The drive back to the cliffside mansion was heavy with the weight of Isolde's revelation. The city lights of New York twinkled like a distant, indifferent constellation, unaware that it was merely a gilded cage for the most dangerous entities in existence.
When Chase and Vincent stepped through the front doors, they weren't met with the typical domestic chaos. The foyer was dimly lit, and the air hummed with a low, vibrating frequency. Kaelen had spent the hour etching protective sigils into the doorframes with her own blood, while Rixsa stood atop the glass staircase, her daggers unsheathed and a row of black-powder traps lined up along the banister.
"The perimeter is secure," Rixsa said, her voice tight. "Alex is in the vault. If those things come back—"
"They won't," Chase interrupted, raising a hand. "At least, not tonight. Everyone, into the living room. We need to talk."
They gathered in the massive glass-walled lounge. The ocean roared outside, a reminder of the raw power that had just been unleashed on the beach. Chase stood by the fireplace, looking at the women he had promised to protect—a Goddess, a scout, and a noblewoman—and the boy who had lost everything to join them.
"I met an old acquaintance," Chase began, his voice steady. "This world... it's not just a place we happened to fall into. It's a designated Sanctuary. A neutral zone agreed upon by the High Pantheons centuries ago. We are here because the gods decided this realm is off-limits for their wars. It's a retirement home for the broken."
A stunned silence followed. Rixsa lowered her daggers slowly. "A retirement home? You mean we're safe? No more hunters? No more Divine Strikes?"
"On the surface, yes," Chase said. "But there's a catch. The gods won't intervene, but they also won't protect us. If we bring our baggage here, we're on our own. And the 'Lattice'—the barrier keeping us hidden—is thinning because our Essence is too heavy for this world's physics."
Vincent stepped forward, leaning against the glass. He looked surprisingly unbothered. "It won't be much of a problem," he said, his lavender eyes scanning the horizon. "Think about it, Vance. If the others—the 'Ancients' Isolde spoke of—were truly strong enough to pose a threat, they would have taken over this world by now."
He turned to the group. "The elite families of this world—the humans, the demon clans, the vampire covens—they have spent generations adapting. We are in weakened forms, husks of what we were. Most of those who cross the veil now are desperate. They'll likely kill each other trying to harvest Essence to get stronger. But it won't work."
"Why not?" Kaelen asked, her hands clasped tightly at her chest.
"Because this world is fundamentally different," Vincent explained. "Our old powers rely on a spiritual density that doesn't exist here. If an Ancient tries to force a High-Tier spell, the feedback wouldn't just fail—it would destroy their physical body from the inside out."
Vincent looked directly at Rixsa, his gaze knowing. "That is the real reason Chase has to release his excess Essence during your 'sessions,' Rixsa. His body is a vessel for a supernova in a world made of glass. If he doesn't bleed that power off through you, he'll eventually crack and take the city with him."
Rixsa's face went pale, her eyes darting to Chase. "I thought... I thought it was just because you were a high-maintenance Alpha. You're telling me those sessions are the only thing keeping you from detonating?"
"More or less," Chase admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "The more I act like the 'Warrior,' the more the pressure builds. This world can't hold us, not at full strength."
"So we stay low," Kaelen whispered. "We live like humans. We pretend the sky isn't a veil."
"For as long as we can," Chase said. "But the Summit is happening. Some Ancients want to break the cage. They don't care if they burn up in the process, as long as they can take a piece of the gods with them. We're caught in the middle."
He looked at each of them. "If you want to leave, to find another corner of the Sanctuary where the targets aren't as big, I'll give you the means. But if you stay, you need to know: the rules of the house just got a lot more complicated."
Rixsa was the first to move. She walked up to Chase and punched him hard in the arm. "You idiot. You should have told me I was 'bomb disposal' months ago. I would have charged you double." She smirked, though her eyes were soft. "I'm staying. Someone has to keep the glass from breaking."
Kaelen nodded solemnly. "My place is where my history is. I stay."
Vincent didn't say anything. He just looked out at the ocean, his hand resting on the hilt of the invisible blade in the safe. He didn't need to stay, but for the first time in two hundred years, he had a roof that didn't leak ash.