Chapter 213 First Attack of the Season
POV: Luna
The attack hit hard. Fast. Coordinated.
Twenty rogues. Enhanced. Organized. Deadly.
They breached the wards simultaneously. Multiple entry points. Overwhelming force.
"Defensive circle!" I ordered. "Protect the students! Hold formation!"
My pack responded perfectly. Years of training. Months of surviving. Instant coordination.
Liam and I took point. Through the mate bond. Perfect synchronization.
I partially shifted. Maintained human enough for Eclipse magic. Wolf enough for strength.
Channeled power through my mark. Purifying. Destroying. Protecting.
Beside me, Liam fought in Alpha form. Devastating. Protective. Unstoppable.
Selene manifested her hybrid form. Wolf-magical fusion. Blazing with royal power.
She didn't hide anymore. Didn't need protection. She was a warrior. A guardian. A force.
My friends formed the defensive perimeter. Nova and Aria on offense. Sienna and Lyric on magical support.
Darius fought with impressive skill. Alpha bloodline showing. Strong. Strategic. Capable.
And Caleb. Caleb was everywhere.
Predicting rogue movements before they happened. Intercepting attacks before they landed. Protecting vulnerable students with uncanny precision.
"How does he know?" Darius asked, fighting beside me.
"Instinct. Experience. Something else. I don't know."
But I did know. Miguel had fought like this. Predicted. Anticipated. Protected.
Caleb's combat style wasn't just similar. It was identical. Down to specific techniques. Specific patterns. Specific instincts.
"Eastern flank!" Caleb called. "Three rogues! Flanking maneuver! Counter now!"
I redirected. Found the rogues exactly where he predicted. Stopped their attack before it succeeded.
"How did you know?" I asked.
"Pattern recognition. Tactical analysis. Combat experience. I've fought rogues before. Many times. Know their strategies. Anticipate their moves."
But it was more. More than analysis. More than experience.
It was like he'd fought beside me before. Knew how I moved. How I thought. How I strategized.
Just like Miguel always had.
We fought for an hour. Exhausting. Brutal. Desperate.
Finally, the rogues retreated. Not defeated. Just tactical withdrawal.
"They accomplished something," Aria observed. "This wasn't random. They had a mission. Completed it. Then left."
"What mission?" I asked.
We searched the battlefield. Found magical residue. Dark magic. Cole's signature.
And something else. Missing.
"The chapel," Sienna gasped. "They hit the chapel. During the attack. While we were distracted."
We ran. Found the chapel ransacked. Destroyed. Searched.
"They found it," I breathed. "The artifact fragment. Cole's hidden piece. They took it."
"How did they know where to look?" Nova demanded.
"Someone told them. Someone with knowledge. Inside information. A traitor."
"Or Cole directed them remotely. Through his connections. His resources. His lingering influence."
Either way, it was bad. The architects had the artifact fragment. Had everything needed for their ritual.
"When will they use it?" Darius asked.
"Soon. When Cole returns. When they're ready. When they want maximum impact."
We searched further. Found more evidence. A sigil. Carved into the chapel floor. Pulsing with dark magic.
"That's not just a marker," Sienna said. "That's a beacon. Calling something. Or someone."
"Cole," I realized. "That sigil is connected to him. Wherever he is. Helping him. Preparing his return."
One rogue remained. Wounded. Captured. Questioned.
"The artifact," I demanded. "Where are they taking it?"
"To the architects. To complete the ritual. To free Cole. To restore his power. To begin the final assault."
"When?"
"Days. Maybe hours. They're preparing. Gathering resources. Building power. When they're ready, Cole returns. Stronger. More dangerous. Unstoppable."
"Where? Where is this happening?"
"I don't know. They don't tell soldiers. Just give orders. Follow commands. Complete missions."
The rogue died before revealing more. Not from injuries. From magical failsafe. Killing anyone who talked too much.
"They're professional," Liam observed. "Organized. Prepared. This isn't amateur conspiracy. This is military operation."
"Which means we're outmatched. Outresourced. Outmaneuvered."
"Not outmatched. We have something they don't. Unity. Love. Determination. Those count for more than resources."
"Do they? Against impossible odds? Against overwhelming force?"
"They have before. They will again."
I wanted his optimism. His certainty. His faith.
But all I felt was dread. Fear. Certainty that we were running out of time.
Cole was returning. The architects were ready. The final battle was approaching.
And we still had secrets. Still had revelations. Still had truths waiting to explode.
Caleb's identity. Miguel's return. My impossible choices.
All of it was about to collide. Soon. Very soon.
And when it did, nothing would ever be the same.