The fall

Chapter 45

Blake

The Valortorian main building loomed like a steel monster against the dark sky, jagged and impenetrable. It's towering walls gleamed faintly under the dim security lights, every inch designed for war and intimidation. I crouched low in the thick underbrush, heart pounding steadily in my chest, eyes locked on the fortress ahead.

Gabriella knelt beside me, silent and focused, although I knew she wanted to make a joke. But now wasn't the time. She adjusted the straps of her gear. and behind us, our unit waited in tense stillness, shadows also blending into the night.

"This is it," I whispered, barely audible. "Stick to the plan."

Gabriella nodded, as she glanced at one of the side doors. "I'll handle the cameras and security systems. You take the front."

My jaw tightened. I absolutely hated this plan of mine, but we don't have a choice. "Be quick,"

Her lips quirked in the faintest hint of a smile. "You know I will."

I didn't respond, just met her gaze. It was the only acknowledgment I could give—that I trusted her. And then she was gone, slipping into the shadows without a sound, a phantom in the night.

I exhaled sharply, turning back to the others. "Move."

We crept toward the main entrance, shadows flickering in the faint security lights. The guards stood at rigid attention, rifles gripped tight, eyes sweeping the perimeter. I felt the familiar tug of power rising within me—the hum of water in the air, waiting for me to shape it. My pulse steadied.

The first shout shattered the silence.

"Enemies! Engage!"

Gunfire erupted, tearing through the night. I raised my hand, pulling moisture from the air, condensing it into gleaming, razor sharp arrows. They shot forward with deadly precision, slicing through the first wave of soldiers before they could even react.

Behind me, my team unleashed their evils. Vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around soldiers' legs and pulling them down. Kinetic blasts sent enemies flying into the steel walls with bone-crunching force. The battlefield lit up flashes of energy, the staccato bursts of gunfire blending with the roar of powers colliding.

I ducked under a wild swing, spinning to drive a water arrow straight into a soldier's chest. He crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath him. My breath was ragged, but I kept moving, each kill a blur in the chaos.

Through the smoke and flashing lights, I spotted an opening.

"Hold the line!" I shouted. "Half of you stay here and keep them busy. The rest, with me!"

Without hesitation, the team split. The ones I left behind fought like demons, holding back the tide of Valortorian soldiers while I led the others through the breach and into the building.

The metallic clang of our boots echoed through the sterile halls. The air was thick with the scent of blood and scorched metal. Flickering lights cast shadows across the cold steel walls.

"Keep moving," I ordered, leading the way down the corridor.

Suddenly more soldiers appeared, charging at us with guns blazing.

"Cover me!" I yelled, drawing sweat from my skin and moisture from the air to form new arrows.

The fight was fast and vicious. My arrows found their marks, dropping soldiers one by one. My companions fought with brutal efficiency, their evols carving a path through the enemy.

We pressed forward until we reached the main hall—a cavernous space with polished floors and high, arched ceilings. I slowed, my instincts prickling.

It was empty.

Too empty.

"This doesn't feel right," I muttered.

Before I could order a retreat, a sharp hiss filled the air. Gas poured from hidden vents along the walls, thick and suffocating.

"Fall back!" I shouted, but the gas spread too quickly. Had Penelope gone through this?

I coughed, my lungs burning. Around me, my teammates stumbled, their evols flickering and dying out as they try to use them. I try to snap my fingers to use mine aswell, but nothing happened. The gas clung to my skin, suppressing my connection to water completely.

"It's suppressing our evols," someone gasped.

No shit, Genius, totally not a weapon created by humans to kill us.

Soon footsteps each ode through the haze. A figure emerged from the corner of the room, clapping slowly.

"Well, well," a familiar voice drawled. "Caught like rats in a trap."

My blood turned to ice.

"Richard?" I spat, disbelief giving way to fury.

He stood before us, proud and composed, his dark uniform spotless. His eyes gleamed with faint amusement, like he had waited for this moment.

"Surprised?" He asked mockingly. "You shouldn't be. After all I don't have an evol, but you were stupid to ignore that fact."

Rage bubbled up inside me, I noticed the faint disappointment in his expression—that he didn't want it to come to this, but I was too angry to care. "So you were a spy all along?"

"Took you long enough to figure it out."

Before I could lunge at him, soldiers swarmed in, forcing us to our knees. Strong hands wrenched my arms behind my back, binding them with cuffs made from the same material as Penelope's collar—an alloy designed to suppress evol users.

Richard stepped closer, towering over me. "You put up a good fight, In another world we could've actually have been friends—" he admitted. "But this? This is checkmate, commander Blake."

"I don't give a fuck, where is she?" I demanded through clenched teeth.

"Who?"

"Penelope—Where. Is. She." I smile falsely.

"Don't worry, she's safe." He said casually.

I strained against the cuffs, but they held firm. Richard then pulled a sleek black pistol from his holster, aiming it directly at my head. My eyes met his gaze, his body was demanding he'd shoot me. But the glint in is eyes looked apologetic. I sighed, and pressed my forehead further into the gun, feeling the cold steel.

"No!" One of my companions shouted. "Don't shoot him, he's our only commander!"

Thought Richard didn't blink, he mouthed a quiet 'sorry', and without breaking eye contact with me, he pulled the trigger.
But instead of me, the man beside me crumpled to the floor, blood splattering across my face. My eyes widen as my stomach now churned, but I forced myself not to look away from Richards cold, unflinching gaze.

He calmly aimed the gun back at me. "Any last words, Laurens?"

Holy shit—He's buying us time.

Before I could speak, a shadow formed arrow whistled through the air, striking Richards gun and knocking it from his hand. All eyes snapped toward the doorway.

Gabriella stood there, shadows swirling around her like a living storm. Her eyes blazed with determination, her voice commanding as she makes her shadows pull grab the soldiers guns around us.

"Step away before I snap your heads off."

Richard's expression shifted—not to shock, but to something softer. A faint genuine smile tugged at his lips, breaking through the mask he wore. The person he was stalling for, just entered the room.

"Gabriella," he murmured, almost like a whisper meant just for her.