Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Chapter 50: Unveiling the Path Forward_2

The old man groaned, shaking his head. “Brats. All of you.”

And just like that—Yenna and the former Dragon Unit captain had made their choice.

They were walking away from the Federation but neither of them was walking away from the fight.

Meanwhile Aiden’s convoy journey towards Icelorn Basin

The sun hung low in the sky, casting an orange glow over the vast stretches of land as Aiden’s convoy rumbled forward. They were now just a few hundred kilometers away from reaching the Icelorn Basin, but the journey leading up to this moment had been anything but smooth.

Since leaving the diner where they had rested the previous night, their path had been filled with grim discoveries.

They had come across five villages, each telling a story of survival—or the lack of it.

Three of them were nothing but ghost towns. Entire settlements were wiped clean as if thousands of people had simply vanished into thin air. But the truth was far more horrifying.

Bloodstains painted the walls of houses, soaked into the dirt roads, and dried on the shattered remains of furniture. Torn, bloodied scraps of clothing lay scattered, telling the silent story of massacre and despair.

The bodies were gone, likely devoured by mutated beasts. The only proof that people had once lived here were the broken doors left swinging lifelessly in the wind.

Despite the grim reality, they refused to give up hope.

And perhaps, their prayers were answered.

Because in the wreckage of these villages, they found survivors.

Hidden in root cellars, collapsed buildings, and even beneath floorboards, they found frightened men, women, and children clinging to life.

Most of them were too weak to speak, their faces sunken from hunger, their bodies trembling in exhaustion and fear. But the moment they realized that Aiden’s team was not another threat, hope sparked in their eyes.

They had survived hell, and now, finally, they had a way out.

The last two villages they came across were still standing, but only barely.

Aiden’s team arrived in time to witness the tail end of a brutal fight between the villagers and the mutated creatures that had been relentlessly attacking them.

The people there had somehow fended off the beasts, but at a terrible cost. The dead outnumbered the living, and the wounded were too many to count.

When Aiden’s team offered safety, they didn’t hesitate.

The people packed whatever they could carry and joined the convoy, leaving behind what was once their home in search of something more secure.

Now, as he sat in the lead vehicle, watching the vast convoy stretch behind them, Aiden allowed himself a small smile.

“So,” Aiden asked, “how many people have we managed to protect so far?”

Tommy sighed, rubbing his temple, looking equal parts exhausted and amazed. “It’s almost unbelievable, but we’ve gathered around 10,000 people. That’s more than three times our own numbers.”

Aiden raised an eyebrow. “That many and how far everyone?”

“Yeah,” Tommy replied, flipping the page of his notebook. “And somehow, we’re still managing to keep things under control. We’ve picked up additional vehicles along the way—some abandoned, some still working—which helped us transport everyone without overcrowding.”

Aiden nodded. It was a logistical nightmare, but at least they were managing.

“What about Yvonee’s team?” Aiden asked, referring to the scouts he had sent ahead to find a safe place to rest for the night. “Due you vault just got an update from them.””

Tommy glanced at the radio device, then back at Aiden. “And?”

“There’s a village ahead. The last one before we reach the Basin.”

Aiden’s brows furrowed. “Another village? Is it safe?”

“From what Scott’s team reported, it seems completely barricaded for now.” Tommy said as his expression because little indifferent.

Aiden’s confusion deepened. “A village with walls? That’s unusual.”

Most small villages and towns had never built walls around them. They had never needed to.

“How the hell does a rural village have proper fortifications?” Aiden asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Well, when we get there, you’ll get a nice little surprise.” Aiden gave him a suspicious glance, but Tommy refused to elaborate. “You’ll see.”

Aiden sighed and leaned back into his seat. He wasn’t in the mood to pry out answers when he would find out soon enough.

Tommy glanced at his watch, then sighed dramatically. “You do realize that if we hadn’t stopped to help all these people, we would have already reached Icelorn by now?”

Aiden let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. “And? You saying we should’ve left them behind?”

Tommy rolled his eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Then stop complaining.” Aiden grinned. “Besides, look at it this way—we’re heading back with 10,000 more people than we started with.”

Tommy shot him a flat look. “Oh yeah, that’s easy for you to say. But managing a traveling mini-city in the middle of an apocalypse is soooo easy.”

Aiden let out a rare laugh, genuine and unhurried, causing Tommy to narrow his eyes at him.

“We’ll figure it out,” Aiden reassured, his voice steady. “You don’t always have to overthink things.”

But just as he said those words, something clicked in his mind. A thought—small but persistent. His expression shifted subtly, his brows drawing together as he turned to Tommy. “Hey… doesn’t something seem off to you?”

Tommy glanced at him, brow raised. “Explain clearly.”

Aiden tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, his voice thoughtful.

“The radio. We were struggling to communicate all the way here, right? Static, interference, distorted signals—hell, we couldn’t even reach our own teams properly. But the moment we passed that abandoned diner this afternoon, suddenly our radios found a stable frequency.”

Tommy frowned as he considered this. “Yeah now that you mention it…” He leaned back, processing the realization. “That’s true and not just that—our signal is still stable. Even now.”

Aiden nodded. “Exactly. And that’s the weird part. If our comms were disrupted because of the surge’s lingering effects or the mutated beasts causing interference, it wouldn’t suddenly fix itself just because we moved past one location. That means…”

“…Someone set up a stable network.” Tommy finished, his face now serious.

Aiden’s jaw tightened. “Have you found out why that’s happening?”

Tommy exhaled, running a hand through his hair before replying. “Actually, I sent a squad to investigate while we were on the move as I had this thought before.”

Aiden gave him a questioning look. “And?”

Tommy glanced at his notes. “There’s a wired communication line running along the route we’re taking. It’s new, not something that existed before. And get this—it wasn’t just placed there. Whoever did this had a large number of earth-awakened individuals working to reinforce it, embedding the wires underground to keep it protected.”

Aiden absorbed the information, his mind racing. “So it’s tough to break, and it’s been done recently. That means…”

The image of a particular woman flashed in his mind, her commanding presence unmistakable. “…The Phoenix Unit.”

Tommy’s head snapped up, eyes wide. “You think it’s them?”

“It has to be,” Aiden said confidently. “She said she was heading to Icelorn Basin, and if I’m not mistaken, that diner we passed earlier? It was one of their old safe houses.”

Tommy’s expression shifted into realization. “Damn… now that you say it, yeah. That makes sense.”

Every special operations unit had hidden safe houses scattered across the Federation, prepared for worst-case scenarios. The Phoenix Unit was no different.

“That means they’ve already fortified the Basin and are setting up long-distance communication lines,” Tommy muttered.