Chapter 606: Moon’s Condition
"I’m afraid that’s not possible, sir. Access to senior leadership requires a scheduled appointment through the executive office, or membership on our approved visitor list. If you’d like, I can direct you to the appropriate department for general inquiries."
Rowan didn’t blink.
"It’s about Moon Outlaw."
The receptionist’s expression changed subtly. Her hands slowly moved from the desk to the interface panel embedded in the counter.
"What about him?"
"I’m afraid I can’t share that with you. I need to speak with someone in a senior position within the Group."
The receptionist held his gaze for a moment longer.
Then she nodded.
"Please wait here. I’ll contact the executive office."
She turned slightly away from him and typed into her interface. A brief exchange scrolled across her display. She spoke into a discreet earpiece for several seconds.
Once she was done, she turned back to him.
"The Grand Manager will see you. Please follow me."
She rose from her seat and gestured toward a set of secured doors at the far end of the lobby. A second receptionist quietly moved from a back office to take her place at the desk.
Rowan followed her through the doors and into the private elevator beyond.
The Grand Manager’s office was located on one of the upper floors of the central tower. The room was large, dark-wooded, and luxurious.
The Grand Manager himself was a middle-aged man in a slate-grey suit, seated behind a broad desk.
He rose when Rowan entered.
He did not offer pleasantries.
"What information do you have about Sir Moon?"
Rowan met his gaze.
"He is heavily injured in our base. He needs medical attention. Urgent medical attention."
The Grand Manager’s expression didn’t change.
"You understand that this is not something to joke about."
His hand was already moving to the communication device at his belt.
"Of course."
"Very well."
The Grand Manager activated the device. He held it to his ear, and the connection went through within seconds.
Tom Glassy’s voice came through on the other end.
"What’s going on?"
"Sir. I have a man in my office claiming that Sir Moon is heavily injured at his base and needs urgent medical attention."
There was a fraction of a second of silence.
Then Tom’s voice returned.
"I’m coming. Right now."
The line cut.
The Grand Manager lowered the device and looked at Rowan.
"He is on his way."
Rowan nodded.
The two of them stood in silence, waiting.
Tom arrived within minutes.
The office door opened without warning. Tom Glassy stepped through in a dark tailored jacket over his day-to-day work clothes, his golden fire gloves conspicuously absent, replaced by a look of pure business focus.
His eyes went straight to Rowan and settled there.
"Speak."
Rowan wasn’t offended by the sharp tone. He understood it completely. Moon’s condition was a topic that required verification, and Tom was a busy man.
Rowan spoke without preamble.
He walked Tom through the situation in ordered sequence.
He didn’t embellish or dramatize the situation and Tom listened without interrupting.
By the time Rowan finished, Tom’s face had settled into a completely different expression.
He was no longer doubtful of the man standing in front of him.
Rowan had mentioned the floating island by name.
That detail wasn’t public. It wasn’t in any of the news reports. It was information that only Moon himself, and the people Moon personally trusted, would know. Hearing it from a stranger’s mouth confirmed the connection more effectively than anything could have.
Tom exhaled slowly.
"Alright."
Tom pulled two items out of his storage ring.
A small glass vial filled with a shimmering silver liquid and a pendant on a thin chain, its central stone glowing with a faint blue light.
He handed both to Rowan.
"I need you to head back to the base immediately. This vial is a peak Second Order health potion. If his condition destabilizes at any point during transit or before Stacey reaches him, feed it to him.
It’ll buy you some time of stable vitals regardless of what’s happening underneath. Don’t use it unless you have to. Once it’s active, no other healing potion will register properly for the next twenty-four hours."
He gestured toward the pendant.
"This necklace boosts constitution significantly. Put it on him the moment you get back. It’ll stabilize his body’s baseline resilience while we work out the deeper issues. Don’t take it off him for any reason until the healer confirms he’s stable."
Rowan accepted both items and tucked them carefully into his own storage ring.
He nodded his thanks.
Then he asked the question he had been holding.
"Do you know which portal he came through? I need to know the return route to get him back here safely."
Tom paused.
His grin returned briefly. Approving.
"Good catch."
He shook his head.
"I don’t know it myself. But I know someone who does."
He pulled out his phone and made a call.
♢♢♢♢
In one of Alaric Sky’s many private residences, Alaric was seated at a low table with a cup of tea in his hand. His posture was relaxed for the first time in several days. Emma was on the other side of the room, sorting through a stack of reports.
Alaric’s phone chimed.
He glanced at the display, saw Tom’s name, and answered without hesitation.
"Tom."
"I need the portal coordinates. The one that Moon used."
"Why?" Alaric frowned, already sensing trouble.
"Moon’s injuries hit him harder than expected. He’s been unconscious for three days. One of his subordinates just came to me looking for help."
Alaric’s cup lowered from his mouth.
His expression sharpened.
"I’ll transmit the coordinates directly."
Alaric transferred the coordinates through the encrypted channel a moment later. His voice came back through the phone.
"Anything else?"
"Not yet. I’m sending my healer. I’ll call you later once she’s assessed him."
"I will make my way to your headquarters shortly."
"Okay."
The call ended.
Alaric held the phone in his hand for a moment longer, his eyes lingering on the darkened screen. His expression was difficult to read.
He set the phone down on the table and picked his tea back up.
"Emma."
She looked up from the reports.
"Yeah?"
"Moon’s condition is worse than we thought. Tom is sending a healer."
Emma set the report down, her face showing her worry.
"Do we tell Selene?"
Alaric was silent for a long moment.
"Not yet. Let’s wait until we know more."
♢♢♢♢
Back in the Grand Manager’s office, Tom turned to the Grand Manager and issued a series of quick, precise instructions.
"Send him back in my personal orbital to skip normal traffic routes. And call Stacey. I need her to be there once he arrives."
The Grand Manager nodded once and began issuing the orders through his own communication panel.
Tom turned back to Rowan.
His expression had softened by a small fraction.
"You did the right thing coming here. Whatever the boss is paying you, I will make sure he raises it."
Rowan shook his head slightly.
"He isn’t paying me anything. I follow him because I chose to."
Tom’s grin returned briefly.
Then it faded.
"Good. He’ll need people like you for a long time. Take care of him. And take care of yourself. You’re going to be part of something bigger than you’ve ever imagined for the next several years."
Rowan didn’t answer.
He just nodded once, tucked the pendant into his storage ring, and followed the Grand Manager’s assistant out of the office toward the private orbital pad.