🔥 Chapter 43 — Securing the Fallen Hub
The hub lay silent, its once-mighty defenses shattered and inert. Kael and Rhyne emerged from the inner chamber, Ember threads coiling gently around Kael's arms as he surveyed the aftermath. Faint arcs of residual energy shimmered in the air, harmless but a reminder of the power they had overcome.
Rhyne scanned the surrounding forest. "The hub is ours, but we can't linger. The King will realize its collapse soon, and reinforcements could arrive any moment."
Kael nodded, flames flickering thoughtfully. "Agreed. But first, we need to stabilize the hub enough to gather intelligence. Maps, communication nodes, magical logs—anything we can use to predict the King's next move."
They moved quickly through the ruined corridors, disabling unstable wards and recording magical energy flows. Ember threads delicately contained dangerous surges, allowing them to extract information safely without triggering residual defenses.
Rhyne pointed to a series of control glyphs. "Here. These regulate supply lines and troop coordination across the eastern region. If we decode them, we can anticipate the King's redeployments."
Kael's eyes glowed as he extended Ember threads into the glyphs, reading and stabilizing the complex magical scripts. "Perfect. This gives us a significant advantage. We know his supply routes, troop strength, and even which units are vulnerable after our previous strikes."
Rhyne exhaled. "So we cripple his eastern forces and gain intelligence simultaneously. He won't see it coming."
Kael's flames pulsed in agreement. "Exactly. But we need to leave before scouts arrive. This hub is a trap if we overstay—powerful, but too exposed now that its defenses are down."
They gathered what intelligence they could carry and prepared to vanish into the surrounding forest. As they moved, Ember threads dissipated harmlessly, leaving no trace of their passage.
Outside, the dawn broke over the eastern plains. Smoke from distant skirmishes and scattered fires rose in the distance, but the hub itself lay silent and under Kael and Rhyne's control.
Rhyne smiled faintly. "One hub down, several more to go. The King's eastern network is falling apart."
Kael's eyes glowed brighter, Ember flickering like a heartbeat. "And this is just the beginning. We strike, we destabilize, and we force the King into a defensive game he can't win. The balance is shifting."
With that, they disappeared into the forest, leaving the fallen hub as both a prize and a warning to the King's forces.