The underground chamber still hummed with residual electricity, the faint smell of ozone lingering after the brief clash with Valerian. Alina’s heart pounded, adrenaline coursing through her veins, yet her mind remained razor-sharp. Every word Valerian had spoken, every subtle threat, had cemented one undeniable truth: she was his target, his prize—and he would stop at nothing to claim her.

Above her, somewhere in the shadows, Ares and Atlas were already strategizing, moving like ...