Chapter 60 Hours Before the Chaos

  — Resistance Underground Hideout —

  The air smelled of rust and recycled oxygen.

  Dim lights flickered along the concrete ceiling while armed Resistance soldiers prepared in silence. Weapons were checked. Armor calibrated. Cloaking systems synced.

  This was not a rescue mission.

  This was a gamble.

  At the center of the room stood Volt.

  Arms folded. Expression steady. The one leading the operation.

  In front of him, a squad of highly skilled players lined up — assassins, tech specialists, code mages. The best the Resistance had left.

  Captain Chaxti stepped forward, activating a holo-map of the Empire capital.

  "The prisoner is being held inside Frostbyte's central command facility," he began. "Multiple security layers. Automated turrets. Code barriers. Patrol rotations every six minutes."

  One soldier raised his hand.

  "Sir… how are we supposed to infiltrate that? That's suicide."

  Silence lingered.

  Volt answered instead.

  "It would be," he said calmly. "If we were going in alone."

  The squad looked at him.

  "Captain Chaxti has a contact inside the Empire."

  Murmurs.

  "A distraction will be triggered," Volt continued. "It won't last long. But it will be enough."

  Chaxti nodded once.

  "When the signal happens, we move. Extract Ryze. No prolonged engagement."

  Another comm device buzzed suddenly.

  A tech officer turned pale.

  "Captain… we have a problem."

  Everyone looked up.

  "Ryze's signature just moved. She's been relocated to a deeper sector."

  Volt's eyes narrowed.

  "Where?"

  "Command-level floor."

  A pause.

  "And it gets worse."

  The tech swallowed.

  "Almost every high-ranking officer under Frostbyte — including SK — is heading to that room."

  The room went still.

  Chaxti cursed under his breath.

  "They're gathering for something."

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  Volt's jaw tightened.

  "Or testing something."

  He looked at the squad.

  "We move sooner."

  The soldiers immediately activated their helmets.

  Volt turned sharply.

  "Everyone, gear up. We're advancing through Tunnel Grid C-17."

  That tunnel system was abandoned years ago — an old server maintenance route beneath the capital. The Empire stopped monitoring it after the Great War.

  Which made it perfect.

  "Move."

  And they vanished into the underground passageways.

  — Empire Capital —

  The city above still shimmered in gold and white.

  Citizens walked unaware.

  Soldiers patrolled with discipline.

  Then—

  BOOM.

  A massive explosion tore through the outer command sector.

  Alarms blared instantly.

  Sirens echoed across the skyline.

  Civilians screamed.

  Above the capital, black distortion tore open the air.

  The Void Portal.

  Reopened.

  From within, something roared.

  Imperial forces mobilized immediately. Defensive cannons rotated. Spell grids activated. Gunfire erupted as Void creatures began spilling through the rupture.

  Frostbyte's earlier order had already reached the Northern District.

  Massive airships arrived within minutes, descending through clouds like war gods. Reinforcement units poured into the capital in organized waves.

  The Empire did not collapse easily.

  — Central Command —

  Chaos flooded the command center.

  Officers ran between holo-terminals.

  "Seal Sector Four!"

  "Reinforce East Barricade!"

  "Deploy anti-void artillery!"

  The room was on the brink of panic.

  Then the doors opened.

  Frostbyte entered.

  And the noise lowered immediately.

  "What's the situation?" he asked.

  One officer stepped forward.

  "Commander, we're attempting to close the portal — but it's resisting."

  "Resisting?" Frostbyte repeated.

  "It's like… something is holding it open from the other side."

  A quiet beat.

  "Or someone," Frostbyte said.

  The officers exchanged uneasy looks.

  "Sir?" one whispered.

  Frostbyte ignored it.

  "Stabilize the perimeter. I want the portal suppressed at all costs."

  Another officer rushed in.

  "Commander! Northern District units have secured all major access points into the capital."

  "Good."

  Then—

  Another figure stepped into the command room.

  Commander Vortex.

  He leaned casually against the wall, watching the chaos with mild amusement.

  "So," he said lightly, "can we send your SkyRealm veteran to handle it?"

  Frostbyte's expression darkened.

  "Blaze is not a weapon I can simply deploy on command."

  Vortex smirked faintly.

  "Then what was the point of recruiting him?"

  Frostbyte did not answer.

  Before he could respond, a messenger rushed in, nearly out of breath.

  "Commander! Word has reached the High Council!"

  Frostbyte turned sharply.

  "And?"

  "They are dispatching… cleanup."

  Silence fell.

  Vortex raised a brow.

  "Oh?"

  Frostbyte's voice hardened.

  "You mean him?"

  "Yes, sir. He's already on route."

  Frostbyte exhaled slowly through his nose.

  "Inform the Council I have this under control."

  "Sir, they insisted—"

  "Do it."

  The messenger hesitated… then left.

  Vortex chuckled softly.

  "Not part of your plan, I presume?"

  Frostbyte's eyes sharpened.

  "I don't yet know who is behind this."

  His gaze shifted toward the distorted portal feed.

  "But I will."

  Vortex pushed off the wall.

  "I'll leave this to you, Commander."

  And walked out.

  — Underground Tunnel C-17 —

  Volt and the Resistance squad moved quickly through the abandoned passageways.

  No lights.

  No noise.

  Just footsteps against metal grates.

  They reached the breach point beneath the capital's outer facility wall.

  Volt raised a fist.

  They stopped.

  "So, sir," one soldier whispered. "What now?"

  "We wait for the signal."

  A few seconds later—

  The explosion echoed above them.

  Dust fell from the tunnel ceiling.

  Volt's lips curved slightly.

  "There it is."

  He turned toward his squad.

  "Camo suits. Now."

  One by one, their forms shimmered and faded from sight.

  "Ryze will be moved to a more secure location once the chaos escalates," Volt said quietly. "That's our window."

  He drew his blade.

  "Move."

  And they advanced into the Empire's heart.

  — Central Command Corridor —

  Frostbyte walked through the hall with two officers behind him — Led_Dz and Cass4.

  "Report," Frostbyte ordered.

  "The situation is stabilizing," Led_Dz replied. "Void entities are being contained to the eastern district."

  "And?" Frostbyte pressed.

  Cass4 activated a holographic screen.

  "Familiar signals detected."

  On the display — cloaked heat signatures moving beneath the capital.

  Resistance.

  "So," Frostbyte murmured. "Uninvited guests."

  He turned his head slightly.

  "How is the Reaper?"

  Cass4 answered.

  "She assisted CrimsonWarden in suppressing the initial wave. Once finished, she was reassigned."

  "To where?"

  "To Level Seven."

  Frostbyte's eyes narrowed slightly.

  "Guarding the prisoner."

  A faint pause.

  "Good."

  Outside, the portal roared again.

  Something larger was pushing through.

  And beneath the capital—

  The Resistance was already inside.

  The explosion?

  Only the beginning.