Chapter 493: Confessions 2

The late afternoon air was cool against Noah’s face as he and Lila walked along the perimeter of the Eclipse Faction compound. The industrial district stretched out beyond the fence, abandoned warehouses and rusted machinery creating a landscape of decay that contrasted sharply with the organized structure they’d built here.

Lila walked with her hands in her jacket pockets, her blonde hair catching the fading sunlight. She hadn’t said much since they’d left the building, just fell into step beside him like they’d done this a hundred times before.

"I missed you too," Noah said finally, breaking the silence.

Lila stopped walking, turned to face him. Her pale blue eyes searched his face, looking for lies or politeness or obligation. Whatever she found there made her smile—not that dangerous edge she’d worn inside, but something softer.

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

Noah returned the hug, and they stood there for longer than was probably appropriate, longer than friends should, longer than people with complicated histories and current girlfriends typically allowed themselves. She was warm against him, solid and real in a way that made months of absence feel immediate and sharp.

"You did grow taller," Lila said against his chest, her voice carrying that teasing lilt. "Buffer too. Must be all that space food."

"It’s the same cafeteria garbage we ate at the academy, just in orbit."

She pulled back slightly, still in his arms, looking up at him. "You smell the same though. I missed that."

The admission was so casual, so honest, that Noah didn’t know how to respond. Lila had always been like this—completely unfiltered when she wanted to be, saying things that bypassed every social convention.

They separated, resumed walking. The perimeter fence ran along the eastern edge of their property, giving them a clear view of the wastelands beyond where beast activity sometimes spiked.

"So what’s up?" Noah asked. "And I mean really up. Not the surface stuff you told everyone inside."

Lila’s smile faded. "You always could read me."

"You’re not that complicated."

"Rude." But there was no heat in it. She kicked a loose stone, watched it skip ahead of them. "You know the basics, right? What happened after the tournament attack?"

Noah nodded. The interschool tournament in the Eastern sector, where Lila’s parents and other Purge operatives had struck. Where everything had gone sideways and she’d disappeared in the aftermath.

"I went after them," Lila said. "My parents. The people who made me—who made *versions* of me. I spent months tracking leads, following breadcrumbs, hunting down every clone facility I could find."

"Any luck?"

"Dead ends, mostly." Her voice carried frustration. "I knew their base locations, their safe houses, everything from when I was still... complicit. But when I got there? Empty. Abandoned. Like they’d packed up and vanished overnight."

She ran a hand through her hair, messing up the waves. "The whole Purge structure might’ve rearranged itself after the tournament. They lost a lot of operatives that day. Makes sense they’d go underground, regroup, change everything."

"What about the clones?" Noah asked carefully.

"Found three of them. Put them down." Lila’s tone was matter-of-fact, clinical. "They weren’t... they weren’t really alive anyway. Just copies running programming. It was mercy more than murder."

They walked in silence for a moment, the weight of that confession hanging between them.

"Then I got broke," Lila continued, her mood shifting slightly. "Turns out hunting terrorist parents doesn’t pay well. Who knew?" She laughed, but it sounded hollow. "So I decided to use my military training for something productive. Started taking contracts. Settlement work, beast hunting, occasional Purge remnants when I could find them."

"The two-horned Harbinger," Noah said. "We saw that on the networks. That was impressive work."

Lila’s smile returned, genuine this time. "It was a good fight. Thought I was going to die for most of it, but that’s what makes it interesting, right?" She bumped his shoulder with hers. "But enough about me. Why’d you leave the military? You were Vanguard, top of the class, SSS-rank. That’s not something you just walk away from."

Noah took a breath, organizing information in his head. "There’s a war happening right now. Not the Harbingers—well, not *just* them. Something bigger. Something the EDF won’t touch."

"Bigger than the Harbingers?" Lila’s skepticism was clear.

"You remember Lucas Grey? Upperclassman, fought in the tournament?"

"Lightning guy, right? Number one student before you showed up. The only Alpha-ranked soldier in school. Stupidly strong." Lila’s expression shifted slightly. "We weren’t exactly friends, but yeah, I remember him. Hard not to when he was basically untouchable."

"Turns out he’s from a royal family. Like, actual royalty. The first original humans to awaken powers a thousand years ago." Noah watched her expression shift from skepticism to interest. "He’s a descendant of one of the first eight families."

"Eight families," Lila repeated slowly.

"The First to Seventh Ancestors, and the Eighth who everyone thought was a myth." Noah’s jaw tightened. "Except he’s not a myth. He’s real, and he’s pissed. The Eighth Ancestor is trying to exact revenge on the other seven families for... honestly, we’re still figuring out why. But he’s been kidnapping family heads, building power, preparing for something big."

"And the EDF won’t get involved?"

"Original family business is off-limits to military interference. Ancient laws, political complications, the usual bureaucratic bullshit." Noah shrugged. "We went to help Lucas anyway. The EDF didn’t like that. There was a tribunal, a lot of posturing, and we decided if they won’t handle threats that matter, we will."

"Hence, Eclipse Faction." Lila nodded slowly. "Tackling everything wrong with the universe. That’s bold, Noah. Even for you."

"Someone has to."

Lila was quiet for a moment, processing. "So Lucas is being held by this Eighth guy?"

"Yeah. Trapped in a shadow dimension we can’t access yet."

Her expression flickered—not quite sadness, but something close to it. Maybe respect, or recognition of loss. "Lucas Grey, held captive. That’s... I didn’t think anything could hold him. He was always so..." She trailed off, searching for words. "Untouchable. Like nothing could actually hurt him."

"Nothing’s untouchable," Noah said quietly. "Not even Alpha-ranks."

"I guess not." Lila kicked another stone. "And Seraleth—the space elf—you encountered her people and helped them?"

"Her planet was dying. We evacuated two million elves before it imploded." Noah said it casually, but Lila’s expression showed she understood the scale of what that meant.

"Two million." She whistled low. "You’ve been busy."

"That’s one way to put it."

"Okay," Lila said. "Okay, I see where you guys stand now. That’s... that’s a lot."

"There’s more." Noah’s tone shifted, became more serious. "Bad news concerning your search for your parents."

Lila stopped walking. "What kind of bad news?"

"There was a mission. It went horribly wrong. We encountered a four-horned Harbinger named Kruel."

Lila actually gagged, her hand coming up to her throat. "A *four-horn*? Noah, those things destroy cities. They’re walking apocalypses."

"I know."

"And I thought I’d leveled up taking on a two-horn." She laughed, but it was shaky. "How are you even alive?"

"Barely. We almost killed it though. Had it weakened, on the verge of death." Noah’s expression darkened. "It killed three hundred thousand EDF soldiers before we could corner it. Just... wiped them out like they were nothing."

Lila’s face went pale. "Three hundred thousand."

"In one engagement. That’s how strong four-horns are."

"Jesus." She wrapped her arms around herself. "And you fought that thing."

"We didn’t have a choice. It was either fight or let it destroy an entire region." Noah paused. "We had it down. Almost finished. Then Purge agents attacked us. Stole Kruel’s body while it was vulnerable."

"Purge agents stole a four-horned Harbinger," Lila said flatly. "That’s... that’s insane. Why would they—"

"One of them had an ability similar to yours. Time manipulation in a localized field. They froze us long enough to drag Kruel through a portal."

Lila’s face went even paler. "Could’ve been a clone. If they still have my genetic material, they could make more. Perfect copies with all my abilities."

"That’s what we figured."

They both went quiet, processing the implications. More clones meant more complications, more threats, more versions of Lila running around doing god knows what.

"Where did they take it?" Lila asked finally.

"Through a portal. Into a place where the sky was red. Definitely not Earth."

"An offworld Purge base." Lila’s voice was quiet, distant. "I wasn’t aware they had the capability for that. My parents never mentioned it, and I thought I knew everything about their operations." She looked at him. "If what you’re saying is true, then everything I know is outdated. They’ve evolved way past what I remember."

"Yeah."

"And they have Kruel now. A weakened four-horn, but still..." She trailed off, thinking. "They could study it. Use it. Maybe try to control it, or harvest from it, or—" She shook her head. "There’s too many possibilities and all of them are bad."

"That’s what keeps me up at night," Noah admitted. "We eliminated the immediate threat, but we might have just handed them something worse."

Lila resumed walking, slower now, her mind clearly working through implications. "This changes everything. If the Purge has offworld bases, if they’re working with Harbingers, if they have access to my abilities through clones..." She ran a hand through her hair again, frustrated. "I’ve been hunting them all wrong. Looking in the wrong places, following the wrong trails."

"You couldn’t have known."

"I should have." Her voice carried an edge of self-recrimination. "I was one of them. I should’ve seen this coming, should’ve realized they’d adapt, evolve, go bigger."

"Lila—"

"No, it’s fine. I’m fine." But she didn’t look fine. She looked shaken, rattled in a way Noah rarely saw from her. "I just... I need to process this. Figure out what it means, where to go from here."

They walked in silence for another minute, Lila lost in thought, Noah giving her space to work through whatever calculations she was running in her head.

"I need to go," Lila said finally, but her tone was different now. Not abrupt, but purposeful. "I have contacts, people who might know things. If the Purge has offworld operations, someone’s heard something. Someone always hears something."

"You’re going to start asking questions."

"That’s what I do." She stopped, turned to face him. "Thank you for telling me. I know it wasn’t easy, especially with the clone angle."

"You needed to know."

"Yeah." She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Still sucks though. I should go now,"

Noah grabbed her hand before she could turn away. "Go where?"

She looked down at his hand on hers, then back up at his face. "Easy there, big guy."

"Lila." His voice was firm. "I know you. You’ve got nowhere to sleep right now, do you?"

Her silence was answer enough.

"We have resources," Noah said. "Rooms, supplies, everything you need. You could stay at Sophie’s house where the original team lives, or—"

"No." The word came out fast, defensive. "I’m not staying with you and your girlfriend under the same roof. That’s... no."

"Fine. Then stay here. At the faction building. We have member quarters, fully furnished, everything provided. Private rooms, your own space."

"Noah—"

"You don’t have anywhere else to go," he said gently. "And you’re working contracts now anyway. Might as well work with us. At least then you’ll have backup."

Lila pulled her hand free, turned away from him. "I work alone."

"You don’t have to."

"I’ve been doing fine on my own."

"Have you?"

She spun back to face him, irritation flashing across her features. "I don’t need charity, Noah. I don’t need you feeling sorry for me because I’m broke and homeless and hunting my terrorist parents."

"It’s not charity. It’s—"

"What? Friendship? Concern? Or is it guilt because you moved on and I’m still stuck dealing with the aftermath of everything that happened?"

The words hit harder than she probably intended. Noah held her gaze, refusing to look away.

"It’s all of that," he admitted. "And yeah, maybe I do feel guilty. Maybe I do worry about you working solo contracts that could get you killed. Maybe I just want you somewhere I know you’re safe instead of wondering if you’re dead in some settlement I’ll never hear about."

Lila’s expression softened slightly. "You’re really annoying when you’re being sincere."

"I’ve been told."

They stood there, the argument deflating, both of them too tired to keep pushing.

"Fine," Lila said finally. "But I need to run some errands first. Get my stuff, close out a few contracts, make sure I’m not leaving any loose ends. Talk to my contacts about this offworld situation."

"Okay."

"I’ll be back. Tomorrow, maybe. Day after at the latest."

"I’ll have Sam set up a room for you."

Lila stepped closer, invading his personal space with that casual confidence she’d always had. She went up on her tiptoes, her hand resting on his chest for balance, and kissed his cheek.

The contact was brief, warm, familiar in ways that made Noah’s heart do complicated things.

She pulled back slightly, bit her lower lip, then reached up and pinched his cheek hard enough to hurt.

"Ow."

Her giggle was soft, genuine, carrying none of that dangerous edge. "See you soon, Eclipse."

She turned and walked away, her blonde hair swaying with each step, her hands back in her jacket pockets. Noah stood there watching her go, his cheek still stinging from the pinch, her kiss still warm on his skin.

He had no idea what he’d just agreed to. No idea how this was going to complicate everything with his already messy life.

But as Lila disappeared around the corner of the building, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.