Chapter 119: A Call From the Living

"Jet... Thank fuck you’re alive."

For several seconds, Jet couldn’t find the words to respond.

Hearing Frey’s familiar voice after everything that had happened brought an overwhelming sense of relief, although the exhaustion in his friend’s voice immediately replaced that relief with concern.

The last time they had spoken, Jet had heard an explosion through the phone before their connection was severed. Since then, every attempt to contact Frey had failed, leaving him to imagine increasingly terrible possibilities.

"You fucking bastard!" Jet exclaimed, gripping his cracked phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Do you have any idea how many times I’ve called you? I thought something happened to you!"

On the other end, Frey gave a weak chuckle that quickly turned into a painful cough.

"Something did happen to me, asshole," he replied, his breathing noticeably strained. "My house got attacked, my arm got broken, and I’ve spent the last several hours feeling like someone dropped a building on my chest. Sorry I couldn’t answer your calls."

Jet’s expression immediately changed. "Your arm is broken? Frey, how badly are you injured?"

"Broken left arm, cracked ribs, and a punctured lung," Frey answered, sounding almost offended by his own injuries. "The healing pool has been working on me, so I’m not dying anytime soon. But if someone asks me to fight another battle today, I’m going to tell them to fuck off."

Jet closed his eyes briefly. Frey was alive, and judging by his ability to complain, he hadn’t completely lost his usual personality.

Nevertheless, a punctured lung was no minor injury, even for an Awakener.

The healing pool might accelerate his recovery, but it couldn’t instantly restore someone who had suffered that much damage.

"What about your family?" Jet asked, glancing toward Captain Adesewa and the others gathered around the table. "Your parents, Lucien, Amélie... Did everyone make it out?"

Frey’s voice softened. "Yeah. Dad, Mom, and the little troublemakers are all here. We managed to reach the training facility before those bastards could get inside. Nobody else in my family was seriously hurt."

Jet released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. "Thank goodness. I was worried about all of you."

"Well, you should’ve been worried about me specifically," Frey replied, attempting another joke. "I’m clearly the most valuable member of this friendship."

Jet shook his head, a tired smile appearing on his face. "Keep talking like that, and I’ll reconsider coming to rescue you."

Unfortunately, Frey’s next words wiped the smile from his face.

"About that..." Frey began, his tone becoming serious. "We’re still trapped, Jet. The bastards haven’t left."

---

Inside the fortified training facility beneath the D’Aubigné estate, Frey sat against the edge of the healing pool with his phone pressed to his right ear.

The luminous green water reached his waist, surrounding his battered body with gentle waves of restorative Mana.

His left arm remained supported by a medical brace, while thick bandages covered part of his chest. Although the pool had stabilized his punctured lung and reduced the worst of his internal injuries, breathing deeply still caused considerable discomfort.

Beyond the chamber, the facility’s defensive formations continued operating, their steady humming occasionally interrupted by distant explosions.

Frey glanced toward the reinforced entrance before continuing. "They’ve been attacking the facility since last night. The walls are holding, and the defensive formations are still functioning, but nobody knows how long that will last."

Jet’s voice came through the phone immediately. "How many attackers are outside?"

"Too many for me to count," Frey admitted, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. "Some are guarding the exits, while others keep testing the defenses. Every time they stop attacking, another group takes over. They’re clearly trying to wear the formations down."

Frey looked toward the observation screen mounted beside the chamber entrance. His father, Laurent D’Aubigné, had spent most of the night monitoring the estate’s security systems, while Celeste remained with Lucien and Amélie in one of the protected residential rooms.

The family had survived the initial attack, but their situation was far from secure.

"Frey, are you sure nobody can enter through another passage?" Jet asked, his concern evident.

Laurent, who had just entered the healing chamber, heard the question and approached his son.

"Tell Jet the facility’s internal passages are secured," Laurent instructed, his expression exhausted but composed. "However, the attackers have already destroyed several outer defenses. We cannot remain here indefinitely."

Frey nodded before relaying the information. "Dad says the internal passages are safe for now, but the outer defenses are taking a beating. We need help before those bastards figure out how to break through."

"Then stay where you are," Jet replied firmly. "I’m with Captain Adesewa and several members of her Raid Team. We’ll figure something out."

Frey straightened slightly. "Wait, Captain Adesewa? You managed to find her?"

"She found me," Jet answered. "And believe me, you won’t recognize how strong she’s become."

Before Frey could ask what he meant, a woman’s voice sounded from Jet’s end of the call.

"Frey, this is Captain Adesewa," she announced calmly. "I need you to listen carefully. Do not attempt to leave the facility, and don’t let anyone open the entrances unless we’ve confirmed their identity. We’re coming to get you."

Frey stared at his phone, momentarily speechless.

Then he grinned despite the pain in his chest.

"Captain, if you get us out of here, I’ll personally make sure my father buys you the most expensive dinner in Zenith," Frey declared.

Laurent raised an eyebrow at his son’s generosity.

"Apparently, my money is involved now," Laurent remarked dryly, folding his arms.

Frey glanced toward him with an innocent expression. "Dad, we’re discussing a rescue operation. Try not to be cheap during a family emergency."

Even Laurent couldn’t suppress a faint smile.

---

Back at the temporary refuge, Adesewa listened as Jet ended the call and placed his damaged phone on the table.

The conversation had confirmed what she feared. Frey and his family were alive, but the assassins surrounding their estate had no intention of abandoning their mission. With the defensive formations already sustaining repeated attacks, waiting for the situation to resolve itself would only increase the danger.

"We’re going after them," Adesewa announced, turning toward the other members of her Raid Team. "The D’Aubigné estate is still under siege, and Frey isn’t in any condition to fight his way out."

Cassian immediately rose from his chair. "I’ll accompany you, Captain," he volunteered, fastening the straps of his combat equipment. "If the attackers have established defensive positions around the estate, my Nine Returning Gates should help us deal with their physical attacks."

Adesewa nodded approvingly. "Good. I want someone capable of controlling the battlefield while I deal with the stronger Awakeners."

Jet pushed himself upright.

"I’m coming too," he declared.

Every person around the table turned toward him.

Safiya was the first to object.

"Absolutely not," she replied, giving him an incredulous look. "Jet, you can barely walk without wincing. Your ribs are still healing, your Mana reserves haven’t recovered, and your shoulder needs rest."

"I know," Jet answered, meeting her gaze. "But Frey’s my best friend. I’m not sitting here while his family’s trapped inside that estate."

Marcus folded his arms, studying him carefully. "Nobody’s questioning your loyalty, kid. We’re questioning whether you’ll collapse before we even reach the place."

Jet clenched his jaw. They weren’t wrong. His body remained painfully exhausted, and another prolonged battle would probably leave him in an even worse condition.

But he also knew the D’Aubigné estate better than anyone else in the room. He had visited Frey countless times, knew the layout of several buildings.

"I know the estate," Jet insisted, looking toward Adesewa. "I know the grounds, the buildings, and some of the internal passages. Even if I can’t fight, I can help you navigate the place and reach Frey’s family faster."

Adesewa regarded him silently.

She understood why he wanted to go. Jet had already risked his life repeatedly to protect Inez and Nadia, and there was little chance he would willingly remain behind while Frey faced another life-threatening situation.

However, allowing an injured 1-Star Awakener to accompany two much stronger combatants into an active siege was hardly ideal.

"You’ll follow my instructions without arguing," Adesewa finally said, her expression stern. "If I tell you to retreat, you retreat. If I tell you to stay behind Cassian, you stay behind him. You’re coming as our guide, not as another frontline fighter."

Jet immediately nodded. "Understood, Captain."

Safiya sighed in resignation. "At least take another dose of the recovery medicine before leaving. And don’t activate Asura Mask again unless you want to spend the next week unconscious."

Jet managed a sheepish smile. "I’ll try to avoid that."

Adesewa then turned toward Marcus, Safiya, and Bastian.

"The three of you will remain here," she instructed. "Our refuge is still vulnerable, and I won’t leave Inez, Nadia, or our remaining supplies without adequate protection. Marcus, you’re responsible for coordinating the defenses. Safiya, monitor the surrounding streets and establish warning positions. Bastian, reinforce the entrances and prepare for the possibility of another attack."

The three Awakeners acknowledged her orders immediately.

Marcus glanced toward Jet. "Don’t worry about your sister, kid," he assured him. "Anyone trying to get through us will have a very unpleasant morning."

Bastian nodded firmly. "We’ll keep both girls safe until you return."

Jet felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. He had seen these Awakeners fight during the expedition, and now that they had all reached 4-Star, he trusted them to protect Inez and Nadia far better than he could in his current condition.

Nevertheless, he refused to leave without speaking to his sister.

He found Inez sitting beside Nadia in the adjoining room, eating a small breakfast that Safiya had prepared earlier. When she noticed him entering, her face immediately brightened.

"Big brother!" Inez exclaimed, climbing down from her chair and hurrying toward him.

Jet carefully crouched and embraced her, ignoring the discomfort in his ribs.

"Hey, sweetheart," he greeted her, gently ruffling her hair. "I need to go help Frey for a little while. Captain Adesewa is coming with me, and these nice people are going to keep you safe until I get back."

Inez’s expression immediately became worried.

"Are there more bad people?" she asked, gripping his shirt.

Jet hesitated before offering her a reassuring smile. "There might be, but the Captain is very strong. You’ve seen what she can do, haven’t you?"

Inez nodded reluctantly.

Nadia approached and placed a comforting hand on the little girl’s shoulder. "I’ll stay with her, Jet," she promised, looking at him seriously. "Just make sure you come back in one piece this time."

Jet chuckled softly. "I’ll do my best. Although apparently, everyone has suddenly become very concerned about my health."

"Because you look terrible," Nadia replied, giving him an exasperated look.

After reassuring Inez once more, Jet returned to the common room, where Adesewa and Cassian were already preparing to leave.

Outside, the morning sunlight illuminated Zenith City’s distant towers, creating an almost peaceful appearance that contrasted sharply with the violence of the previous night.

Adesewa checked her equipment before turning toward her companions.

"Let’s move," she ordered. "The D’Aubigné family has waited long enough."

With Cassian beside her and Jet following closely behind, Captain Adesewa departed the temporary refuge.

Their destination was the D’Aubigné estate.

And this time, the assassins would be the ones facing an overwhelming enemy.