Something was off.
Sahara couldn't explain it, but from the moment she woke up in the morning things just didn't feel right. She glanced at the clock.
6:00am
It was early, extremely so in Regona where most were night owls. But Sahara felt a certain restlessness in her bones that wouldn't allow her to turn over and sleep.
The weather outside was unusually gloomy for Regonan weather, as though whoever was controlling the forecast for the day was trying to share their low mood. It worked.
When she dragged herself downstairs, Sahara found the living area quiet. They had been up late to cater to Reagan's request in watching multiple recorded Serena concerts and thus the other falcons were all still asleep.
Rummaging for something edible, Sahara settled on something which looked a lot like bread. She took it and plopped on the couch, staring into space as she munched. The fluffy goodness in her mouth barely registered as she tried to locate the reason for her bad mood.
Buzz.
The bracelet's violent vibration pulled her attention.
She scowled as an ID she didn't know hovered in the air, alerting her of an incoming call. Her fingers automatically moved to decline. Something made her pause. Last time she'd ignored an unknown ID she'd missed an important call.
As she remembered this, her finger swiped in the opposite direction, accepting.
"Sven?" She blinked as the hologram of the familiar Phantom appeared.
The figure was shoved to the side before he could speak and a burly Markus appeared. "Is Terrell there?" the boy demanded.
Sahara forgot about her breakfast. "No." The uncomfortable feeling in her bones was spreading.
"No as in no, or no as in, he doesn't want to talk?' Marcus' eyes narrowed.
"He's not here," Sahara told him.
Marcus disappeared and Sven was back in view. "Can you reach him?" he asked.
"Wait a moment." Sahara pulled up her IHM from yesterday. There was still no reply. "I can try calling," she offered. "but it's early..." If he was sleeping, waking him would be difficult.
Sven nodded. "Let us know."
"Is everything ok?" Sahara ventured. The Phantoms had never taken the initiative to reach out to her. Sven had already cut the call, seeming eager for her to try reach the Phantom.
Sahara pulled up the familiar ID and pressed to call. It rang...and rang.
The feeling continued to grow and Sahara felt her breathing hitch. Maybe he's asleep?
But he still hadn't replied to the previous day's message.
Maybe he just forgot?
Terrell wasn't one to forget.
Her heart thumped.
Why was Noah asking about Terrell the day before? Why were the Phantoms desperate enough that they would call her to try and find his whereabouts? Dread flowed through her as her imagination ran wild. Images of Terrell's body jerking upon impact from bullets rushed through her mind. She saw the blood, his pale face, his broken body as he lay in her arms...
"Hey," the familiar voice made all the fear flee at once.
Sahara let out her breath, staring at the familiar face.
Terrell was wide-awake, seeming to have been so for a while.
Unusual, the thought flittered through a falcon's mind.
"Is everything ok?" Terrell asked.
The Falcon nodded.
Terrell's eyes softened. "I saw your message. Sorry, I was going to reply. I got a bit caught up, but I'll drop by later. There are some things I think we should talk about."
Sahara paused.
"I'll come by soon, ok?" he seemed to be trying to coax her, as though realizing his negligence lately.
Sahara nodded.
There was some noise briefly in Terrell's background. His gaze turned, as though he was listening to someone. He turned back to Sahara. "I've got to go, but talk later?"
"Terrell!" Sahara quickly stopped him from hanging up.
"Hmm?"
"The Phantoms called. They're trying to get in contact..."
"I see," he didn't sound in the least bit concerned.
"It seemed urgent," Sahara related.
"If they bother you again tell them I'm busy. Can't babysit them all the time." He paused, cocking his head as though listening to something. "I've got to go," he said in the next moment.
His hologram disappeared.
Sahara stood, staring at the spot where he'd been. Something bothered her about the call. It was small, but she'd picked it up. When Terrell had turned around and then back, for the briefest moment his gaze had been ice cold. She'd seen that look before on the battlefield. Who was it directed at this time?
Her bracelet vibrated again with the former ID.
Sahara picked up and Sven's face appeared. "Did he answer?' he asked right away.
Sahara nodded.
A look of relief flooded the boy's face.
"He said he's busy," Sahara relayed the message, tactfully leaving out the babysitting part.
Sven's eyes narrowed. His face disappeared and a new one popped in.
"Too busy for you as well?" the person asked.
"Night?"
Sahara wondered what the question meant. "He said he'd come by later," she explained while trying to piece together the puzzle that had appeared before her.
"Later isn't good enough...who knows what they'll do to Roman in the meantime!" Marcus' livid voice sounded in the background.
"I'll try call again," that sounded suspiciously like Troy.
Night scowled, disappearing from view and allowing Sven to pop back in.
"Roman?" Sahara furrowed her brow as she put a face to the name. "is everything ok?"
"Ok?" Marcus boomed in the back. "How can this be ok? Noctorious has overstepped this time–"
"Don't worry about it," Sven assured her, cutting off Marcus. "We'll take care of it." He rubbed the spot between his eyes and Sahara became aware just how tired he looked. If she had to guess, the boy had pulled an all-nighter. "Thank you," he added.
"No problem. Oh," Sahara quickly interjected before the call could end. "Tell Noah that even battle scars need some time to heal. He should take it easy for a bit."
"Huh?"
"He put on a brave face, but he looked quite beat up yesterday," Sahara explained.
The voices in the background all ceased and things went eerily quiet.
"Sahara," Sven spoke. "What did you say?"
The Falcon furrowed her brows. "I saw him at the moonlight gathering last night. He had a run-in with Noctorious and looked to be in bad shape. But they left..." she trailed off, the feeling that something was off flooded back. "Hasn't he said anything?"
"Sahara...we haven't seen or heard from Noah since yesterday," Sven spoke.
"I'll kill them!" Marcus yelled in the back.
Cursing sounded from Troy.
Sahara's heart sank as things slowly started to piece together. She straightened. "They came back, didn't they," she whispered. Noah's smiling face as he waved her off flashed through her mind. He knew they'd come back, was that why he was so eager for me to leave?... She let the thought trail off as her head snapped up. "Noctorious has him?" she asked.
Sven didn't confirm, pursing his lips.
"They took Roman, didn't they?" The Phantom's urgency in trying to get a hold of Terrell was making a lot of sense. "So, Noah most likely..." she was catching on. "Did they contact you?"
"It doesn't concern you!" Marcus' red face appeared. He glared, eyes burning into Sahara. "Tell Terrell he'd better get his ass over here or I'll be dammed if I don't..."
Someone pulled him from view.
"Calm down," Night's voice drifted through.
"Calm down?" Marcus joined Troy's earlier cursing, going an even more colorful route.
"How can the Falcons help?" Sahara asked as Sven re-appeared.
The boy shook his head. "Don't get involved. It's our problem." He gave a weak smile. "If you see Terrell, can you let him know his needed asap, k?"
Sahara opened her mouth to confirm but the call already ended. For the second time in a short span, she was left staring at her bracelet.
Without thinking, Sahara reached to call Terrell once more. She paused. It would be odd to her if Terrell didn't know anything about this was going on. But if he was aware, then what was he up to at the moment?
She chewed her lip, eyes darting up the stairs.
Should I wake them? Should we figure out how to help? The thoughts raced through her mind. If Noah was in trouble, the Falcon's wouldn't hesitate to do what they could. But what exactly could they do? They knew so little about Noctorious other than it was a crew spreading violence. The Falcons were only six, could they really be much of a help?
Rayne, the name flashed through Sahara's mind. She froze. Of course. Terrell's older brother had resources; he had the Keepers and he had eyes on all of Regona. If he agreed to help something could be done.
Mind made up, Sahara turned and headed for the door. She didn't give it a second thought. Right now, her mind was set on one thing and one thing alone – speaking with Rayne.
The streets were abandoned so early in the morning.
It took a good while to reach the tall building in the middle of the city, almost an hour of boarding, and by the time Sahara got there, the first teens heading to schools were stirring.
With the building looming above her, Sahara approached the black gates. They were shut tight.
Looking around, the Falcon saw not a soul. She banged on the entrance.
Nothing.
With a sigh, she moved her board and began the attempt to simply go over. The moment she rose above there was a spark.
Zap!
A strong electric shock rippled through her.
Her board whined, losing power. Luckily, Sahara managed to land shakily, but still outside. She scowled at the security feature she hadn't been aware of. The moment she was back at the ground level her board returned to its normal self.
With a sigh, she looked around. Upon careful inspection, she found a small sleek button almost hidden from sight. She pressed down.
"Hi there." A life-size holographic teen shimmered into existence. She blinked her eyes, smiling widely at Sahara. "I'm the stand-in receptionist, how can I help you?" Her calm even voice was a dead giveaway that this was an AI. When Terrell's brother had decided to implement this type of system, Sahara didn't know.
"I want to talk with Rayne," the Falcon spoke.
"Who may I tell him is asking?" came the reply.
"Sahara."
The hologram never once stopped smiling. "He is unavailable at the moment."
Somehow that answer was given way too quickly, making Sahara narrow her eyes. She had a sneaking suspicion that certain names had been blacklisted. "He's inside?"
"He's unavailable at the moment," came the same reply.
Sahara fought the urge to roll her eyes. If her name didn't get her in, then she knew one that would.
"Tell him Terrell is here," she said shamelessly.
"Come in!" the voice spoke as the gates opened by themselves.
The holographic teen motioned for her to enter, still flashing her pearly whites.
Not much of a security system, Sahara couldn't help but think.
As she passed through, the hologram disappeared and the gates closed behind her.
She boarded by the well-kept lawns. To one side a single teen in keeper colors lay on her board and basked in the sun as she hovered a meter above the ground. An eye cracked open briefly and she turned her head to shoot a glance at Sahara. Uninterested, the eye closed again.
When Sahara dismounted and entered the building two teens were walking in the massive hall. One stretched his arms above his head while yawning. He ignored Sahara completely while the other gave her a one over and continued on their path outdoors.
Sahara's eyes followed them. It looked that while the entrance was set to not allow her in, once she was in no one cared much for her presence.
Board tucked under an arm she entered the glass lift. As it rose, she turned and watched the view of the city behind her. The higher she went, the smaller everything grew. Though her new home was high, it wasn't in the middle of the city, thus, it was only when in this building that Sahara was reminded just how large the city was.
The doors slid open so silently that Sahara almost missed she'd arrived – almost.
She left the lift behind, targeting a familiar door.
Remembering her manners, she knocked. The lack of a reply made her accept it as an invite.
She pushed the door open, revealing the room with Rayne's desk.
Empty?
It felt unusually cold.
Holding a shiver, Sahara stepped in all the way. The door clicked behind her.
"So, you've digressed to inviting yourself in?"
Sahara almost jumped out of her skin at the voice.
The chair by the desk turned, revealing the Phantom's older brother. Tired eyes gave an attempted hostile glare. Wrinkled clothes and growing stubble told a story of their own.
"I did knock," Sahara was quick to defend herself. "You look tired."
"You don't look like Terrell."
The Falcon shrugged. "Your secretary wouldn't let me enter under my name."
"What were the Keepers doing letting you in?" Rayne muttered.
"Maybe they'd rather offend you than Terrell?" Sahara offered helpfully.
Rayne eyed her. "I don't like the development of your personality. You're much better...timid."
"There's a version of me you actually like?"
Rayne's eyes narrowed. "Who's been teaching you bad manners? Relly? Naomi?" He didn't let her answer and lifted one hand while tiredly rubbing his forehead with the other. "Never mind. What request do you have this time?"
"Noctorious," Sahara jumped right in. She shifted the board under her arm.
Rayne dropped his hand, eyebrows raising.
"They've been targeting the Phantoms. It looks like they may have taken a good friend."
"Taken?"
"They have a hold of one of the Phantoms and Noah hasn't been seen since his run-in with them yesterday."
Rayne let out a hmph.
"They are running around, causing chaos. They don't follow the Creed. Two omegas have already pledged allegiance," Sahara continued. "They're getting out of hand."
"Do you really think I haven't kept my eye on things?" Rayne asked. He lifted his legs and propped them on the table before him. Folding his arms, he leaned back.
"Then where have the Keepers been?" Sahara challenged.
"Staying out of it," Rayne told her firmly.
Sahara's eyes narrowed.
"Look." Rayne dropped his feet and leaned forward. "I did look into it but then I decided to back off. All I can give you is that they're eradicate, unpredictable, and thrive on chaos. They're not the type to be loyal but who'd rather stab you in the back at a given chance. If you ask me, they're an out of control bunch. In other words, they're not crew material."
"Loners," Sahara offered.
"Renegades," Rayne affirmed.
What neither was aware of was what was happening across the city at that very moment.
A group of boarders dismounted before a building which was mostly scaffolding. The area around was covered in dust and dirt. Teens sat here and there, some wearing masks with skulls, others had them pulled down. Eager eyes watched the approaching group.
A guy with red streaks led them, a cold crocodile smile on his face. He whistled as he walked. Two others followed, dragging a figure between them. The figure's shoes left trail marks in the dirt. Every so often blood would drip, joining the trail.
Back in Rayne's tower, Sahara continued the conversation. "And yet, they're moving as one. Someone has brought them together."
"A someone who was not only able to do so but whose face we don't even know." Rayne paused. "Sound like someone we know?"
The figure was dragged into the incomplete building where he was shoved.
Stumbling, he fell beside another who was kneeling, hands tied behind his back.
Face badly bruised and swollen, Roman was barely recognizable.
"Noah?" he rasped.
The teen in the dirt stirred. "Ah, they got you too," his voice was muffled.
The guy with red streaks grabbed Noah's arm and hauled him into a kneeling position beside Roman. Noah looked even worse. Every breath was agony and there was a suspicious accompanying wheezing sound.
"I was going to look for you," Noah gasped. "I have a bone to pick about..." he broke into a cough. "Hair," he said the word.
"Shut it." A fist struck him, causing him to fall to the side.
Roman struggled to his feet, growling in anger. He was forced back to his knees before he could even get up.
Sahara narrowed her eyes, arm tightening around her board. "You too?" she directed at Rayne, not believing it. "You're suggesting the leader of Noctorious and Terrell could be the same...?" she trailed off as she realized she verbalized words which hadn't been said. "Terrell's not that crazy," she disagreed.
"Is he not?" Rayne remained calm and unblinking. "I mean, you don't think it's a possibility he set this all up to keep the Phantoms in check?"
"No." Sahara's reply was firm. "Terrell was with me when Noctorious first appeared."
"And yet he planned ahead and infiltrated every part of the city in preparation when I came in power." Rayne eyed her. "You have to admit, it's not impossible."
A suffering Noah was once again forced to his knees.
"Shut up and wait like a good boy," the guy with red streaks told him as he patted his cheek.
In the tower, Sahara was shaking her head. "They're similar but different. Terrell wouldn't create chaos like this. He wouldn't attack his own crew...or the omegas."
"Wouldn't he?" Rayne questioned.
Sahara's mind raced. "Reason?"
Rayne sighed. "The oldest trick in the book – to create a common enemy."
Sahara paused.
"There's also the fact that the Falcons don't seem to be among their targets."
"They attacked me," Sahara insisted.
"A mistake," Rayne waved it off.
It seemed as though the young man was aware of quite a lot.
"We're a small crew. They could see us as not worth the effort and come for us later," Sahara tried another explanation.
Rayne's lips twitched. "Or they simply won't. Why not?" He eyed her. "Because he wouldn't put you in harm's way." He picked up a pen and began to twirl it. "He knew after Lithium things would settle down. He knew the crews would get restless and chaos would ensure. On top of that, the Phantoms have grown too powerful for their own good. So, what did he do? He set thing's into motion so that a new enemy would rise up, cause conflict, and bring the crews together. Give them something to fight against, keep them from running amok. At the same time, he can keep the Phantoms in check."
Noah and Roman kneeled beside each other. If it weren't for the hands holding him up behind, Noah would have already fallen over and succumbed to the pain, but the teens weren't going to let it be that easy.
"No." Sahara was disagreeing, far away from the ensuing scene. "He wouldn't force allegiance like this...besides, this isn't conflict. This is chaos," she spoke. "If it was Terrell, he would be in full control."
The pen stopped. "What makes you say that?"
Sahara's lips curled. "He didn't have to create chaos to beat you. He dethroned you in a single moment."
Rayne's mask cracked. A low chuckle escaped him. "You continue to surprise me."
"As do you," the girl shot back. She didn't know where all this courage came from, but lately, it was getting easier to speak her mind.
Rayne's eyebrows rose.
"You claim to care for him, and yet you don't trust him."
"Oh?" A glint entered Rayne's eyes. "I never said anything about trust, I'm simply stating that this could all very well be part of his plan." He shrugged. "And like you said, he dethroned me. So, if it's his plan, I shouldn't step in but let things be. He's got it under control, he's steering towards his own outcome."
The two Phantoms who'd been beaten to pulp swayed.
"You're not done yet, are you?" Roman asked Noah as he turned his head to give the other boy a look over. The worry in his eyes was hard to conceal. He was in bad shape, but Noah was worse.
"Of course not." Noah coughed. He lifted his head to look at where the guy with red streaks was watching. "Their punches feel like butterflies."
Their attacker smiled widely. "Oh, I know someone who will make those butterflies turn into buffalos."
At that very moment, Sahara was biting her bottom lip in thought. Raising her eyes, she met Rayne's. "Someone wants to make it look like it's him, and it's working," she stated another possibility.
"Or," Rayne's eyes were as cold as steel, staring her down, "you simply don't know him as well as you think."
How well do you know him? The words she'd heard somewhere before echoed in her mind. It stirred something within. All those times Terrell disappeared. His lack of care in the matter, his orders for the Phantoms to not do anything. How disconnected he seemed. Was it all an act as things unfolded in a way he orchestrated?
She shuddered. It sounded so...manipulative. That wasn't Terrell...or was it? He had formed a crew of his own, taken over Regona, and brought together all the omegas to even defeat another city. He was smart, he was strong, he knew how to handle people...control them.
Ask him, Night's words echoed. And yet she'd been unable to do so, waiting for Terrell to tell her.
"It's not him," Sahara spoke. This time it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.
Rayne let out a long sigh and the pen began to twirl once more.
"If you're not going to help, then I'll find the real culprit."
When she got no reply, Sahara smiled bitterly. "Guess it was a waste of time coming here." She turned and left.
Rayne watched the straight back of the girl as she walked, head held high. She threw open the door and stormed out.
However, no matter how confident she looked, the truth of the matter was that a seed of doubt had sprouted. She knew. And she hated it.
The moment she was out of sight, Rayne turned and swiped his hand. A holo-screen popped up, words and numbers flashing across it too rapidly to follow with the naked eye. Exhaustion, well-hidden before, broke through the mask and showed the young man's true emotions. The data continued to run before it froze.
Beep!
A green button popped up displaying one word.
Rayne stared at it with dull eyes. Somewhere, the sound of the elevator opening sounded and Sahara disappeared, unaware of what was transpiring.
The leader of the city fell back in his chair with a defeated thud. He sat there; eyes still glued to the word on the screen. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he turned in his chair and stared out at the city spread before him.
"Run the data again," he spoke.
"Initializing," a robotic female voice replied.
The holoscreen flickered and once again, words and numbers tumbled over each other at immense speed.
Rayne closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly opened them again. He got to his feet, a grimness in the air about him.
"We had it all wrong the entire time," he murmured.
Beep!
Rayne didn't turn, already knowing what would be displayed on the screen behind. As he continued to stare at the city with eyes that weren't focused, the screen behind blinked continuously. One word in green.
At the same moment, Sahara left the building with determination in her every step. She would find out what was going on. She would get to the bottom of this.
Across the city, Roman was struggling to fight the one who was relentlessly kicking Noah. It was futile as he simply got held back and beaten in a similar fashion, ending up on the dirty ground and dripping blood from his mouth.
"Stop!" a voice commanded.
Barely conscious, Noah looked up from where he'd been beaten almost senseless. His eyes were swollen, his lip split. As a hooded figure walked toward him, the members of Noctorious parted respectfully.
"Ha," Noah gasped as he struggled to his knees. "You've finally decided to join the party." He spat out a mouthful of blood, hitting the guy near him with surprising accuracy.
Thunk.
A fist crashed into his face.
The hooded figure flicked his fingers and the attack ceased. Slowly, confidently, terrifyingly, the leader of Noctorious stepped forward. He crouched before the injured boy, ignoring the other; his face shaded but lips visible. They were curved into a sneer.
Noah squinted, fighting through his fading consciousness and blurred vision. "You're digging your own grave," he threatened. "The Phantoms won't sit still forever. Terrell will..."
A chuckle sounded from the hooded figure and Noah froze. That laugh, it was familiar.
Slowly, a hand reached up and the leader of Noctorious pulled the hood back ever so slightly, revealing part of a face.
Word's froze on Noah's lips. His swollen eyes had widened, regardless of the pain it caused him. Though his wounds hurt like hell, the pain spreading through his chest was a whole lot worse. His vision was blurred, but he recognized that figure.
"Terrell?" it was Roman who whispered the name as he struggled to his knees.
The grin stretched and the figure stood. He walked one step away, pulled out a lollipop and took his time to unwrap it. He calmly placed it in his mouth. No sooner did he complete the action than he uncoiled. Mercilessly, the figure lashed out and knocked Noah out with a well-known roundhouse kick.
The boy hit the floor with a slump, finally out cold.
"Y-you..." Roman didn't get to finish as he was knocked out in a similar fashion.
"From Phantom to Grim Reaper," the red-haired guy laughed like a hyena.
"It suits you," another voice spoke as this time Lance stepped from the shadows. Contrary to the other guy, he maintained his cool and came to stand behind the hooded figure, gazing at the two unconscious Phantoms. "Looks like this will be a piece of cake."
Far across the city, a sleepy Naomi walked into a certain omega's room only to find it empty.
Meow.
The girl looked down to find Mo rubbing against her instead of hiding. Picking him up, the little girl stared at the empty bed for a moment longer. She turned to leave only for something at the window to catch her eyes. Still holding the cat, she padded over, small girl standing before a large window.
"Naomi?"
Alegra popped her head in. She only glanced at the empty bed before walking to the girl.
"Look." Naomi pointed.
Mo took the opportunity and jumped from her arms.
Alegra followed her finger.
Far on the horizon, beyond the city, outside of the bubble protecting them from the harsh elements, the sky was an ugly gray. Lightning flashed ever so often. Unlike the lightning back on earth, this one was a blood red.
Alegra pulled the little girl's back to her, arms surrounding her. "Don't worry. We'll steer around it." Storms on the outside were as dangerous as they were rare, but cities didn't have too many issues avoiding them.
"I don't think we can escape this one," Naomi spoke.
Alegra squeezed her tighter. "Of course we can."
"Hmm." The little girl jumped from the embrace. "Kitty!" she scuttled off in search of the cat.
Alegra watched her with a smile before turning her gaze back to the storm in the distance. The sound of the twins arguing about something echoed from the kitchen below. Orion said something and things went quiet for a second before a howl broke it. Mo darted out from under the bed and Naomi ran out of the room after him. It was the start of another typical day for the Falcons.
In the tallest building of the city, a figure sat, utter defeat and exhaustion on his face. Below, Sahara stepped on her board, determined to find out what was going on as black gates closed behind her.
At the Phantom's headquarters more and more boarders gathered as they tried to figure out their next steps. Sven was looking at his bracelet, his forehead knitted.
"Still no word?" Troy asked.
His reply was a shake of the head.
"Where is he?" Marcus asked gruffly.
He was met with silence.
In a half-finished building with scaffolding, a figure pulled a hood firmly back on. For a brief second, the flash of white from his grin was visible. The grim reaper tilted his head back. "Looks like it's finally time for Noctorious to rise." Green eyes flashed with a deadly glint.
Hoots of agreement echoed all around, hovering over the unconscious figures on the ground. The cries sounded eerily like a war call.
Outside the bubble of Regona, the storm in the distance flashed red over and over again, as though in agreement. The city continued on a steady course not around but toward it.
Author's note (it's a long one):
Aaaaaaaand, we've reached the end of another. Gah, looks like Regona really can't catch a break. But you know what they say, where one villain falls, another shall rise...or maybe I just made that up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anywho, thank you so much for your patience in waiting for my super slow updates. I'm sure leaving on a cliffhanger such as this is a little unfair, but it was just the perfect place to leave this installment...I also have to admit I enjoy cliffhangers a little too much. There are 2 more books currently planned, and who knows if more will follow, plus some prequeals following the Falcons before Sahara.
The good news is that the title for the next instalment has been decided. Be on the lookout for "Ragona City: Noctorious" in the near future. To make up for this cliffhanger I'll begin posting the twin's long planned prequal asap. You should see "Regona City: Misfits" around in the next few days ;)
In the meantime, I'm sure you're coming up with different theories on what is going on. All I can say is, some of you might see it coming, some may not. There're a couple twists or more coming...and they have been hinted at...yup they're hidden in there.
And now I'm off to working on the next installment, plus the other novels I've neglected, and the re-write of "DOL: Deception" to try get that released on time (I always swore I wouldn't write more than one novel at a time...but look where I've ended up).
See you all in the next novel and thank YOU for being continuously awesome despite the obvious lack of editing and re-writes. Remember, it's your imagination that allows these stories to come to life, so thank you for allowing me to put down the words while you do the rest.
P.S. for those of you who've re-read the series a gazillion times, I do follow those comments and smile ;)
Aaaaaand...if you're still reading, would anyone be interested in a discord/zoom or whatever other platform group call? I'd love to connect via a casual group chat, hear your theories, talk about writing, and or/whatever else may come up (no spoilers probably...though you can try...lol). If you're up for it, let me know.