They emerged in a basement storage room filled with filing cabinets and old furniture.Kael closed the hatch carefully behind them. Above, footsteps continued their steady patrol. He counted the rhythm. Guards passed every ninety seconds."We have a minute between patrols," he whispered. "Stay low. Stay quiet."They moved through the basement, avoiding the main corridors. Kael used his power in short bursts, just enough to sense the layout ahead. The energy pulsed out like radar, showing him walls, doors, and people."Two floors up," he said. "That's where the records room should be."They took a service stairwell, moving between guard rotations. The building was massive, and the defensive forces were spread thin inside. Most of them were positioned on the perimeter.Second floor. Empty offices, dusty and forgotten. They crossed quickly.Third floor. This was different. The doors here were reinforced. Electronic locks. Security cameras in the corners."This is it," Rajan said. "Whatev

They made camp in the forest three miles from the mountain.Kael wanted to keep moving, but Lyra and Rajan were exhausted. Three days of hiking and minimal sleep had taken their toll."We rest here for the night," Kael decided. "Four hour rotations. I'll take my first watch."They set up in a small clearing, well hidden by dense trees. No fire. They ate cold rations and spoke in whispers."Show me the bracer again," Lyra said quietly.Kael extended his left arm. The Warbinder caught moonlight, crystals glowing faintly."It's beautiful," she admitted. "In a dangerous sort of way.""That describes everything about this situation," Rajan muttered.Kael took his position on a fallen log at the clearing's edge. His senses were sharper now with both artifacts. He could feel the forest around him, the life pulsing through it.Hours passed. Nothing moved except small animals.Then, around midnight, the forest went silent.No insects. No birds. Nothing.Kael stood slowly, hand moving to his sw

They moved Kael to a different location the next morning.An old fortress on the eastern border, built centuries ago and mostly forgotten. Stone walls thirty feet high, defensive towers at each corner, a single main gate."This is where we'll prepare for the ritual," his mother explained as they arrived. "Defensible. Remote. Perfect."Kael studied the fortress carefully. Strong walls, yes. But also trapped. Once inside, getting out would be nearly impossible.They brought Astrid too, still bound and guarded. Lyra walked beside Kael, her weapons confiscated but her eyes alert."We need to move soon," she whispered."I know. But not yet."They were taken to separate rooms. Kael's was in the main tower. Comfortable but clearly a cell. Guard posted outside.He spent the first day exploring what he could. Counting guards. Mapping patrol routes. Looking for weaknesses.There weren't many.His mother visited that evening."You wanted truth," she said. "Let's start with why I left."Kael said

The attack on the naval base began at dawn.Vincent's forces created diversions at three different entry points. Explosions. Gunfire. Chaos designed to pull defenders away from the main objective.Kael, Lyra, and Astrid went in through the water. Old drainage tunnels that fed into the facility's lower levels. Cold, dark, and barely wide enough to move through.They emerged in a maintenance corridor. Empty. The sounds of battle echoed from above."The crystal," Astrid whispered.Kael pulled it out. It pulsed brighter now, pulling him in a specific direction."This way."They moved quickly through the facility. Most guards had been pulled to defend the perimeter. The few they encountered, Kael disabled with precise strikes.The crystal led them deeper. Down three levels. Into sections that looked more like a laboratory than a prison."This is wrong," Lyra said, looking at the equipment. "This isn't just a holding facility. They're experimenting on people here."Cells lined the corridor.

They were halfway to the old stronghold when the ambush happened.Kael's convoy of twenty vehicles moved through mountain roads under cover of darkness. Vincent's intelligence suggested they had a clear path. No enemy activity for fifty miles.Intelligence was wrong.The first vehicle exploded without warning. Then the second. Within seconds, the entire convoy was under attack from all sides."Out! Everyone out!" Kael shouted.They abandoned the vehicles and took cover behind rocks and trees. Gunfire came from elevated positions. Whoever planned this had chosen the location perfectly. High ground. Clear sight lines. No escape routes."How many?" Lyra called from behind a boulder."Too many!" Rajan answered. He'd rejoined them after the fortress, claiming he'd been under mind control. Kael didn't fully trust him, but they needed every fighter.Kael activated his artifacts. Both gauntlet and bracer flared to life, casting blue light across the kill zone."Stay in cover!" he ordered. "I'