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LOCATION: NINA & SIENNA'S BEACH HOUSE
CITY: VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA
DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 | TIME: 2:30 PM
The afternoon sunlight shone through the open windows at Nina and Sienna's beach house. The light illuminated a layer of perspiration and tears on Brick's face.
Aria wasn't in much better condition, either.
Finally, Brick felt he had enough and called Grim.
"Hang on, Brick. Let me conference in Colin so you don't have to tell us twice."
A moment later, the line clicked again, and Grim was back.
"Okay, we're both on the line. How bad is it?"
Brick sniffled.
"They're…"
But no further words were coming.
Aria took the phone from his hand.
"I've got this. Go enjoy the ocean breeze."
She waited a minute while Brick lowered his head and shuffled out the back door, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
The door slid shut, and Aria began the briefing.
"So it turns out two brothers have taken over Nina and Sienna's bodies through some sort of dark ritual."
She wiped tears from her cheeks and quickly blew her nose. Grim and Colin waited respectfully.
"They're… dead, Grim."
"So let me get this straight," Grim said. "You're telling me that these two men inhabit these bodies, and there's no way of getting Nina and Sienna back?"
"That's our understanding."
"How uhh… aggressive were you in your questioning?"
Aria snorted. "Let's say we didn't exactly abide by Geneva Convention rules, but they are unharmed. Mostly."
From the other end of the phone, Grim heard some grunting and the sound of someone trying to talk through a gag. It was followed by a loud smack that was unmistakable.
"Nothing that won't grow back with some help from a healer, anyway," Aria said.
Colin sighed.
"What was their ultimate goal here?"
"No idea," Aria said. "Sabotage? They will only say so much before they shut down. I think something is preventing them from divulging too much. It's like at a certain point, their voices cease to function."
"Well, fuck," Grim said. "We've seen something like that before. I feel like we should loop the Council and Valerie in on this. It may tie back to that group in Allovia that fucked with Trevor Gant."
"Shit," Aria said. "I didn't make the connection, but that makes sense. Alright, Brick and I will keep these two on ice until you figure it out on your end."
Grim paused a moment. "How's the big man holding up?"
"Not well, Grim. Not well at all."
They ended the call. Grim and Colin got to work rounding up the Council for an emergency discussion.
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LOCATION: THE RIVERSTONE HEARTH – INN & TAVERN
CITY: MYRRINDEL, ALLOVIA
DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 | TIME: 10:30 PM
They made the arrangements and everyone appeared at The Riverstone Hearth in Myrrindel that night. Valerie had adjusted everyone's arrival time so they didn't have to wait through the entire Allovian day.
As soon as Brick appeared in his room, he ran through the hotel until he found Nina and Sienna in their own rooms. He quickly got them restrained again, and brought them down to the dining hall.
Grim, Aria, and Valerie were already there, and Flint had just shown up with his crew from The Umbral Thread.
Valerie shook his hand as soon as they spotted each other.
"Thank you for helping us out with this," she said. "We weren't sure who else to call."
Flint smiled.
"If it involves The Muted Cord," he said in a low tone, "we're always the ones to call, Curator."
Then he spoke a bit louder as he rounded the group up.
Other patrons in the tavern noticed the two women restrained with ropes around their wrists, but none dared to say anything about it.
"Let's be on our way," Flint said. "We've got a ways to go."
"Where are you taking them?" Brick asked.
"We'll speak more when there are fewer ears around. Follow me."
Flint led them all to the western gates of the capital city, and after tipping the guards, they all walked quickly out without the need to answer any questions.
He ushered the group along the road, and when they were twenty minutes at a brisk pace away from Myrrindel, he filled them in.
"There's a Witch who lives ahead. Valerie, you'll remember her. She's the one who cured you when you were taken by The Cord."
Sienna and Nina squirmed when they hear of the Witch, trying to wrestle free from Brick's grasp.
"Need some help, big guy?" Aria asked.
Brick yanked on the ropes harder, and Aria heard the sickening noise made when a shoulder is dislocated, followed by the pop of it going back into joint. Cormac, in Nina's body, cried out in pain, while Silas just cried.
But the Brothers Black fell in line. They stopped struggling, lowered their heads and continued walking.
"Nope. See? They're fine," Brick said.
Grim noticed the smirk on Brick's face, but it was hard not to see the anger boiling just beneath the surface.
They continued making their way west along the main road, and came upon a cabin in the woods. It was just before midnight when they arrived.
"We'll have to wait here for a bit," Flint said. "She doesn't open up until—"
"Everyone, get down!" Aria whispered.
Six arrows flew through the air, embedding into trees or whistling past them.
"Someone must be following them," Brick said. He tied Nina and Sienna to a tree and told Valerie to watch them.
"Let me handle this," Brick said. He drew his sword and raised his shield in front of him.
Flint was about to go after him, but Grim held out his arm.
"He's got a lot of anger to burn. Let him go. He'll yell out if he needs help."
Ten minutes later, Brick reappeared in the dark. He tossed two bodies down on the ground.
"They didn't want to talk," he said.
The front of his armor and his face were covered in blood and gore.
"It's probably hard to talk with a jaw broken like that," Grim said, raising an eyebrow.
"What?" Brick asked.
He turned toward the bodies on the ground.
"Oh, that. Yeah, I guess you're right."
He shrugged.
Just then, the door to the hut opened, and the Witch looked out.
"What do we have here?"
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System Broadcast
Vitalyx Recipients: 8,142,528,967
Rejuvenex Recipients: 8,142,528,967
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@NewYorkTimes: All crime statistics in New York City for the month of August, 2026 were the lowest in the modern era.
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