Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Chapter 22: Crimson Outburst_3

“Go on,” Aiden said, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

As Ghost recounted how they arrived at the facility with little intel, only to find it overrun with mutated beasts, losing squad members in the fight but successfully escorting the team safely to the facility—only to be denied entry and ordered to guard the perimeter, prompting Billy to instruct him to sneak in and record everything.

In response to after listening this Tommy asked in a tight tone “And then?”

“I got in” Ghost said as his voice dropped, “What I saw…its all in the chip. But what I could understand that they were doing some kind of experiments on mutated beast and creating different kind of serums. It seemed as they were trying to awaken ordinary people with the serum and also increase strength of already awakened as I saw many test subject their.”

“But then… the nearby town came under attack. Billy took a team to help, but the captain of the escort team, the one sent by Rienfeld, was furious. He didn’t care about the town or the casualties. He just wanted us to stay in line.”

Aiden’s jaw twitched. “Grant,” he said flatly.

Ghost nodded. “Yeah. When Billy left, Grant and his team—turns out they were all awakened individuals—they turned on us. They started killing our squad. More than half of us were dead before Billy got back. He saved who he could, but… we were decimated.”

Tommy slammed a fist against the dashboard. “That bastard!” he hissed.

Ghost’s voice cracked as he continued. “We managed to get the townsfolk into the facility for shelter. But when we left, Billy told me it wasn’t over. He gave me the chip and told me to get it to you if things went south.” He took a shaky breath. “When we landed back at the camp, they ambushed us. They’re trying to erase everything. Everyone. I barely got out.”

Silence filled the car, save for the hum of the engine and the distant thrum of tires on dirt. Aiden’s gaze remained fixed on the road, his expression unreadable.

Ghost sat back, his body trembling with exhaustion, but for the first time since the mission had gone south, a sliver of hope crept in. If anyone could fix this, it was Aiden and Tommy.

After sometime the car rolled to a stop outside the northern gate of the military camp in the capital city. The air was unnaturally still, the tension so thick it seemed to press down on them as Aiden, Tommy, and Ghost stepped out.

The guard at the gate stiffened the moment he spotted them. His gaze darted to the insignias on their uniforms, and recognition flashed across his face when his eyes landed on Aiden and Tommy.

The young guard immediately bent into a respectful posture, his voice shaking slightly as he addressed them. “Major General Aiden, sir, what brings you here?”

Aiden’s expression was calm, but his tone carried a sharp edge that cut through the heavy silence. “I need to speak to General Karep,” he said firmly. “And I need to get inside. Now.”

The guard hesitated. His nervous eyes betrayed his awareness of the events unfolding within the camp, but he clearly didn’t want to be the one standing in the way. He stammered, “Sir, I—uh—there’s been no orders to allow—”

Before he could finish, Tommy stepped forward, his gaze like steel. “Trust me, kid,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “You don’t want to keep him waiting.”

The guard swallowed hard and nodded, quickly signaling for the gates to be opened. Without another word, the massive gates creaked aside, and the three of them stepped through.

Inside the camp, it was eerily quiet. There were no sounds of gunfire, no shouts of a skirmish. Just silence. The tension between Aiden, Tommy, and Ghost was palpable, and anyone nearby would have been able to feel the storm brewing.

Aiden’s sharp eyes scanned the area, his jaw tightening as he turned to Ghost. “Are you sure the squad was fighting here?”

Ghost’s voice trembled slightly. “Believe me, sir. When I escaped, they were fighting. But…” He glanced around the silent camp, unease creeping into his voice. “I think something bad has happened.”

Aiden didn’t respond immediately, but his expression darkened, his mind racing through worst-case scenarios. Finally, he nodded. “Let’s move.”

They walked through the corridor that opened up to the camp’s main field. The moment they stepped into the open, the sight before them made them freeze in place.

The field was littered with bodies.

Blood soaked the dirt and concrete, and scattered across the ground were the lifeless bodies of their squad members. Faces they had fought alongside for years were now frozen in death, their weapons still clutched in cold hands.

The sight made Ghost stumble, his breath hitching as he struggled to process the carnage. Tommy’s fists clenched so tightly his knuckles went white, and his usually snarky demeanor was replaced with a raw, unfiltered rage.

Aiden stood still, his body rigid, his fists trembling at his sides. His breathing grew heavy as the familiar faces of his squad lay before him, lifeless. He felt a wave of anguish so powerful it threatened to consume him.

But before the weight of the scene could fully settle, a voice cut through the silence.

“Captain… Vice-Captain…” The weak, trembling call came from the far side of the field.

Aiden’s gaze darted toward the voice, his sharp eyes focused in on Grant, who stood near the bloodied, barely-breathing bodies of Billy and Manas, lighting crackling from his raised hand, ready to strike the final blow.

Aiden moved with very fast speed, like a blur to quick for anyone to keep track as he closed the gap in an instant and stepped between Grant and billy blocking the attack with his hands.

“You—” As Grant stumbled back in shock.

Aiden ignored him, dropping to his knees beside Billy and Manas. His hands moved quickly, checking for a pulse. Manas was already dead, his body motionless and cold. But Billy… was alive, though barely his chest rose and fell in shallow with uneven breaths.

“Billy, just hold on.” Aiden said, his voice breaking for the first time in years.

Blood tripped down billy’s lip as he tried to moved his lips, he managed to put a smile as he eyes fluttered. Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, he raised a trembling hand to his forehead in a final salute. His lips moved silently, but Aiden didn’t need to hear the words. He understood.

And then Billy’s hand fell limp, his eyes slipping closed as he took his last breath.

Aiden froze. For a moment, the world seemed to stop. Then, a raw, primal anger erupted within him. His body trembled as a massive surge of energy exploded outward, rippling across the field with such intensity that even Ghost and Tommy staggered under the weight of it.

As Grant stumbled back and tried to calm down, his face turned pale, but it was clear that he was scared. “This… This wasn’t our fault!” he stammered, his voice shaking. “They—they were traitors! We were just following orders! Military orders! It was nothing personal!”

“Military orders?” Aiden straightened slowly, his movements unnervingly deliberate. His eyes burned with an intensity that made Grant flinch. Aiden’s voice was low and icy, each word dripping with fury. “Who the hell are you to execute military orders?”

Grant opened his mouth to respond, but he didn’t get the chance. Aiden moved again, faster than Grant could react, and his fist connected with Grant’s face with enough force to send him flying backward. Grant’s body slammed into the concrete wall of the corridor, cracking it on impact.

Aiden didn’t stop. He began walking toward Grant, each step radiating controlled fury, his energy suffocating the air around him. Tommy and Ghost watched, stunned into silence, knowing full well that Grant was about to face the wrath of a man who had just lost his family member.

Everyone near the field—soldiers, staff, even the awakened individuals—felt the suffocating weight of his spiritual pressure. It pressed down on their chests, made their knees buckle, and left a few clutching at walls for support.

Grant, who was still slumped against the cracked wall from Aiden’s earlier punch, stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. He’d faced strong individuals before, but this… this was something else entirely.

He scrambled to his feet, trying to muster some semblance of composure. “Listen, Major General! This isn’t my fault! I was following orders—”

Aiden didn’t respond. His eyes burned with a cold fury as his spiritual pressure grew heavier with every step.