The aircraft cruised smoothly through the sky. The trip from the U.S. to the island would take about two and a half hours. Somewhere along the way, Oliver swapped out a crystal core to keep the energy flowing.
Mia's team had a new addition—Elara. Naturally, everyone was curious about her. They took turns chatting her up, trying to dig into her background, her age, where she came from, what she'd been through.
Elara handled it all with grace. She smiled politely, answered every question with poise. She was beautiful, smart, and clearly well-educated—so it didn't take long for the group to warm up to her.
Even Ethan had to admit—she'd make a pretty "decent" tool.
As they left U.S. airspace and soared over the ocean, the once-clear skies began to darken. The light dimmed, like someone had slowly turned the dial from day to night.
Thunderclouds rolled in, rumbling ominously. The aircraft started to shake, jolting with each gust of wind.
