Balance and Bloodlines

Location: Tavara – Kane Tower, Tactical Command Room

A storm raged outside the high-rise windows of Kane Tower. Thunder cracked over the Tavaran skyline, but inside the war room, silence ruled. A digital map glowed against the dark backdrop, illuminating Victor Kane's impassive expression.

He stood with arms folded, surrounded by loyalists—Linda Okello, Peter Musyoki, Zuri, Marcus, and three new arrivals from the special forces division. They had all seen battle, but none had faced what was coming.

Victor turned toward a screen now flickering with encrypted footage.

"The Ash Warden has surfaced," Marcus reported. "She sent a message directly through one of the old Kovanian relic channels. No one's accessed those for decades."

Victor's eyes narrowed. "If she's stepping into the open, the Harbingers are a bigger threat than we estimated."

Linda added, "And they know about the relic."

Peter tossed a file onto the table. "Our intel confirms that Dominion has launched a full sweep for it. Every major city under their network is under surveillance. They know what it unlocks."

Victor tapped the edge of the table, deep in thought.

Nora entered at that moment, her presence bringing a strange calm. She wore a tailored black combat coat and her medical badge. "They won't just come for the relic," she said. "They'll come for whoever it's bonded to."

Zuri raised an eyebrow. "You mean Victor?"

"No," Nora replied, looking toward the digital projection.

The map shifted—revealing a secondary location, encrypted under layers of stealth. It was a remote village near the Tavaran border. A red mark pulsed within.

"They're going after the boy."

---

Location: Outskirts of Eastern Tavara – Nomad Village

The wind howled through the hills as a lone cottage flickered with candlelight. Inside, a young boy—barely five—played with carved wooden animals.

Unaware of the storm approaching.

An older woman, his caretaker, glanced nervously at the flickering lights. "Something's not right," she murmured.

Then the shadows outside shifted unnaturally.

A metallic sound, like a mechanical breath, echoed in the darkness.

And the trees... stopped swaying.

---

Location: Kane Tower – Helipad, Moments Later

Victor snapped his combat gloves on.

"I'm going," he said firmly. "Prep the Valkyrie jet. Full stealth. We're not waiting for the Harbingers to make their move."

Nora stepped beside him, eyes sharp. "You won't go alone."

Linda smirked. "Did you think we'd let the billionaire boss fight ancient monsters by himself?"

Peter loaded a plasma rifle. "I've been waiting to punch something that's older than time."

Victor gave them a rare smile. "Then gear up. We ride at dusk."

As the jet engines roared to life and the team boarded, Tavara's elite prepared to face what even history dared to forget.

---

Location: Dominion's Command Core – Underground Citadel

The Harbingers stood before a massive crystalline structure pulsing with corrupted energy.

"The bloodline has activated the balance," said the first.

"The relic resists extraction," said the second.

"The protector must fall," said the third.

Their leader, now emerging from a golden cocoon, opened his eyes—eyes that hadn't seen daylight for a century.

"Then we will remind the world why it once feared the name… Ash Dominion."