"Why the rush?" Seoryeon asked, glancing up at the cosmic battle raging in the sky above them. "I mean, shouldn't we be more concerned about those four tearing the city apart right now?"
Parker shook his head, his expression calm despite the reality-warping chaos overhead.
"I'm not in any hurry because of those four fools fighting up there. Sure, they can destroy the city—and probably will before they're done—but the Core will remain intact regardless. Hell, not even the gods know the true depth of these cores, much less have the power to destroy them."
"Then why now?" Seoryeon pressed, her business instincts detecting there was more to this timing than he was revealing.
Maya answered, her royal heritage allowing her to see the broader cosmic patterns. "Because while gods throwing tantrums is annoying, it's not the real threat. The Gateways are."
"The what now? Gateways?"
