The biting wind whipped at Ethan’s threadbare jacket as he navigated the labyrinthine alleyways of Birmingham. Leaving his apartment had been a necessity, not a choice. OmniTech’s assault had made that abundantly clear. He was a fugitive now, hunted not just by the police, but by a corporation with resources that dwarfed his own. The Stone Guardian, the Ironclad Sentinels, and even the Storm Griffin, all manifestations of his will through Aethelred, had bought him time, but they couldn't sustain themselves indefinitely in the real world. They needed to return to the Engine, and he needed answers.