Ascend Astarion Romane & Geschichten

A scavenger drone buzzed past the window, its battered frame running on hacked code, carrying salvaged supplies to the apartment across the hall — one of the few still standing. Selene’s phone pinged faintly from the bedside table, patched into the underground network Jules and Niko used to send warnings, supply routes, and check-ins. They’d answer later. For now, those things could wait. Here, in this moment, only Aria existed. Selene traced patterns on Aria’s back, feeling the softness beneath her fingertips, the rapid heartbeat slowing to steady. Their scavenged smartwatch buzzed with a hydration reminder — some half-broken fitness app still clinging to life — but Selene ignored it.

They were running out of time. The stolen schematics revealed everything—blueprints of Project Ascend, a now-defunct government-grade synthetic embodiment project once shelved for ethical reasons. But Callen had revived it. Not for science. Not for progress. But to house something unholy. The Phantom Mira. “She won’t wait much longer,” Tobias said, scanning the blueprint’s final phase. “The body’s 95% complete. All she needs is one more system override and a clean neural bridge.”

“What? You can’t be serious! Who the hell do you think you are to actually make a decision for my own son?” “I am,” he said firmly, his voice steady. “Valerie, I’ve thought this through. Adrian is Caspian’s son. He’s the future heir of the pack. He belongs here. As for who I am, I am the alpha and you are going to have to submit to me whether or not you like it.”

Behind him, shadows moved with lethal precision. Adrian watched the screen carefully. “He’s not attacking the defenses.” Aurora’s voice was low. “No.” Her eyes followed his path. “He’s coming for me.” The storm roared louder. Three armies closing in. Three predators hunting the same prize. Aurora’s fingers moved across the Atlas console. “Deploy Leviathan.” The ground beneath the estate trembled. Across the courtyard, a massive steel platform began rising from the earth. Hydraulic pistons groaned as colossal armored plating unfolded like the wings of a mechanical titan.

And through it all, I felt Killian’s mind—rough, grounded, and fiercely loyal—acting as an anchor to keep me from drowning in the data. "Constellation complete," the ship whispered directly into our minds. "Welcome back, Sovereigns. Initiating pre-ascent protocols." The floor beneath us didn't just vibrate; it dissolved. The massive hydraulic lifts began to move, carrying the Starfang Ark toward the surface. Above us, the mountain peak began to split along pre-ordained lines, ancient machinery grinding through miles of ice and rock to reveal the darkening sky. The Southern mirrors were visible even from the depths, glowing like malevolent eyes in the firmament.

Jago ran toward us, his face grimy with oil and sweat. "Zora! We’ve got the 'Void-Mines' set in the water, but they’ve got 'Pulse-Burners' on those ships!" Jago yelled over the roar of the ocean. "We're holding a knife to a gunfight!" "Then we change the rules of the fight," I said, stepping off the shuttle. I looked up. The clouds were parting, revealing the massive, white-gold hull of the South Spire flagship, the Ascension. It was beautiful and terrible, a floating mountain of corporate arrogance. And I knew she was on the bridge. Elena.

Europa tearfully nodded. “See. Asterion is not a monster. He is not the villain. He’s protecting us. He’s even spoken to his mother, who has a secret passage we can use to escape. We have to bid our time for when it’s safe.” Melite smiled. “Escape?” Andromache repeated a whisper of disbelief. I nodded.

Asta called, a thin thread of panic lacing her tone. The god touching my forehead scoffed. "You think a Prime-Direct and Ascendant can best me?" Asta glared at me, my death written in her feral gaze, as she answered her fellow god. "No, Minni. Of course not." Minni dropped his hand from my head. His bright gold gaze was sincere when he looked at me. "Thank you, sister, for your courage and integrity. We will let you carry on your way." "And Asta?" Saint asked. "What will happen to her?"

The screen glowed faintly in the dim room, casting long shadows across Fiona’s face. Project Eidolon. The name alone sent a chill down her spine, but it was the word underneath—Ascension—that twisted something deeper in her gut. It didn’t sound like a simple codename. It sounded like a goal. Darwin leaned forward, brows furrowed as he scanned the documents. “These blueprints... this isn’t just tech infrastructure. It’s neurological. Advanced AI integration. Cognitive manipulation.”

Only questions that would have to wait. Deimon returned to finish the ritual markings, his mind calculating possibilities, enemies, threats. Tonight, he would become a recognized Alpha. Tomorrow, he would hunt for the truth. ------------ 11:55 PM Ascension Hills was magnificent and terrifying in equal measure. Ancient stone formations jutted from the earth like the bones of sleeping giants, their surfaces covered in glowing runes that pulsed with each beat of the Blood-Moon's light.