CHAPTER 19: Something is in the Air

“What the hell is that?” Chester breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. His gaze was locked on the distant light, like everyone else seeing its unnatural glow against the early dawn.

Rin shielded her eyes, squinting. “Something’s happening at the Founders’ House.”

The light was a momentary distraction, but they knew what had to be done. Brock’s unconscious body lay heavy on the makeshift cot they carried, his breathing shallow. Jace couldn’t help but keep looking back towards the light, he could feel it pulling at him, urging him to go. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the light vanished, leaving behind a stillness. The air still felt charged and heavy with unseen pressure.

Pushing forward, they moved through the narrow spaces between the buildings and broken streets toward District Five. Unlike the towering apartment blocks that made up most of the Regens, this district held some of the few remaining individual houses, old and weathered but sturdy. The Regens had always been a place of the weak, the powerless but past the struggle, there was a sense of community.

Ms. Hyuga’s house was well built with wooden panels that were smooth but hard. Inside, the scent of herbal medicine and aged paper filled the air. Bookshelves lined the walls, stacked with ancient texts and faded scrolls. Ms. Hyuga used to live in the Elite House before getting married and moving here. Ms. Hyuga’s daughter, Rukia ushered them in, calling out her mother as they carefully laid Brock onto a low bed. She crushed dried herbs into a mortar, mixing them into a thick salve before applying it to Brock’s wounds. “

“This will stop the bleeding,” she murmured, her voice calm despite the tension. “But he needs rest.”

She wrapped his torso with clean bandages, securing them with practiced movements. Then, using a small needle, she applied pressure to key points on his body, murmuring something under her breath. “This will stabilize his pulse. Temporarily making him unconscious.”

Jace exhaled, tension releasing from his shoulders. Now that Brock was safe, he knew what he had to do.

“I need to go,” he muttered, already stepping toward the door.

“Wait, what?” Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow. “ Go Where?”

“My family lives in the seventh district. I have to check on them.”

Rin hesitated for a moment before nodding. “I’ll come with you. My family’s close too.”

Chester sighed, glancing at Brock’s pale face before nodding. “Fine. But hurry back. We need to figure out our next move.”

The Seventh District was eerily quiet. A few people had started to emerge of their apartments, drawn out by the fading light and the lingering unease in the air. Jace and Rin could feel the ominous presence that still loomed despite the glow dissipating.

When they reached Jace’s family house, he barely hesitated before shoving the door open.

“Mom? Dad?” His voice rang through the small house.

A woman rushed out of a back room, her eyes wide, gasping. “Jace!”

His mother rushed forward pulling him in a tight embrace, holding onto him like he might disappear. His twin siblings, Imogen and Orion appeared behind her, relieved and crying.

“We heard the fighting,” his mother said, pulling back just enough to study his face. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine mom,” Jace assured her, though he wasn’t sure how true that was.

He crouched down hugging the twins, ruffling their hair in an attempt to comfort them. But then Orion’s tiny voice cut through the moment.

“Jace…did you find dad?”

“what do you mean?” Jace asked touching his shoulder.

Rin, standing beside him, shifted uncomfortably. “I should…check on my family.”

Jace nodded. “Go. I’ll be right behind you.”

As Rin slipped away, Jace looked at his mom. “Where is dad?”

His mother hesitated, her grip tightening on his arm. “They came for him,” she said her voice shaking. “The Regens House called in all the fighters they could. He… he went to the frontlines.”

Jace’s stomach dropped. “But—”

“He wanted to protect us,” she continued, voice shaking. “He said he was going to find you.”

Jace was dumbfounded for a second. His father had lost his abilities a long time ago. What could he even do in a battle like this?

Rin moved quickly, her heart hammering in her chest as she approached her apartment building. A neighbour tried to talk to her but she ran past without a second look. When she reached her door, she hesitated before knocking. Then she pushed the door open.

Mother? Father?”

A sharp gasp filled the air, and then arms wrapped around her, pulling her close.

“We thought—” Her mother’s voice broke as she held Rin tightly.

“I’m okay,” Rin whispered, hugging her back.

Her father stood nearby, watching her with quiet relief. His gaze flicked over her, searching for injuries. “You fought, didn’t you?”

Rin nodded.

He sighed, shaking his head. “You’ve always been stubborn.”

A soft chuckle escaped her. “I get it from you.”

Her dad laughed embracing her tightly. “We knew you’d come home.”

As they pulled apart, Rin hesitated. “What about Hiro?” she asked, referring to her older brother. “Has he checked in?”

Her mother’s face darkened. “No. We haven’t heard from him.”

Rin’s stomach twisted. Hiro was a powerful fighter— a second-class like her, if he wasn’t responding, its probably because he was otherwise occupied. Or maybe… no. She couldn’t think like that.

She spent a moment longer with her parents before forcing herself to step away. “I have to go back.”

Her mother pressed a small wrapped bundle into her hands. “Take this. Dorayaki. You’ll need your energy.”

Jace and Rin returned to Ms. Hyuga’s house to find Brock still asleep. The healer had done her best to stabilize him, but the Regens lacked proper medical supplies. With enough supplies she could fully heal him but the long journey to the Elites’ House was impossible now especially with the invasion still ongoing.

Outside the house, the air was heavy with tension.

“What are we gonna about that light?” Natasha asked, arms crossed.

Jace’s fingers twitched as he stared toward the horizon. He couldn’t explain it, there was something about that light earlier. It was like an itch, his blood pulsing, causing a mild pain in his ears.

Chester muttered under his breath, kicking a broken piece of wall. “I don’t like this.”

“Okay, let’s try to calm down and come up with a plan,” Rin remarked.

“There’s only one choice,” Natasha interjected. “We need to move right…”

Jace barely heard her. His fingers kept twitching. His blood felt… wrong. It was hot, surging through him like liquid fire. He could feel it moving beneath his skin, something unnatural shifting inside him.

His heart pounded.

His mind flashed back to earlier, when his blood had responded in battle—lashing out, acting on instinct. It wasn’t just power. It was alive.

“Right…Jace…Jace!”

Jace suddenly snapped back to reality when Rin touched him.

“are you still worried about your dad?” she asked gently.

“Yeah,” he answered. “My mom said he’s helping at the frontlines.”

Rin hesitated. “But… didn’t your dad lose…”

“Later,” Jace interrupted, turning to the rest of the group. “That light came from the Founders direction. I can’t sense them like before, so they must be in trouble. Natasha’s right. We have to go.”

Just then they heard a commotion down the street. The group turned toward the noise, only to see three figures making their way toward them.

“Hey guys,” Felicity called, waving her hands smiling.

Jace’s sighed. Ma, Felicity and Veronica, battle-worn and exhausted. He was getting worried when the telepathic link suddenly shut down but it was a relief to see them alive.

Chester teleported in front of them in a blink. “Did something happen? Why are you back? Why did you stop the link”

Ma looked especially drained laid on the ground. “I’m spent, guys. My powers are at their limit.”

“We held the link as long as we could,” Veronica said, stretching her sore limbs. “But Ma got overwhelmed. I saw some Deviants coming our way and we had to pull back. And the others…”

Natasha’s eyes darkened. “How bad is it?”

Felicity hesitated before answering. “Bad. Adelle and Frank are with them but there’s no telling how long they’ll last”

Natasha clenched her fists. “Then we don’t have time to waste.

The group exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. The Founders’ House was in trouble. And whether they were ready or not, they had to move.

Meanwhile back at he Founders the fight had taken them dangerously close to Sweet Haven. Michael stood in the wreckage of the Manor, his hands aching from pain. Opposite him, Malrik stood unfazed over shattered wood and derbis.

“The link is down,” Phoebe said. “Are reinforcements coming?”

Michael gritted his teeth and exhaled. “I don’t know.”