Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Chapter 23: The Gathering Storm_1

Meanwhile in his office on the other side of the camp, General Karep sat hunched over a stack of papers, his pen scratching quickly as he tried to finish the last of his overdue reports. As he slicked back his graying hair, he looked annoyed from yet another long day of paperwork.

Then it hit him.

The sudden surge of energy rippled through the camp, making his head snap up. The pressure wasn’t overwhelming for someone like him, an awakened individual with years of combat training, but it was still enough to make him uneasy. He frowned, setting his pen down carefully. What in the world is going on?

He was just about to buzz his aide outside the office to investigate when the door burst open with a loud bang, slamming against the wall. Karep’s hand reflexively reached for his holster before he knew who it was. Breathing heavily and with wild eyes, one of his lieutenant staggered inside.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Karep barked, already irritated. “You better have a damn good reason for—”

“Sir, it’s Major General Aiden!” his lieutenant exclaimed as he tried to catch his breath. “He’s here at the camp and—” He hesitated, glancing at the holster where Karep’s hand has touched earlier.

“And what?” Karep snapped, his irritation quickly turning to alarm. “Spit it out, Lieutenant!”

“He’s seen the bodies, sir,” his lieutenant said in a low voice, as if those words could bring bad luck. “All of his team are dead. And the rush of energy is him, sir. He’s… he’s angry.”

“I told everyone,” Karep froze, his eyes narrowing while vein throbbed in his temple as the weight of the situation settled in. “I told everyone this would backfire. It was sure to bite us that we gave that mission to the Dragon Unit and then killed them to hide it.” he growled, his voice too low to be safe. “And now here we are facing the consequences of someone else’s idiotic decision!”

His lieutenant was shocked as his fist struck the desk, causing the wood to fracture. “Damn Cain and his reckless schemes,” While he stood as his towering frame casting a shadow over the room. “And their Vice-Chancellor thinks he can let his fool of a grandson plan and walk away unscathed.” he muttered under his breath.

“Lieutenant, call in every member of the Panther Unit.” He straightened, barking orders as he strode toward the door. “We can’t face him alone, and I refuse to let this camp descend into chaos.”

“Yes, sir!” the lieutenant said, saluting quickly before running off.

Karep grabbed his coat and stepped outside, his expression a grim mask. “Time to clean up this mess,” he muttered to himself, heading toward the growing pressure that seemed to make the air itself hum.

While at the same time, Ezzie was finishing up her work in the communication hub when the energy spike happened. As the familiar energy swept over her, her hands stopped typing and her whole body stopped moving. She got a chill down her spine which it wasn’t from fear, but it was from understanding.

She is aware of this energy and had trained under its intensity.

Her eyes narrowed as she quickly packed up, grabbing her gear. Something’s gone terribly wrong and she didn’t need to guess where the energy was coming from—it was in the direction of the military camp.

As she was strapping on her equipment, Chancellor Helen approached, her expression calm but her voice edged with concern. “Ezzie, what’s happening?” she asked, her tone measured. “My guards are reporting an energy spike near the military camp. ”

Ezzie glanced at the Chancellor’s guard, catching the subtle glance Helen gave her. It wasn’t hard to figure out what Helen was doing. She’s awakened too, but doesn’t want anyone to know.

Ezzie kept her expression neutral, speaking in a professional tone. “It’s not a missed location, ma’am. The energy is from Major General Aiden and he’s at the military camp.” She hesitated before adding, “The squad which was at stand by—was assigned a mission without approval from you or General Captain. I believe he’s there to… address it. But given this energy, something must have gone very, very wrong.”

“I see, and who authorized the mission?” Helen said as her lips pressed into a thin line while her calm façade betrayed only a flicker of annoyance.

“The Vice-Chancellor and Major Genera karep,” Ezzie said, keeping her tone even.

“Very well,” Helen’s jaw tightened, but she quickly regained her composure. “Go and handle the situation before it spirals further.” she said, her voice smooth.

Ezzie saluted and left the hub, already issuing orders into her comms as she walked. “All Elite Unit members, mobilize and head to the military camp immediately and everyone else be on standby for further instructions.”

With that she sprinted toward the military camp while her thoughts raced; Captain rarely loses control, and if he’s this furious, someone’s about to face the consequences.

Meanwhile, back in her office, Helen stood in silence. Her guard approached cautiously. “Madam Chancellor, shall we prepare for—?”

“Find out everything,” Helen interrupted, her tone icy. “Henry isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t authorize this unless someone else pulled the strings. Likely that arrogant fool of a grandson of his.”

She turned, her eyes cold as steel. “This might be an inconvenience, but it’s also an opportunity and we can’t let this slip through our fingers.”

As Ezzie sprinted toward the camp with her unit in tow, and General Karep rushed with his security staff to contain the situation, Aiden stood at the center of the storm. His energy was still suffocating, and Grant’s panicked face was only the beginning of what would be a reckoning no one would forget.

*****

Whereas Aiden moved steadily, his boots crunching against the blood-soaked dirt as he closed the gap between him and Grant.

Grant stumbled to his feet after just getting himself off the wall. He raised his hands in a weak effort to reason, but his face was pale and his lips were shaking.”It’s not my fault, I was just following orders.”

Aiden didn’t answer, and his cold eyes stayed on him. His face didn’t show anger or a fiery outburst. Instead, it was a frightening calm that said a lot more than words could.

After realizing that talking won’t save his life, Grant’s shoulders tensed. Fine, if you wants a fight, he’ll get one. With clenched hands and a change in stance, he made his choice out of desperation. As Aiden got closer, Grant struck and threw a punch at Aiden in the face.

It didn’t land.

Aiden easily sidestepped with almost precision as his hand punched out and delivered a sharp jab to Grant’s ribs. Its impact sent Grant stumbling back gasping in pain.

“That’s it?” Aiden asked straight out, and his voice was cool but full of contempt.

Grant roared and lunged again, unleashing a series of strikes that Aiden easily escaped. But Aiden fought back with an elbow to the shoulder, a knee to the stomach, or a fist to the head every time Grant missed.

While every blow was precisely aimed at pressure points and weak spots on Grant’s body, causing him great pain.

“Didn’t you were so confident a minute ago. Is this all the power you’ve got?” Aiden said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Grant’s vision is blurring with pain, stumbling, clutching at his side. “Bastard,” he snarls, barely a whisper. He’s toying with me.

Then with a burst of determination, Grant activated his power. Lightning crackled around his hands and feet, pouring through his body. The speed of his movements created a blur as he hurries toward Aiden with high-speed strikes aimed squarely at his head and chest.

For a moment, Grant felt hope that this will work he can end him.

Aiden didn’t even move. His actions got sharper and faster, and he effortlessly avoided and retaliated against all attacks. Grant was stunned by how easily Aiden neutralized his attacks without utilizing a single ounce of his own abilities.

“How… how are you doing this?” As Grant stumbled backwards, he yelled, his voice breaking with anger. “You’re not even using your power!”

There was no expression on Aiden’s face as he tilted his head. “Maybe you’re just not as strong as you think you are.”

Grant was so angry that he yelled, “What are you all standing there for? help me!” This was a sign to his team, who were watching from the sidelines and fighting to stay upright because of Aiden’s spiritual pressure.

The moment they took a step forward, Tommy’s voice rang out like a whip. “Not so fast.”

Everyone turned to see Tommy, leaning casually against a tree at a distance, his hand glowing faintly as he activated his power. The entire field was surrounded by a transparent barrier that shimmered into position, keeping Grant’s team within.

“No one’s leaving,” Tommy said in a calm but dangerous voice. “And no one is getting in the way. I’m sure you don’t want me to go over there.”