The Fall Of The Sanctuary

Chapter 13: The Fall of the Sanctuary

The explosion shook the entire mountain.

Dust rained from the ceiling as the heavy doors of the archive room vibrated violently.

For a moment, no one moved.

Then another blast thundered through the facility.

BOOM!

The lights flickered.

Raven grabbed Ethan’s arm.

“They’ve breached the outer gate.”

Lucian cracked his neck slowly, as if preparing for something entertaining.

“Well,” he said casually, “this escalated quickly.”

Commander Hayes’ voice roared through the intercom system.

“All combat units to Sector A! Repeat, all combat units to Sector A! The creatures are inside the facility!”

Gunfire erupted somewhere in the distance.

Screams followed.

Ethan felt his stomach tighten.

The war had already reached them.

Raven grabbed a weapon from the wall and tossed it toward Ethan.

He caught it awkwardly.

It looked like a modified rifle, heavier than anything he had used before.

“You know how to use that?” she asked.

Ethan stared at it.

“Not really.”

Lucian chuckled.

“Just point it at the ugly things.”

Raven glared at him.

“This isn’t funny.”

Lucian raised his hands slightly.

“I’m not laughing.”

Another explosion rocked the facility.

Hayes turned toward them sharply.

“Move!”

They rushed out of the archive room and into the corridor.

Chaos had already spread throughout the sanctuary.

Armed soldiers ran through the halls.

Medics dragged wounded fighters toward emergency rooms.

Alarms blared nonstop.

And somewhere deeper in the base—

Monsters roared.

Ethan’s heart pounded as they reached the main combat corridor.

A massive reinforced door stood ahead.

Beyond it, the sound of battle echoed violently.

Hayes pressed a code into the security panel.

The door opened.

And the battlefield appeared.

Creatures had flooded the main hangar.

Massive shadow beasts clawed through armored vehicles.

Winged monsters swooped through the air, ripping soldiers off the ground.

Gunfire filled the chamber.

Explosions lit up the massive underground space.

Ethan froze.

“This is insane…”

Raven immediately jumped into the fight.

Her blue energy blade ignited as she rushed forward, slicing through the first shadow creature that lunged at her.

Lucian sighed dramatically.

“I suppose I should help.”

Then he stepped forward.

A massive creature charged toward him, roaring.

Lucian didn’t move.

The monster’s claw swung toward his head—

Lucian caught it.

With one hand.

CRACK.

The creature’s arm snapped like dry wood.

Ethan stared.

Lucian’s golden eyes glowed brighter.

“Let’s wake up a little.”

His body suddenly erupted with golden energy.

The air around him distorted.

For a split second—

Lucian didn’t look human anymore.

Behind him appeared the shadow of something enormous.

A creature with massive wings and burning golden eyes.

Ethan’s jaw dropped.

“What… is he?”

Lucian punched the monster.

BOOM!

The creature flew across the hangar, smashing through two armored trucks.

Lucian rolled his shoulders.

“Much better.”

Raven shouted while fighting another beast.

“Lucian, focus!”

Ethan raised his rifle and fired at a charging creature.

The recoil nearly knocked him backward.

The bullet struck the monster’s shoulder, slowing it but not stopping it.

The beast roared and rushed him.

Ethan panicked.

“Oh no.”

Before the creature could reach him—

A massive blur slammed into it.

The Alpha Hunter.

The enormous beast Ethan had controlled earlier crashed into the monster, tearing it apart with brutal claws.

Ethan blinked.

“You again?”

The Alpha Hunter stood beside him protectively.

Lucian laughed.

“Looks like you’ve got a bodyguard.”

More creatures poured into the hangar through the destroyed entrance tunnel.

Dozens of them.

Maybe hundreds.

Hayes shouted commands across the battlefield.

“Hold the line!”

But the monsters kept coming.

Ethan felt the strange power inside him stirring again.

The monsters could feel him.

He could feel them too.

Their hunger.

Their rage.

Their fear.

Raven suddenly appeared beside him.

“Don’t lose control again.”

Ethan nodded.

“I’m trying not to.”

Then something strange happened.

All the monsters suddenly stopped attacking.

The battlefield froze.

Even the soldiers paused in confusion.

Lucian slowly turned toward the destroyed entrance tunnel.

“Oh…”

Heavy footsteps echoed through the massive chamber.

Slow.

Deliberate.

The creatures moved aside as a tall figure walked into the hangar.

Dark armor covered his body.

Crimson eyes glowed like burning coals.

The Overlord had entered the sanctuary.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.

Every creature bowed its head as he passed.

Ethan felt his chest tighten with rage.

That was the monster who killed his parents.

The Overlord’s gaze swept across the battlefield.

Then it stopped on Ethan.

He smiled.

“There you are.”

Raven stepped in front of Ethan.

“You’re not touching him.”

The Overlord didn’t even look at her.

“You are not the one I came for.”

Lucian stepped forward now.

Golden energy still flickering around him.

“Well,” he said, “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

The Overlord finally turned his gaze toward Lucian.

For the first time, his smile faded slightly.

“Ah.”

His voice was calm.

“The traitor king.”

Lucian shrugged.

“I prefer the term ‘retired.’”

The Overlord’s red eyes burned brighter.

“You betrayed your kind.”

Lucian’s expression hardened.

“And you slaughtered them.”

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Ethan looked between them.

“You two know each other?”

Lucian sighed.

“Unfortunately.”

The Overlord’s gaze returned to Ethan.

“Your father was weaker than you.”

Ethan clenched his fists.

“Don’t talk about him.”

The Overlord continued calmly.

“But he died all the same.”

Rage exploded inside Ethan.

His silver eyes flared with light.

The ground beneath him cracked.

“You killed him.”

The Overlord nodded slightly.

“Yes.”

Raven grabbed Ethan’s arm.

“Don’t!”

But Ethan stepped forward anyway.

The power inside him roared violently now.

“You won’t kill me.”

The Overlord tilted his head.

“Every king eventually falls.”

Ethan raised his hand.

Silver light burst from his eyes.

Every monster in the room trembled.

“KNEEL!”

Half the creatures collapsed instantly.

But the Overlord didn’t move.

He simply smiled again.

Then he lifted one hand.

The monsters that had fallen suddenly rose again.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

The Overlord spoke calmly.

“You are not the only king here.”

Lucian muttered quietly,

“Well…”

His golden energy flared again.

“This is going to hurt.”

The Overlord took another step forward.

And the entire mountain began to tremble.

The real battle had finally begun.