Angel felt his heart pounding against his ribs.
Sarah’s thigh was soaked in blood.
Phill maintained a desperate pressure on the wound while their medical supplies proved completely useless against such a severe injury.
Then Angel pulled out the cyan vial.
Noah’s gift.
“Angel…” Phill frowned.
“What are you doing?”
Angel didn’t answer.
He unstoppered the vial.
Then poured the liquid directly onto the wound.
For a second.
Nothing.
Then the wound started to move.
The three Ascendants froze.
Torn muscle fibers began to knit back together.
The bleeding slowed.
Then stopped completely.
The flesh progressively closed right before their eyes.
A minute later.
All that remained was a faint, pinkish scar.
Speechlessness fell over the cavern.
Sarah opened her eyes.
Her breathing steadied.
She slowly moved her leg.
No pain.
No weakness.
“What the…” Her voice trembled.
“The pain is gone.”
Phill was staring at the empty vial.
Or rather, what was left of it.
His face seemed unable to choose between shock and disbelief.
“Angel.” His voice had gone grave.
“Do you realize no known remedy can do this?” He pointed at Sarah’s leg.
“Even the healers from the Crimson Halo take several minutes to treat a wound like that.” His gaze locked onto his friend.
“Where did this substance come from?”
Angel felt a smile form despite himself.
‘Noah.
You’re a fucking genius.’
The Crimson Halo were the absolute gold standard for healing among British agencies.
Even Stormshield regularly hired their services.
And yet Noah’s potion had just accomplished something absurd.
He calmly pocketed the empty flask.
“We’ll talk about it later.” He stood up.
“We extract the crystal.” His gaze swept across the cavern.
“Then we go home.”
An hour later.
The team was leaving the Hole.
The portal closed behind them in a blue flash.
As soon as he reached the surface, Angel pulled out his phone.
His fingers typed rapidly.
[Angel: Noah, what the fuck was that magic vial?]
The reply came almost instantly.
[Noah: Already used?]
[Noah: That was faster than expected.]
[Noah: Are you okay?]
Angel laughed out loud.
Typical scientist priorities.
[Angel: Yeah, I’m fine.]
[Angel: I used it on a teammate.]
[Noah: What?]
Several seconds passed.
Then a reply appeared.
[Noah: It was meant for you.]
[Angel: I wasn’t going to let her die.]
[Angel: Sorry man.]
A few seconds.
Then:
[Noah: Fine.]
[Noah: What’s done is done.]
Angel smiled.
[Angel: So?]
[Angel: What exactly is that stuff?]
The reply came.
[Noah: I already told you.]
[Noah: A personal project.]
[Angel: Really?]
[Noah: Yes.]
[Noah: By the way]
[Noah: Do you want to buy some?]
[Noah: I’ll give you a discount.]
Angel laughed again.
‘He’s already thinking about selling his product.’
Footsteps approached.
Phill.
“Alright.” “Sarah is stable.” He pointed toward the Stormshield vehicles.
“We need to head back.”
Angel nodded.
Next he sent one last message.
[Angel: Of course I’m interested.]
[Angel: We’ll talk about it later.]
[Angel: I’ve got work to do.] Get faster updates on g.com.
[Noah: Ok.]
The next day.
Stormshield headquarters.
Liam Heartwood slowly closed the report.
His panoramic office overlooked part of London.
Behind the glass, rain fell softly on the city.
The vice-captain read the concerned passage one last time.
Unknown substance.
Near-instant regeneration.
Critical injury neutralized.
No healer present.
He steepled his fingers in front of him.
“Interesting…” His gaze settled on the bay window.
Very interesting.
His phone buzzed.
Logan.
Liam answered.
“Yes?”
“Did you read the report?”
“I just finished.”
“And?”
Liam took a few seconds.
“I’m going to look into it.”
“Keep me posted.”
The call ended.
A few minutes later.
Angel found himself sitting in the vice-captain’s office.
The pressure was immediate.
Liam hadn’t done anything.
Hadn’t said anything.
And yet.
Angel felt like he was being watched by a predator.
“Tell me out loud everything that happened in the Hole.”
Angel pushed down his stress and started talking.
The Hole.
The injury.
The potion.
Liam listened while rereading the report.
The vice-captain set the folder on his desk.
“This substance.” His gray eyes met Angel’s.
“Where did it come from?”
Angel took a slow breath.
Lying to Liam was a bad idea.
A very bad idea.
“From a friend.”
A quiet.
“A friend?” Liam tilted his head slightly.
“A friend who can surpass the Crimson Halo from his garage?”
Angel winced inwardly.
Put that way.
Even he found it ridiculous.
“Introduce him to me.”
Direct.
Simple.
No beating around the bush.
Angel sighed.
“Sir…
he’s a man who prefers to keep a low profile.”
“I see.” Liam clasped his hands together.
“Since when do you call me sir?”
Angel blinked.
“What?”
“Why are you so cold?
You just created a distance between us.” An amused smile appeared on the vice-captain’s face.
“I thought we were closer than that.”
Angel immediately felt the trap.
‘Manipulator.’
Liam continued calmly.
“Introduce him to me.”
This time, it wasn’t a request.
It was a decision.
Angel eventually caved.
“I’ll talk to him.”
“Good.”
“And if he refuses?”
Liam’s smile widened slightly.
“Then I’ll be disappointed.”
Which, coming from Liam Heartwood, sounded almost like a threat.
That same evening.
Noah was working in his lab.
Several sketches covered the boards.
Runic diagrams.
Observations made thanks to the Third Eye.
A chemical smell hung in the apartment.
His phone rang.
Angel.
Noah answered.
“Hey.” Find the original chapter at g.com.
Angel’s voice was lower than usual.
“Bro, we need to talk.”
Noah immediately set down his pen.
He didn’t like the sound of what followed.
Liam had read the report.
Liam had understood.
Liam wanted to know where the potion came from.
Noah remained silent.
His gaze fell on his hands, stained with reagent marks.
A slight anxiety bloomed in his chest.
“Did you tell him about me?”
“Not yet.” Angel sighed.
“But he won’t let it go.”
A quiet later: “He wants to meet you.”
Noah leaned back in his chair.
‘Liam Heartwood.’ Vice-captain of Stormshield.
Eight Nodes.
An Ascendant capable of beating Mason Mounthill.
One of the most influential men in the country.
The scientist thought about it.
For a long time.
Then a smile appeared.
‘Actually…This might not be a bad thing.’
He needed money.
Resources.
Crystals.
And above all, protection.
Stormshield could provide all of that.
“Alright.”
Angel sounded surprised.
“Really?”
“Yes.” Noah stared at his boards covered in runes.
“Set up the meeting.
I’ll be there.”
The next morning.
Liam’s phone buzzed.
A message from Angel.
He agrees.
Liam slowly looked up.
He wasn’t alone.
Sitting opposite him on a couch, Logan was watching him.
The head of Stormshield smiled.
“Well?”
“He agreed.”
Logan nodded.
“Perfect.”
The silence lingered for a few seconds.
Then his expression grew serious.
“You understand the importance of this potion.”
“Of course.”
Liam stood up.
He walked over to the bay window.
The lights of London shone in the night.
Stormshield had just reached the third national spot.
Earlier than expected.
Much earlier.
The problem was simple.
They lacked the economic foundations of the other giants.
Wild Beasts controlled a portion of the black market.
Celestial Wardens dominated the private security sector.
Iron Dominion produced weapons and artifacts.
Stormshield had nothing.
Or almost nothing.
Liam thought it over.
‘But this potion…’ If it could be replicated.
Industrialized.
Distributed.
Thus everything would change.
Casualties would drop.
Revenue would soar.
The agency’s influence would explode.
Logan broke the hush.
“This man needs to join Stormshield.”
Liam turned his head.
“To that extent?”
“Yes.
To that extent.” The agency head smiled.
“You have free rein.”
Liam observed the city lights.
Then he thought about the mysterious scientist capable of creating a potion that surpassed the Crimson Halo.
A man working alone in his lab.
A man still unknown for now.
“Very well.” His gray eyes gleamed slightly.
“I’ll do my best.”
But deep down, Liam already knew one thing.
This meeting would likely change the future of Stormshield and Noah’s as well.
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