Chapter 167: The Beginning of the End
The warehouse fell silent again.
Not because nothing was happening.
But because everyone was trying to understand what Aidan had just said.
Callum was the first to react.
“…army?”
He blinked twice.
“You said army.”
Aidan didn’t look away from the window.
“Yes.”
Callum slowly walked over beside him and looked outside.
Five seconds later—
“…oh.”
He stepped back.
“…that’s a lot of people.”
Dominic moved next.
His expression hardened the moment he saw the streets beyond the warehouse.
Rows of black vehicles filled the road.
Dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
Soldiers poured out of them in organized lines.
All wearing the same dark armor.
All carrying weapons.
And at the center of the formation—
One familiar figure stepped forward calmly.
Victor.
Even from a distance, his posture carried the same quiet confidence as before.
Like he already knew how this night would end.
Elena walked up beside Dominic.
“…that’s not just soldiers.”
Dominic nodded.
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
“They’re enhanced.”
Aidan joined them at the window.
“There are at least two hundred.”
Callum stared at him.
“ONLY two hundred?”
Aidan didn’t react.
Selene stepped forward next.
She studied the approaching army carefully.
Then her voice dropped slightly.
“They brought war machines.”
Callum looked confused.
“…what?”
Selene pointed.
Down the street, massive metal carriers rolled forward slowly.
The back doors opened.
And enormous shapes stepped out.
Creatures.
Huge.
Twice the size of normal humans.
Their bodies covered in thick armored plating.
Their eyes glowing faintly red.
Callum swallowed.
“…those are definitely not normal soldiers.”
Aidan nodded.
“Experimental shock units.”
Dominic’s jaw clenched.
“Victor escalated quickly.”
Elena whispered,
“This isn’t a retrieval mission.”
Selene answered quietly.
“No.”
“It’s a siege.”
Behind them, the Umbra watched everything silently.
Its white eyes flickered with interest.
“You see?”
The shadow creature tilted its head toward me.
“The war has returned.”
I stood frozen in the center of the warehouse.
The silver energy inside my chest still pulsed violently.
But something else had changed now.
The voice inside my head had gone quiet again.
But the feeling remained.
Like something ancient had opened its eyes.
Callum looked at me nervously.
“…Roxanne.”
“Yeah?”
“You might want to look outside.”
I slowly walked toward the window.
The moment I saw the army below—
My stomach dropped.
Victor had brought far more than soldiers.
Armored vehicles.
Heavy weapons.
Experimental creatures.
And behind them…
Something else.
Large metal structures were being assembled.
Machines.
Strange ones.
Aidan noticed them too.
“What are those?”
Selene’s eyes narrowed.
“Containment towers.”
Callum blinked.
“…containment?”
Selene nodded.
“They’re designed to trap supernatural energy.”
My pulse quickened.
“You mean…”
Dominic finished the sentence.
“They’re designed for you.”
The realization settled heavily in the room.
Victor hadn’t come to negotiate.
He hadn’t even come to test me anymore.
He had come to capture me.
Or destroy me.
Callum rubbed his face again.
“Fantastic.”
“Absolutely fantastic.”
He looked around at everyone.
“So what’s the plan?”
Aidan answered calmly.
“There are three possibilities.”
Callum raised a finger.
“I’m already afraid.”
Aidan continued.
“Option one: we run.”
Dominic shook his head immediately.
“They’d catch us.”
Selene nodded.
“Within minutes.”
Callum sighed.
“Of course they would.”
Aidan went on.
“Option two: we surrender.”
Dominic’s eyes flashed gold instantly.
“Absolutely not.”
Elena agreed.
“That’s not an option.”
Callum nodded.
“Yeah I’m with the giant angry wolf on this one.”
Aidan paused.
Then he said the third option.
“Option three.”
He looked directly at me.
“We end this tonight.”
Silence filled the warehouse again.
Callum blinked.
“…by doing what exactly?”
Aidan answered quietly.
“By destroying Victor’s army.”
Callum stared at him.
“…with what army?”
Aidan didn’t look away from me.
“With her.”
The words hung heavily in the air.
Dominic immediately stepped forward.
“No.”
Aidan frowned slightly.
“She may be the only one strong enough.”
Dominic’s voice deepened.
“She’s not a weapon.”
Selene crossed her arms.
“Victor already turned her into one.”
Elena looked uneasy.
“This could kill her.”
The Umbra suddenly spoke again.
“No.”
Everyone turned toward the shadow creature.
Callum pointed at it.
“…why is the nightmare monster suddenly involved in the strategy meeting?”
The Umbra ignored him.
Its white eyes studied me.
“She will not die.”
Dominic glared at it.
“You seem very confident.”
The creature tilted its head slightly.
“Because I know what she is.”
The silver energy inside my chest pulsed again.
Stronger.
The Umbra continued.
“The Ascended were created for war.”
Selene looked uneasy.
“Against entire supernatural armies.”
Aidan slowly nodded.
“That matches the hunter records.”
Dominic shook his head again.
“She’s not fighting them alone.”
The Umbra’s gaze flickered briefly to him.
“She won’t be alone.”
Everyone frowned.
“What does that mean?” Elena asked.
The Umbra answered simply.
“The war awakens more than just her.”
Callum sighed.
“Great.”
“More cryptic supernatural nonsense.”
But before anyone could ask another question—
A loudspeaker echoed across the streets outside.
Victor’s voice filled the night.
Calm.
Clear.
Confident.
“Roxanne.”
Everyone froze.
His voice echoed through the warehouse walls.
“I know you can hear me.”
Dominic’s claws extended again.
Selene tightened her grip on her blade.
Victor continued.
“You have impressed me tonight.”
Callum muttered,
“Please stop complimenting her while invading the city.”
Victor ignored him.
“The Ascension process worked better than expected.”
His tone almost sounded proud.
“But unfortunately…”
His voice grew colder.
“…you are too dangerous to remain free.”
Outside, the soldiers began forming attack positions.
Weapons raised.
Machines powering up.
Victor spoke again.
“So I will give you a choice.”
Dominic whispered,
“Don’t listen.”
Victor’s voice echoed louder.
“Step outside peacefully.”
“And I promise your friends will not be harmed.”
Callum scoffed.
“Oh he’s definitely lying.”
Victor finished calmly.
“Or stay inside…”
“…and watch them die.”
The loudspeaker went silent.
The warehouse fell quiet again.
Callum exhaled slowly.
“Well.”
“That was dramatic.”
Dominic turned to me immediately.
“You’re not going out there.”
But something inside me had already decided.
The energy in my chest burned hotter.
Stronger.
Not wild anymore.
Focused.
Purposeful.
I stepped toward the warehouse door.
Dominic grabbed my arm gently.
“Roxanne.”
I looked at him.
“They’ll kill everyone in this city if we don’t stop him.”
Selene nodded slightly.
“He’s right.”
Callum raised a hand.
“I’m sorry but I feel like we’re skipping the part where we panic.”
Elena stepped closer.
“Roxanne…”
I took a slow breath.
Then I looked at all of them.
“I’m ending this.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“You’re not doing it alone.”
Callum lifted the metal pipe again.
“…yeah.”
“If we’re going down, we’re going down dramatically.”
Aidan nodded calmly.
“We stand together.”
Selene drew her blade.
“The Order of Ash will not abandon this fight.”
The Umbra simply watched.
Its white eyes gleaming faintly.
“Good.”
The silver energy inside my chest flared brighter than ever before.
The ancient voice whispered quietly again.
Now.
I stepped toward the warehouse door.
Dominic moved beside me.
The others followed.
Outside—
Victor’s army waited.
Hundreds of soldiers.
Weapons ready.
Machines humming.
And Victor himself standing calmly at the center of it all.
The moment I stepped out of the warehouse—
Every weapon pointed at me.
Victor smiled faintly.
“Ah.”
“There you are.”
The energy inside my body surged violently.
For the first time since the Ascension Chamber…
I wasn’t afraid.
Victor looked pleased.
“Now.”
He lifted a hand.
“Let’s see what the last Ascended can really do.”
And the war began.