New Chapter

**Chapter [X]: The Edge of Trust**

The sound of Lila's shallow breathing haunted Iris's mind as she paced back and forth in Xander's living room. She had just left the hospital, Lila still unconscious, teetering on the edge of life and death. Seb was out there, planning something massive, and time was running out.

Iris's fingers tapped rhythmically against the back of a chair. Every minute they hesitated, Seb moved closer to finishing whatever it was he had planned at the docks. She couldn't sit still, not with everything that was at stake.

Xander stood by the window, arms crossed, his gaze distant. "We have to move fast, Iris. If what Lila said is true, Seb could be launching something big tonight."

"I know," Iris said, her voice strained. "But we can't just rush in blind. We need a plan. And we need backup."