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Chapter 41: The Pattern
The investigation consumed five days.Kael worked with Sergeant Kors and her team in the administrative building, analyzing attack patterns, victim profiles, movement trajectories. Maps covered every wall. Red marks indicated strike locations. Blue marks indicated survivor settlements. Yellow marks indicated projected future targets.Kael traced his finger across the map, following the thief's progression from east to west. "They're methodical. Not random. Not desperate. This is planned hunting.""How do you know?" Kors sat across from him, watching. Always watching. Studying whether Kael was providing genuine assistance or protecting a criminal counterpart."Because the victims are selected. Look at the skill distribution. Every settlement hit had a specific cluster of enhancement abilities. Speed mages. Strength mages. Endurance specialists. Someone's teaching them. Someone's explaining the sequence.""You think there's a mentor?""I think there's someone who knows power theft intim
Chapter 40: The Hunger Returns
The reconstruction began on the fourth day. Kael worked alongside survivors in the rubble, clearing debris, hauling supplies, repairing what the siege had consumed. The physical labor was necessary, without it, the nights were unbearable.The locket whispered. The hunger demanded. Every moment not spent exhausting himself was a moment the dreams returned: blackout versions where he left the bunker, drained the attackers, saved everyone, and proved that hiding had been cowardice.On the seventh day of reconstruction, a messenger from the Confederacy arrived."Kael Thorne," the messenger said, official and cold. "The Council requests your presence at the administrative building. Urgent matter."Mrs. Chen appeared beside him, already preparing to follow. "What's this about?""I'm not at liberty to discuss. The Council will brief directly."The administrative building was repaired enough to function. The main conference room was cold concrete and minimal furniture. Administrator Tan sat a
Chapter 39: The Price of Wisdom
The burials took three days.Four hundred seven graves. Four hundred seven names. Four hundred seven markers joining the memorial that now consumed half the garden.I attended every burial. Stood for every ceremony. Witnessed every consequence of the choice to hide. Mrs. Chen said I didn't have to. Said watching myself break wouldn't help anyone. Said preserving myself mattered more than witnessing cost.I went anyway. Because not witnessing felt like additional cowardice. Because hiding from hiding was too much. Because four hundred seven people deserved acknowledgment from the person who'd survived while they died.Elena documented everything. Twelve notebooks now. Complete record of every death. Every name. Every consequence. She'd interview families after. Record testimonies. Preserve stories of people who'd become statistics."You're punishing yourself," she said during the second day. "Standing through hundreds of burials. Carrying weight you can't carry. Breaking yourself while
Chapter 38: The Hour
Four hours into the battle.One hundred twenty-three defenders dead. One hundred twenty-three people who'd trusted the plan. Trusted that hiding was wisdom. Trusted that survival justified their deaths.The western position had collapsed completely. The central position was breaking. Only the eastern held, and barely. Commander Wei had consolidated all remaining defenders there. Final stand. Last position. Everything concentrated in desperate attempt to survive until intervention.Two hundred seventy-seven defenders remained. Out of five hundred. Almost half gone. Mathematics consuming lives faster than anyone predicted. Attrition exceeding every model."Confederacy forces four hours out," Administrator Tan reported. His voice was strained now. Professional veneer cracking. "They're moving as fast as possible. But four hours. We need four more hours.""We don't have four hours," Commander Wei responded. "We have maybe two. Maybe less. Enemy is concentrating force. Preparing final push
Chapter 37: The Last Day
The attack came early.Not twenty-seven days. Not planned timeline. Not expected coordination. They came at eighteen days. Dawn on a day that felt like any other until it wasn't.I was in the garden. Visiting the memorial. Daily ritual. Talking to graves that couldn't answer. Seeking guidance from silence.The alarm sounded. Not drill. Real. The specific pattern that meant incoming force detected. The rhythm that meant everything was starting.Commander Wei's voice through magical communication. "Three thousand combat mages. Six hours out. They're moving fast. Coordinated. Professional. This is it."Six hours. Not days. Not time to prepare mentally. Not opportunity for final speeches or meaningful goodbyes. Just six hours until everything tested again.I ran to the command center. Everyone already there. Administrators. Council. Defenders coordinating. Organized chaos that came from preparation meeting reality."The bunker," Administrator Tan said immediately. "Now. You need to shelte
Chapter 36: The Preparation
Two months remained.The city transformed into fortress. Again. Barricades rebuilt. Defensive positions reinforced. Evacuations organized. Everything repeating. Same pattern. Same preparation. Same inevitable violence approaching.But different this time. Better organized. More systematic. Learning applied. Confederacy oversight ensuring efficiency instead of desperate improvisation.Commander Wei returned. She'd been with the Confederacy, training new forces. Learning new tactics. Studying what worked and what failed during the first siege."You look older," she said when we met."Two years does that.""No. Not years. Weight. You're carrying more weight. It shows." She gestured at the defenses being constructed. "These are good. Better than last time. Coordinated. Professional. Actually designed instead of just thrown together.""The Confederacy's work. Not mine.""Your cooperation. Your acceptance of oversight. Your willingness to step back and let experts handle what you couldn't."
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