Aurora's Gambit: Defying Destiny

Chapter 19

Attack

Aurora's POV

The world is finally beginning to see Rasmon for what it was, a rising empire that could no longer be ignored.

Sitting in my study, I swiped through my iPad, scanning the latest news reports. One headline stood out.

"The Silent Ascent of Rasmon: A New Superpower?"

I stared at the headline for a moment, a strange mixture of emotions churning within me. 

Pride? Satisfaction? Perhaps both. Rasmon was no longer a forgotten land buried under snow. It was a force that even the world's greatest powers couldn't ignore. 

Pinindot ko ang article at binasa ang nilalaman ng balita.

Once dismissed as an isolated, barren nation, Rasmon has undergone an unprecedented transformation. Reports of cutting-edge technology, advanced military development, and whispers of an unseen ruler controlling the empire have caught the world's attention. The recent destruction of the Red Fang Syndicate, once a feared name in the underworld, has only fueled speculation. Who truly governs Rasmon? And how did this frozen land rise so swiftly?

Binasa ko naman ang mga komento ng mismong balita. 

"Who took down Red Fang?"

"What kind of power does Rasmon have to erase an entire syndicate overnight?"

"Who is really in control over there?"

Ilan lang 'yan sa mga nabasa kong mga komento. 

I set the iPad down, exhaling. They were asking the right questions, but they were far from the truth.

Ang mabilis na pagkalat ng balita tungkol sa pagpapadispatya ko sa lahat ng miyembro ng Red Fang Syndicate ay nagdulot ng takot hindi lang sa buong mundo, kundi pati na rin sa underground. After what happened to the Red Fangs, wala ng naglakas-loob pang bumangga sa kahit na anong may kinalaman sa Rasmon. 

People are now wary of us, and based on the reactions that they are giving, it seems to me that things are going my way. Dapat lang na matakot sila. 

Siniguro kong matatagpuan ng kanilang mga kakampi, lalo na ng mga pekeng de Fidellis, ang kanilang mga bangkay at nag-iwan ako ng isang mensaheng isinulat gamit ang dugo ng lider ng Red Fangs. 

Now, whispers filled the underworld. Kanya-kanyang espekulasyon kung sino nga ba ang nasa likod ng pagpapabagsak sa isa sa mga pinakamalaki at pinakamalakas na sindikato ng Spuador.

The fear I had carefully cultivated was beginning to take root. 

I stood at the window of my study, the dim glow of candlelight flickering against the cold glass. Outside, Rasmon was covered in an endless blanket of snow, its jagged mountains standing proud against the dark sky. The wind howled through the valley.

Philip entered without knocking, his usual formality replaced by something far more urgent. His sharp features were shadowed under the soft light, and the tension in his shoulders told me that whatever he had to say was far from good news.

"Supreme Commander,"  bati niya at saka marahang yumukod.

"Philip," I acknowledged, setting my tea aside.