Chapter 206 The Battle for the Bridge

Chapter 206 The Battle for the Bridge
The sky turned red.

Hundreds of ships emerged from the Gate, covering the clouds like a second horizon. People ran through the streets. Sirens screamed.

But Harper didn’t move. She stood beside me, staring at the fleet. Her hands glowed with golden energy. Kael looked at the readings. “There are too many.”

Adrian stepped forward. “Then we’ll need more people.” Kael shook his head. “We don’t have time.” Harper looked at him. “How long?” “Ten minutes.”

“Until what?” “They reach the city.” I looked at the others. “Then we don’t let them reach it.” We moved toward the arena. Coach Hayes was already organizing the Hawks. Players who could fight gathered equipment. Others helped civilians evacuate.

I watched my teammates move through the chaos. These were hockey players. Not soldiers. But they stood together anyway.

Coach Hayes looked at me. “You ready?” I nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” He looked at Harper. “Stay behind me.” She shook her head. “No.” “Harper.”

“I’m not hiding anymore, Dad.” He stared at her. Then he nodded. “Fine.” The first ship fired. A red beam struck the ground outside the arena. The explosion sent everyone flying. I hit the pavement.

Harper landed beside me. “You okay?” I nodded. “Yeah.” She looked toward the sky. “They’re here.” The ships descended. Thousands of soldiers emerged. Kael raised his weapon. “Everyone!”

The Five Frequencies activated. Golden light spread across the arena. Adrian’s crimson energy formed a wall. Mara created a silver barrier. Aria’s energy strengthened it. Amara completed the circle. The first wave of soldiers charged. We attacked. Energy filled the battlefield. I moved through the soldiers, knocking them backward.

Harper fought beside me. She moved differently now. Faster. Stronger. Every time she raised her hand, golden energy exploded outward.

I looked at her. “You’ve gotten good at this.” She smiled. “I’ve had a good teacher.” “Who?” “You.” I laughed. “Don’t blame me when your father gets angry.” She punched another soldier away. “He’ll survive.” Then something enormous landed behind us. The ground shook. I turned.

A massive armored creature stood there. Its eyes glowed red. Kael froze. “That’s a Commander.” I frowned. “Meaning?” “Meaning we’re in trouble.” The creature charged. I raised my energy. It struck me. I flew backward.

Harper screamed. “Liam!” She attacked it. The creature caught her. I jumped up. “Let her go!” I released everything I had. The golden blast struck its chest.

It released Harper. She landed safely. We attacked together. Our energies combined. The creature staggered. Then Adrian, Mara, Aria, and Amara joined. Six streams of energy struck it. The Commander collapsed. The soldiers around us stopped.

For a moment, nobody moved. Then their weapons lowered. A voice came from the largest ship.

“STOP.”

Everyone froze. A figure appeared above the battlefield. Commander Rhen. The same man from the Red Council. Harper looked at him. “You’re one of them.” Rhen shook his head. “No.” “Then why are you here?” “To warn you.”

Kael stepped forward. “You knew this was coming.” “Yes.” “Why didn’t you tell us?” “Because the Council wouldn’t allow it.” Harper narrowed her eyes. “Then why are you helping us now?”

Rhen looked toward the Gate. “Because we were wrong.” He turned to the ships. “Stand down.” The soldiers obeyed. I stared. “What changed?”

Rhen looked at Harper. “We finally understood what the Architects wanted.” “What?” “Not you.” He paused. “The Bridge.” Harper frowned. “What’s the difference?” “The Bridge is not a person.” 

Rhen looked at the Five Frequencies. “It’s a connection.” Kael’s eyes widened. “The Bridge can exist without Harper.” Rhen nodded. “Exactly.” Harper stared at her hands. “Then why did they experiment on me?” “Because they didn’t understand.”

Rhen looked toward the sky. “They believed the Bridge had to be created inside one person.” “But they were wrong.” “Yes.” I looked at Harper. “So you aren’t the Bridge.”

Rhen shook his head. “You are the first person who discovered how to become one.” Harper’s eyes widened. “Anyone can?” “Anyone who chooses connection over control.” Silence. I understood.

The Architects had spent centuries searching for someone they could control. But they had misunderstood the very thing they were looking for. The Bridge wasn’t a person. It was a choice. Harper looked at me. “Then we can stop them.” I nodded. “Together.”

Suddenly, the largest ship exploded. Everyone turned. A black wave tore through the fleet. Rhen looked horrified. “No.” Kael stared at the sky. “What’s happening?”

A dark figure appeared above the Gate. Orion. But he looked different. His armor was gone. His body was covered in black cracks. The Void was moving through him. Harper stepped backward. “He’s infected.” Orion smiled. “Not infected.” His voice echoed across the city. “Awakened.”

The darkness spread across the Gate. Rhen raised his weapon. “Orion!” Orion looked at him. “Commander Rhen.” “You said the Void was contained.” “It was.” “Then what happened?” Orion looked at us. “The Five opened it.”

I shook my head. “No.” He smiled. “Every connection has a cost.” The Gate began collapsing. Ships fell from the sky. People screamed. Kael shouted, “Everyone back!”

A massive black wave rushed toward us. Harper stepped forward. “I can stop it.” I grabbed her hand. “We’ll stop it together.” She looked at me. “You trust me?” “With everything.”

She smiled. “Then let’s do it.” We joined hands. Adrian. Mara. Aria. Amara. Harper. Me. Six people. Six energies. One connection. The black wave hit.

For a moment, everything disappeared. Then golden light exploded across the sky. The darkness stopped. Orion screamed. “You cannot control the Bridge!”

Harper looked at him. “We’re not controlling it.” She raised her hand. “We’re sharing it.” The energy spread through the city. Then across the country. Then across the world. Millions of people became connected.

The Void recoiled. Orion stared at the light. “No.” I looked at him. “You were looking for one person.” Harper stepped beside me. “But you should have been looking for everyone.”

The golden light intensified. Orion disappeared into the darkness. But before he vanished, he smiled. “Then I’ll destroy everyone.” The Gate exploded. A shockwave raced toward Earth. Harper screamed. “Liam!” I grabbed her. 

The light consumed us. And the last thing I heard was Kael shouting:

“THE GATE IS COLLAPSING!”