All Chapters of Scars of the Heart: Chapter 21 - Chapter 26

The wind howled through the snow-capped peaks of Blackridge as the team made their final preparations. Rosa secured the last of the gear into the duffel bag while Elena adjusted the comms unit in her ear, fingers trembling not from fear, but from the weight of what was to come. Lucian Monroe, pale and feverish but standing, leaned heavily on a cane. Every movement looked like agony, but his eyes burned with purpose. “We go through the lower tunnels,” he instructed, pointing to a schematic projected on the terminal. “There’s a vent access behind the east quadrant labs. No guards. No cameras.” Grayson nodded, gripping the flash drive Lucian had given them. “And Rose?” “She’s not in the main cells,” Lucian said, voice tight. “She’s in the Observation Wing–one floor below the cloning labs.” “She’s still alive?” Elena asked. Lucian nodded slowly. “Last intel says she’s under heavy sedation. They were preparing to transfer her.” “To where?” Grayson snapped. Lucian looked down. “To D

The air in the strategy room was razor-thin, and crackling with tension as red lights pulsed across the ceiling. Elena stepped in, Grayson close behind, and was immediately met by a wall of urgency. Rosa was hunched over the main console, fingers flying over the keys as a rotating three-dimensional map of Havenreach displayed a blinking red dot closing in fast from the northwest quadrant. "Unknown vessel is small, low-altitude, but fast. It's not broadcasting any identification code," Rosa said. Her voice was composed, but her eyes betrayed unease. "It broke through the outer radar web five minutes ago." "Do we know who it belongs to?" Grayson asked. Lucian spoke up from a chair near the back, his bandaged hand resting on the edge of the table. "It's Sovereign. That flight signature, I've seen it before. They used those for extraction and covert ops. It's either reconnaissance... or a message." Elena leaned over the map, her eyes narrowing. "How soon until it reaches us?" "Three

As the world burned around them, Elena ducked behind a shattered console as Helix's sonic burst cracked overhead, sending panels and steel flying like shrapnel. The rifle in Grayson’s hands let out a high-pitched whine as he unleashed round after round, each one glancing off the hybrid’s impenetrable hide in a shower of sparks. "Cover left!" Elena shouted, vaulting to a new position. Lucian, limping but still fighting, lobbed an explosive device that detonated at Helix’s feet. The monster screamed an unholy, static-laced cry and stumbled back. The flames clung to his synthetic flesh, writhing like serpents. "That slowed him down," Grayson panted, reloading. "Barely." "His core—it's behind the left rib," Lucian called. "Spliced in from Sovereign’s third-gen synths. That’s the only way to kill him." Elena nodded grimly. "Then we go for the heart." Helix recovered fast. Way too fast. With a growl that warped the air, he charged, faster than any of them could react. He sla