In the Heart of Nota, the hunters of all three teams were scattered across the tables, talking among themselves.

  Se?kin, once again in those familiar long white boots, addressed all the hunters. “I actually understand why we all agreed to this nonsense in the first place,” he said, clicking his tongue in a pointed, mocking way.

  Yaman approached Se?kin with the wave-shaped glass in his hand. “Would you care to tell us exactly what it is you understand, Se?kin?” he asked in a tense tone.

  Se?kin straightened where he stood with arrogant composure. “You have all accepted defeat from the very beginning! Are you aware of that?” he said.

  Although Damla was nearly as ambitious as Se?kin, she could see how limited her options were. “For me, the hunt isn’t only about hunting. It also means revenge. Korhan’s death means a great deal to me. But I don’t know how or what I can stand against,” she said.

  Se?kin stroked Damla’s cheek as if she were a small child. “By not whining like a little girl,” he replied, his arrogance even more pronounced.

  With anger, Damla pushed Se?kin’s hand away. “Since you’re so confident, I suppose you have a plan,” she snapped.

  Turning to the others as well, Se?kin said, “You may not see it, but the hunt now belongs to the strongest! And many of you are merely waiting to become prey. I, on the other hand, intend to hunt. That’s why I always have a plan. If you don’t wish to become prey, I suggest you make one too. That is, if you’re capable of it.”

  With a mocking tone, Yaman asked, “What, you’re going to defeat the Reborn with a plan?”

  Se?kin turned toward the door. “You do realise no one can defeat them by using brute force!” he said, and left.

  Alkan looked at Yaman. “For the first time, he’s telling the truth. Even someone as arrogant as Se?kin had to acknowledge their power. And he’s right about the only thing that might defeat them,” he said with a gloomy air.

  As Se?kin was leaving the Heart of Nota, Dora and Onur were sitting on the rocks by the edge of the Unparalleled waters at the back.

  While Onur was busy with his Deviant, G?lge, who leaned forward as if asking to be petted, Dora was focused on Asil.

  Asil stood a little distance from Dora, watching the reflection of light dancing on the water. He never took his eyes away from it, as if searching for a sign within the rippling light.

  Dora felt a deep unease because she had never been able to understand this side of her Deviant. With every passing day she sensed that he was turning into a different Deviant and drifting further away. The feeling stirred both deep sadness and a growing curiosity about what might be causing it.

  Onur stopped watching the wave reflected by the setting sun on the water and turned to Dora.

  “Why are you so restless?” he asked.

  Without taking her eyes off Asil, Dora said, “I think Asil belongs to someone else.”

  Onur looked at her in surprise. “You always saw him as a free Deviant. How could that be? Besides, Asil has always been with you. He has never belonged to anyone else. Even when you didn’t want him, he returned to you,” he said.

  Turning to Onur, Dora replied, “I don’t think he returned to me. I know why I feel this way, but Asil is definitely not an ordinary Deviant. He isn’t mine, nor is he free,” she said with a sorrowful expression.

  “How can you be so certain?”

  “I thought he was happy when he was with me. But it seems he’s happy when he gets close to whoever he truly belongs to.”

  Onur’s curiosity deepened. “Who? One of the Overseers or something?” he asked.

  “No! He doesn’t belong to an Overseer. I don’t know who it is, but I’ve been feeling this way for a while. And I will find out who it is,” she said, walking toward Asil.

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  Onur involuntarily locked eyes with G?lge.

  The next day, in the garden of Unparalleled Castle, Cengaver had practically pressed himself against ?etrefil’s face, trying to hear him. While Rezalet mocked his useless effort, ?etrefil looked thoroughly fed up with the situation.

  On the side of the castle, Elzem had lifted his head toward the sky, as if waiting for something. A few minutes later, he walked toward the front garden to witness Cengaver’s futile efforts.

  Sonsuz had just arrived in the garden and held Elzem by the shoulders.

  “I think you’re good enough today,” he said.

  With confidence, Elzem replied, “I’ve been good for a while now. And I’m ready.”

  Suddenly, as if he had received a signal, Cengaver ran toward them.

  “Ready for what? Or what are you both ready for? Just so you know from the start—I want to come too,” he said like an excited child.

  From behind, Rezalet called out with a grin, “That’s beyond you, my friend.”

  Cengaver looked at Elzem and Sonsuz with a wounded expression. “What does he know that I don’t? Would you tell me?” he asked.

  “Elzem said, “It’s a dangerous experiment, Cengaver,” but Cengaver responded with a stubborn look that clearly showed he would never be convinced.

  Although Sonsuz was understanding, he spoke firmly. “Elzem and I are going to conduct a small-scale chaos trial before the hunt. It would be a burden too heavy for you to carry. That’s why we’ll leave with only a few Female Breakers and a few big cats. And you—”

  Cengaver cut him off.

  “And I will of course be by your side and support you when necessary,” he insisted.

  Accepting Cengaver’s request, Sonsuz said, “Very well! But you will never step outside the boundary we draw. Keep that in mind,” he warned clearly.

  Standing like a soldier receiving orders, Cengaver said, “I will never do anything you haven’t told me to do,” casting a meaningful glance at Rezalet.

  Twisting his mouth, Rezalet muttered to himself, “I don’t understand how this idiot gets what he wants every single time.”

  As evening fell, a growling wind began pulling the darkness into itself. Spreading its power everywhere, it surrounded the castle entirely.

  At the back of the castle, beneath the Unparalleled waters, Elzem and Sonsuz stood facing each other. Aside from Abbey, Gina, and Kylie drifting around them, there were two more Female Breakers. From the pack, only ?etrefil and Yank? stood ready behind Elzem. Cengaver, dressed from head to toe in black with his beret, looked as if he were prepared for war.

  Sonsuz said to Kylie, “For the first time, you need to open a gate inside the castle.”

  Squinting at the water, Kylie replied, “Yes, but despite everything, it still seems less dangerous than opening one outside the castle.”

  Elzem looked at Abbey. “The danger of the castle is something else entirely. My power is enough for it. But what about you, Abbey?” he asked.

  Resting her head on Elzem’s shoulder, Abbey said with a happy face, “We are one person. If you can endure it, that means I can endure it too.”

  Sonsuz turned to Cengaver. “Outside or inside, it’s full of curses either way. If you feel you can’t endure it and want to give up, say so now,” he said, wanting to be sure one last time.

  With a stubborn expression, Cengaver said, “Never! I can endure it no matter what. I want to fight alongside you and Elzem.”

  “Very well! Then we’re ready. Kylie, you may open the gate,” Sonsuz commanded.

  As soon as she received the order, Kylie began spinning in a circle along the thin line between the water and the shore. When Gina and the other two Female Breakers joined the rotation, a vortex emerged. ?etrefil and Yank? ran forward and held the mouth of the vortex open with their claws.

  As the vortex began to grow immensely powerful, a wild storm engulfed everything. Elzem, Sonsuz, and Cengaver struggled to remain standing. Abbey clung to the back of Elzem’s neck, while Cengaver seemed to be hiding behind Sonsuz.

  When the raging storm lifted the waters into the air and hurled them about, Cengaver spoke in a timid voice.

  “It wasn’t like this with the previous gates,” he said, waiting for an answer from Sonsuz.

  Without taking his eyes off the gate, Sonsuz replied, “The previous ones were opened outside the castle, in a safe environment. This time it was opened within the boundaries of the castle—within the limits of the Wall of Nothingness itself. That’s why the two forces are wrestling each other.”

  Clinging to Sonsuz’s back, Cengaver groaned, “Alright, I admit it. Opening it outside is risky because of the curse on you—but isn’t this several times worse?”

  Through the strands of her wind-tossed hair, Elzem said, “Cengaver, rather than awakening an enemy outside, walking forward with the danger that already exists is the work of intelligent warriors. Since you’re with us now, you need to start calculating such things.”

  Agreeing with Elzem, Cengaver suddenly straightened with determination.

  “You’re right! Absolutely! Then I’m ready. Now tell me where we’re going!” he said, as if he had swallowed a temporary pill of courage.

  With a faint smile, Sonsuz said, “To the Heart of Unparalleled.”

  Cengaver stared in shock, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

  “You mean the heart of that curse chasing you… the place filled with hunting grounds everywhere?” he asked. Apparently, the courage pill only lasted a few seconds.

  Laughing, Elzem said, “Abbey, I’m ready! If you’re ready too, let’s go.”

  With a happy look, Abbey winked, and at the same moment they ran and plunged into the vortex.

  Grabbing Cengaver by the back of the neck, Sonsuz ran and dove into the vortex as well, while Cengaver’s screams echoed.

  The moment they entered, ?etrefil and Yank? ran swiftly into the vortex, and the remaining Female Breakers slipped through the closing gate at the last second.

  As they left behind a colossal fury of storm and wind, when they returned there had already been enough violation of the boundaries for the darkness to swallow everything.