Chapter 125

Chapter 125

02:08:12

02:08:11

02:08:10

The countdown continued.

Unstoppable.

Merciless.

Inside the aircraft, silence lingered after Vale's transmission.

A silence filled with questions.

Fear.

And one terrifying mystery.

Who was the prisoner?

The question hung in everyone's mind.

A prisoner hidden for twenty years.

A prisoner who knew Damon's name.

A prisoner important enough for Vale to keep alive all this time.

The implications were endless.

And none of them were good.

The aircraft suddenly dropped.

Hard.

Everyone was thrown against their restraints.

Warning alarms screamed louder than ever.

The pilot sounded one second away from a nervous breakdown.

"We've completely lost control!"

The cabin shook violently.

Metal groaned.

The remaining engine exploded.

A deafening blast echoed through the aircraft.

The lights died instantly.

Darkness swallowed everything.

Someone cursed.

Someone else screamed.

Then emergency lighting activated.

Dim red illumination filled the cabin.

Making everyone look like ghosts.

The island rushed toward them.

Fast.

Far too fast.

Impact was no longer a possibility.

It was a certainty.

"Thirty seconds!"

The pilot's voice cracked.

Nobody blamed him.

Because everyone could see it.

The ground.

The trees.

The coastline.

Getting closer every second.

Damon tightened his grip on the seat.

His thoughts strangely calm.

Perhaps because there was no time left to panic.

No time left to hesitate.

Only action.

Only survival.

Across from him, Luca met his gaze.

Just for a moment.

One brief moment.

Neither spoke.

Neither needed to.

Because there were too many things left unsaid.

Too many apologies.

Too many confessions.

Too many feelings trapped between them.

And suddenly

There might not be enough time.

The realization hit both of them.

Hard.

Luca looked away first.

Not because he wanted to.

Because if he didn't

He might say something dangerous.

Something honest.

Something that would hurt if they died.

The aircraft tilted sharply.

Everyone was thrown sideways.

A wing clipped the top of a tree.

The entire jet spun.

Chaos erupted.

Equipment flew across the cabin.

Glass shattered.

Metal screamed.

The world became noise.

Pure noise.

Then

Impact.

The aircraft slammed into the ground.

Everything exploded.

Pain.

Violence.

Momentum.

The jet tore through trees like a missile.

Branches shattered.

The fuselage ripped apart.

Fire erupted behind them.

The aircraft bounced once.

Twice.

Then skidded across the earth.

Throwing dirt and debris everywhere.

The noise was deafening.

Endless.

Terrifying.

Until suddenly

Silence.

Absolute silence.

For one long moment

Nothing moved.

Nothing breathed.

Nothing existed.

Then Damon opened his eyes.

Pain immediately greeted him.

Everywhere.

His shoulder.

His ribs.

His head.

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

He groaned.

Slowly pushing himself upright.

The cabin was destroyed.

Completely destroyed.

Smoke filled the air.

Emergency lights flickered weakly.

Metal hung from the ceiling.

Several seats had been ripped away entirely.

The aircraft looked like a corpse.

A dead thing.

A miracle anyone survived.

"Damon."

A voice.

Close.

Urgent.

Luca.

Damon immediately looked toward the sound.

Relief hit before he could stop it.

Luca was alive.

Bleeding.

Bruised.

But alive.

Their eyes met.

Just for a second.

And something passed between them.

Something neither was ready to acknowledge.

Then reality returned.

Quickly.

"Everyone okay?"

Damon called.

Groans answered from throughout the wreckage.

Cassian's voice emerged first.

"I think my soul left my body."

Good.

If Cassian was complaining, he was alive.

Nova appeared next.

Covered in dirt.

Covered in blood.

Mostly someone else's.

"Still breathing."

Seraphine followed.

Then Mira.

Then Hale.

Then Isabella.

Bruised.

Shaken.

Alive.

Everyone was alive.

Barely.

But alive.

The realization felt like a victory.

A small one.

But a victory nonetheless.

Outside

The island stretched before them.

Real.

Massive.

Terrifying.

The tower dominated the horizon.

Even larger from the ground.

A monument to Vale's arrogance.

A monument to power.

A monument to madness.

Damon stared at it.

Then looked at the countdown.

One of the surviving monitors still worked.

The red numbers glowed brightly.

01:52:34

Less than two hours.

The realization settled heavily over everyone.

Time was running out.

Fast.

Then Isabella suddenly froze.

Completely.

The shift was immediate.

Noticeable.

Alarming.

Damon saw it first.

"What is it?"

She didn't answer.

Couldn't answer.

Her eyes remained fixed on something outside.

Something beyond the wreckage.

Something approaching.

Everyone followed her gaze.

And immediately wished they hadn't.

Figures emerged from the forest.

One.

Five.

Ten.

Twenty.

Then dozens.

Children.

Program children.

Young.

Silent.

Emotionless.

Moving together.

Perfectly synchronized.

The sight was horrifying.

Because none of them looked older than fifteen.

Some looked much younger.

Yet every single one carried a weapon.

Every single one.

The group stopped several meters away.

Watching.

Waiting.

Not attacking.

Not speaking.

Just staring.

The atmosphere became unbearable.

Then one of the children stepped forward.

A girl.

Perhaps thirteen.

Dark hair.

Cold eyes.

No fear.

No hesitation.

No childhood.

The sight hurt.

Actually hurt.

Then she spoke.

The words sending ice through everyone's veins.

"Welcome to Ascension."

Silence.

The girl smiled.

A small smile.

One that looked entirely wrong on her face.

Then she added:

"Mother is waiting."

And somewhere inside the tower

Vale smiled as she watched them arrive.

Because the final stage of her plan had officially begun.