Chapter 127: The Earth Union

On the eighth morning since the assassination attempts began, Jet Saint-Clair discovered something that disturbed him more than the injuries he was still recovering from.

Zenith City had apparently forgotten that several buildings had been attacked by Awakeners.

He sat inside the concealed base’s common room, scrolling through news reports on his phone while a television displayed the morning broadcast.

The headlines concerned an upcoming Guild recruitment event, fluctuations in Mana Crystal prices, and a government announcement regarding Dungeon security regulations.

Nothing about the assassins.

Jet searched for the explosion that had destroyed his apartment. Several articles appeared, but their descriptions were remarkably similar. Each referred to an unexplained explosion at a residential building, with authorities investigating possible structural damage and other causes.

There was no mention of masked Awakeners.

He searched for the attack on Frey’s estate next.

The results were even stranger.

A handful of reports described a security incident involving the D’Aubigné family, but none mentioned the prolonged battle, the numerous armed attackers, or the destruction Jet had witnessed when he accompanied Adesewa to rescue Frey.

Jet frowned and opened another article.

The report was barely three paragraphs long.

"Unbelievable," Jet muttered, lowering his phone.

He knew people had witnessed at least some of those attacks. His apartment building stood in a populated district, and the fighting around Frey’s estate had caused enough destruction to attract attention from the surrounding neighborhoods.

There should have been eyewitness accounts, recordings, and countless discussions circulating online.

Instead, the available information made everything sound like unrelated accidents.

Jet rose from the sofa and headed toward the operations room.

Marcus was seated before several holographic displays, reviewing security arrangements for the facility. He looked up when Jet entered.

"Morning, Jet," Marcus greeted him. "Something wrong?"

Jet approached the table and placed his phone beside the documents.

"Have you looked at the news recently?" Jet asked, his expression serious. "Because apparently my apartment exploded for no particular reason, and Frey’s estate suffered a minor security incident."

Marcus examined the articles before leaning back in his chair.

"I’ve seen them," Marcus replied calmly.

"Then you understand why I’m asking," Jet continued. "There were Awakeners fighting in public. People could have been killed. There’s no way the authorities don’t know what happened."

"Of course they know something happened," Marcus answered. "The emergency services responded to several locations, and the civilian authorities have records of the destruction."

Jet folded his arms.

"Then what about O.R.D.O.?" he demanded. "Investigating dangerous Awakeners is part of their responsibility. They should have been involved from the beginning."

Marcus studied him for a moment.

"You’re correct," he acknowledged. "And that’s exactly what concerns me."

He activated another display, bringing up a collection of public statements issued by Zenith’s security authorities.

"Look at these announcements," Marcus instructed. "The police acknowledge the incidents, but they haven’t identified the attackers. Meanwhile, the Zenith branch of O.R.D.O. hasn’t issued a meaningful public statement connecting any of the attacks."

Jet examined the information. "You’re saying they’re deliberately staying quiet?"

"I’m saying their silence is unusual," Marcus corrected. "There’s a difference."

He enlarged the emblem of O.R.D.O. on the display.

"The Overwatch Regulation and Defense Organization operates branches throughout the world. Each major branch has its own chairman, administration, and operational personnel. The chairman here in Zenith oversees this branch, not the entire organization."

Jet nodded. He was familiar with O.R.D.O.’s presence throughout the world, although he had never paid much attention to its internal administration.

Marcus continued, "O.R.D.O. operates within the Earth Union’s international security framework. Its branches cooperate with civilian governments on matters involving Awakeners, Dungeons, and threats ordinary law enforcement cannot reasonably handle."

The Earth Union had existed for decades, emerging from the international agreements established after the First Red Moon transformed human civilization. Although regional governments continued administering their territories, the Union provided common laws and institutions through which humanity could coordinate its response to supernatural threats.

Jet had grown up under that system.

Like most ordinary citizens, he had rarely considered how its institutions interacted until he found himself needing their protection.

"Which means Zenith’s O.R.D.O. branch should be investigating," Jet concluded.

"Precisely," Marcus agreed. "But investigating and announcing an investigation are different things. They might be working confidentially. They might lack sufficient evidence to connect the incidents. Or someone might be interfering with their response."

Jet’s expression darkened. "Someone powerful enough to influence O.R.D.O.?"

"Possibly," Marcus replied. "But we have no proof. And until we know what’s happening, approaching the wrong official could expose our location and the identities of everyone we’re protecting."

Jet glanced toward the residential wing beyond the operations room.

Inez was there, along with Nadia, Mikhail, and Frey’s family.

The thought of another attack reaching them made his stomach tighten.

"So that’s why the Captain hasn’t asked O.R.D.O. for protection," Jet observed.

"One reason," Marcus confirmed. "Adesewa has contacts she trusts, but trusting an individual isn’t the same as trusting every person who might gain access to an official report."

Jet returned his attention to the news articles.

The possibility that someone was concealing the attacks bothered him considerably more than the public statements themselves.

Whoever had ordered the assassinations already possessed enough resources to deploy numerous powerful Awakeners. If that person also enjoyed protection from influential figures, then their enemies might be far more dangerous than Jet had imagined.

"Do you think Zenith’s branch chairman is involved?" Jet asked.

Marcus shook his head.

"I wouldn’t accuse someone in that position without evidence," he replied. "The chairman might know nothing about any interference. The problem could involve a subordinate, an outside official, or someone exploiting the branch’s procedures. We shouldn’t confuse suspicion with fact."

Jet nodded slowly.

That was reasonable.

Nevertheless, the situation had changed his understanding of their predicament.

They weren’t merely hiding from assassins.

They were attempting to survive while uncertain which institutions could be trusted.

---

Meanwhile, in Zenith’s eastern industrial district, Adesewa stood inside an abandoned office building overlooking a sprawling compound surrounded by rusted fences and neglected warehouses.

Cassian crouched beside a broken window, examining the property through a pair of enhanced binoculars.

The information provided by Adesewa’s contact had led them there shortly before dawn. Rather than approaching immediately, they had established a concealed observation position and spent several hours monitoring the compound.

"Three vehicles entered before sunrise," Cassian reported, lowering the binoculars. "Two departed approximately an hour later. Nobody used the main entrance on foot."

Adesewa examined the surrounding streets.

"Any visible security?" she asked.

"Two men near the eastern warehouse," Cassian answered. "Both appear armed, but I haven’t seen either activate a Divine Rune."

Adesewa nodded thoughtfully.

The compound was suspicious, but suspicion alone wasn’t sufficient reason to attack.

Zenith contained numerous illegal operations involving Awakeners. Smuggling, unauthorized trading, and private mercenary activity were hardly uncommon in the city’s less regulated districts.

They needed evidence connecting the occupants to the assassination attempts.

"Continue observing the entrances," Adesewa instructed. "I want to know who’s coming and going before we make our move."

Cassian nodded.

"Understood, Captain," he replied. "Although I wouldn’t mind getting a closer look."

"We will," Adesewa assured him. "But not before we understand what we’re walking into."

Her communication device vibrated.

A message from Marcus appeared, summarizing Jet’s concerns regarding the absence of meaningful public reporting and the possibility of institutional interference.

Adesewa read it carefully.

She had already considered the possibility that their enemies possessed influential connections. The speed and coordination of the attacks suggested access to considerable resources, while the limited publicity surrounding the incidents raised questions she couldn’t yet answer.

Still, she refused to assume O.R.D.O. was compromised without evidence.

She had worked alongside honorable officers from several branches over the years.

Condemning an entire organization because of suspicious circumstances would be foolish.

Adesewa returned her attention to the compound.

"Anything new?" she asked.

Cassian raised the binoculars again.

"Another vehicle just arrived," he reported. "Black transport van. No visible company markings."

Adesewa watched as the vehicle passed through the entrance and disappeared behind the eastern warehouse.

For several minutes, nothing happened.

Then two men emerged from the building and began unloading several sealed containers.

Cassian frowned.

"Those aren’t ordinary shipping crates," he observed. "Look at the reinforcement around the corners."

Adesewa narrowed her eyes.

The containers resembled equipment cases commonly used to transport valuable Awakener materials or weapons.

That still proved nothing about the assassins, but it gave them another reason to continue investigating.

"Record everything," Adesewa instructed. "If this place is connected to our enemies, I want enough evidence to identify the people supplying them."

---

Back at the concealed base, Jet remained in the operations room when Marcus received an encrypted message from Adesewa.

He read the update before displaying the compound’s location.

"The Captain has begun surveillance," Marcus explained. "She’s identified suspicious activity, but nothing that conclusively connects the property to the attacks."

Jet studied the map.

"Then we wait?" he asked.

"For now," Marcus replied. "An investigation becomes dangerous when people start treating assumptions as evidence."

Jet reluctantly accepted the explanation.

He was beginning to understand why Adesewa had insisted on caution.

Their enemies had already demonstrated how dangerous they could be when allowed to choose the battlefield. Charging into an unknown location might accomplish nothing except exposing the survivors to another trap.

Before Jet could leave, Marcus’s communication device sounded again.

This time, the message came from one of Adesewa’s trusted contacts.

Marcus opened it, and his expression gradually changed.

"What is it?" Jet asked.

Marcus enlarged an official document bearing the emblem of Zenith’s O.R.D.O. branch.

It was a security inspection record.

The location listed on the document matched the abandoned industrial compound Adesewa was currently observing.

According to the record, an O.R.D.O. security unit had inspected the property several days earlier and found no violations requiring further action.

Jet stared at the document.

"That can’t be right," he said. "The Captain’s watching armed men moving suspicious cargo through that place right now."

Marcus examined the inspection date, authorization number, and signatures.

"The record could be falsified," he cautioned. "Or the inspectors might not have discovered anything during their visit."

"But someone approved it," Jet observed.

Marcus didn’t answer immediately.

He reached for his communication device and initiated a secure call to Adesewa.

"Captain," Marcus said when she answered, his voice unusually tense. "We’ve received information about the compound you’re investigating."

Adesewa’s response came immediately.

"What information?"

Marcus looked once more at the O.R.D.O. emblem displayed above the document.

"According to an official record, Zenith’s O.R.D.O. branch inspected that property several days ago," Marcus explained. "And whoever authorized the inspection declared the compound clear."

For several moments, Adesewa said nothing.

Then her voice returned, colder than before.

"Send me the record, Marcus. Every detail."

Marcus transmitted the document.

Jet watched the holographic display, feeling an unpleasant suspicion settle over him.

Someone had inspected the very property Adesewa now suspected of harboring dangerous Awakeners.

And the official record claimed there was nothing wrong.

Whether that was incompetence, deception, or deliberate interference remained unknown.

But for the first time, the possibility of someone inside Zenith’s O.R.D.O. branch protecting their enemies no longer seemed quite so distant.