Lukai was prepared.

  He had arranged his fighters many days ago. They excelled in spying and capturing witnesses. They knew their goal was to catch their former leader. A very bold task, but Lukai had full command over the OFF organization, and people trusted him. He was determined to confirm they weren’t wrong.

  Taking over the OFF after Yura was not a difficult task.

  It had proved not only that the organization was well managed but also that the leadership was already in Lukai’s hands. Yura was not considered the true leader for more than two years; he detached himself too much. Lukai oversaw not only the army but the budgets, plans, and even some everyday tasks.

  With the OFF people, it was possible to act transparently. When Yura withdrew from managing, it was easier to show what the plan was after catching him—that it was to find answers, not to torture. They listened, analyzed, discussed, and, in the end, accepted.

  Lukai was certain that the OFF fighters’ trust would be of great help later. Because Lukai was also sure it wouldn’t be that smooth in Unio.

  … They were observing the Gate Taj had mentioned—number twenty.

  Yura had crossed this one and gone to his house near Salty Lake. They secured all the other Gates, both known and without ID tracking, as they had become aware of them—Taj was marking them one by one on a map. He could spot movement wherever anyone crossed one of the Gates. How convenient.

  Si brought his people as well, five Shadows who were taught how to use transportation swirl. Even with the limitations it had, it could be of use.

  They were ready, waiting. Yura was at his house, then went out to his backyard for a few minutes. Now, he looked as if he was not certain what to do next.

  Lukai decided.

  He gave a signal to Si, indicating he wanted to make contact and go alone. Everybody listened and stayed hidden. Lukai stood up and slowly walked closer, moving without any hurry, casually.

  Yura spotted him. His face changed; he… smiled? Then he started to shout, not loudly, but it seemed he needed very much to share something or say something.

  “Lukai! Come quick, I ran away. Finally, I cannot anymore. I took Elder’s notes, Lukai—” Yura had to take a breath.

  Was he tired? Sick? He was a runner, but he couldn’t manage to say a few words? Lukai observed, was almost there, near, and hadn’t yet decided whether to talk calmly or to catch him.

  Yura managed to breathe and continued.

  “I took them, these notes, I hid—do you remember? My record, fifteenth record! I hid them there—you know where it is. Later, go there. I need to ask you, Lukai, to imprison me; otherwise, they will come here and—”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  He was talking, Lukai was listening, but then something unexpected happened.

  The Gate activated.

  At the same moment, Lukai’s and Si’s messengers buzzed—the sounds were turned off. Yura jumped, hearing more buzzes than one; he noticed Lukai was not alone.

  Lukai signaled for silence and hushed Yura.

  He took a look—Taj had information that someone was coming from Planet Three.

  Twenty people, their energy levels medium, Abilitiers, no artificial energy.

  They had already crossed the Gate and quickly started running toward where Yura was standing. They didn’t seem to be here to politely ask questions.

  Protecting Yura was crucial, as it was clear, he wanted to escape his partners. He didn’t agree with his bosses or whoever they were.

  Lukai gave the signal. His men jumped from their positions. Shadows made an immediate transport swirl without Si, who was supposed to observe. Lukai was already on the move; he wanted to protect Yura himself.

  He activated his energy and ran fast to hide Yura behind him. He was only a few steps away. They noticed… ten steps away, and to Lukai’s surprise, Yura was silenced. They used Crystal device to suppress his energy, movements, and sounds.

  One step away… Lukai pushed Yura behind himself and turned around to face those who crossed the Gate.

  Just a moment later, he knocked down the first from the group, dodged, and hit him in the spine. The crack sounded unpleasant, which meant it was a fatal blow. Abilitier had a lot of energy but wasn’t well-trained.

  The second one tried to attack, aiming for the eyes, but Lukai grabbed him fast and broke his neck. Again, a loud crackling sound could be heard. The third, a blow below the stomach, painful for a man, not fatal but enough. He fell to the ground, at least trained not to make a sound.

  Lukai acted fast.

  The others approached; he broke their shields and hit points that knocked them out on the spot. Everyone had their faces covered; Lukai didn’t see who he was hitting.

  The rest, Lukai left to his men; they were already at the spot; they should capture someone.

  Lukai was next to Yura and removed the energy blockade but didn’t manage to ask something when Yura started screaming, again, this time different things.

  “You need to save them. They will not survive. I didn’t agree with this; the whole planet will be dead if they seal the entrance as they mentioned. And they have it, the horror; they have it still, Lukai, do something; they have nothing, planet—” Yura didn’t finish because, suddenly, the Gate activated again.

  There was an energy blow just out of the Gate.

  “Taj, don’t!” Lukai shouted.

  He thought it was Taj; he got to know something and wanted to kill Yura, but why?

  Messenger buzzed, but Lukai couldn’t check.

  A huge amount of energy was visibly aimed at Yura. Lukai tried to cover him—raised his shields, wanted to protect—but Yura pushed him away and started to run to his house.

  “No!” Lukai shouted; he also saw his men and Shadows; not all managed to create shields in time.

  This energy seemed intelligent; it changed its route; clearly, it was after Yura. And he tried to run away!

  The blow reached him within seconds.

  Yura was killed instantly.

  Concentrated blow of the energy as if it fried him. Yura’s body fell.

  The blow also took the lives of two Shadows and four Lukai’s men.

  Messengers buzzed.

  Si swirled near Lukai, and he quickly checked what Taj sent. Si was saying things: that it was from Planet Three. And added that Taj destroyed it; he hit it back with his energy.

  “Lukai, so it had to be the eighth Crystal. It was steering this energy, how powerful… we didn’t manage it well; it is terrible, and these attackers, look, they are also killed. It had killed them too; no witnesses, no one to ask questions to…” Si was talking; his voice was disturbed.

  What amount of energy was needed to destroy the navigation? That was something to think about later.

  As for now, Yura was dead.

  Lukai felt that he failed. And as if it were not enough, his and Si’s messenger buzzed again.

  “Planet Three disconnected their Gate. The blow was definitely from there,” Si read aloud.