**Volume 2: Upper World**

  **Chapter 87: The Gem's Price**

  February 10th, 5:18 p.m. – Vein Clan House (Courtyard)

  Jason’s phone buzzed in his pocket — old flip model, cracked screen, still worked somehow. He pulled it out, saw Ray’s name, and answered without looking away from the courtyard gate.

  “Yeah?”

  Ray’s voice came through — calm, flat, like he was reading a grocery list.

  “Do whatever you want with Kira. It doesn’t matter. We’re gonna win anyway.”

  Jason’s grin stretched wider — teeth showing.

  “Okay.”

  He hung up — snapped the phone shut — and slipped it back into his pocket. He leaned against the stone wall, sandals scuffing the dirt, white socks already dirty from earlier. The courtyard was quiet now — wind moving through the vines, carrying the faint smell of blood and rust from inside the house.

  He muttered to himself — low, amused.

  “Stupid bitch.”

  Then he laughed — short, sharp — and started walking toward the vault wing.

  Meanwhile — rebuilt academy rooftop.

  Sky sat on the edge again — legs dangling over the side, Reaper propped beside him like a silent friend. The wind was picking up — cold February gusts tugging at his blue shirt, carrying the faint scent of grass and distant campfires. He stared at the sky — pale blue fading to gray — and let his mind drift.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  He saw them.

  Max, Het, Cam — all 15 — back before everything broke. The three of them on this same roof one summer afternoon — Max making shadow puppets on the wall, Het laughing quiet, Cam’s wolves chasing each other in smoky circles. Sky had been sitting right here, hoodie up, pretending not to smile while Max tried to make a shadow version of Frosty spiking a drink with ice. Het had said something dumb like “We’re gonna be legends forever,” and Cam had barked a laugh, wolves yipping in agreement.

  Sky’s throat tightened.

  The wind shifted — carried the memory away.

  Footsteps behind him — heavy, familiar.

  Max climbed up — same way he always did — sat down beside Sky without a word. Shadows curled around his boots, lazy, tired.

  Sky didn’t look over.

  Max broke the silence first — voice low.

  “You good?”

  Sky kept staring at the sky.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  Max shrugged — one shoulder.

  “No reason.”

  They sat quiet for a minute — wind moving between them.

  Max spoke again — softer.

  “Kira’s trying to wipe out her clan. To get the Gem.”

  Sky’s head snapped toward him.

  “What?”

  Max nodded slow.

  “Yeah. She went to the Vein Clan house. Said she needed it. Told me she’d be back.”

  Sky looked back at the sky — jaw tight.

  Max stood — stretched — shadows stretching with him.

  “I’ll be back.”

  He moved — fast — very fast — faster than a car at first, then faster still — middle speed blurring into something almost invisible. He vanished over the edge — gone toward the old district.

  Sky stayed on the roof — alone again — wind colder now.

  ---

  Meanwhile — Vein Clan House (Courtyard)

  Kira stood in the open courtyard — katana in one hand, the blue Gem tucked safe in her jacket. Blood still dried on her arms, her face — some hers, some theirs. The wind moved her hair — black strands catching the fading light.

  Jin stood 30 feet away — silver hair loose, sword at his hip, white aura calm but heavy like winter fog. Nimb flanked him — hooded, twin blades crossed on his back, eyes hidden in shadow.

  Kira looked at them — voice steady.

  “I’m taking that Gem with me.”

  Jin tilted his head — small smile.

  “You think you can?”

  Nimb laughed — quiet, cold.

  Jin spoke again — slow.

  “My technique is **White Veil** — I project a veil of pure white energy that slows anything inside it to half speed. My realm — **Frozen Eternity** — is open. It covers the entire courtyard. Everything inside moves at 10 fps. I move normal. You’ll feel like you’re swimming through ice.”

  Nimb stepped forward — blades uncrossing with a soft ring.

  “Mine is **Shadow Twin** — every strike I make creates a shadow clone that repeats it exactly 0.8 seconds later. My realm — **Mirror Abyss** — is closed. Inside, every attack you make gets mirrored back at you twice as strong. You can’t hit me without hitting yourself harder.”

  Both their auras flared — Jin’s white like frost on steel, Nimb’s black like ink spreading.

  Kira tightened her grip on her katana — yellow aura flickering brighter along her arms.

  The chapter ended.

  To be continued…