Kingdom of the Nine: The Bridge (IV)

Chapter 11

———Red———
Kylen, Kat, and I slip into a side room off to the left of the portal chamber, away from the buzz of conversation in the main lab. The door creaks shut behind us, muffling the noise. A faded sign reading Storage is bolted to the door, though the room is far from full. It's a cavernous space, completely barren except for a lone metal table planted in its center. The stark lighting casts sharp shadows across the concrete floor.

Kylen places the orb down with deliberate care, its surface gleaming under the fluorescent light. He crosses his arms and fixes Kat with a stern look.

"So, why'd you steal it?" His voice cuts through the stillness.

Kat exhales, leaning back against the wall, her arms crossed. "That's a loaded question. Short answer? I was hired to."

"By who?" I ask, stepping closer.

She shakes her head. "I don't know. Truth is, I'm as in the dark as much as you guys are. This anonymous client has been paying me to intercept your shipments for months. At first, it was easy. But when your security tightened, I raised my prices. That's when things got messy. They didn't like the price hike, so they dropped me. Hired someone else instead—a guy named Scarface and his crew. When I heard about it, I figured I'd intercept them. That's how I got the orb at the docks... with Keegan's help."

"Why me?" a voice says from behind. Keegan steps into the doorway, his eyes narrowing at Kat.

She turns toward him, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "Because you held your ground when we first fought. You didn't back down, even when you were outmatched. That kind of grit is rare. It made me curious, so I did my homework. Turns out you're like me—another person with powers. I figured we'd make a hell of a team."

Keegan tilts his head, letting her words sink in, then gives a small nod.

Kylen leans against the table, his tone sharp. "So you took down Scarface and got the orb. Then what? Use it as bait to learn what it's worth?"

Kat shrugs. "Partly. I also wanted to confirm if it really was one of your shipments. Figured it had to be something big if you guys came out to retrieve it personally."

"It's for the bridge," I say. "To get us back home."

She nods thoughtfully. "Makes sense. But here's the bigger question—why would someone else want it? Are there others like you here on Earth?"

"There shouldn't be," Kylen says. "But... who knows?"

"What about the initials 'M.V.'?" Keegan asks, his voice cutting into the pause. "Does that mean anything to you guys?"

I glance at Kylen. He shakes his head. "No, I've got nothing."

"Same here," I add.

Kat pushes off the wall and steps toward the table. "Whoever they are, they're thorough. Scarface didn't talk. Not that it matters—he died in prison just a few hours after they brought him in. It was covered up fast. Whatever game they're playing, they don't want a paper trail. Hell, even leaving initials behind is probably giving them a panic attack." She pauses, her gaze shifting between us. "Figured you two might've had some answers. Guess I was wrong."

"Scarface is dead?" Kylen mutters. His jaw tightens. "Damn."

"Yeah," Kat says. "Whoever's pulling the strings isn't just playing for keeps—they're cleaning house. You're up against someone who knows how to stay invisible."

Kylen sighs, running a hand through his hair as he stares at the orb. "Great. So not only do we have to deal with interdimensional gods sending Wraiths after us, but now we've got some mysterious power broker trying to sabotage us from the shadows."