Chapter 14: A City Under Watch
The news hit Bastion like a cold gust of winter—quiet, sudden, and biting.
The Seraphim hadn't attacked.
They'd simply… landed.
They occupied major sectors without firing a single shot. No explosions. No demands. Just presence—like wolves entering a village of sheep.
And Bastion's ruling Council?
They surrendered before the people even knew there was a fight.
Rhea's War Room – Eastgate Cathedral
Rayven stood over a sprawling digital map, red blips swarming sector by sector.
"They're establishing 'protection zones,'" Rhea growled. "Blocking off old Watcher facilities, energy vaults, and every major portal line."
Selene crossed her arms. "This isn't a siege. It's a harvest."
Rayven remained still, watching a blinking red circle around District 5—the area he'd just returned from.
"They know I went there."
Rhea's eyes darkened. "They're hunting the other seals, one step ahead."
"Not just that," Selene added. "They're watching the city. Everyone in it."
Rayven turned. "Then it's time we let the city watch them back."
Underground Network – The Thorns
Deep below Bastion, under a collapsing monorail tunnel, Rayven, Selene, and Rhea met with a ragtag group of old Watchers, street runners, awakened relic-smugglers, and rogue tech scrappers.
They called themselves The Thorns—Bastion's last whisper of resistance.
At their head stood a lean man with cybernetic eyes and a twisted grin: Jex Kain.
"You want eyes and ears in every sector?" Jex leaned against a rusted terminal. "You're talking about waking up the Shadow Grid. Thing's been dormant since the Collapse."
Rayven replied coolly, "Can it be reactivated?"
"Sure. But it'll light up every Seraphim detector like a bonfire in a library."
Selene cut in, "We need access, not stealth. If we can see their movements before they strike, we can predict where they'll hit next."
Jex grinned. "Dangerous girl. I like it."
Elsewhere – Seraphim Command Post
High Warden Caelis stood before a new holographic map, hands clasped behind his back.
A subordinate approached. "The boy has reawakened the Shadow Grid."
Caelis didn't react. "Good. That means he'll find the other fragments for us."
The subordinate hesitated. "And if he resists?"
Caelis turned slowly. "Then we burn the city. After he watches it kneel."
Back in Bastion – Operation Mirage
With Jex's help, Rayven and the Thorns deployed tiny spectral drones throughout Bastion. Camouflaged, undetectable by most, they perched on rooftops, trains, signs—watching.
The Shadow Grid flickered to life.
Every screen in the cathedral lit up with data—enemy movements, pulse spikes, psychic interference.
Rhea gasped. "They're not just occupying. They're… planting."
She zoomed in on a red area in Sector 8.
Lines of Seraphim soldiers moving into an abandoned sanctuary.
"That's where the Third Seal is hidden," Selene whispered.
Rayven clenched his fists. "Then we move tonight."
That Night – Sector 8
Smoke drifted across broken streets. Bastion's slums had been left to rot for years—until now.
Rayven and Selene moved like shadows, cloaked by projection tech Jex had rigged from old Watcher scraps.
They reached the sanctuary—a gothic ruin hidden behind overgrowth and concrete rubble.
Inside, energy hummed.
Seraphim soldiers lined the interior, guarding a glowing pedestal. Upon it, a small cube pulsed with shifting light.
Rayven whispered, "Third Fragment."
Selene nodded. "Too many to fight directly."
Rayven tapped the side of his gauntlet. "Then we don't fight. We steal."
Heist in the Sanctuary
Rayven created a decoy with the gauntlet—a projection of himself running across the far end of the sanctuary.
The Seraphim chased the illusion.
Selene and Rayven slipped through the shadows, weaving between ancient pews and broken relics.
They reached the pedestal.
Rayven reached for the cube—
But it dissolved.
A voice echoed around the sanctuary.
"You learn quickly… but not fast enough."
A flash of light—and Caelis appeared, flanked by elite Seraphim.
Rayven activated his armor, summoning partial plating. "You followed me."
"No," Caelis said calmly. "We led you here."
He raised a hand—
Rayven and Selene were blasted backward by a shockwave.
Desperate Escape
Smoke and ruin rained around them.
Selene pushed herself up, blood trailing down her forehead.
Rayven grabbed her arm. "We're leaving. Now."
He activated a teleport rune. Light swirled, tearing space open.
As they vanished, Caelis stepped forward, the real Third Fragment floating into his hand.
"Soon, boy," he said softly. "You'll see."
Back at the Cathedral
Rayven collapsed onto the floor, gasping. Selene winced as Rhea tended to her wound.
"You were baited," Rhea said bluntly.
Rayven nodded, jaw tight. "They want me to gather the seals. They're using me."
Selene leaned forward, eyes burning. "Then let's use them back."
Rayven looked at the city map again.
"Time to turn this passive war… into a rebellion."