~WHOOOSH!~
The Archbishop didn't notice Rey's presence until it was too late.
Rey moved like a shadow, closing the distance in an instant. A blade of raw energy materialized in his hand, and with one swift motion, he plunged it into the Archbishop's chest.
The man gasped, his concentration breaking as the runes dimmed.
"You..." he stammered, blood pooling in his mouth.
"No speeches," Rey said coldly.
He twisted the blade, ending the Archbishop's life. The body crumpled to the floor, lifeless, and the energy in the room dissipated like a dying storm.
Rey straightened, glancing at the now inert runes. For a moment, he considered prolonging the fight earlier—absorbing the Archbishop's full abilities could have been useful—but the risk to the Headquarters had been too great.
He'd already copied the core destructive power the Archbishop had been charging.
That was sufficient for now.
Without wasting another second, Rey turned and bolted deeper into the Headquarters. His instincts screamed that something else was wrong.
********
Rey arrived at the secure wing where Angie was held, his heart pounding. He'd spent weeks believing her guilt, but now he was determined to find the truth.
As he approached the containment cell, he heard a voice—familiar and venomous.
"You've caused enough trouble, Angie," Seth said coldly, standing over her bound and powerless form. The dampeners in the room suppressed any semblance of energy, leaving Angie defenseless.
She struggled against her restraints, her eyes wide with fear and desperation.
"Seth, please!" Angie pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "I'm not the traitor! You have to believe me!"
Seth sneered. "Father says otherwise. You've outlived your usefulness."
He raised a gleaming dagger, its tip aimed at her throat.
Rey's fury boiled over.
"Seth!" he roared, his voice echoing through the chamber.
Seth froze, turning to face Rey with a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "What are you doing here?"
Rey didn't answer. In an instant, he closed the distance between them. Seth barely had time to react before Rey's hand shot out, gripping his neck with a vice-like hold.
"You're pathetic," Rey said, his voice ice-cold. "Following orders without thinking. Killing someone without proof."
Seth's eyes widened in panic, his hands clawing at Rey's iron grip.
Rey didn't hesitate.
With a sharp twist, he snapped Seth's neck, ending his life instantly. Seth's body went limp, collapsing to the floor.
Rey turned to Angie, who stared at him with a mixture of relief and disbelief.
"You..." she whispered. "You saved me?"
Rey moved swiftly, dismantling the restraints that bound her. The dampeners deactivated, and Angie's energy slowly began to return.
"I believe you," Rey said firmly. "And I'll prove your innocence. No matter what it takes."
Angie collapsed into his arms, her tears flowing freely.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Rey's gaze hardened as he looked toward the exit. There was still much to do, and the truth about the Resistance was far from clear. But one thing was certain: Angie wasn't the traitor.
And whoever was pulling the strings would pay.
**********
The Resistance gathered in the central courtyard of their newly claimed stronghold, the remains of the Production Zone they had successfully seized. The air buzzed with an undercurrent of celebration, yet there was tension, an unspoken sense that something still lingered unresolved.
Seraph stood off to the side, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd.
She seemed restless, her gaze flitting between faces, her expression expectant. Her fingers twitched at her sides, as if anticipating the arrival of someone—or something.
A sudden surge of magical energy crackled through the air, and a portal tore open in the center of the courtyard. Gasps echoed among the gathered Resistance fighters as Rey stepped through, his presence commanding and grim.
But it wasn't just him.
Beside him walked Angie, free and unbound, her chin held high despite the weeks of accusations that had weighed on her. And behind them came Zach Skylar, the once-proud Admiral of the Resistance, now disheveled and visibly defeated.
The murmurs among the crowd turned to stunned silence as Rey pushed Zach forward, forcing him to his knees in front of everyone.
"What's the meaning of this?" Seraph's voice cut through the silence, her calm demeanor slipping ever so slightly.
Rey stepped forward, his piercing gaze locking onto Zach.
"This is the traitor," he announced, his voice carrying across the courtyard. "The real one."
Zach's head hung low, his hands trembling as if the weight of the moment had finally crushed him.
"No..." someone whispered from the crowd.
"Admiral Zach? That can't be true!"
Seraph's lips pressed into a thin line, but her eyes betrayed her shock. She folded her arms and took a step back, as if distancing herself from the unfolding scene.
"Confess," Rey commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Zach swallowed hard, his voice breaking as he began. "I... I did it. I was the spy for the Dragon Emperor."
The crowd erupted into chaos, anger, disbelief, and heartbreak swirling together. Seraph held up a hand, signaling for silence, but her composure was faltering.
"Why?" Rey asked, his voice like a blade. "Why betray the very people who trusted you?"
"At first..." Zach hesitated, his voice cracking. "It was for my family. The Emperor's forces threatened them. I thought... I thought I could protect them if I played along."
Rey's eyes narrowed. "Liar. Tell them the real reason, Zach."
Zach flinched, glancing at Rey with fear before his shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Fine," he muttered. "The truth is... I wanted power. I wanted to be among the Dragon Emperor's inner circle, the Archbishops. I thought proving my worth by sabotaging the Resistance would earn me a place among them."
A wave of shock rippled through the crowd.
The disbelief and anger turned to despair, visible in the eyes of every fighter.
"That's not all," Rey continued, his voice sharp and unrelenting. "Tell them the rest, Zach."
Zach hesitated, but the fire in Rey's gaze forced him to continue.
"The Board Members," he said, his voice hollow, "the leaders of the Resistance... they're the Archbishops. They've been controlling the Resistance all along. Every mission, every sacrifice—it was all part of the Dragon Emperor's plan."
The courtyard fell into stunned silence, the weight of the revelation crushing the spirits of everyone present.
"No..." Angie whispered, her voice trembling. "That can't be true. Everything we've fought for... it was all a lie?"
Seraph's expression hardened, her calm demeanor fully gone now. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out.
The Resistance fighters, their hope shattered, looked to Rey. His fists clenched at his sides, his gaze scanning the despairing faces around him.
"It was a lie," Rey said, his voice firm. "But that doesn't mean we stop fighting. We don't fight for the Resistance. We fight for humanity. For ourselves. For the future."
His words hung in the air, a spark of defiance against the encroaching darkness.
But in the back of his mind, Rey's thoughts churned. This revelation had shifted everything, and though Zach's betrayal was clear, there were still too many unanswered questions.
Too many pieces left to uncover.
'There are also some holes in his memory, including why he chose Angie specifically to take the fall and why he commanded Seth to kill her. All of it points to a higher power, and maybe its a force separate from the Board Members.'
Rey already had a good idea who it was just from Seraph's reaction.
'I'll have to deal with her soon.'