**Cont.
---
The steady hum of the emergency lights was abruptly interrupted by a more jarring sound—bootfalls, too many, and way too close.
Kael jerked his head toward the door just as it slid open. There stood Nico, his suit collar askew and a smirk dancing on his lips, as if the whole place still belonged to him.
"Well," Nico drawled, sauntering inside while six armed figures trailed behind him. "Looks like Luka's tougher than I thought. You always did go overboard with your creations, Kael."
Ezra tensed, his grip tightening around the holo-crystal. Luka's projection flickered beside him, buzzing like a static-filled hiss.
Kael remained behind his desk, motionless. His voice was calm yet laced with venom. "You had two options, Nico. Stand by me, or watch everything burn."
Nico let out a sharp, brittle laugh. "I chose freedom. You wouldn't understand—you're too busy playing the hero. Look out there?" He pointed at the city skyline, aflame with a crimson glow. "People like me are done bowing to you. They'll pay whatever it takes for a life free of your shadow."
Kael stood up slowly, deliberately. The red light cut across his face, casting sharp shadows, and for a brief moment, Ezra could have sworn he looked less like a man and more like a weapon.
"You should've brought an army," Kael said flatly.
Nico's grin flickered, just for an instant—but then he snapped his fingers, and the mercenaries raised their rifles. "Funny," he sneered, "I did."
And then chaos erupted in the room.
**To be continued...