Scene 1 — Ras
"What did I say. I knew it was Karaka."
I stared down from my seat at the cliff's edge, eyes fixed on the cavern entrance carved into the quiet grotto below. Hidden paths like these always carried a certain stillness—one earned through distance and blood.
"Looks like he was led by one of those Elders of the Silver Dwarf," I continued. "Is that oversized axe supposed to be a command tool?"
Selena had warned me someone would intercept us near the exit to the Twenty-Ninth Floor. Seeing it play out only confirmed the pattern.
"Yes," Toyin answered before she could, his voice tight. "That's one of the infamous hunters of the hidden races. The Goblinkin's last message—from their former young leader—said the Dwarves had found their tunnels."
Bitterness laced his words. Toyin looked down at the scene below with a kind of disgust I'd never seen from him before.
"Well," I said, tracking the men as they entered the forested grotto, awe clear in their posture, "you can take part if he gets involved, right?"
Even Karaka paused when he stepped fully into the clearing. That alone was telling.
"If he attacks, or if I attack," Selena replied calmly, "then both sides are permitted to fight. Representatives of Irregulars, and those attached to the Ten Families."
I listened, but my focus shifted as the Dwarf lifted his head.
Our eyes met.
Mine changed on instinct.
The two circles orbiting my pupil surfaced, the dragon slit cutting through them as their true nature returned—blocking his sight before it could reach my astral core. Golden Crow lineage mixing with my dragon nature, the imbalance growing stronger the higher I climbed.
"I'm assuming he's important if FUG is willing to back him," I said. "Toyin, stay with the Golden Crows for now."
That subtle wrongness pressed again—faint, distant, but growing.
"Something's moving," I added. "I can feel it."
Shinsoo rose with my breath. The temperature followed.
Below us, trees ignited—not slowly, not naturally. Flame rolled outward, carried by Shinsoo like intent made visible. A phenomenon Tower-born rarely witnessed turned into a living nightmare as the forest vanished in under a minute.
Most of them forgot who they were dealing with.
A Wave Controller classified by the Tower itself.
Someone who reshaped the rules they believed were permanent.
Karaka retreated, forced back into his heart domain before the fire could swallow him completely. The Dwarf Elder didn't move.
He just kept watching me.
"He's lost his patron," I muttered. "So he should back off now."
Selena's hand rested on my shoulder, cool moon energy steadying what stirred beneath.
"It doesn't work like that," she said. "As long as he brings someone else straight toward you, he can keep escalating without striking. That's why he brought Karaka. Evan and two members of the Ha family are already moving through the tunnels."
That explained the pressure.
"Once the other families realized Yuri's supply run wasn't just supplies," she continued, "connecting it to the hidden races wasn't difficult. The only ones they hesitate to approach are clans on the higher floors."
I let the fire die down.
"Whatever he's planning, I don't care," I said. "If he wants my spoils, I'll wage war against him and his people. Whichever family sent him will remember why Irregulars are left alone."
Selena's energy passed through me again, cold and deliberate, pushing my dragon nature back into sleep.
She descended the cliff toward the Dwarf.
Toyin and I remained where we were, watching the smoke rise in silence.
Scene 2
"Toyin, just hang out here among the Regulars while I check on my little bird."
He nodded without comment and headed toward a nearby restaurant, using one of my spare pockets without asking.
"Let's find these kids," I muttered. "Karaka only shows up when it's tied to his rival."
I spread my senses as far as the floor allowed. Shinsoo alone wasn't enough, so I layered it—instinct, pressure, rhythm. Even borrowing foreign perception to patch the blind spots body-sensing left behind.
There.
"That… feels like someone who's a weapon."
Not a blade.
Something else.
I folded space with a step. Even then, it took minutes—these floors were continents pretending to be hallways.
I landed in front of him.
He looked like Teddy.
Slimmer. More complete.
Like Teddy had only received half of whatever this was.
"You're not the one I was looking for."
"Another one?" he scoffed. "I thought FUG already finished up?"
My thoughts stopped.
My hand closed around his throat before he could react.
"Another one," I repeated. "You only feel complete because you're still in the process of assimilating."
His eyes widened.
"I need to find Teddy," I said quietly. "Count your lucky stars. Next time I see you—after I have the full picture—it might be the end of you."
I threw him into the wall.
Wood splintered. Regulars scattered, panic ripping through the shack.
I wiped my hand on my coat and turned toward the distant tower.
The same power I felt in him lingered there.
Dormant.
Waiting.
Scene 3
"I should've known you'd be attached to this, Khun."
I stepped into the hollow tower. Baam's team stood clustered around Teddy's body—lifeless at first glance.
From where I stood, I knew better.
"Crow?" Khun said, breaking the silence.
"So," I said, "I'm assuming Baam got kidnapped by FUG. You all look like sad puppies."
Anger flared, barely restrained.
"Crow, please," Yeon said. The only one willing to speak.
"Oh don't be mad," I replied. "They roped me into it too. So instead of taking this lying down, you're all coming with me for a minute."
I didn't leave it open for debate.
Even Khun looked surprised as they nodded.
I kept my eyes on him. Whoever tricked him had been close.
"As usual," I said, offering my hand, "you keep overthinking and not acting. But we'll both learn from this loss."
Khun took it, his smile thin and self-defeated.
And for the first time since entering the tower, the pieces began to line up.