Chapter 79: Reckoning

Chapter 79: Reckoning

Silvia's POV

The city was no longer quiet.

Silvia stood atop the walls at dawn, staring out at the horizon, waiting for the first sign of movement. The morning mist curled around the distant trees, giving the illusion of peace. But Silvia knew better. Somewhere beyond those woods, the Remnants were preparing. She could feel it.

Dragon stepped up beside her, silent for once. He wasn't smiling, wasn't teasing. That was how she knew things were about to change.

"Do you really think they'll attack outright?" he finally asked, arms crossed.

Silvia exhaled. "They have no choice. We exposed their spies. We know their game. If they wait too long, we'll root out every last one of their operatives. They'll be forced to act."

He nodded, watching the horizon with her. "Then let's make sure they regret it."

The Betrayer's Path

Tarren arrived minutes later, her expression unreadable. "We tracked the traitor. He led us right to them."

Silvia turned sharply. "How many?"

"More than we expected. They've set up an encampment two miles out. He ran straight to their commander."

Silvia's stomach tightened. "Then it's time."

Dragon cracked his knuckles. "So we hit them first?"

She hesitated. "No."

Garrik frowned. "No? We have the advantage. Why wait?"

Silvia stared at the map laid out before them. "Because I want them to think we're afraid. I want them to believe they still hold the upper hand. We let them make the first move—then we crush them."

The Ambush

Night fell swiftly, and with it came the enemy.

Silvia and her forces waited in the darkness, positioned at key points around the city's southern wall. The Remnants had been led to believe that section was their weakest point. But in truth, it was a death trap.

The first wave came swiftly—shadows moving through the trees, creeping toward the city. Silvia watched from the high tower, heart pounding as the enemy fell into her snare.

"Wait for my signal," she murmured into the speaking stone.

Dragon, hidden beside her, grinned. "You enjoy this, don't you?"

She gave him a sideways glance. "Only when they deserve it."

Then she raised her hand—and the city erupted into chaos.

Arrows rained from the walls. Fire erupted along the perimeter where oil traps had been set. The Remnants, thinking they had the advantage, found themselves caught in a burning hell.

Garrik led the charge from the gates, his soldiers cutting down the confused enemy ranks before they had a chance to reorganize. Tarren's archers struck from above, thinning their numbers with precision.

Silvia's grip on her sword tightened as she surveyed the battlefield. This was only the beginning.

Then, from the tree line, a new figure stepped forward.

The enemy commander.

And Silvia's blood ran cold.

She knew that face.

He wasn't just a soldier. He was a ghost from her past.

The Enemy Revealed

Time seemed to slow as Silvia took in his features. The sharp, calculating gaze, the strong build, the scars that hadn't been there before but somehow didn't make him any less recognizable.

"No..." she whispered, gripping the parapet railing tightly.

Dragon's head snapped toward her. "You know him?"

Silvia barely heard him. Her mind raced back to the past, to the academy, to a time when war was just a distant reality, not something she had been forced to lead. To a time when she had trained beside someone she had once trusted—someone she had lost.

"Adrian Blackstone," she said at last, the name tasting like venom on her tongue.

Adrian grinned, stepping into the flickering torchlight, his dark armor gleaming. "It's been a long time, Earthstar. I almost thought you wouldn't recognize me."

Garrik and Tarren exchanged glances, waiting for an order. Dragon, however, didn't take his eyes off Silvia.

"Care to explain why this guy looks like he enjoys burning down cities?" he asked casually, though there was an undercurrent of tension in his voice.

Silvia inhaled sharply. "He was one of us. A commander. Before Titan fell. Before the Remnants. He was my second-in-command."

Dragon's expression darkened. "And now he's leading them?"

Adrian chuckled. "It's not betrayal, Silvia. It's survival. Titan fell, but its ideals didn't have to."

Silvia's jaw clenched. "Titan's ideals were built on blood and oppression. We ended it for a reason."

Adrian shrugged. "And yet, here you are—leading an army of your own. How different are you, really?"

Dragon bristled beside her, but Silvia held up a hand. She took a step forward, locking eyes with Adrian. "I don't lead for power. I lead to keep people safe."

"A noble sentiment. But safety is just another word for control." Adrian gestured toward the battlefield, where his remaining forces were slowly retreating, regrouping. "And I intend to take back what was ours."

Silvia drew her sword. "Over my dead body."

Adrian smirked. "That can be arranged."

The Battle Turns

With a flick of his wrist, Adrian signaled his remaining troops. More shadows moved through the trees, emerging from hidden positions. Silvia's heart pounded as she realized the Remnants had been holding back their real numbers. The first wave had been a distraction.

"It was never an attack," she murmured. "It was a test."

Dragon bared his teeth. "Then let's show them they failed."

Silvia turned to her troops, raising her sword. "Hold the line! No one retreats!"

The battle ignited anew, fiercer than before. Adrian's forces surged forward, meeting Silvia's warriors head-on. The clash of steel rang through the night as the city defenders fought with relentless determination.

Dragon leaped into the fray, his panther-like agility making him a blur among the chaos. Silvia followed, her blade cutting through the enemy ranks with deadly precision. Garrik and Tarren flanked the sides, leading their squads into strategic counterattacks.

Adrian didn't move. He simply watched, as if gauging her. Testing her.

Silvia cut down another Remnant soldier before locking eyes with him again. "If you want this city, you'll have to go through me."

Adrian smirked, drawing his own sword. "That's the plan."

With that, he charged.