Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Chapter 52: A New Beginning_2

Aiden moved away from the window and dropped into a chair across from Tommy, finally relaxing for the first time in hours.

“So,” Tommy leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “What were you thinking about just now? You were so deep in thought you didn’t even notice me come in.”

“I was just… thinking about everything that’s happened since we arrived.” Aiden sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Two weeks ago, we walked into a place we weren’t sure we’d fit into. And now? We’ve built an entire outer wall, secured territory, integrated with Amira’s people… I didn’t expect things to go this smoothly.”

Tommy hummed in agreement. “Yeah, I thought we’d be dealing with power struggles, clashing leadership, or at least some stubborn resistance from the locals. But she handled it better than I expected.”

Aiden glanced at him, noticing the genuine respect in his tone.

Tommy wasn’t someone who gave praise easily and neither was Aiden.

“She’s getting stronger every day,” Aiden admitted. “While we’re keeping up, sometimes I feel like we’re still behind.”

Tommy snorted, tossing the apple core into a nearby trash bin. “Take it easy, man. Her team has been training in this way longer than we have. We just started. Give it time, and we’ll catch up soon enough.”

Aiden nodded, knowing Tommy was right, but the thought still lingered at the back of his mind.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Tommy’s expression shifted, and he leaned back, stretching his arms. “By the way, do you know why today’s meeting is scheduled much earlier than usual?”

Aiden didn’t respond immediately. He just met Tommy’s gaze, unmoving.

It was unusual as their leadership meetings were always held in the evening, after everyone had reported in for the day.

But today…

“Yeah,” Aiden finally said, his voice thoughtful. “It’s something important. Amira didn’t say much, but from what I gathered, she wants to discuss an issue about expanding our area. Also, there’s been an update from Elias about some long-range surveillance.”

Tommy frowned slightly. “Long-range surveillance? Do we even have the capability to monitor long distances?”

He was right to question it. Their current secured territory only spanned about 200 kilometers, covered by their wired network and patrol teams. Anything beyond that was unknown territory.

“You’re not wrong,” Aiden admitted. “We’ve only covered this area with proper communication lines, but don’t forget—there’s still one direct channel from here to their old safe house. Remember the wired network we passed while coming here? That’s still operational.”

Tommy crossed his arms, leaning against the stone wall. “Right… That line was already set up before we got here. So something must have come through it.”

Aiden nodded. “It seems they received some disturbing news from that channel. That’s why this meeting is happening now.”

Tommy exhaled sharply. “Hmph. I don’t like surprises. Let’s not be late then.”

Aiden gave him a knowing smirk. “We still have time. Let’s take turns—you watch for now, and I’ll cultivate for an hour or two. Then we’ll switch.”

Tommy didn’t object, waving him off as he bit into another apple. “Fine, fine. Just don’t slack off too much.”

Aiden chuckled before closing his eyes and settling into his cultivation stance.

…..

Meanwhile far from Icelorn Basin, almost three hundred kilometers outside the central capital of the Federation, stood a beautiful mountain hill.

But this was no ordinary hill as it was becoming a fortress.

The grand walls, envisioned by Amira’s master Yenna, were already half-constructed, stretching around the mountain’s base and securing the land below the ridges. An inner wall was also in progress, fortifying the heart of the territory where infrastructure was rapidly growing.

What once was an abandoned peak was now a sanctuary in the making.

Inside a spacious chamber, Yenna sat at her desk, reviewing several documents while awaiting the arrival of her hidden unit.

And one by one, they appeared.

The room—though large—felt crowded as thirty-five figures silently filled the space.

All hand-picked and always trained by Yenna herself and were all deadly.

These weren’t ordinary soldiers or even just ordinary awakened individuals but have full on awakened abilities they trained for assassins, spies, and warriors, each one specialized in different forms of combat and reconnaissance.

“You’ve all done well keeping to the shadows,” Yenna said, her gaze scanning the room as the last of them arrived. “But now it’s time to step forward.”

Her voice commanded absolute attention and there was no hesitation, no wavering.

“I have missions for all of you. Teams will be assigned. Everything is moving smoothly here, so I want you to focus on external operations.”

She placed several sealed documents onto the polished desk in front of her. “Your tasks will take you to different parts of the main federation or may be this continent and each mission is critical, and failure is not an option.”

Without a word, three figures stepped forward, their movements precise, disciplined. She watched them for a moment, pride flickering in her eyes before she spoke.

“Raven,” she said, addressing the woman standing to the far left, her tone firm yet calm. “You will take eight of your sisters and head to Therndale Province. Spread out across the most secure cities and gather intelligence. I will expecting updates regularly.”

Raven, a woman clad in dark fitted gear, her midnight-black hair tied in a loose braid, took a step forward and collected her assigned document their was no hesitation.

Yenna’s gaze then flickered to the second woman. “Firebird.”

The red-haired woman gave a small nod, her eyes sharp and brimming with fire—just like her namesake. “You will lead another team of nine to Borealis Province. Your mission remains the same—gather intel, stay undetected, and establish safe passage should we need to move quickly in the future.”

Firebird took her orders with silent acceptance, stepping back as the two remaining figures approached the desk.

“Blue Luan,” Yenna addressed the last one, her voice unwavering. “You will both lead your teams to Valdara Province your task is same as others”

“Yes, Master.” She bowed slightly before taking their documents.

Yenna’s attention then shifted to the remaining eight. “As for the rest of you, you will go to Vandrim Province. Your mission is different—you will assist Amira and ensure the security of her. In addition, I want a direct and secure communication line established between her and me.”

The air in the room was thick with unspoken understanding. These weren’t orders given to ordinary operatives—these were directives meant for ghosts, for shadows that slipped between the cracks of power and made the world shift without anyone ever realizing it.

Just as Yenna was about to move on, Raven finally broke the silence.

“Master,” she said, her voice even. “If all of us are being deployed, who will stay with you?”

A rare, small smile touched Yenna’s lips. “Your eldest and second sister will be here soon,” she replied, her gaze sweeping over them all. “They will arrive with their teams, and they are more than capable of securing this place.”

That one sentence made all the difference.

The room, which had held a lingering tension, immediately relaxed as the knowledge settled in. If their eldest sisters were coming, then there was nothing to worry about. “Understood, Master.”

Yenna nodded, pleased with their swift acceptance. “Good. Prepare your plans tonight, finalize your details, and report to me before dawn. You leave tomorrow.”

Without further words, the unit dispersed, each already forming strategies in their minds as they prepared to vanish into the world, unseen yet all-knowing.