fists clenched. "Release Caleb. This isn't him. You're twisting his mind."
Seraphyne tilted her head, smiling as though amused. "Twisting? No, Katherine. I'm liberating him. For once, he doesn't have to carry the burden of your judgment. He is free from the chains of loyalty to you and your Guild."
Cecelia's eyes glistened. She stepped forward, her voice breaking. "Caleb, it's me. Do you remember? We were children when we met. My father had taken a job that moved us from city to city, but you—" She choked back a sob. "You were my first friend. You'd sneak into the gardens near the riverbank just to show me the fire tricks you were learning. You promised you'd never forget me. And I—" Her knees hit the turf as she fell forward, pleading. "I never forgot you. Please, don't let her take you from us."
For a fleeting second, Caleb's expression twitched, as if her words cracked the wall around his mind. But Seraphyne's hand lifted lazily, and a wave of unseen force exploded outward.
The shockwave hit Cecelia like a hammer. She was thrown across the field, slamming into the turf with a cry of pain. Before Katherine could move, tendrils of shimmering dark magic wrapped around Cecelia's body, binding her limbs to the ground.
"Enough sentiment," Seraphyne said coldly. "Emotions make you weak. That is why Leonard will always rule you all."
Katherine's voice cut sharp. "What do you want?"
Seraphyne's expression hardened. "An order from the king. Drain you of your power. Strip you bare. You are dangerous, Katherine. Too dangerous to be left unchecked."
"Leonard sent you…" Katherine muttered, fury simmering.
"Yes," Seraphyne admitted. But for the first time, her eyes softened with something almost human. "Do you think I enjoy this? My children. The man I loved. They are prisoners of the Empire. Do you understand what that means? Every day I fail to obey, they suffer. This is the only way to win their freedom."
Katherine's chest heaved. "So that's why you took Jeremiah too?!"
Seraphyne chuckled darkly. "A price has to be paid."
Something in Katherine snapped. Her eyes blazed as crimson light surged around her. The turf beneath her feet cracked from the sheer pressure of her aura.
"You want a price? Then fight me for it."
Chains of fire burst from Katherine's hands, whipping through the air with violent precision. They wrapped around Caleb, locking him in place before he could lash out. His purple-lit eyes widened, the bindings searing against the corruption that pulsed through him.
Seraphyne's smirk faltered as Katherine charged forward. Their powers collided with an eruption of force. Katherine's crimson energy slammed into Seraphyne's dark violet aura, the impact sending shockwaves rippling across the stadium.
The ground trembled. The floodlights flickered.
Seraphyne lashed out with blades of condensed shadow, slicing the air with lethal speed. Katherine countered with radiant shields, deflecting blow after blow. Sparks erupted where their powers clashed, lighting up the night sky like fireworks.
"You fight well," Seraphyne hissed, her tone grudgingly respectful. "But you are still one girl against me."
"Then you haven't been paying attention," Katherine spat, her voice trembling with fury. She launched herself upward, her chains unraveling midair before reconfiguring into spears of light. They shot downward, forcing Seraphyne to stagger backward under the barrage.
For a moment, it seemed Katherine's fury would overwhelm her. Her strikes came faster, heavier, her aura swelling until the very turf ripped apart beneath them.
Seraphyne's lips curled into a snarl. She raised her hands to the sky, chanting words that dripped with ancient power. The ground beneath them cracked open.
From the darkness rose a massive golem, its body forged of obsidian stone and glowing molten veins. Its eyes lit like burning coals, towering above the stadium walls.
And with it, soldiers began to appear—dark-armored warriors materializing in disciplined formation. One after another until they were two hundred strong, their spears and blades gleaming in the floodlights.
The entire stadium shook with their arrival.
Katherine froze, her chest heaving, the weight of the enemy pressing against her like a tidal wave. Her crimson chains flickered uncertainly as exhaustion tugged at her limbs.
She looked around. Seraphyne's forces filled every corner of the field. The golem's massive footsteps made the earth quake.
For the first time, Katherine felt herself step backward. Not out of fear, but the crushing reality that she was outnumbered.
Her lips parted in a whisper, a single breath carried into the suffocating night air.
"…is it going to end like this?…"
The battlefield went silent, waiting for the storm to break.
Scene 3: Overwhelmed
The night split with Seraphyne's command. Her voice thundered across the field, sharp and merciless.
"Kill them all."
The 200 armored soldiers surged forward like a tidal wave of steel. Their footsteps shook the ground, their weapons raised high as they rushed toward Katherine.
But before the wall of enemies could close in, movement rippled through the shadows of the stands. One by one, the Sentinels dropped into the light, each landing with purpose. Ezra with his blade already drawn, Jax cracking his knuckles with a grin, Haruto's eyes narrowed with steady resolve, and the others forming a protective circle around Katherine.
"You guys!" Katherine's voice cracked, a mix of relief and disbelief.
Jax threw her a quick glance, his tone easy but firm. "It's alright, Kat. We gotcha."
Then the field erupted.
The Sentinels crashed into the soldiers with a storm of power and precision. Ezra's sword flashed silver arcs, cutting through armor like paper as he weaved between enemies with deadly grace. Jax slammed his fists into the turf, sending shockwaves rippling outward that shattered shields and threw soldiers into the air. Haruto moved like a phantom, his strikes precise, every swing of his weapon taking down an enemy before they could even raise their guard.
The soldiers responded with discipline, ranks forming around the Sentinels in coordinated attacks. Spears thrust, blades swung, and shields locked into walls. But the Guild moved as one, a single body with many arms, their teamwork honed through battles fought side by side.
The air filled with the clash of steel and the cries of war. Sparks flew. The ground was soon littered with broken weapons and groaning bodies.
And Katherine—her task was different.
The golem loomed above her, its obsidian frame towering like a mountain. Its molten veins pulsed with crimson fire, and every swing of its massive arms shook the stadium. When its fist slammed into the ground, the shock rattled her bones, sending cracks spidering across the turf.
Katherine dodged left, chains of fire lashing at its limbs. They wrapped around its wrist, burning against its stone hide, but the creature wrenched free with brute force, dragging her across the field like a rag doll. She dug her heels into the ground, anchoring herself before vaulting upward, slamming a searing spear of light into the golem's chest.
It roared, the sound a deep, tortured bellow that rattled her very core.
But then—she froze.
In its eyes, behind the burning red glow, there was something else. A flicker. A silent plea. It didn't look like rage. It looked like pain. Like the creature was fighting itself.
Katherine's breath caught. "You… you don't want this, do you?"
She stepped forward, her chains retracting. For one moment, her fury stilled, replaced with the realization that the golem wasn't an enemy by choice. It was trapped, enslaved by Seraphyne's magic.
And that hesitation cost her.
A shadow flickered. Seraphyne appeared at Katherine's side like smoke reforming into flesh, her hand striking forward with cruel precision.
Dark tendrils latched onto Katherine's chest, searing into her like icy fire.
Katherine gasped, her knees buckling as her strength began to drain away. The crimson glow of her aura dimmed, pulled from her body and siphoned into Seraphyne's waiting grasp.
"Yes," Seraphyne hissed, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "It was that easy. You should have known better than to show mercy."
Katherine's body shook as her energy poured out of her, her limbs trembling with weakness. She tried to push back, to fight the drain, but her strength slipped through her fingers like water. Her vision blurred.
Her mind spiraled inward, clinging to the only thing she had left.
Jeremiah.
Flashbacks flickered across her mind, clear and sharp despite her failing body.
The first time she met him, when his quiet voice had calmed her in the middle of a storm.
The way he'd stood in front of her against impossible odds, unyielding.
The night he confessed his feelings under the glow of the city lights.
His smile—the one she had sworn to protect, no matter what.
Her lips trembled.
"I'm sorry, Jeremiah…" Her voice was barely a whisper. "My love… I couldn't keep our promise…"
Seraphyne's laughter was cruel, echoing through the stadium. "It's over, Katherine Vance. When I finish taking your powers, you will die. Your Guild will fall. And the king will have his victory."
Katherine's head sagged forward, her strength nearly gone. Her heart slowed in her chest.
Then—
The air split.
From nowhere, a cold mist swept across the field, rolling in like a tide. It wrapped around Katherine's body, numbing the tendrils of shadow clinging to her. A blinding light erupted at the center of the mist, pure and unyielding, cutting through Seraphyne's darkness like a blade.
Seraphyne screamed as the force struck her, ripping her off Katherine and hurling her across the field. She crashed into the turf, her body skidding before she dug her hands into the ground, snarling in disbelief.
The stadium glowed in the brilliance of the light. Soldiers faltered mid-battle, their weapons lowering as the mist chilled their bones. Even the golem stilled, its molten veins dimming as though soothed by the radiance.
And then, from the center of the light, a figure emerged.
He walked slowly, deliberately, every step echoing with impossible strength. His body was wreathed in a soft glow, his form sharp against the mist. His eyes burned like twin stars, unwavering.
Katherine's breath caught in her throat as her vision cleared enough to see him.
Jeremiah.
Alive. Glowing. Radiant.
He looked straight at her, his expression unreadable but his presence undeniable.
The battlefield froze. Seraphyne's soldiers held their ground, fear flickering in their eyes. Even Seraphyne herself faltered, her body trembling from the force of his arrival.
The light surrounding him grew brighter, cold mist spilling outward across the entire stadium, pressing against everyone like the weight of an approaching storm.
Katherine's heart lurched. She whispered his name, her voice breaking with relief and disbelief.
"…Jeremiah…"
The world seemed to hold its breath.
And then—darkness and light clashed in the center of Madison Square Garden, as fate shifted into something new.
Scene 4 : velvet roses
The silence after Jeremiah's arrival stretched across the stadium. Every Sentinel froze mid-battle, every soldier hesitated. The glow from his body pulsed like a heartbeat, silvery light flooding the field.
Ezra's eyes widened. He had seen many things in battle, but nothing like this. The mark burned on Jeremiah's shoulder, the ancestral tattoo of their bloodline, shining with icy brilliance.
"He's embraced it…" Ezra whispered to himself. "He's finally embraced his destiny."
Jeremiah didn't speak. He simply walked forward, his steps deliberate, his aura pressing down on everyone like a storm. He knelt beside Katherine, whose body was limp on the ground, her breathing shallow. His hand glowed with cold light as he touched her chest. Frosty mist curled over her wounds, and the drained aura inside her began to stabilize.
Katherine's eyes fluttered open for a moment, her lips trembling. "You're… alive."
Her words were barely audible before her eyes rolled back, unconscious from exhaustion.
Jeremiah's face softened for an instant. He lifted her with careful strength, carried her to a bench near the sideline, and laid her down gently. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, then stood.
When he turned to face Seraphyne, his eyes were nothing but cold fire.
Seraphyne stumbled back a step, her own eyes wide. "Impossible… There's no way you escaped my spell."
Jeremiah didn't answer. He raised his hand, and an ice spear formed, the blade jagged, glowing with deadly brilliance. With a burst of speed, he charged.
Their clash rang like thunder.
Jeremiah struck with a fury Seraphyne hadn't anticipated. His ice spears shattered her shields. His strikes cut through her flames. Every movement carried precision and weight, each blow forcing her backward.
Seraphyne snarled, summoning whips of dark fire, lashing out in desperation. Jeremiah batted them aside, shards of ice exploding outward. Their duel ripped across the field, carving deep scars into the ground.
She was strong. But Jeremiah was stronger.
Her eyes darted around. She needed to escape. She spun, vanishing into smoke, but before she could flee, Jeremiah reappeared in her path, ice lances raining down to cut off her retreat. His spear pierced forward, aimed for her heart.
And then the golem moved.
It staggered between them, blocking the strike. Jeremiah's spear plunged into its chest. The creature roared—not in rage, but in pain. Its molten veins flickered, sputtering, before dimming completely. Its massive body shrank, stone dissolving into flesh, until a man collapsed onto the turf where the monster once stood.
Blood spilled from his lips as he fell to his knees.
Seraphyne's scream tore through the stadium. "No!"
She rushed to him, cradling his body in her arms, her hands trembling. Tears streamed down her face as she realized what she was holding. Her husband.
Her voice broke. "You… It was you all along… My love…"
The man coughed, blood staining his lips. His hand twitched weakly, brushing against her cheek before falling limp.
Seraphyne's body shook as sobs racked her chest. "You shouldn't have… You shouldn't have left me again…"
Then a cold laugh sliced through the air.
Veronica appeared from the mist, her obsidian staff in hand, her grin cruel. "He was a fun toy. Too bad he died so quickly."
Seraphyne's head snapped toward her, eyes blazing with fury through her tears. "You… You used my husband as a pawn… You'll pay for this!"
Her grief transformed into rage. She leapt to her feet, summoning fire that burned brighter than ever, and charged at Veronica with reckless abandon.
But Veronica was ready. Her obsidian spear flashed black in the light.
It pierced through Seraphyne's chest.
The field froze.
Blood spread across her robes as the weapon withdrew. She staggered, choking, her eyes wide with disbelief. The fire around her dimmed, flickering into nothing.
Behind her, Caleb stirred. His eyes fluttered open, the purple glow fading. He groaned, clutching his head as he looked around, dazed.
And Katherine—her body shivered on the bench as her aura reignited. A surge of power rushed back into her veins, responding to Seraphyne's fading life force.
The tide of battle shifted.
Veronica raised her hand and gave a sharp command. "Retreat."
The soldiers hesitated but obeyed. The battlefield rippled as they vanished into shadows, leaving behind only silence, smoke, and blood.
Seraphyne collapsed onto the turf. Her eyes sought Jeremiah's as her breathing grew shallow. She tried to speak, her voice trembling, soaked with regret.
"I'm… sorry…" Her hand weakly reached for him, her eyes glistening. "Please… save my kids… and tell them… Mama loves them…"
Her body went limp. Her eyes closed. Her final breath left her lips.
The stadium grew silent, broken only by the faint hum of lingering magic.
Ezra lowered his blade, his face grim. The other Sentinels gathered, their expressions caught between relief and sorrow.
And Jeremiah stood over Seraphyne's body, his aura fading into a cold stillness. His eyes darkened, his jaw set like stone.
The cost of this night had only begun to reveal itself.
---