The world seemed to tilt in slow motion.
The cradle teetered dangerously on the cracked rooftop edge, the faint cry of the infant lost amidst the deafening rumble of the explosion below.
Dust and debris rained down, the jagged rooftop trembling under their feet like a dying beast struggling to hold on.
Amelia's scream tore through the chaos, raw and primal.
"MY BABY!"
Without a second thought, she lunged forward.
Her heart pounded so violently it felt like it would burst through her chest.
The sharp edges of broken concrete scraped against her knees, but she didn't care.
All she saw… all she heard… was her child's desperate wail.
Damian cursed under his breath, his instincts torn between grabbing Amelia back from the collapsing edge and taking down Lucien Blake once and for all.
"Amelia, don't!" he roared, but it was too late.
Amelia threw herself forward, her arms stretching toward the fragile cradle just as the final crack split the rooftop apart.
For a terrifying heartbeat, she was weightless—caught between salvation and death.
Her fingers brushed the cradle's handle.
With a cry of sheer will, she pulled the cradle back just as the ground beneath it gave way, concrete and steel falling into the abyss below.
Her body hit the hard rooftop, the cradle clutched desperately to her chest, her whole world trembling but—
Alive.
Safe.
Tears poured down her cheeks as she checked the tiny, crying life in her arms.
"Mama's here… I've got you… I've got you…"
Lucien stood frozen, his face a mixture of disbelief and something dangerously close to respect.
But before he could utter a word—
A sharp gunshot rang through the night.
Lucien staggered back, clutching his shoulder as crimson bloomed across his suit.
Damian stepped forward, his gun smoking, his eyes dark and murderous.
"You just lost your final hand, Blake."
Lucien's lips twisted into a bitter, defiant smile even as he dropped to his knees.
"This isn't over, Amelia…" he hissed, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"You'll never be free of me…"
Amelia stood slowly, cradling her child close, her gaze ice-cold despite the storm raging within her.
"You're right, Lucien," she said, her voice like steel wrapped in silk.
"I'll never be free… until I end this myself."