"Not many shops are open yet. Do you want to grab some breakfast?" Robert asked.

  "That sounds good. We’ve had nothing but snacks since we were on the bus."

  "Let’s eat outside."

  "Where?"

  "Just outside the building, not far... then we’ll head to that address."

  "I’ll follow your lead," Hanna replied.

  "Let's go."

  They reached the lobby, a vast and brightly lit space. A river of people surged toward the main entrance ahead, where the morning light poured in from the street. Robert paused for a moment.

  "This way," he said softly.

  He led Hanna toward a side corridor that saw less foot traffic. A small sign reading 9th Avenue Exit hung above a narrower set of glass doors. The roar of the city rushed in the moment the door was pushed open.

  The Manhattan morning air greeted them—sharper, colder, and more real. Hanna looked up. The narrow street was squeezed between two towering skyscrapers that seemed to swallow the sky. Robert took one last glance behind him before leading Hanna across the street as the traffic light flickered to green. On the other side, glass buildings mirrored the early sun, and the sidewalks were choked with office workers scurrying toward their daily grind.

  "Wait, Zoey!"

  "What now?" Zoey turned back, her face contorted in a snarl.

  "I forgot to tell you... this station has multiple exits," Leah panted, her voice ragged with exhaustion.

  "My God, Leah! Why are you just telling me this now?" Zoey shrieked, her voice nearly drowned out by the terminal's din.

  "I only just remembered!"

  "Fuck!" Zoey raked her fingers through her hair, her eyes darting around in a frantic search. By then, they were already nearing the main exit, which was swarming with people.

  "You check the lobby area. I’ll check outside the station. If we lose them, we'll have no choice but to call Lady Jane," Zoey ordered, her voice trembling with a hint of genuine fear.

  "Understood."

  Without wasting a second, they split up. Leah fought her way back through the human tide into the lobby, while Zoey surged through the automatic doors toward the line of taxis outside.

  Hanna’s face still radiated a sense of pure wonder as she sat across from Robert in a diner. Her eyes roamed incessantly, taking in the city's frantic pulse through the large glass panes.

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  "Do you want to take the subway or a cab to get there?" Robert asked, trying to pull her attention back to the plan.

  Hanna turned to him, her brow knitting slightly. "What's a subway?"

  "An underground train."

  Hanna paused, a look of deep skepticism crossing her face. "There are trains... under the ground?"

  Robert let out a soft laugh at her innocence. "It’s not like those giant cargo trains. These just move within the city. They work like buses, only they're beneath the streets."

  Hanna nodded slowly, though her mind struggled to visualize a train buried under the asphalt of New York. "Can we just take a taxi?"

  "Sure. But the address you want to go to is a bit far from the city center," Robert noted, checking her small note again.

  "How far?"

  "By cab, maybe thirty minutes."

  "That’s quite a way," Hanna murmured.

  "Don't worry, Hanna. I’m here. I’ll see you right to the front door," Robert promised, his voice thick with sincerity.

  Hanna gave him a wide, grateful grin, feeling safe under the wing of her new friend. At that moment, a waitress approached their table, carrying a tray with the breakfast sets they had ordered. The aroma of fried eggs, bacon, sandwiches, and fresh orange juice filled the air, instantly sharpening their appetites.

  "Alright, let's eat," Robert said with a smile, handing a spoon and fork to Hanna.

  They ate in a relaxed silence, occasionally broken by Robert’s spontaneous jokes that nearly made Hanna choke with suppressed laughter. To her, this was the most peaceful moment she had experienced since fleeing Silverpine.

  Once finished, Robert moved to settle the bill, despite Hanna’s insistence on paying her share.

  "Why are you paying for everything?" Hanna asked as they stepped out of the diner.

  Robert didn't answer immediately. He stared out at the traffic-choked streets. "Who knows... this might be the first and last time I get to eat with you," he said quietly, his tone tinged with a sudden sadness.

  "Why would you say that, Robb?"

  Robert could only manage a bitter, fleeting smile. His attention was quickly diverted as a yellow taxi cruised by in the right lane, its roof light glowing—the signal that it was vacant. Robert shot his hand up.

  The taxi’s tires gave a short chirp as it pulled up beside them.

  "Get in, Hanna," Robert directed, holding the door open for her.

  Unbeknownst to them, across the busy street, Zoey’s eyes suddenly locked onto them. She stood frozen for a split second as she watched Robert and Hanna prepare to slip into the vehicle.

  "Found you!" Zoey hissed.

  Determined, she bolted into the street to intercept the cab. Her reckless move nearly ended in disaster as an oncoming car slammed on its brakes, missing her by inches.

  "Hey! You trying to die?!" the driver screamed.

  Zoey stopped dead in the middle of the road. She was forced to wait for a few critical seconds for a gap in the traffic. Those few seconds were all the yellow cab needed to roar away, carrying Hanna and Robert away from the terminal.

  "Fuck!" Zoey spat, standing on the curb and watching the taxi’s exhaust fade into the distance, her blood boiling.

  She looked to her right and saw another taxi approaching. Without a second thought, she stepped directly into its path. The cabbie stood on his brakes, the tires letting out a deafening screech. A chorus of horns erupted from the cars behind.

  Before the driver could even open his mouth to swear, Zoey had already thrown herself into the backseat, her expression lethal.

  "Drive. Now!" she barked.

  "Where to, lady?" the driver asked, bewildered by the uninvited passenger.

  Zoey didn't answer him. Her eyes were fixed on the yellow car ahead as it turned the corner. "Follow that taxi. Don't you dare lose it. Go!"

  The driver obeyed, hitting the gas. The car surged forward through the streets of Manhattan. Zoey pulled out her phone and dialed Leah’s number, her fingers moving in a blur. The moment the call connected, she spoke.

  "Leah, I’m in a cab. I’m trailing them. Contact Lady Jane immediately. I think they’re heading toward our old headquarters," Zoey reported urgently.

  "Are you sure?" Leah’s voice sounded hesitant on the other end.

  "Yes, I'm sure. Move, now!"

  The call cut off instantly. Zoey leaned forward, her entire focus narrowed on the taxi carrying Hanna and Robert, making sure they didn't slip from her sight.