/~Kyra~/
Axel turned to me as if he was begging for answers to what Contrario had just asked.
"Legendary core," Axel said. "Unattuned. And as you might already know, those don't just fall out of the sky."
"But I know where one or two might be," I cut in, stepping to the center of the room and crossing my arms. "There's a group of retired players, old elite gathering at the Ironcloud Resort just outside the Wastes this weekend. Most of them are carrying high-tier loot that never got claimed before retirement. And some of it's still alive."
"You want to steal it?" Contrario asked, incredulous. "From people who already gave up the game, from Elites?"
"Gate crash, not steal" I said, shrugging. "No one retires clean. If they're holding a core, it wasn't earned in peace."
He looked away, jaw working. I knew what was happening. I could see the fracture in him. This wasn't just about the core. This was about identity. Dignity. About Jennifer.
