Chapter 163: The Announcement
Chapter 163: The Announcement
For several seconds after the black vehicles disappeared down the road, none of us moved.
The night felt unnaturally quiet.
The street around us looked like a war zone—broken streetlights, shattered glass, cracked asphalt, and the remains of Victor’s soldiers scattered across the ground.
Smoke drifted lazily into the cold air.
Callum finally broke the silence.
“…so.”
He gestured vaguely at the unconscious body of Subject Seven.
“Does anyone want to explain what just happened?”
Aidan crossed his arms.
“You watched the same thing we did.”
Callum shook his head.
“No, I watched Roxanne punch a super soldier so hard his soul temporarily left his body.”
He looked at me.
“That’s not normal.”
Elena knelt beside Subject Seven, carefully checking his pulse.
“He’s alive,” she said quietly.
I exhaled slowly.
Good.
Despite everything Victor had done… I hadn’t wanted to kill the man.
Dominic stood beside me, still shirtless from his transformation. Dust and scratches covered his skin, but he looked far more focused on me than on the damage around us.
His golden eyes studied my face carefully.
“You’re shaking.”
I hadn’t realized it until he said it.
My hands trembled slightly.
The silver energy that had been burning through my veins minutes ago had faded, leaving behind a strange, hollow exhaustion.
“I’m fine,” I said.
Dominic didn’t look convinced.
Neither did Elena.
Callum tilted his head.
“Define fine.”
Before I could answer, Aidan suddenly turned toward the dark street where Victor’s convoy had disappeared.
His eyes narrowed.
“They’re gone.”
Callum blinked.
“…yes.”
“We noticed.”
Aidan ignored him.
“That wasn’t a retreat.”
Dominic nodded slowly.
“No.”
I swallowed.
“He said it himself.”
“Evaluation.”
The word hung in the air again like a bad omen.
Elena stood up.
“If that was just a test…”
Her voice tightened.
“…then what does the real attack look like?”
No one answered.
Because none of us wanted to imagine it.
\---
Callum suddenly clapped his hands together once.
“Okay!”
Everyone looked at him.
He gestured toward the wreckage around us.
“Step one: we leave before the police show up.”
Aidan nodded immediately.
“That would be wise.”
Elena frowned slightly.
“But what about them?”
She gestured toward the unconscious soldiers scattered across the road.
Callum stared at them.
“…I vote we pretend they fell.”
Dominic sighed.
“Callum.”
“What?”
“We can’t leave them here.”
Aidan rubbed his temples.
“Unfortunately, Dominic is right.”
I looked at the soldiers.
Victor had called them enhanced subjects.
Experiments.
Just like me.
The thought made my stomach twist.
“They’re victims,” I said quietly.
Callum scratched his head.
“Victims who just tried to smash us into the pavement.”
“Still victims.”
Elena nodded.
“She’s right.”
Aidan looked toward the dark buildings surrounding the street.
“There are abandoned warehouses nearby.”
Callum blinked.
“You want to drag ten unconscious super soldiers into a warehouse?”
“Yes.”
Callum groaned.
“Fantastic.”
Dominic glanced at me again.
“You don’t need to help.”
“I’m not helpless.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
His voice softened slightly.
“I said you’re exhausted.”
I opened my mouth to argue.
Then the world suddenly tilted.
Just slightly.
But enough to make me stumble.
Dominic caught me instantly.
His arms steadied me before I could fall.
Callum’s eyes widened.
“…okay maybe she is a little helpless.”
“I’m not—”
My protest died when another wave of dizziness hit.
Elena moved closer.
“Roxanne, your body just handled something it has never handled before.”
Aidan nodded.
“You absorbed and redirected a massive amount of energy.”
Callum blinked.
“Yeah that sounds unhealthy.”
Dominic’s grip tightened slightly.
“You’re resting.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re resting.”
I glared at him.
He didn’t even blink.
Elena sighed.
“He’s right.”
Callum raised a hand dramatically.
“I also vote for Roxanne resting.”
Aidan nodded.
“Agreed.”
I looked at all of them.
“Traitors.”
Callum grinned.
“Team effort.”
\---
Aidan and Callum began dragging the unconscious soldiers toward the nearby warehouse.
Elena followed them to help.
Dominic stayed beside me.
The street grew quieter as the others moved away.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Then Dominic finally said quietly,
“Victor wasn’t lying.”
I looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
His eyes searched mine.
“You’re different.”
I looked down at my hands.
The silver glow was gone now.
But I could still feel something deep beneath my skin.
A pulse.
A presence.
“What if he’s right?” I whispered.
Dominic frowned slightly.
“About what?”
“About what I am.”
His jaw tightened.
“You’re Roxanne.”
“That’s not what he said.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“I don’t care what Victor said.”
His voice lowered.
“You’re still you.”
I wanted to believe that.
I really did.
But Victor’s words echoed in my head.
The first Ascended.
And now everyone will want you.
“What if everyone starts hunting me?” I asked quietly.
Dominic didn’t hesitate.
“Then they’ll have to get through me first.”
His answer came so fast, so certain, that it stole the air from my lungs.
“You can’t fight the entire supernatural world.”
Dominic’s expression darkened.
“Watch me.”
Despite everything, a small laugh escaped me.
“You’re impossible.”
Callum’s voice suddenly echoed from the warehouse.
“Hey lovebirds!”
Dominic groaned.
Callum stuck his head out the broken door.
“We’ve got a situation.”
Aidan appeared behind him.
His face looked grim.
“That soldier you knocked out?”
My stomach dropped.
“What about him?”
Callum scratched his head.
“He’s… gone.”
“What?”
Elena stepped outside next.
“He woke up.”
A cold chill ran through my chest.
“How long ago?”
“Less than a minute.”
Dominic’s eyes hardened.
“And you didn’t stop him?”
Callum lifted his hands.
“He ran through a wall.”
Aidan nodded.
“Literally.”
My pulse quickened.
“Which direction?”
Aidan pointed toward the dark streets leading out of the district.
Dominic swore under his breath.
“He’s going back to Victor.”
Callum looked at me carefully.
“Yeah.”
“And he’s probably going to report everything.”
Elena crossed her arms.
“That means Victor now knows exactly what Roxanne can do.”
Aidan shook his head slowly.
“No.”
“He already knew.”
Callum frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Aidan looked at me.
“Victor didn’t need the soldier to report anything.”
My chest tightened.
“Why not?”
Aidan answered quietly.
“Because this entire fight was recorded.”
Silence fell again.
Elena’s eyes widened.
“You think they were broadcasting it?”
Aidan nodded.
“It’s exactly the kind of message Victor would send.”
Callum groaned.
“Oh that’s just fantastic.”
Dominic’s jaw clenched.
“A message to who?”
Aidan looked toward the dark sky.
“To everyone.”
The realization hit me slowly.
Victor hadn’t just tested me tonight.
He had shown me off.
Announced me.
To the entire supernatural world.
Callum rubbed his face.
“…so let me get this straight.”
He pointed at me.
“You’re now officially the most wanted supernatural in existence?”
Elena sighed.
“That appears to be the situation.”
Callum nodded slowly.
“Cool.”
“Cool cool cool.”
I stared at the empty street where Victor’s convoy had vanished.
A terrible feeling settled deep in my chest.
Because if Aidan was right…
Then somewhere out there—
Vampires…
Rogue werewolves…
Hunters…
Ancient creatures I had never even heard of…
They had all just seen what I could do.
And now they were coming.
Dominic stepped closer to me again.
His voice was quiet.
“We’ll handle it.”
Callum snorted.
“Handle it?”
He looked around at the destruction.
“We barely handled tonight.”
Aidan didn’t laugh.
His eyes stayed on the dark streets.
“They won’t wait long.”
Elena frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Aidan’s voice dropped.
“If Victor truly broadcasted that fight…”
He paused.
“…then the first hunters will arrive by morning.”
A cold wind moved through the broken street.
Callum slowly looked at me.
“…Roxanne.”
“Yeah?”
“You might want to start running.”
But Dominic’s hand tightened around mine.
And his voice came out low and deadly.
“No.”
His golden eyes scanned the dark horizon.
“We’re not running anymore.”
I followed his gaze into the night.
And deep down…
I had the terrible feeling that somewhere out there—
Something very powerful had already started moving.
Toward me.
And this time…
It wasn’t coming to test me.
It was coming to claim me.