Chapter 2608: Story 2609: The Fortress of Ash

The tunnel finally opened beneath a cold night sky.

Kael stepped outside first.

Before him stood the old fortress.

Its towers rose from the mountainside like broken teeth. Blackened walls surrounded the ancient stronghold, while dead trees twisted around the outer gates. No lights burned inside.

Yet Kael could feel something watching them.

Mara stepped beside him.

“This place looks abandoned.”

Ethan scanned the walls.

“Abandoned doesn’t mean empty.”

Adrian helped Lena forward.

“We need to get inside before the device activates again.”

Kael approached the enormous gate.

It was covered with the same symbol they had seen beneath the mountain.

K-27.

His hand touched the marking.

The gate suddenly unlocked.

Everyone froze.

Mara raised her crossbow.

“You didn’t open it.”

Kael shook his head.

“No.”

The gates slowly swung inward.

Beyond them lay a vast courtyard filled with abandoned vehicles, broken weapons, and human skeletons.

Ethan stared at the remains.

“Something happened here.”

Adrian nodded.

“The fortress was evacuated seventeen years ago.”

Kael looked at him.

“Why?”

Adrian pointed toward the central tower.

“Because of the experiments.”

They entered cautiously.

The moment Kael crossed the gate, a deep mechanical voice echoed through the fortress.

“SUBJECT K-27 DETECTED.”

Lena suddenly collapsed.

Black veins spread farther across her neck.

Adrian rushed toward her.

“The implant is reacting!”

Kael looked around.

“Can you stop it?”

“I need the control room.”

A metallic door opened at the end of the courtyard.

Ethan raised his rifle.

“That wasn’t there a second ago.”

They hurried inside.

The corridor was lined with photographs.

Kael stopped at the first one.

It showed two young boys standing beside a woman in a laboratory coat.

One boy was Kael.

The other was the First Infected.

Kael stared at the photograph.

Underneath it were two names.

K-27 — Kael.

K-26 — Elias.

Mara looked at him.

“Elias?”

Kael touched the photograph.

“That was his name.”

Adrian examined another document.

“Elias was infected before you.”

Kael’s jaw tightened.

“And Lena?”

Adrian turned another page.

“K-28.”

A sudden gunshot echoed through the fortress.

Everyone froze.

Ethan whispered, “That wasn’t me.”

Another shot.

Then another.

Someone was moving through the upper levels.

Kael drew his sword.

“Stay together.”

They reached the control room.

Inside stood dozens of dead scientists, their bodies still seated before inactive computer terminals.

Adrian hurried to the main console.

“I can disable Lena’s implant from here.”

He began entering commands.

Suddenly, every screen turned on.

A recording appeared.

Marcus Veyr stood before the camera.

“If you’re watching this, then K-27 has returned.”

Kael stared at the screen.

Veyr continued.

“The fortress contains the final stage of the experiment.”

The recording paused.

Then Veyr smiled.

“Kael, your blood isn’t merely capable of controlling the infected.”

The lights went out.

Veyr’s voice continued in the darkness.

“It can awaken something buried beneath this fortress.”

A massive impact shook the floor.

Mara raised her weapon.

“What was that?”

The entire fortress trembled.

Adrian looked at Kael.

“The Origin Chamber.”

Kael slowly raised his shield.

Something beneath them had awakened.

And this time, it wasn’t coming from the mountain.

It was coming from directly beneath their feet.