Fragments of Dawn

The air was thick with tension.

From the battlements of The Hollow Bastion, Kai could see the flickering fires in the distance—the Iron Fangs were coming. Their army moved like a pack of hungry wolves, slinking through the ruins, their weapons glinting under the shattered moonlight.

Juno stood beside him, arms crossed despite her injuries. “They’re not wasting any time.”

Reyes approached from behind, her expression unreadable. “They know we’re vulnerable. If we don’t hold the line, this fortress falls.”

Kai exhaled, flexing his fingers. The Moon Fragment embedded in his wrist pulsed faintly, resonating with the approaching chaos.

“They won’t take this place,” he muttered.

Juno smirked. “Damn right they won’t.”

Reyes studied them both before nodding. “Then let’s get to work.”

Inside the Bastion, soldiers moved quickly, reinforcing barricades, sharpening weapons, and preparing makeshift explosives. The fortress wasn’t the most secure place in the world, but it had held against previous attacks—this time, however, felt different.

Reyes slammed a map onto the table in the war room. “The Iron Fangs have numbers, but they’re not tacticians. They’ll try to overwhelm us with brute force. We need to be smarter.”

She pointed at the outer walls. “We reinforce these with whatever we can find. If they break through, we fall back to the inner courtyard.”

Juno leaned over the table, tracing a different route. “They might also try sneaking in through the old sewer tunnels. If they get inside before we notice, it’s over.”

Reyes nodded. “I’ll send scouts to block those paths.”

Kai’s gaze lingered on the map. “And Ava?”

Silence.

Reyes exhaled sharply. “No sign of her. But if she’s leading them, we’ll know soon enough.”

Kai clenched his jaw. He wasn’t ready to face her again—not yet.

But if she came, he wouldn’t run.

Not this time.

The first attack came at dawn.

A deafening explosion shattered the morning silence as a section of the outer barricade was blown apart. Smoke and fire filled the air, and before the dust had settled, the Iron Fangs charged.

Kai reacted instantly.

He leaped from the wall, his Temporal Shatter activating mid-air. Time warped around him as he landed, distorting the space just enough to evade the first barrage of bullets.

Juno fired from the high ground, her shots precise, picking off the first wave of attackers.

Reyes barked orders. “Hold the line! Push them back!”

The Bastion’s defenders roared in response, unleashing gunfire, explosives, and close-combat weapons against the invaders.

Kai dashed into the fray, his blade slicing through the chaos. His power allowed him to anticipate movements, sidestepping attacks just before they landed.

For a moment, they held.@@novelbin@@

For a moment, it seemed like they could win.

Then the second wave hit.

From the smoke emerged a towering figure clad in black armor—Darius Kane, the Iron Fangs’ warlord.

Kai barely had time to react before Kane was upon him.

The warlord swung a massive axe, and Kai dodged at the last second. The weapon slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave through the battlefield.

Juno shouted from above, “Kai, get out of there!”

But he wasn’t running.

He activated Temporal Shatter, accelerating himself for a brief second. His blade flashed forward, aiming for Kane’s exposed side—

—but the warlord moved faster than expected.

Kane caught Kai’s wrist mid-strike and hurled him backward.

Kai crashed into the rubble, pain flaring through his body. His vision blurred, but he forced himself up.

Kane strode forward, his deep voice like thunder. “You should’ve stayed hidden, Voss.”

Kai wiped blood from his lip. “And let you take this place? Not a chance.”

Kane smirked. “Then die with it.”

The warlord lunged.

Kai barely had a second to react before Kane’s axe came down again.

He twisted, using Temporal Shatter to slow the moment just enough to dodge—then countered with a slash to Kane’s arm.

The blade bit into flesh, but the warlord barely flinched.

Instead, he grabbed Kai’s collar and slammed him into the wall.

Pain exploded in Kai’s ribs. He gasped, struggling to break free—

Then suddenly, a gunshot rang out.

Kane staggered back, a bullet lodged in his shoulder.

Juno stood atop the barricade, rifle smoking. “You’re welcome.”

Kai didn’t hesitate. He surged forward, slashing at Kane’s leg. This time, the warlord grunted in pain and took a step back.

Reyes and her forces pushed forward, driving the Iron Fangs into retreat.

The battle wasn’t over—

But they had bought themselves time.

The Iron Fangs fell back for now, dragging their wounded with them.

The Hollow Bastion still stood, but barely.

Kai sat against a wall, breathing heavily. His entire body ached, but he was alive.

Juno dropped beside him. “Hell of a morning, huh?”

Kai let out a tired chuckle. “Yeah.”

Reyes approached, her expression unreadable. “You fought well.”

Kai looked up. “Is that a compliment?”

She smirked. “Don’t get used to it.”

Then her face hardened. “This isn’t over. They’ll be back. Stronger.”

Kai’s hands tightened into fists.

Then they would be ready.

Because this time, they weren’t fighting alone.