CHAPTER 350: CHAPTER 350 BACK TO SQUARE ONE

Liam descended slowly, his wings folding back into his body until they were gone, leaving him in his normal appearance again. His chest rose and fell steadily, but his eyes still carried a dangerous glow, the aftershock of his rage not yet gone. His boots touched down on the cracked ground where the crater still smoked.

Vanessa, Kelly, and Dickson jogged over to him. They all looked tense, dirty from debris, but alive.

Before any of them could get a word out, Liam spoke first. His voice was calm but firm. "We need to get out of here. Now. I saw a lot of police cars on the way when I was hovering. Our fight must’ve set off a panic."

Vanessa and Kelly exchanged a quick look, both realizing he was right.

Liam turned to Dickson. "What about Lilith?"

Dickson caught his breath, brushing dust off his jacket. "Seo Yeon already took her back."

Liam gave a short nod. "Good."

Without wasting time, Vanessa grabbed Kelly’s arm. Her eyes met Liam’s briefly. "Meet you there."

Before anyone could say anything else, she vanished, reappearing instantly about two hundred meters away. Then, in the blink of an eye, she was gone again, traveling faster than before.

Dickson’s jaw dropped. "Wait... what the fuck? Did her powers just level up?"

Liam’s eyes widened slightly, shock flickering across his face. He thought the same thing—Lilith’s ice had visibly grown stronger, and now Vanessa’s teleportation had improved. It made him wonder about Lana. What about her?

His mind wandered for only a moment before he grabbed Dickson’s shoulder. "Hang on."

"Hang o—" Dickson didn’t finish the sentence.

SHWOOOM!

Liam’s wings burst out again, spreading wide as he launched into the air, carrying Dickson with him. The sudden takeoff ripped a scream out of Dickson’s lungs. "AHHHHHH—FUCKKKK!"

The wind tore past them as they climbed higher and higher, the ruined compound shrinking below. At first, Dickson clung to Liam’s arm with both hands, his eyes shut tight. But after a few seconds, he risked opening one eye. Then both. His scream died off.

The view hit him like a wave.

They were gliding above the city as the morning sun climbed higher, spilling golden light across rooftops and glass towers. From up here, the streets looked like thin lines, cars crawling like insects. The smoke from the battle site trailed upward like a dark stain against the soft glow of dawn. Beyond the city, rivers glimmered silver, winding like veins through the land, and in the distance, hills stretched out under the pale horizon.

Dickson blinked, then grinned wide, his fear gone. "Holy shit... this is fucking cool."

Liam didn’t respond, his focus forward.

Dickson laughed, the sound whipped away by the wind. "So this is your view every time you fly, huh?" He whistled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Bro... do you know how many hoes we could pull with this?"

Liam finally glanced at him, half annoyed, half amused.

Dickson kept going, straight-faced, absolutely serious. "I’m not even kidding, man. We could have bitches lining up at our front door if they knew you could fly. Just imagine—boom, spread the wings, pick a chick up for a sunrise ride over the city... panties drop instantly."

Liam shook his head, his lips twitching slightly as he looked forward again. He couldn’t deny it was amusing because Dickson wasn’t joking. He meant every word.

But then Liam’s eyes narrowed. His focus locked onto something below.

Dickson noticed. "What? What is it?"

Liam didn’t answer, his eyes following something only he could sense or see.

Dickson squinted, trying to follow Liam’s line of sight. He leaned over, staring hard at the rooftops and streets below. "What the hell are you looking at?" He adjusted his position, scanned harder. After a while, frustration hit him. "You know what, fuck it. Can’t see shit. Not stressing myself."

He leaned back, arms stretched out, and let the wind rush against his face. "I’ll just enjoy the goddamn view. You keep doing the eagle-eye thing."

Liam stayed quiet, still staring down with sharp eyes, but his grip eased as his focus deepened.

——

Liam and Dickson finally landed at the factory. The rusty metal doors creaked loudly as they pushed them open.

Inside, Vanessa and Kelly were already there, sitting on old crates. Seo Yeon leaned against the far wall in silence, her sharp eyes following every move in the room.

At the center of it all was Lilith. She was awake now, sitting on a chair with her golden hair in disarray, her skin pale but her posture still commanding. Ann knelt beside her, carefully wrapping a bandage around her broken hand. Lilith’s expression was unreadable, her eyes cold but alive with fire.

The moment she spotted Liam, her eyes lit up. "Did you get him?"

Liam’s shoulders stiffened. He shook his head slowly, disappointment clouding his voice. "He escaped."

He braced himself for the frustration he thought she’d show. But instead, her lips curved into a dangerous smile. Her eyes sparked with something far deadlier than anger.

"Good," she said without hesitation. "I want to kill that old hag myself."

The bluntness of it left the room in silence. Ann stopped tying the bandage for a second and glanced up at her. Even Vanessa’s eyes flickered in surprise.

Liam moved closer, crouching slightly so he could look at her directly. "Does it hurt bad?" His gaze flicked to her hand, wrapped thickly in white.

Lilith shook her head, brushing the question aside as if her injury meant nothing. She locked eyes with him, her tone dropping to something heavier. "Who is he?"

Her words were direct, cold. But unconsciously, her eyes shifted toward Vanessa.

And just like that, everyone else followed.

Vanessa blinked, looking around at all the stares suddenly pressing on her. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

Kelly leaned forward from her crate, her tone sharp and certain. "Because you’re the most knowledgeable about this kind of shit. You’ve read more, dug into things the rest of us haven’t. Haven’t you seen him before?" She paused, narrowing her eyes. "And he seemed particularly interested in Liam. That’s not random."

Dickson scratched the back of his head, frowning. "One thing’s for sure—the old man’s definitely working with the Crimson Hand. He’s the one helping them spread that serum." He started pacing, frustration spilling out. "But since when the fuck do they have someone that powerful on their side?"

No one answered. The silence that followed was heavier than gunfire.

Lilith’s eyes hardened. She didn’t speak, but the tension in her jaw told everyone what she was thinking: whoever that man was, he was no ordinary ally of Crimson Hand.

Vanessa finally sighed, leaning back against a chair. She rolled her neck until it cracked, then let her arms drop lazily at her sides. "Finding them just got harder," she muttered, her voice dry but weighed down with truth.

Kelly let out a breath and shook her head. "Every damn time we think we’re close to uncovering their ultimate plan, it feels like we get pushed back to square one."

She was right. None of them wanted to admit it, but they had been outsmarted again and again. Each step forward only revealed how little they actually knew.

Liam stood in the middle of the room, saying nothing. His fists tightened at his sides, the frustration boiling inside him. He hated it. He hated not having the answers, not being strong enough to pin down the man who had nearly killed Lilith.

Dickson broke the silence, waving his hands in irritation. "We’re the ones throwing ourselves into bullets, flying cars into gates, getting dragged through ice storms, and for what? To come back here with jack shit again?" He shook his head. "At this point, I’m about ready to ask for a paycheck. Hazard pay. Benefits. Something."

Normally his sarcasm might have eased the mood, but not this time. No one laughed. The weight pressing on them was too much.

Ann finished wrapping Lilith’s hand, tying the bandage tightly before sitting back with a sigh. Lilith flexed her fingers slightly, her face unreadable despite the pain. Her eyes burned with cold fire as she spoke again.

"We’re not staying at square one," she said firmly. Her voice carried across the room. "Not for long."

Everyone heard the conviction in her words. But the truth was, even with all her determination, the answers they needed were still out of reach.