The air hung thick with the metallic tang of blood and ozone. Debris from the furious firefight littered the Circle’s control center – sparking consoles, shattered screens, and the acrid smell of burnt circuitry. Ethan stared at his father, a man he barely knew, cornered against the far wall. The Grandmaster, once an imposing figure of ruthless power, now appeared diminished, his tailored suit ripped, his silver hair disheveled, his eyes blazing with a desperate fanaticism.