The stars above New Kent flickered dimly, swallowed by the smoke that rolled out from the burning district near the river. Fire trucks wailed, citizens ran, and helicopters circled overhead like buzzards. But somewhere in the chaos, deep in the alley behind the collapsed Zenith Bank building, five shadows moved swiftly between rubble and twisted steel.
"Zone 7 secured," whispered Mei, fingers tapping on her earpiece.
Ray's heavy frame stepped over a collapsed streetlamp, axe slung across his shoulder. "Too easy."
"No," Kai said flatly. "Too quiet."
They had been tracking the Gate Cult's presence across several nations. Cities falling to financial collapses, street riots with no traceable instigator, key security networks hacked and disarmed. Everything pointed to one thing—the Eclipse Council had nearly completed the ritual.
And Laga had gone silent again.
---
Three Hours Earlier – Southern Jungle, Hidden Temple
Laga moved without sound through the thick vines and stone ruins. The mask sat in his hand, its weight barely felt but its meaning infinite. He had worn it only three times before. Each time, a nation vanished. Each time, his identity blurred.
The old man followed slowly, wheezing.
"Are you sure you want to wear it again?" he asked.
Laga paused, then looked back.
"I never wanted to," he said.
"But I have no choice now."
He placed the mask over his face.
And the forest quieted.
Even the animals knew.
---
Central City – The Tower Room
Anna stood in the topmost floor of Aureon Group's tower, facing a wide glass screen displaying over thirty live video feeds: riots in East Europa, political assassinations in Geneva, silent military movements in the Pacific.
"They're launching global destabilization," said Mara from beside her.
Anna didn't reply.
She was looking at one specific feed—inside a council chamber in Vienna. Ten figures in white cloaks had been ambushed. Slaughtered. Not by guns. Not by explosives.
But by one figure in a black mask, moving faster than any camera could fully capture.
Each death was clinical.
Each strike surgical.
A signature.
Anna clenched her fists. "He's fighting back."
---
Downtown Portguard – 2:11 AM
Zed sat quietly in a small bakery shop, eating a cold sandwich.
He was just fifteen.
Still in high school.
To most people, he looked like any other boy. Shy, calm, with a love for comic books and astronomy. But he was born with something unusual: inherited perception.
He could sense energy shifts.
And tonight… the air felt like the sky was folding.
A soft ring at the door.
Zed turned.
And there he stood.
A man in a black trench coat, wearing a mask that seemed to absorb light instead of reflect it.
Zed's heart skipped.
"…Dad?"
Laga didn't answer.
Instead, he sat in front of him.
"You're stronger than I thought," he said quietly.
Zed's hands trembled. "What is all of this? Everyone's acting like the world's ending."
Laga nodded once.
"It is."
---
The Next Day – Deep Sea Facility Delta
June leaned against the titanium wall of the underwater facility. The Council's last known base in the Atlantic had been evacuated. That much was clear. But what wasn't clear was why the power core still ran.
As she made her way deeper, her flashlight flickered.
Then died.
A voice echoed in the darkness.
"You're late."
She spun around, blade drawn.
Tom stepped out from the shadows.
But something was wrong.
His aura was different.
"You're not Tom," she said, stepping back.
He smiled.
"No. But I remember him well."
Before she could move, the lights around her exploded in a bright violet burst.
And a dozen figures appeared in a circle.
Council shadows.
Clones.
The facility wasn't abandoned.
It was bait.
---
Meanwhile – South Ridge Canyon
Ray roared as his axe clashed with a massive obsidian blade. The enemy was tall, armored in bone, and utterly silent.
"Who are you people?" Ray shouted, staggering back.
The armored figure spoke for the first time.
"We are the Veiled. Trained by your master's shadow."
Ray paused, panting. "That's not possible."
The figure lunged again.
And behind Ray, two more emerged.
He was surrounded.
---
Back at Aureon HQ
Anna sat with her head in her hands.
Five members of the Seven were engaged in sudden combat worldwide.
The Eclipse Council was faster than expected.
More organized.
And still unseen.
She opened a private terminal and typed a code she swore never to use: "White Protocol 49 – Override."
A hologram of Laga appeared. It wasn't live—just a message.
"Anna. If you're seeing this, it means they've moved to Phase Four. You're the only one with the remaining key to the Fire Archive."
She paled.
"No…"
"Yes," the recording said. "Burn it. Even if it kills you. If they get it, they'll rewrite time."
---
Northern Mountains – The Summit of Solis
The final Gate fragment had been transported here, under layers of military protection. Drones circled the area. Guard posts lined the ridges.
But it wasn't enough.
The air shimmered once.
Then split open.
And Laga stepped through.
He didn't walk—he glided.
He wore the mask now.
And in his hand, a blade made of glass that never reflected light.
"Who are you?!" shouted one guard, aiming a plasma rifle.
Laga said nothing.
But his presence answered.
The soldiers dropped their weapons—not by will, but by sheer mental overload.
One collapsed, sobbing.
Another went blind.
He kept walking.
To the center.
To the final piece.
As he reached for it, a voice behind him snapped: "You're too late."
The air broke open again, and a woman appeared.
She wore robes of gold. Her eyes were silver. Her name unknown.
But Laga knew her.
He spoke.
"You shouldn't exist."
She smirked.
"And yet, I do."
She raised her hand—and the sky cracked.