Chapter 26

The aftermath of their battle left the trio in a rare moment of quiet. They had found temporary refuge in a crumbling cathedral, its stained glass windows fractured but still casting kaleidoscopic light onto the cold stone floor. The silence between them, however, was anything but tranquil.

Thief sat on the altar steps, absently tracing patterns in the dust. His eyes flicked between Edgar and Magnet Man, the tension between the three unspoken but palpable. Edgar leaned against a broken pew, his claws retracted but his presence still commanding. Magnet Man stood apart, his back to them, the magnetic hum around him subdued but ever-present.

“You’re both so quiet,” Thief finally said, his voice breaking the heavy stillness. “It’s unnerving.”

“We’re all tired,” Edgar replied, his tone steady but distant. “Too much has happened.”