Back in the medical wing, the atmosphere was far calmer but not without tension.
The gentle hum of Lucent Grave faded, its glow settling like a resting heartbeat. Dævd's hand lingered on the blade for a few moments longer before he finally turned back toward the others.
His gaze found Jules first.
"…Hey," Dævd said, his voice softer now. "Thank you."
Jules blinked. "Me?"
Dævd nodded. "You stayed. When everything was burning, when people were running… you stayed."
He hesitated. "You didn't even know me."
Jules gave a half-smile, a bit crooked. "Yeah, well… you looked like someone worth staying for. And it's not like I had a better place to be." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "Besides, you kinda saved our ass back there too. We're even."
Dævd chuckled lightly. "Still. Thank you."
A faint smirk grew on Kade's face.
"Jules was it?" Dævd asked. "I kinda forgot"
Jules perked up like he'd been waiting for the question all day.
"Oh, now you ask!" he grinned. "Yeah it's Jules. I tinker, build, hack, improvise and occasionally do parkour to avoid getting blown up. I, uh… don't have any fancy powers or glowing swords, but I'm told I'm incredibly charming."
Kade snorted from the corner. "He told himself that."
Jules smirked. "And I believed it. Anyway…" he nodded toward Dævd. "what about you? You're not exactly human, are you?"
Dævd hesitated, then shook his head. "No. Not really."
Kade stepped forward, arms finally lowering. "He's more than that. And if what I saw back there was only the beginning… we're in for a storm."
For a moment, the room fell quiet again, not heavy, just thoughtful.
Three young men… well… one isn't exactly young but you get the point, all thrown together by chaos, each scarred in their own way, now standing in the stillness after the storm.
Jules looked between them and broke the silence with a grin. "So… this is the part where we become best friends and save the world, right?"
Kade groaned. "God, I already regret this."
Dævd just smiled. For the first time, it felt like maybe… just maybe, he wasn't alone in this anymore.
A few minutes later, the door slid open with a soft whir, then hissed shut behind Lila, leaving behind a strange stillness. Her expression calm but firm.
"We're leaving Lagos," Lila said, voice steady. "This base is no longer secure. Too many eyes. Too much damage. Division-7 has approved our transfer to the main headquarters, Delaware, U.S."
Dævd looked up, his blade beside him. "Is this… because of me?"
Lila met his gaze evenly with a soft sigh. "It's because of what's chasing you. And what you represent. We can't risk it happening again… not without more support, better defenses, and global eyes off your back."
Jules leaned forward, nodding. "Sounds fancy. Do they have food that doesn't taste like chalk and fear?"
Kade didn't laugh. Arms crossed, he stood like a statue near the door, jaw tight. "And we're just supposed to drop everything and run?"
Lila turned to him. "No one said anything about running. We're repositioning. And you're not exactly dropping much, Kade. You've been off the grid for three years."
Jules glanced at him with a smirk. "She's got a point."
Kade shot him a look, then exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "Tch. Fine. But I'm not babysitting either of them."
Jules raised a hand. "I'm older than him."
"That makes it worse," Kade muttered.
Lila ignored the banter and tapped a small holographic device. "Transport's already on its way. Stealth hovercarrier, flight time six hours. Pack light. We leave in fifteen."
Dævd stood slowly, eyes flicking between them. "What's the U.S. HQ like?"
Rena stepped in from the adjacent corridor, arms tucked behind her. "It's colder, more strict. But it's where the real decisions get made."
Dævd nodded once, gripping Lucent Grave. "Alright let's go."
Jules pulled his duffel over his shoulder. "Shotgun."
Kade rolled his eyes. "It's a hovercarrier. There is no shotgun."
"I can still call it."
Lila smiled faintly as the team moved down the hall toward the departure bay, uncertain of what awaited them next, but no longer running separate paths.
Together now… for better or worse.
Outside, engines purred and the hovercraft bay doors yawned open to receive its new passengers. As everyone stepped in one by one Dævd and Kade paused to take a look back at the horizon, at the home they're about to leave behind.
Lila turned, noticed them, then gave soft sympathetic sigh, stepping back down.
"I'm sorry it has to come to this." Lila said softly placing a hand on their shoulders.
"Whatever Kael is planning… he won't stop until he gets what he wants"
"Running halfway across the planet. Feels like giving ground." Kade replied softly.
"It's not retreating. It's positioning. If we wait here, we'd only be gambling with more civilian lives." Lila straightened.
"For now… we need to regroup, plan… and protect what's left."
Dævd looked at her, silent but nodding once
Kade's exhaled through his nose and gave a sharp nod.
"Alright. But next time someone comes for him, I'm not asking for clearance, I'm ending it."
Then from nowhere Jules appears behind Kade.
"Aw," Jules chimed in, grinning. "Was that your way of saying you care?"
Kade rolled his eyes. "No. That was my way of saying shut up."
Jules gave Dævd a sideways glance. "He's shy with feelings. Don't worry, we'll fix him."
Dævd smirked faintly, gripping the hilt of Lucent Grave as they all stepped into the hovercraft, the bay door hissing closed behind them.
The engines of the Division 7 hovercraft ignited with a low, resonant hum, deep and steady, like the growl of a sleeping giant awakening. Vents along the underside hissed, releasing gusts of superheated air that kicked up dust, debris, and the faint scent of scorched concrete. The craft's sleek, angular body, matte black with iridescent blue trim shimmered faintly under the dim sky, its surface etched with the emblem of Division 7.
A sudden thrum surged through the cabin, vibrating faintly beneath their boots.
Then, without warning, the hovercraft lifted from the ground in a smooth, gravity-defying rise. The roar built into a controlled crescendo as the anti-grav drives fully engaged. The wind from the lift-off rippling through charred flags and fractured awnings.
Inside, Dævd sat quietly near one of the narrow viewports, his eyes fixed on the distant skyline, jaw tight.
Jules peeked over his shoulder. "Kinda dramatic," he muttered. "Ten outta ten exit."
Kade, strapped in and arms crossed, didn't look away from the front. "Just keep your head down until we land."
With a final surge, the hovercraft tilted forward, engaging long-range flight mode and streaked into the upper atmosphere, vanishing into the cloud-streaked sky like a black arrow fired toward destiny.