Dawn crept over Lantau in soft gold and rose, filtering through the canopy above the clearing. Elara woke slowly—body stiff from the hard ground, mind still half in dreams of chases and neon. The sleeping bag was warm; the air cool, fragrant with salt and pine. Kai was already up, crouched by the small stove, heating water for instant coffee. His back was to her—broad shoulders, dark hair still tousled from sleep. He moved with quiet efficiency, like the night before hadn't shaken him at all. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. The bandage on her forearm itched, but the cut felt better. The stars from last night were gone, replaced by a sky streaked with light. Kai glanced over his shoulder. "Morning.""Morning." Her voice was rough with sleep. She stretched, joints popping, acutely aware of how close he was, how the morning light caught the line of his jaw. He poured coffee into two metal mugs, handed her one. Steam curled between them, carrying the bitter, grounding scent. Elara took it. Their fingers brushed—deliberate, slow. The contact sent a jolt through her, heat racing up her arm. She didn't pull away. Neither did he. For a heartbeat, their hands stayed connected, skin against skin, the warmth of his palm seeping into hers like a promise. She looked out at the view: the trail dropping away toward the sea, distant ferries like toys on blue glass, the city a faint smudge on the horizon."It's peaceful here," she said, voice softer than intended. "Hard to believe the world's on fire because of us."Kai sat beside her on the log—closer than necessary. Their shoulders touched. The heat of him seeped through her jacket, steady, intoxicating. She could smell him—cedar, musk, the faint salt of last night's sweat. It wrapped around her, pulling her in."Not because of us," he corrected quietly. "Because of them. We're just the spark."She sipped the coffee—bitter, strong. Her pulse hammered in her throat, loud enough she was sure he could hear it."Did you check the feeds?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "We're off-grid—how?"He gave a small, knowing smile and pulled a compact Starlink dish from the pack—portable, matte black. "Pre-stashed. Brief burst connection—secure, untraceable. We can't risk it long, but enough to see the fallout."He set up the dish quickly, angling it toward the clear sky. The tablet connected, screen waking. The broadcast had exploded overnight.
#CuratorLeak was trending globally—millions of views, shares, reactions. Crypto forums were in chaos. Exchanges paused trading on several tokens linked to the Phoenix wallets. Governments issued vague statements: "investigating," "monitoring."A new headline from a major outlet:
BREAKING: Leaked Documents Allege Elite Network Laundering Seized Assets Through Education Platform – BRICS Calls for UN Probe. Elara exhaled. "It's real now."Kai nodded. "It's started."He scrolled to a darker corner—private channels, encrypted warnings.
Curator response teams mobilized. Hong Kong lockdown in progress. Priority: Recover fragment. Neutralize operators. Elara's stomach tightened. "They're coming.""They're already here," Kai said. "But we're ahead. For now."He set the tablet down, turned to her fully. Morning light caught his eyes—dark, intense, pupils dilated, raw hunger flickering there before he banked it."We need to move again soon," he said, voice low, rough. "But first... your family."Elara's breath caught. Connor's laugh echoed in her mind—bright, innocent, the sound that kept her fighting. "I can't keep waiting. If they're targeting me, they'll trace the connections."Kai nodded once. "I have a secure line—quantum-encrypted, bounced through three continents. You can reach them without being traced."She looked at him—really looked. The man who had fought beside her, held her, risked everything. The man whose touch still burned on her skin."Why are you doing this?" she asked again, softer, almost a whisper. "All of it. For me."Kai's gaze held hers—long, steady, unguarded for the first time. He leaned in just a fraction, close enough she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek. "Because some things are worth the risk," he said. "And because you asked the right questions at the right time."It wasn't a full answer—not yet. But the way he said it, quiet and certain, the way his eyes dropped to her lips for a split second before returning to hers—made her heart stutter. She didn't press. Instead, she reached for the tablet."Show me the line."Kai opened the secure app—clean interface, no trace. Elara took a breath. Her kids were waiting. The world was waiting. And whatever came next, they would face it together—before the Curators found them first.