The Safe Zone - Ascension (Book 5)

Chapter 14: The March to the Fortress

The first light of dawn broke over the camp, casting everything in a cold, pale glow. The air was crisp, biting at my skin as I adjusted the straps on my gear. Around me, the resistance forces were gathering, quiet and focused, the usual chatter absent this morning. There was a different energy in the air now—a solemnity that came with the knowledge that this could be our last march, our final stand against the Ascendants.

I watched as people strapped on their weapons, double-checked supplies, and whispered quick words to one another. Some exchanged final glances, knowing they might never see each other again. It reminded me of all the battles we'd fought before and the losses we'd already endured. But this felt different. There was more on the line today than ever before.

Carter stood nearby, his rifle slung across his back. He caught my eye and nodded—silent, as always, but reassuring. His presence was a constant anchor, a reminder that no matter how impossible things seemed, we had been through worse and survived. Today was just another fight, but deep down, I knew this was the one that would define everything.

Marian moved between groups of fighters, handing out last-minute gear and giving people whatever encouragement she could. She had worked tirelessly these last few weeks, doing everything she could to decode the Ascendants' systems, tracking Ethan's fragmented signals, and helping to formulate a plan that might give us a slim chance. I could see the exhaustion etched in her features, but like the rest of us, she wouldn't stop until this was over—one way or another.

We had lost so many people, and those who remained had been tempered by war, forged in the fires of endless battles. But even so, there was something deeply human about their quiet resolve. None of us wanted to do this, but we knew we had to.

I adjusted the straps of my pack and rechecked my sidearm, even though I had done so at least a dozen times already. It wasn't nerves—not precisely. It was the weight of leadership, the crushing responsibility of knowing that every step I took, every decision I made, would decide whether these people lived or died.

A deep breath escaped my chest as I looked out toward the horizon. The Ascendants' stronghold was still miles away, hidden in the heart of what was once a thriving metropolis, now reduced to little more than rubble. Their fortress, built from the very remains of the Directive's technology, was an imposing monstrosity. It rose from the wreckage of the old world like a scar on the landscape, surrounded by layers of defenses—both technological and human.

The final march had begun.

I stepped forward, and as I did, the rest of the resistance fell into line behind me. Our numbers weren't what they once were, but those who remained were the best fighters we had left. Each one carried with them the memories of fallen friends and family, the weight of loss pressing on their shoulders just as heavily as the gear they bore.

We moved in silence through the crumbling remains of the city. Once teeming with life, the streets were now little more than empty husks—abandoned vehicles, decaying buildings, the skeletons of a world that had once been vibrant and full of promise. Walking through the ruins felt eerie, knowing that the last remnants of human civilization were being decided not by construction but by destruction.

The only sound was the rhythmic crunch of our boots on the cracked pavement and the occasional radio murmur, crackling with static as we maintained communication between our units. We were spread out, moving in coordinated teams. Carter led the first squad, the most seasoned fighters. Marian and a small group of tech specialists followed close behind me, working to monitor the Ascendants' digital signals, hoping to detect any incoming attacks or drones before they reached us.

As we moved deeper into the city, I felt a growing unease in the pit of my stomach. The Ascendants had been quiet—too quiet. I kept expecting an ambush, for one of their drone patrols to swoop down on us, or for their mind-controlled soldiers to spring from the shadows. But nothing came.