Author's Preface
A week later, all four porters had crossed through the golden gate and into Murim. The same week, the headquarters stopped looking like a construction site and started looking like a building.
Blue stood just outside the front entrance when a bus pulled up. Grayson stepped off first. He spotted Blue immediately and spread his hands. "Magnificent. Truly magnificent. You've all done this so quickly."
"Thank you." Blue kept it short.
"I have a present for you." Grayson turned and whistled.
Fifty people stepped off the bus. Men and women. Different ages. Different builds. All of them looking at Blue with varying degrees of anticipation.
"People from all over the world who requested a transfer to your guild. They watched your team's performance at the tournament and put in applications." Grayson gestured toward them. "Vetted by Titus himself. All English-speaking. All yours."
He turned to the group. "Everyone, say hello to your new guildmaster."
"I'm not the guildmaster," Blue said. "Eve is."
As if on cue, Eve appeared at the entrance behind him. She had seen the bus through the window.
"Hello, Grayson."
"Eve. You are the perfect fit for this role." Grayson smiled. "Here are your new recruits, oh and I have one more surprise."
He looked back at the bus. Yuki stepped off.
"She also requested a transfer." Grayson said it simply, like it was nothing.
Eve's expression didn't change. "I refuse."
"That's not how this works."
"I refuse."
Grayson's voice stayed pleasant. "Eve, I've done considerable pushing to make this happen. She will be of great benefit to Blue and the guild."
Blue looked at Eve. "What's wrong? Why are you refusing?"
Eve turned and walked back into the building without looking at Grayson.
"Fine. Whatever." Loud enough that Grayson heard every word.
Blue turned back to Grayson. "Sorry about that. I'm not sure what that's about." He looked at the group still standing by the bus. "Tell Titus I said thank you."
"Tell him yourself." Grayson reached into his jacket and produced a folded piece of paper. "There's a national Association meeting tomorrow. All guildmasters and owners are expected to attend."
Blue took it. Conference room. Association building. Noon.
"Non-negotiable." Grayson was already turning to leave. "See you tomorrow, Blue."
He walked back to the bus. Blue stood holding the paper, looking at fifty new guild members who had nowhere to go yet and a guildmaster who had just walked away from all of them.
He turned to the recruits still standing by the bus. "Someone will be out shortly. They'll get you sorted."
Then he headed inside and caught Eve in the hallway.
"What was all that about?"
"I just don't like her." Eve kept walking.
"Any particular reason?"
She paused. "She... no. Not really. Nothing you need to concern yourself with."
"Okay?" Blue looked back toward the entrance. "You kind of left fifty recruits standing outside, though."
Eve stopped and turned. "Chris!" Her voice carried down the hallway.
Chris appeared from somewhere deeper in the building. Eve pointed as she spoke. "Take those people to the temporary barracks. Tell them orientation is tomorrow at noon." She looked at him steadily. "If anyone is late, they might as well pack their bag and go home."
She turned and walked away without another word.
Chris looked at Blue. "What's going on with Eve?"
"I have no idea." Blue watched the hallway she'd disappeared down. "Yuki transferred in and Eve turned into... whatever that was."
"Ohhhh." Chris nodded slowly. "I get it."
"Get what? What is there to get?"
Darrien appeared from around the corner and threw an arm around Blue's shoulder. "Yo, why was Eve yelling?"
Chris looked at him. "Yuki joined the guild."
Darrien's eyes went wide. "Ooooohhhhh."
Blue looked between them. "What do you mean, ooooohhhhh? What does that mean?"
Darrien and Chris exchanged a look and walked outside together to meet the recruits. Blue stood alone in the hallway.
"You are genuinely dense when it comes to women, Blue," Darrien called back without turning around.
The next day at noon, Blue and Eve found themselves in the Association conference room. Guild leaders and executives filled the room, while the eleven monitors mounted on the wall behind Titus remained dark. Then they all flashed on simultaneously. Every Association leader from every stronghold across the country appeared on the screens, their guild leaders flanking them. The president himself occupied the center screen with the D.C. Association leader beside him.
"Titus." The president's voice was even. "This is your find. Your lead."
"Yes, sir." Titus stood as his assistant opened a laptop. Images populated every monitor. "What you're looking at are people. Unawakened civilians found dead and abandoned in safe zones throughout Columbus."
Eve's hand came up to cover her mouth.
"After investigation, it appears these individuals underwent some form of forced awakening. Their bodies couldn't sustain it. They died."
"You're saying someone is manufacturing awakeners?" The president leaned forward.
A scientist from the Midwest Association stood. "It appears that way, sir. Some could be unregistered awakeners or black guild members, but these bodies all share the same markings. Same puncture wounds. As if something was inserted and removed after death."
Titus continued. "According to our records, these individuals were all homeless or had no remaining family. They were chosen specifically because they wouldn't be missed."
"Any idea who's behind it?" The Dallas Association leader leaned in.
"We have leads, Brayden." Titus paused. "But that's not the worst of it. We've been investigating this for over a year. One group keeps surfacing."
"Midnight." The president said it before Titus could.
"Yes, sir. Midnight. They've consolidated control over black guilds and criminal organizations across the country. We have reason to believe they're planning a coordinated terrorist attack. We don't know how. We don't know when. But the evidence points to every stronghold simultaneously."
The president stood. "We will not allow Midnight to take civilian lives. We will not allow them to threaten this democracy or our strongholds." He looked across every screen. "Each of you assemble a team. Hunt them down aggressively. That is priority one for every Association member in this country." He looked at Titus. "Keep us informed." He paused, his eyes moving across the screens until he found what he was looking for. "Grayson." His voice sharpened. "I need you back in D.C. You've played in Columbus long enough."
Grayson stood from somewhere off-screen. "Yes, sir. I've accomplished what I came here to do. I'll be back in the morning."
The president's screen went dark.
Titus sat back in his chair and exhaled. "You heard the man." He looked around the room at what remained. "Hunt them down. If anyone finds more evidence, bring it to me immediately."
He looked at the screens. "If no one has anything to add."
The remaining monitors went dark. Titus waited until the room emptied. "Blue. Stay a moment."
Blue stopped at the door.
"How's the guild coming along?"
"Coming along fine. Even with all the pushback."
Titus looked at him. "You really are a pain in my ass. Do you need more people? I have flux users I can send your way."
"We're okay. You should focus on the president's orders. We'll do our part." He looked at Titus directly. "Is there anything else?"
"No." Titus waved him off. "You may go."
Aaron was waiting in the hallway.
"Have you had a chance to look at the map?"
"Not yet." Blue fell into step beside him. "I need more unawakened people to train. But now, with this Midnight situation, I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"I know people, Blue." Aaron kept his voice low. "There are always unawakened people looking for work. More than the Association knows what to do with. It's not like there are a lot of jobs out there anymore." He glanced at him. "Give me a few days. I'll have a line of people at your door, and don't let the Association know what you're doing. If they connect these forced awakening bodies to you training unawakened people in qi, it won't matter that you're innocent. It'll look bad."
Blue nodded slowly. "I trust you." He glanced back down the hall toward the conference room. "It's Titus. And Grayson. I don't know what to make of either of them yet."