——When Power Meets Truth
Ranzi adjusted the sleeves of his robe, revealing a lattice of ancient scars etched along his wrists—burned-in I Ching divination marks, each a permanent trace of a question asked and answered.
"I knew the storm was coming. Not its shape."
His eyes flicked to the hairpin in Shawn's grip.
"That belonged to Elder Lee's lineage. How did it end up with you?"
A shadow crossed Shawn's face. "He gave it to me. Just before Gary's men burst in."
Ranzi's gaze sharpened. Without warning, he seized Shawn's wrist and drove the hairpin's tip into his palm. Blood welled—dark and thick in the low light.
A hologram flared to life.
Elder Lee's voice rang through the hollow space:
> "If you're hearing this, X-Red has fallen. Gary's betrayal runs deeper than we feared. The Dragon Seal he carried was a forgery. But the factions backing him are all too real.
Find Chairman Da. He's the only one who—"
Static swallowed the rest.
Ranzi released Shawn's hand. "Interesting."
Shawn wiped the blood on his jeans. "That's it? No 'Are you okay?' No 'We should get you medical attention'?"
The old master snorted. "Safety died the day your Core woke up, boy. Now move. Da's already on his way."
---
The ruins of X-Red Base smoldered under the morning sun.
Shawn and Ranzi crept in from the northern ridge, using smoke as cover.
From above, the destruction was overwhelming—entire wings reduced to skeletal frames, the lotus pond now a gaping crater.
National Guard transports clogged the courtyard, their crews moving like men who had just realized they'd wandered into a trap.
Then the sky ripped open.
A helicopter marked with the Dragon Seal descended, rotors whipping ash into a cyclone. Soldiers scrambled to form ranks as the doors slid open—
And Chairman Da stepped out.
Even from a distance, his presence struck like a blow.
No armor.
No rank insignia. Just a black suit, sleeves rolled up to reveal sinewy forearms lined with old battle scars.
His silver-streaked hair, tied in a warrior's knot, came undone in the rotor wash as he surveyed the wreckage.
Then he spoke.
"Gary Voss." His voice cut through the air like thunder. "Step forward."
A ripple ran through the soldiers. Near the crater's edge, Gary Voss straightened his uniform and stepped forward, every inch the soldier.
"He's going to lie," Shawn whispered.
Ranzi's smile was razor-thin. "Watch."
Gary saluted. "Chairman. The operation was executed under—"
Chairman Da backhanded him.
The crack of the strike silenced the courtyard. Gary staggered, blood running from his lip. Da turned to the nearest officer.
"Colonel Lindsay. Secure Commander Voss's sidearm."
The colonel obeyed instantly. The weapon was in Da's hand before Gary could protest.
Da held the pistol aloft. "This isn't Guard issue." His voice resonated. "And the assault on X-Red Base was never authorized by my command."
A murmur swept the troops.
Gary steadied himself. "With all due respect, the Dragon Seal—"
"Was forged."
Da pulled a tablet from his jacket and tapped the screen.
Footage played: Gary exchanging a data chip for the counterfeit seal in a darkened university lab.
The soldiers stiffened.
"You took orders from the Unseen Gatekeepers," Da said, voice now cold and sharp. "You turned my Guard into their weapon."
He tossed the pistol into the dust.
"Who else is compromised?"
Gary didn't answer. He lunged for the gun.
Da moved first.
A brutal strike to the throat dropped Gary in a single breath.
Da didn't look back. He was already walking toward the crater's edge, where Elder Lee stood flanked by Kent and the last surviving CP-Hub agents.
Shawn tensed. "If Da finds out who Elder Lee really is—"
Ranzi's hand clamped onto his shoulder. "Quiet."
---
Chairman Da stopped a pace from Elder Lee. The air between them crackled—two sovereigns, one in daylight, the other in shadows.
"You're unharmed," Da said.
Elder Lee gave a respectful nod. "Thanks to your timely arrival."
A truth veiled in lie.
Da's eyes drifted to Kent, then to the Heaven Core gleaming at Lee's throat. "Your team fought bravely. For scholars."
A lie, laced with challenge.
Lee smiled faintly. "Philosophy students in Capital are... passionate."
Silence. Then Da turned to his men. "X-Red Base now falls under CP-Hub jurisdiction. Any further action requires my direct authorization." His gaze lifted to the surveillance drones.
"And tell your masters at Capital University: the next machine they send into my domain will be returned in pieces."
The drones retreated like insects stung.
"He's shielding them," Shawn murmured.
"Because he knows exactly who Lee is," Ranzi replied. "And he's not ready to light that fire. Not yet."
---
Nightfall.
A safehouse overlooking the spires of Capital University.
Ranzi had vanished, leaving only a note:
> "July First looms. The Broken Clock ticks. Find the others."
A knock at the door.
Shawn's hand darted to the Thunder Core—
"Open up, kid," came Kent's voice, ragged and tired. "Unless you want me bleeding out on Da's doorstep."
Shawn yanked the door open. Kent sagged against the frame, Wind Core flickering beneath a blood-soaked bandage. Elder Lee stood behind him—impeccable, though his knuckles were bruised.
Shawn pulled Kent inside. "You're supposed to be dead."
Lee closed the door. "Gary's report will certainly say so."
"You planned this," Shawn said. "All of it. The ambush. The escape."
Lee didn't flinch. "Gary's betrayal merely accelerated our timetable. The outcome remains: Chairman Da knows the Gatekeepers have made their move. And now, he'll need allies." He brushed a finger against the Heaven Core.
"Even the unlikely ones."
Outside, rain began to fall.
And on Shawn's screen, a blood-red number flashed:
> 2031.07.01 | 27D | 03:15:23
The countdown is still going on.