The people you trust most... are the people who stole your sister from you."
Silence.
The battlefield froze.
Even the Ghost Army seemed quieter.
Daniel stared at McLone.
His heart pounded so hard it hurt.
The words repeated again and again inside his head.
Stole your sister.
Not lost.
Not failed to save.
Not couldn't protect.
Stole.
Daniel slowly turned.
His eyes found Bill.
Then Mr. Stone.
Neither man spoke.
Neither man denied it.
That hurt more than anything.
"Tell me she's lying."
Bill lowered his head.
Daniel's voice rose.
"Tell me she's lying!"
Nothing.
Not a single word.
The Great 8 exchanged worried looks.
Mary stepped closer to Daniel.
David looked between Bill and McLone.
Noah clenched his fists.
Lucy looked frightened.
Nobody knew what was happening.
But everybody knew one thing.
McLone had hit a weakness.
A very deep weakness.
Then McLone laughed.
"Look at them."
She pointed toward Bill.
"Look at his face."
Then toward Mr. Stone.
"Look at his."
Daniel did.
And immediately wished he hadn't.
Because for the first time—
They looked guilty.
Not angry.
Not confused.
Guilty.
BOOOOM!
A nearby explosion snapped everyone back to reality.
Ghost soldiers continued attacking.
The war hadn't stopped.
Yet Daniel barely noticed.
His world was collapsing.
Then Bill finally spoke.
"Daniel."
The voice was quiet.
Heavy.
Tired.
Daniel didn't answer.
Bill took a step forward.
"I wanted to tell you."
The words hit hard.
Wanted.
Not did.
Not planned to.
Wanted.
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"Really?"
Nobody spoke.
Daniel felt anger building.
Years.
Years of lies.
Years of grief.
Years spent believing Ava was gone.
And now—
Now people were hinting she might be alive.
Then David suddenly grabbed his head.
The whispers exploded.
Images flooded his mind.
Fast.
Chaotic.
Broken.
He saw Ava again.
Running through a hallway.
He saw Bill.
Younger.
Covered in blood.
He saw Daniel's parents.
Shouting.
A bright light.
A circle of symbols.
Then—
A little girl crying.
Ava.
The vision shattered.
David nearly collapsed.
Lily caught him.
"What did you see?"
David struggled to breathe.
His voice barely escaped.
"A seal."
Everyone froze.
Mr. Stone immediately turned.
Bill's eyes widened.
McLone smiled.
David continued.
"Ava wasn't buried."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Then McLone laughed.
A long, cruel laugh.
"There it is."
Daniel slowly looked at David.
"What?"
David's hands trembled.
"The whispers..."
He swallowed.
"They showed me."
Bill's expression had become pale.
Very pale.
David pointed toward him.
"You sealed her."
The battlefield exploded.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Daniel felt like the world had tilted.
His mind refused to process it.
Bill sealed Ava?
Why?
How?
For what reason?
Then McLone raised her spear.
"And now he knows."
Bill's face hardened.
For the first time in several chapters—
The sadness vanished.
The regret vanished.
Only determination remained.
He stepped forward.
Placed himself between Daniel and McLone.
And drew his weapon.
"That's enough."
The air changed.
McLone noticed immediately.
The smile disappeared.
Bill rarely became serious.
Everyone knew that.
But when he did—
People listened.
The battlefield itself seemed to tense.
Then Bill spoke without turning around.
"Daniel."
Daniel didn't answer.
Bill continued.
"Everything she said..."
Silence.
"...contains pieces of the truth."
The words shocked everyone.
Even McLone seemed surprised.
Daniel stared.
Pieces?
Pieces?
What did that even mean?
Bill finally looked back.
His eyes were full of pain.
"Your sister was taken from you."
Daniel's heart sank.
"But not for the reason she thinks."
McLone laughed.
"Still lying."
Bill ignored her.
The academy shook again.
The war continued around them.
Yet nobody cared anymore.
Everyone was listening.
Bill took a deep breath.
Then said:
"Ava was in danger."
McLone rolled her eyes.
Daniel remained silent.
Bill continued.
"Something awakened inside her."
The Great 8 exchanged confused looks.
Something awakened?
"What does that mean?" Daniel asked.
Bill hesitated.
Mr. Stone closed his eyes.
Then suddenly—
MOOOOOOOOONNNNNN!
The horn echoed again.
The battlefield froze.
This time it sounded closer.
Much closer.
Even McLone turned.
The confidence vanished from her face.
Then the mountains in the distance trembled.
A massive shadow moved.
Trees collapsed.
Entire cliffs cracked.
Something enormous was approaching.
Something real.
Something powerful.
Ghost soldiers began backing away.
Fear spread through the army.
McLone's grip tightened on her spear.
For the first time—
She looked genuinely afraid.
Daniel noticed.
Everyone noticed.
Then a whisper escaped her lips.
One name.
One name nobody expected.
"No..."
Then:
"Finn..."
The battlefield fell silent.
Bill's eyes widened.
Mr. Stone immediately looked toward the horizon.
David's whispers began screaming.
Thousands of voices.
One message.
Over and over.
Over and over.
Over and over.
"He's coming."
The war wasn't ending.
It was about to become something far worse.
To Be Continued...