CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40 — THE HIDDEN NETWORK

Hailen moved with purpose, as a, every step echoing across the cold stone corridors as Bright led his squad toward Sector Seven. His presence alone seemed to cut through the tension. Soldiers saluted sharply as he passed. Officers straightened. Even Rolf stood taller, though he pretended not to.

Bright’s heart pounded—not from fear, but urgency. Every second lost was a second the Covenant prepared their next strike.

Hailen finally spoke, voice low and controlled. "Tell me exactly what you heard."

Bright repeated the muffled phrases:

"Tonight... last batch... no delays... mark the grain... purification hall..."

Lira added, "The vent smelled of the same ink as the mark left by the food storeroom."

Mara whispered, "Their psychic residue was faint... but present. They’ve been using the vents for weeks."

Hailen’s jaw tightened. "Cult infiltration that deep... and we missed it, what’s command turning into."

Rolf, predictably, grunted. "Republic leaders are blind."

"Or overwhelmed," Fen murmured.

Hailen said nothing further.

They reached the concealed vent. Bright moved the crates. The fresh scratches remained.

Hailen knelt, examining the grate with surgical focus.

"Tools were used," he murmured. "They were precise and experienced hands.This wasn’t the work of some amateurs"

Bright listened deeply again.

Silence.

The cultists were gone—or waiting deeper inside.

Hailen stood. "We’re not entering the vents."

Rolf, arms crossed, muttered, "Coward’s choice again."

Before Bright could respond, Hailen turned sharply to Rolf. There was no anger—only icy authority.

"If you believe crawling into a confined metal tunnel where cultists likely placed traps is bravery, you misunderstand warfare."

Rolf opened his mouth—

"Silence."

He obeyed instantly.

Hailen continued, "We will flush them out. Systematically. Without risking unnecessary casualties."

He turned to Bright.

"Morgan. I need your senses."

Bright nodded, closing his eyes. His enhanced hearing extended. The world sharpened—footsteps above, wind whistling through cracks, murmurs of patrols outside. He listened further, deeper for the intention hidden in his intuition of danger...

There.

Near the eastern corner of Sector Seven.

A slight feeling of danger was felt.

Although, he couldn’t pinpoint the location.

It felt a bit unsteady, calm, some would say deliberate.

He concluded that someone was waiting.

Bright opened his eyes. "Teacher. I feel a presence close to the East wall. It could be more than one person but they are not moving."

Hailen didn’t question. "Squad. Follow."

The east wall of Sector Seven was an abandoned storage—a narrow hall of rusted metal shelves and dusty crates. At its end stood a closed maintenance door.

Nothing special.

Except Bright’s danger sense prickled like needles.

"They’re behind that door," he whispered.

Hailen approached, hand on the hilt of his blade. Not drawn yet. Not threatened, just prepared.

"Rolf," Hailen said softly, "stand by the left. Lira, the right. Morgan, behind me."

Rolf obeyed, surprisingly restrained.

Hailen twisted the latch.

The metal door swung open with a soft creak.

Inside...

Nothing.

An empty maintenance room.

No people.

No footprints.

No smells.

Just... nothing.

Fen frowned. "Private ... are you sure?"

"Yes," he whispered. "The feeling was here."

He walked in slowly.

Hailen followed.

And then they saw it.

A hole in the floor.

Small. Circular. Just wide enough for a person to slip through. The edges were smooth—cut by tools. A rope hung down into darkness.

"Vent network entrance," Hailen murmured. "Not on any map."

Rolf growled. "So they were here."

Bright’s hearing caught something else.

A faint metallic ting.

A heartbeat slowing.

A whisper:

"...they know..."

Bright’s eyes widened. "MOVE!"

He lunged backward, grabbing Fen and Juno, shoving them out of the room—

Hailen reacted instantly, pulling Lira and Mara away—

Rolf turned too slowly—

BOOOOM—

The floor detonated.

The blast tore through the maintenance room, fire and debris erupting upward in a violent plume. The shockwave slammed into Bright’s back as he shielded Juno. Dust rained. Alarms blared across the outpost.

Rolf lay on the ground ten meters away, coughing, armor scorched.

Hailen rose immediately, blood on his cheek but eyes sharp.

Bright staggered upright, heart pounding. "A trap... they rigged the entrance... they knew someone would find it."

Mara knelt, checking Rolf. "He’s fine. Minor burns."

Rolf spat black dust. "Damn cowards!"

Lira hissed, "They were here minutes ago. They heard us coming."

Hailen exhaled slowly. "They tested our response time."

A cold shiver slid down Bright’s spine.

The Covenant wasn’t panicking.

They weren’t desperate.

They were organized, informed, and watching. It was like a game to them.

Hailen snapped into command mode. "Morgan. What direction did the feeling come from before the explosion?"

Bright closed his eyes again. Focused. The smoke, the chaos, the alarms—he cut through all of it.

Then—

"...east... toward the outer wall... deeper into Sector Nine..."

Bright pointed. "There."

Hailen nodded. "We pursue. But not blindly." He turned to the squad. "The Covenant knows we’re aware. They will move fast. But if they are heading toward the purification hall, we must cut them off."

Mara inhaled sharply. "If they corrupt the water—"

"—the entire outpost weakens," Hailen finished. "And their Great One gains his sacrifice earlier than planned."

Rolf cracked his knuckles. "Then let’s break their faces."

Hailen glared at him. "If you endanger the squad with your impulsiveness, I will personally cut your legs off and make you crawl back to base. Understood?"

"...Understood."

Bright stepped forward. "Sir. We should check the purification hall first. Even if they’re using the vents, they’ll need to access the pipes directly."

Hailen nodded. "Good. Move."

As they sprinted across the outpost, Bright felt eyes on their backs.

Cold.

Calculating.

Above, on a high balcony, Larkin Oyesa watched calmly.

The explosion had gone perfectly. Just enough to wound, not enough to kill. The Great One valued suffering—not instant death.

Larkin whispered:

"Run, little candle. Burn bright for us."

He turned, slipping into another hallway.

He had a final task.

Tonight, Grim Hollow would starve.

And drown.

And break.

They reached the purification hall within minutes.

Guards stood outside, confused by the alarms.

Hailen flashed his badge. "Open the gates."

Bright stepped inside first.

The hall was massive—rows of water tanks, purification runes, filtration pipes, and chemical treatment drums. The place stank of copper and steam.

Nothing seemed disturbed.

Bright’s senses scanned the hall—

Footsteps. Steady. Calm. Walking away.

"Someone’s inside," Bright whispered. "Alone I think."

Hailen drew his blade. "Show me."

Bright led him to the back of the hall, behind a pillar of pipes.

A lone figure stood with their back turned, adjusting a valve.

Young.

On a grey uniform.

A worker.

There was no immediate danger.

Bright relaxed—half a second too early.

Hailen’s voice sliced through the air.

"Don’t move."

The worker froze.

Bright sensed something—an absence. A careful emptiness. Like a heartbeat muffled.

The worker turned slowly.

Bright’s stomach dropped.

It was a girl likely younger than Mara.

Smiling.

Eyes hollow with Ink-stained fingertips.

And on the valve behind her, a dark smear shaped like an eye.

Another mark.

The girl spoke softly.

"Do you hear Him, Initiate?"

Hailen lunged.

The girl moved first.

Not with speed.

With surrender.

She clamped her hand on the valve and whispered:

"For the Great One."

Bright shouted, "NO—!"

Too late.

The valve burst.

Black ink—thick, swirling, alive—flooded the pipe.

The water darkened instantly.

Hailen cut the girl down before she could finish her chant.

She collapsed, smiling through blood.

"More... coming..."

Bright froze.

Not from fear.

From the crushing realization:

This was only the first.

A decoy.

A distraction.

Behind them, a second explosion rocked the outpost.

Sector Nine.

The food storage.

Again.

Hailen whispered:

"Bright... we are under full attack."

Bright whispered back, dread settling into his bones.

"Then Grim Hollow might not last the night."