The sky rushed past them as Liam suddenly angled his body forward.

Tatiana barely had time to notice the change before the direction of their flight shifted. One moment they were gliding smoothly through the clouds and the next moment Liam leaned forward and began diving.

Not a straight drop.

It was controlled.

A half dive.

They were still moving forward while losing altitude fast.

The air around them roared louder as gravity pulled them down and the city below quickly grew larger. Buildings that once looked like small blocks from the sky now rose rapidly toward them.

Tatiana instinctively tightened her arms around Liam.

Her stomach dropped slightly from the sudden descent but she did not scream this time. Instead her eyes widened with excitement as the ground rushed closer.

The streets were now clearly visible. Cars moved along the roads and people walked across sidewalks completely unaware of the two figures cutting through the air high above them.

Liam remained calm.

His wings adjusted slightly with every second, controlling the dive perfectly while maintaining forward momentum. They cut through the air like a falling arrow aimed precisely at its target.

Tatiana leaned her head slightly to the side, following the direction Liam was heading.

Then she saw it.

An alleyway.

Narrow and quiet between two rows of buildings.

It looked almost identical to the one they had taken off from earlier.

Her eyes widened again.

That is where he is landing.

The ground rushed closer.

For a brief second it almost looked like they would crash straight into the pavement.

But just before impact Liam spread his wings wide.

The massive white feathers expanded instantly and caught the air with incredible force. The violent dive slowed into a controlled descent as the wings absorbed the speed.

The rushing wind softened.

Their bodies steadied.

And then Liam touched the ground.

His boots landed gently on the pavement of the alley while the wings folded slightly behind him, stabilizing their weight.

The landing was so smooth it barely made a sound.

Tatiana blinked in disbelief.

For a moment she simply stood there still holding onto him.

Then Liam slowly removed his arm from around her waist.

Tatiana loosened her grip and stepped away from him.

The moment her feet were firmly on the ground she turned around quickly to face him.

Her eyes were wide with excitement.

"That was awesome."

The words came out without hesitation.

Liam smiled slightly as he reached up and adjusted the scarf around his neck. His fingers brushed through the short beard he had attached earlier, making sure it was still in place.

"Glad you enjoyed it."

He lowered his hands and looked toward the exit of the alley.

"We have to go now."

Tatiana nodded immediately.

"Right."

They both began walking toward the street at the end of the alley. Their footsteps echoed lightly against the walls as they moved side by side.

Tatiana was quiet for a moment but her mind was still racing with everything that had just happened.

The wings.

The flight.

The landing.

It all felt unreal.

Then a thought popped into her head.

She turned her head slightly to look at him as they walked.

"Why are you covering your identity?"

Liam glanced at her briefly but kept walking.

Tatiana continued speaking.

"I mean the hair change, the beard, the glasses. What is all that about?"

She looked genuinely curious.

Liam stayed silent for a moment as they stepped out of the alley and merged into the crowded street. People moved past them without paying attention, busy with their own lives and conversations.

Finally Liam spoke.

"Have you heard of a gang called the Crimson Hand?"

Tatiana frowned slightly as she thought about it.

She shook her head.

"There are many organizations out there. Too many to keep track of."

She paused for a moment while thinking again.

"But I am pretty sure I have never heard of a Crimson Hand before."

Liam nodded slowly.

"Back home where I come from they are the cause of most of the problems there."

His voice was calm but there was a hardness behind the words.

Tatiana glanced at him again.

He did not look angry but something about the way he spoke made it clear that the name carried weight.

Liam continued walking as he spoke.

"I have some reasons to believe they are here in Russia."

Tatiana’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

She processed the information quickly.

"So you think they might recognize you if they see you."

Liam nodded.

"Yes."

He looked ahead at the road in front of them.

"They might even be working with the vampires."

Tatiana slowly nodded.

That possibility did not surprise her.

The supernatural world was messy. Alliances formed in the shadows all the time and most people never even knew they existed.

They continued walking forward without speaking for a short while.

The environment around them slowly changed as they moved deeper into the industrial district.

Large buildings replaced the normal shops and apartments. Massive metal structures rose around them while trucks moved along the roads carrying cargo in and out of the area.

Soon the warehouses came into view.

The place was enormous.

Rows upon rows of huge storage buildings stretched across the district while loading docks and shipping containers filled the open spaces between them.

And it was busy.

Very busy.

Workers moved everywhere pushing carts, carrying boxes, shouting instructions to each other while trucks backed into loading zones.

But it was not only warehouse workers.

Many other industries were built around the area too.

Factories.

Storage facilities.

Transport companies.

The entire district felt alive with constant movement.

Crowds of people walked through the wide streets between the buildings while forklifts moved heavy pallets across open loading zones.

The noise of machines mixed with human voices and engines created a constant hum that filled the air.

Tatiana looked around quietly as they walked deeper into the area.

This place was perfect for hiding something.

Too many people.

Too much movement.

No one paid attention to strangers here.

Liam walked beside her with his hands in his pockets, his disguised appearance blending easily into the crowd.

His eyes scanned the surroundings calmly.

Every entrance.

Every rooftop.

Every alley between buildings.

They continued heading toward the warehouses ahead while the massive industrial complex swallowed them deeper into its crowded maze.

——

Liam and Tatiana walked deeper into the industrial complex until they finally reached the warehouse district itself.

From the outside it looked like a perfectly normal operation.

But the moment Liam stepped closer to the main entrance something immediately felt wrong.

He slowed slightly as his eyes moved across the scene.

There were guards.

A lot of them.

Far more than what a normal warehouse would ever need.

Tatiana noticed them too as they approached the open sliding doors. Men stood at different positions around the building, some near the trucks while others stood beside the entrance.

All of them carried guns.

Not small ones either.

Rifles.

They wore dark military style clothing and heavy boots, their posture straight and alert as they watched the area around them.

Tatiana leaned slightly closer to Liam as they walked.

"Those must be the guards Alpha mentioned," she whispered.

Liam did not answer immediately.

His eyes moved from one guard to another, quietly observing the way they stood and the way they held their weapons.

Something about it felt off.

Very off.

He stepped inside the warehouse with Tatiana and instantly noticed even more of them scattered around the interior. Some stood near the large crates stacked across the floor while others walked along the metal pathways above.

Workers were still moving around doing their jobs, pushing carts and organizing shipments as if nothing unusual was happening.

But Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Inside his mind he spoke calmly.

"System."

A familiar cold voice answered him instantly.

"Yes host."

Liam continued walking forward while pretending to casually observe the surroundings.

"Analyze their movements and check if they are military or not."

For a brief moment nothing happened.

Then the familiar mechanical notification echoed softly in his mind.

[Ding]

A faint blue interface appeared across Liam’s vision.

The system activated.

Lines of digital text began sliding across his sight as if projected directly into his eyes. The world around him remained visible but now layered with glowing data points and analysis markers.

Several of the armed men nearby were instantly highlighted.

[Scanning visual targets...]

[Facial recognition... failed]

[Uniform pattern analysis... in progress]

[Weapon classification... detected]

Small transparent grids locked onto the guards as they moved.

Tatiana had absolutely no idea what was happening.

From her perspective Liam was simply walking beside her while occasionally glancing around the warehouse like he was observing the surroundings.

But inside his vision the system was working rapidly.

[Detected equipment: Standard assault rifles]

[Detected clothing: Tactical military imitation uniform]

[Cross referencing known military formations...]

[Comparing stance posture and patrol patterns...]

Numbers and calculations streamed across the interface as the system examined every detail.

Liam quietly watched through the overlay.

He saw how one guard shifted his rifle awkwardly.

Another leaned lazily against a crate.

A third scratched his neck while turning his back on the main entrance.

None of it felt professional.

The analysis continued.

Then another notification sounded.

[Ding!]

The system completed its evaluation.

Several lines of text appeared clearly in front of Liam’s vision.

[Analysis Complete]

[Probability of trained military personnel: 7.4 %]

[Conclusion: Targets are not professional soldiers]

Below the message several highlighted errors appeared.

[Detected behavioral inconsistencies]

[Error 1: Weapon grip posture incorrect]

[Error 2: Patrol routes lack coordination]

[Error 3: Visual scanning patterns inconsistent with trained military units]

[Error 4: Two subjects currently distracted by personal conversation]

[Error 5: Safety discipline violations detected]

Another line appeared below.

[Final evaluation: Armed civilians imitating military presence]

Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly.

So he was right.

These men were pretending.

Tatiana noticed him staring longer at a group of guards nearby.

"What are you looking at?" she asked quietly.

Liam leaned slightly closer to her so their conversation would not be overheard.

"These men are not military."

Tatiana blinked.

"What?"

His voice remained low.

"Irina was right."

He glanced around once more.

"Something’s not right here."

Tatiana frowned slightly as she looked again at the armed men around them.

If they were not soldiers then who were they.

Criminals.

Mercenaries.

Or something worse.

Liam spoke again quietly.

"Have you texted Alina to check if she is here?"

Tatiana nodded immediately.

"Yes."

She reached for the small bag hanging from her shoulder.

"Alina said she already started surveying the area with her scanner."

She tapped the bag lightly.

"She is looking for any of those explosives."

Liam nodded.

"And Daniil?"

Tatiana continued.

"He is doing the same."

Liam’s hand moved down to his belt where a small scanner device was attached beneath his jacket. His fingers brushed lightly across it while he glanced briefly at Tatiana’s bag where her own scanner was hidden.

Three scanners searching the area.

That increased their chances.

But this place was huge.

Way too huge for just a few people to search quickly.

Liam stopped walking for a moment.

Tatiana turned toward him.

"I think we should separate," he said calmly.

Tatiana raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"We will cover more ground that way."

She opened her mouth to respond but Liam suddenly reached for her phone.

"Hey wait."

But before she could react he quickly unlocked it and typed something.

Tatiana blinked.

"What are you doing?"

Liam finished typing and handed the phone back to her.

"My number."

Tatiana looked down at the screen.

Sure enough a new contact had just appeared.

Liam looked at her seriously.

"Text me if you find anything."

Tatiana nodded slowly.

"Okay."

For a brief moment neither of them spoke.

The noise of the warehouse filled the space around them while workers continued moving crates across the massive floor.

Then Liam stepped away from her.

"Stay alert."

Tatiana tightened her grip on the strap of her bag.

"You too."

Liam gave a small nod.

Then he turned and walked directly into the moving crowd of workers and guards inside the warehouse.

Within seconds his figure blended naturally among the people moving through the building.

Tatiana stood still for a moment watching the direction he disappeared.

Then she adjusted the bag on her shoulder, taking a slow breath to focus herself.

"Alright."

She turned in the opposite direction and began walking deeper into the warehouse as well, her eyes scanning the massive building while the scanner inside her bag quietly began its search.