Chapter 12

Inside the shelter, Reyna led Jonah through the narrow hallway, flanked by two silent guards. Their boots echoed sharply against the old concrete floor, each step dragging the weight of the confrontation ahead.

They entered a dimly lit room an old office that had been repurposed into a strategic room.

Radio equipment hummed softly in the corner, transmitting distant chatter from watch posts.

Three figures stood waiting.

Two men and one woman—all clad in black coats with silver bands across their shoulders. High-ranking captains, trusted by Reyna herself. These were not mere administrators,they were founders, part of the original group that had helped build the shelter from the ruins of the old world.

The tallest among them, a man with a streaked silver beard and sharp, intelligent eyes, stepped forward.

"You disobeyed direct orders," he said, his voice even but stern.

Jonah didn't flinch. "We were ambushed. It was either act or let them die."

"You were told not to expose your ability outside designated containment zones," the woman snapped. Her tone was ice. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"I saved lives," Jonah answered evenly. "I didn't exactly have time to review protocol while being swarmed by crazed mutants."

"Well, congratulations," Stella bit back, "you may have saved a few, but now you've put all of us at risk. The energy signature you released could light up half the continent like a damn beacon."

The silver-bearded captain rubbed his eyes and stepped in before things escalated further.

"You lit up half the quadrant with violet fire. We've already received reports from outposts miles away. Do you understand what kind of attention that kind of energy signature attracts?"

Jonah didn't reply at first. He exhaled, gaze lowering slightly.

"I know the consequences of what I did. And I'm ready to face them."

"But what l did was out of necessity."

"Necessity?" the woman scoffed. "You released over sixty percent of your ability. That kind of exposure could trigger an Event. And we're still trying to figure out how to explain what happened to the scouts who witnessed it."

Jonah's jaw tensed. "Tell them the truth. It's not like they'll talk."

The woman clicked her tongue, but Jonah cut in before she could speak.

"They'll have questions. I'll handle them."

A tense silence followed.

Then the silver-bearded man leaned forward, voice low and dangerous. "You've crossed a line, Jonah. You've revealed too much, too soon. This puts us in a very dangerous position, and the other shelters won't be happy when they find out."

Jonah's expression hardened. "Let them be unhappy. They weren't out there. We were. And let me tell you something—something is brewing. The full moon… this time, it's going to be different."

Reyna, who had stood silently through the exchange until now, finally spoke.

"What do you mean?"

Jonah turned to her, his tone grim.

"We encountered six sired crazes working in tandem with a bizarre craze. And after we took them down, three more bizarre ones showed up working together. Coordinating like they'd been sired."

The curly-haired man in the back,Polo,scoffed and crossed his arms. "So what? A few crazes teamed up. Doesn't mean you had to go full firestorm."

Reyna shook her head. "No, he's right. That's not normal."

Then Jonah added, his tone darker now, "That's not all. One of the new dwellers, the one with pale skin, he activated during the fight. Fast and controlled like it wasn't his first time."

That made the room still.

Stella narrowed her eyes. "The quiet one? You're saying he's Awakened?"

Jonah nodded. "More than that. His movements were precise. Like military-grade reflexes. But l think he is not documented, at least thats what l derived from his memories. "

Grid exchanged a look with Reyna. "If he's Awakened and not documented, that means one of two things. Either he's been hiding for years… or he's been shaped by someone outside the network."

Stella folded her arms. "Honestly, what the heck is happening in the outside world."

Reyna glanced at the map table. "Whatever his story is, we need to bring him in and watch him quietly."

"You want to recruit him?" Polo asked, skeptical.

"If he's Awakened and untrained, we don't have a choice," Reyna replied. "The last thing we need is for him to turn to the other shelters."

Stella frowned. "And if he's unstable?"

"Then we contain him,"Grid said calmly. "But for now, let's not waste potential. He may be the edge we need if these coordinated crazes become a pattern."

Reyna turned to Jonah. "You said he didn't speak much. Keep it that way. No interviews. No pressure. We just observe and test him."

"Infact, l think we should intiate them to the school program immediately.

Jonah nodded.

"l don't think it's necessary, he is already skilled, l think he might be even more skilled than me. "

Reyna shook her head.

"Even so, enroll him, l am doing this for a reason."

Jonah simply nodded, not daring to question his leaders decision.

A silence settled in again, heavy and decisive.

Then Reyna straightened. "As for the newcomers, I'll speak to them. They deserve the truth… but only the truth they can handle."

Jonah nodded again. Tired. Frustrated. But grateful.

A short while later…

Inside the medical room, Alex sat near the corner, legs pulled up, with his hands clasped tightly. His thoughts spun like storm winds.

His eyes kept peering towards, the guards outside the room.

The way they guarded them was like, they were trying to prevent the team from running.

The others were still processing the shocking events too.

The wiry boy paced like a caged animal, while the pistol girl sat on her cot, eyes distant, lips moving slightly as if she were trying to count her breaths.

The pale man was still sitting quietly, creepily calm despite the situation.

Alex finally broke the silence.

"Do you think that, they are going to kill us?"

No one answered.

Alex then clicked his tongue.

He couldn't stop himself from panicking, even though he was a brave person, the horrors he had to fight were mostly crazes, and he managed to escape them through evading tactics.

Never had he been a situation where he had to defend himself against humans.

He stood, walking slowly toward the wooden door. He placed his palm flat against the smooth surface.

Were they prisoners now? Or were they just guests being handled with caution?

Before he could think further, a soft knock sounded from the other side. A moment later, the door creaked open.

Reyna stepped in.

She had changed out of her coat, now dressed in plain, utilitarian clothes.

Two guards waited behind her, but she raised a hand signalling for them to remained outside.

She closed the door behind her and turned to face the group.

"I know you have questions," she began calmly. "And you deserve answers."

Her gaze swept over their faces, one by one.

Alex had his guard up, as he watched the woman's actions.

Of all the people here, he was the only one who had a bad trust issues when it came to protectors, even if they were ex ones.

And he heard from Jonah that this woman, before being trapped here, used to be a proud guard of a protected settlements.

Speaking of protectors, Alex suddenly recalled the other protector he had met when he first arrived in this place.

His thoughts were soon cut off by Reyna's voice.

"What you saw today… wasn't a trick. You witnessed things most surface dwellers never live to speak of."

She took a breath.

"There's a reason Jonah can wield fire. And why that man, moves faster than the eye can track."

The pale man in the corner, was listening with a stoic expression on his face.

Reyna stepped forward, folding her arms. "They are not the only ones. There are others like them.

"You see back at the protected settlements, they have a name for people like them.

Awakened "