Deep inside the Rotterdale Forest, black smoke billowed out of the foliage, gushing out of the canopy like a smoking chimney.The chopper’s tail had snapped in half, and the impact had crushed the cockpit into a rolled-up ball, smashing the glass windows and cracking the windshield open.The crash had left Xander with a bloody forehead, but he was still conscious.It took Xander a few seconds to reorient himself and get his bearings straight.But as soon as he got his thoughts together, he realized they were deep within enemy lines and completely exposed.“We need to get out of here and find a safe shelter. Lieutenant!”Xander called out to the pilot, who was lying unconscious in the cockpit.The seatbelts had saved him from sustaining any major head injuries, but his left leg was trapped under the seat.“Wake up, Lieutenant!” Xander kicked the crushed door open and jumped out of the crashed chopper before prying the cockpit door open and reaching for the pilot. “We are in enemy terri

Priscilla’s widened eyes served as a warning, and she shook her head frantically, begging Xander to stay back.But instead of moving away, Xander approached her and held her reassuringly by her shoulders.“I am here now. I am going to get you out of here, sis. I promise.”Xander pulled down the dirty piece of cloth gagging Priscilla’s mouth and tossed it away.“You shouldn’t have come here! I am so sorry I dragged you into this!” she cried. “Please, Xander! Just leave me and go!”“I am not going anywhere!” Xander looked dead into her eyes and held her tenderly in his arms. “You are going to be okay. We will figure something out.”Priscilla’s voice collapsed in her throat as a lonely tear rolled down her cheek. She was seeing Xander after 20 long years, but it wasn’t the kind of reunion she had imagined.With a ticking time bomb strapped to her waist, she wasn’t his sister anymore, but a danger to his life.“You don’t need to do this! Don’t risk your life for me!” she begged through te

Xander opened his eyes to the blurry sight of medical assistant drones buzzing over him as he lay numb on the operating table.The room looked nothing like a hospital, but something straight out of the future.Every wall was divided into sections that contained LED screens, and the ceiling looked like a starless sky with a crescent moon peeking through fleecy gray clouds.Amidst the beeping of the medical devices, Xander heard his sister’s voice floating through like a gentle hum.“It’s going to be okay. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you,” she whispered, performing an incision on Xander’s chest and cutting into his open heart with a laser knife. “That serum has contaminated your blood. The mutations have morphed your heart. I have to remove the infected tissue surgically and replace it with specialized stem cells.”Xander slipped in and out of his senses like a dream replaying in his head over and over again.The only thing that remained constant was his sister’s face gazing

No matter how the tale unfolded, it all led to the same unknown starting point—the Enlightened Ones.Xander had first heard the name from Priscilla, and now Ashari repeated the same, painting them as the true villains.While it was Valheim and Orichoko who had attacked Zarturia, the ones pulling the strings from the shadows were the Enlightened Ones. And Xander had no idea about any part of their existence save that name.“Who are these Enlightened Ones?” he asked. “Is this some cult or a political faction?”Ashari shook his head.“No, my prince. The Enlightened Ones are not a part of any cult. And while they do control global politics, they do not directly participate in it,” he explained.“Then who and what are they?”Ashari’s eyes flickered with an eerie light as his thoughts went back to the dark recesses of his mind. His face darkened, and his voice fell to a low whisper as he spoke again.“The Enlightened Ones are beings of great power. Some say they are immortal humans who have

In the course of the next two hours, the State Troopers took control of Valheim, imposing martial law with an immediate nationwide lockdown.Young, able-bodied men were dragged out of their houses and forcibly shipped off to enlist in the army while the Rapid Response Force dispersed the protesting mobs with water cannons and pellet guns.Valheim was still reeling from the critical hit on its energy infrastructure, but President Igor paid no heed to the complaints of the common citizens.Instead, he chose to deploy all fuel stockpiles and divert all emergency power to the military forts and airbases.The military was mobilized under new commanding officers, with the sole goal of marching on Alexandria and routing their ground forces.Meanwhile, the surviving bombers and fighter jets were refueled and rearmed in preparation for another massive deployment.Under President Igor’s command, the air force, the paratroopers, and the armored regiments were put on battle-ready status.Despite