The Institute's war room was a fortress of strategy and secrets, its walls lined with maps and weapons that gleamed under the flickering light of enchanted orbs. A massive table dominated the center, its surface etched with runes that pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat. I stood at its edge, my hands braced against the cool wood, trying to focus on Maryse's briefing while my mind churned with images of my mother's vision—her desperate flight, the portal, the shadowed figure in the Capitol's lab. The pendant hung heavy around my neck, its crescent moon rune a constant reminder of the questions I couldn't answer. Mira's face lingered too, her wide eyes and trembling voice as the Peacekeepers tore us apart. Every second I spent here was a second she was alone, and the weight of that truth was crushing.
Maryse's voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and precise. "The breach last night wasn't random," she said, her eyes sweeping over the gathered Shadowhunters—me, Kyle, Isabelle, Alec, Jace, and Clary, with Catarina standing by a bookshelf, her expression grim. "Those creatures were human, altered by demonic runes tied to Asmodeus. Their armor suggests a connection to Lilia's world, Panem. If a portal is active, we need to find it before more come through."
I shifted, my fingers tightening on the short sword strapped to my hip—the same one I'd used against the Ravener demon. "The Capitol's behind this," I said, my voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath it. "They've been controlling Panem for decades. If they're working with demons, it's just another way to keep us in chains."
Kyle, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, nodded. "And if they're bridging worlds, they're not just a threat to Panem. Asmodeus doesn't play small. He's a Greater Demon—powerful, cunning, and not exactly known for sharing."
Inquisitor Aldertree, who'd insisted on joining the briefing, stood at the table's head, his silver hair catching the light like a blade. His presence was a storm cloud, heavy and oppressive, and his eyes kept drifting to me, cold and calculating. "A Greater Demon and a forbidden rune," he said, his voice smooth but edged with suspicion. "Quite the coincidence, Miss Thorn. One might wonder if your arrival triggered this."
I bristled, my hand instinctively closing around the pendant. "I didn't ask to be here," I said, meeting his gaze. "And I'm not the one turning Peacekeepers into monsters. If you want to point fingers, try the Capitol—or whoever's pulling their strings."
Kyle's lips twitched, a flicker of amusement breaking through his usual stoicism, but Aldertree's smile was thin and dangerous. "Bold words for a girl with no standing," he said. "The Clave will decide your role in this. For now, you'll assist in locating the portal. Consider it a test of your… loyalty."
Maryse's jaw tightened, but she didn't contradict him. "Catarina's traced residual portal energy to an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn," she said, pointing to a map on the table, where a red rune marked the location. "It's unstable, likely demonic in origin. Kyle, you'll lead the team—Lilia, Isabelle, and Alec. Jace and Clary, you're on patrol to ensure no more breaches occur here. Catarina, prepare the infirmary for potential injuries."
Aldertree raised an eyebrow. "You're trusting the girl with a mission? She's untrained, untested—"
"She's proven herself," Kyle interrupted, his voice low but firm. "She took down a Ravener and held her own against those creatures. She's coming."
I glanced at him, surprised by the defense. His eyes met mine, steady and unyielding, and for a moment, the room's tension faded, replaced by a warmth I didn't want to name. I nodded, a silent thank you, and he looked away, his expression closing off.
"Fine," Aldertree said, his tone clipped. "But I'll be watching, Wayland. Don't forget your place."
Kyle's hands clenched, but he didn't respond. The mention of his family history again—whatever it was—hung in the air like a shadow. I made a mental note to ask him later, when we weren't surrounded by prying eyes.
Maryse dismissed us, and I followed Kyle to the armory, where Isabelle and Alec were already gearing up. Isabelle handed me a black leather jacket, its inner lining etched with runes. "Shadowhunter gear," she said, grinning. "Tougher than it looks, and it'll keep you from getting sliced to ribbons."
I slipped it on, the leather cool against my skin but surprisingly light. "Thanks," I said, adjusting the sword at my hip. The stele Catarina had given me was tucked into a pocket, its warmth a reminder of the runes I'd drawn—Strength, Precision, and the potential for more. My arm still tingled from yesterday's training, a faint echo of the power I'd felt.
Alec checked his bow, his movements precise. "Stay close out there," he said, his voice calm but serious. "Demonic portals are unpredictable. If Asmodeus is involved, we're walking into a trap."
"Great," I muttered, but my resolve hardened. Trap or not, this portal was my best shot at getting back to Mira. I'd face a hundred demons if it meant seeing her again.
Kyle strapped a second dagger to his thigh, his movements fluid but tense. "Let's move," he said, leading us out of the armory and into the Institute's courtyard. The night air was sharp, carrying the distant hum of New York City—horns, voices, life. It was nothing like District 12's oppressive silence, and for a moment, I felt a pang of homesickness, not for the starvation or the Reaping, but for the quiet moments with Mira, her laughter filling our cramped shack.
We took a sleek black van, Isabelle driving with a reckless confidence that made me grip the seat. Kyle sat beside me in the back, his knee brushing mine as the van swerved through traffic. "You nervous?" he asked, his voice low enough that only I could hear.
I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. But not about the demons. I'm scared I won't make it back to her."
He was quiet for a moment, his eyes fixed on the window. "I get it," he said finally. "Family's… complicated. But you're not alone in this, Lilia. We'll find that portal."
His words were simple, but they carried a weight that made my chest ache. I wanted to ask about his family, about the shadow Aldertree's words had cast, but the van slowed, and Isabelle's voice cut through. "We're here."
The warehouse was a hulking relic of steel and concrete, its windows shattered and its walls tagged with graffiti. The air around it felt wrong, heavy with a static charge that made my pendant hum. Kyle led the way, his dagger drawn, while Alec scanned the perimeter with his bow ready. Isabelle's whip uncoiled, its tip glowing faintly, and I gripped my sword, my heart pounding.
Inside, the warehouse was a maze of rusted machinery and broken crates, the floor littered with glass and debris. A faint blue glow pulsed from the far end, and my pendant flared in response, its rune casting shadows on the walls. "That's it," I whispered, my voice tight. "The portal."
We moved cautiously, the silence broken only by the drip of water and the creak of metal. But as we neared the glow, the air grew colder, and a low growl echoed through the space. Kyle raised a hand, signaling us to stop. "Demons," he said, his voice barely audible. "Multiple."
Before I could process, the shadows erupted. Three creatures lunged from the darkness, their bodies a grotesque mix of scales and spines, with glowing yellow eyes and claws like sickles. Shax demons, Isabelle called them, her whip cracking as she took one down. Alec fired an arrow, hitting another in the chest, but the third came for me, its claws slashing.
I dove aside, my training kicking in, and swung my sword, catching its arm. Black ichor sprayed, and it screeched, but it didn't stop. Kyle was there in an instant, his dagger slicing through its neck, the creature collapsing into ash. "Stay sharp," he said, his breath ragged. "There's more."
He was right. The portal flared, and a dozen more Shax demons poured through, their growls filling the warehouse. We fought as a unit, Isabelle's whip a blur, Alec's arrows finding their marks, Kyle's daggers flashing. I held my own, my sword heavier with each swing but my movements sharper, guided by the runes on my arm. Strength kept me standing, Precision guided my strikes, but the demons kept coming, their numbers overwhelming.
"Lilia, the portal!" Kyle shouted, fending off two demons at once. "Your rune—it's reacting. Use it!"
I clutched the pendant, its glow blinding now, and a surge of energy coursed through me, unlike anything I'd felt before. The stele in my pocket burned, and I pulled it out, acting on instinct. I pressed it to my arm, not knowing what I was drawing, only that it felt right. A new rune took shape, intricate and jagged, like a star fractured by lightning. The air around me crackled, and the portal shuddered, its blue light flickering.
The demons froze, their eyes fixed on me, and then they screamed, a sound that rattled my bones. The rune pulsed, and a wave of energy erupted from me, tearing through the demons like a storm. They dissolved into ash, the warehouse falling silent except for the hum of the portal, now dimmer, its edges unstable.
I collapsed to my knees, the stele slipping from my hand. Kyle was at my side in an instant, his hands on my shoulders. "What the hell was that?" he asked, his voice a mix of awe and worry.
"I don't know," I gasped, my arm burning where the new rune glowed. "It just… happened."
Isabelle approached, her whip coiled but her eyes wide. "That wasn't a standard rune," she said. "It's like your pendant's, but stronger. You shut down the portal—partially, at least."
Alec studied the flickering portal, his bow still raised. "It's not closed," he said. "But it's weaker. Whatever you did, it bought us time."
Before we could process, a new figure emerged from the shadows—not a demon, but a man in a hooded cloak, his face obscured. His hands glowed with red runes, the same as those on the Peacekeepers' armor. "The girl," he hissed, his voice like gravel. "Asmodeus sees you."
Kyle stepped in front of me, his dagger raised. "Back off," he growled, but the man laughed, a sound that made my skin crawl.
"You can't stop what's coming," he said, raising his hands. The portal flared again, and a gust of wind knocked us back. When I scrambled to my feet, he was gone, the portal dim but still active.
"We need to get back," Alec said, his voice urgent. "The Institute needs to know about this."
As we retreated, Kyle stayed close, his hand brushing mine. "You okay?" he asked, his voice softer now.
I nodded, though my heart was racing. "I don't know what I did," I said. "But it felt… right."
He studied me, his eyes searching. "You're more than you think, Lilia," he said. "And that scares me as much as it impresses me."
Back at the Institute, Aldertree was waiting, his expression thunderous. "You destabilized a demonic portal with an unknown rune," he said, his voice dripping with accusation. "Do you have any idea the danger you've unleashed?"
"I saved us," I snapped, my temper flaring. "And I'm not your enemy."
"Perhaps," he said, his eyes narrowing. "But the Clave will decide that. You'll be questioned tomorrow. Until then, you're confined to quarters."
Kyle stepped forward, his voice low. "She's not a prisoner, Aldertree. Lay off."
The Inquisitor's smile was cold. "Careful, Wayland. Your father's mistakes don't need repeating."
Kyle's face went pale, and I grabbed his arm, pulling him back before he could do something reckless. "Let's go," I said, my voice firm. Aldertree watched us leave, his gaze like a blade at my back.
In the quiet of my assigned room—a small space with a cot and a window overlooking the city—Kyle finally spoke, his voice raw. "My father was a traitor," he said, not looking at me. "He worked with a demon, betrayed the Clave. It's why Aldertree hates me. Why I'm always on thin ice."
I reached out, touching his arm. "You're not him," I said, my voice soft. "You're here, fighting. That's what matters."
He looked at me then, his eyes raw with something I couldn't name. "You don't know me, Lilia," he said, but his hand covered mine, warm and steady. "But… thanks."
We sat in silence, the city's lights glittering outside, and for the first time since the Reaping, I didn't feel alone. But the pendant's weight, the new rune's burn, and the cloaked man's words—*Asmodeus sees you*—told me the fight was just beginning.
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**Author's Note**
OH MY GOSH, Shadowhunters and Tributes, you're the real MVPs for diving into Chapter 5! 😱 This one's a monster, and I'm SO hyped to see Lilia kicking demon butt and unlocking some serious rune power. What's your vibe on that new rune? And Kyle spilling about his dad—can we talk about that tension?! 👀 Drop your theories, feels, and fave moments in the comments—I'm obsessed with hearing from you! If you're loving *Flames of the Shadows*, please smash that vote button and add it to your library. Next chapter's coming soon, and it's gonna be EPIC. Thanks for being the best readers in all the worlds! 💖