✨ CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR — THE SKY BREAKS AGAIN ✨
"The Dominion never sends one wave. They send a message."
The rooftop was still crumbling under the fading shockwave. Dust drifted through the silent air, settling on Aiden's ripped shirt and bruised skin. He tried sitting up—
Maya immediately pressed a hand on his shoulder.
"Aiden, don't. Your aura output exceeded safe levels. You should be unconscious."
Dara nodded vigorously.
"Yeah bro, I was THIS close to calling an ambulance—then I realized we blew up the entire block so… no one's coming."
Aiden forced a breath, steady but ragged.
"He was just a scout."
Maya's eyes darkened. "An SSS-rank scout."
That meant only one thing:
Whatever was coming next… would be worse.
---
THE SKY CHANGES AGAIN
A low hum crawled across the horizon.
Aiden felt it before anyone else.
A pressure—not like the triads. Not like the SSS Enforcer.
This one was bigger.
Older.
Intentional.
Maya's fingers twitched. "That frequency… it's not standard Dominion reinforcement."
Dara swallowed hard. "So uh… is this like—boss level? Or DLC? I need to mentally prepare."
Aiden stood, despite the pain.
"No. This isn't a boss."
Above them, the cracks in the sky thickened—
Silver veins glowing like lightning trapped behind glass.
It wasn't tearing.
It was opening.
Maya's breath froze.
"Oh no."
---
A MASSIVE SHADOW EMERGES
Not a person.
Not an enforcer.
An entire structure.
A celestial fortress—half cathedral, half engine—descended through the breach, its underside lined with rings of rotating runes and thrusters of pure starlight.
Dara's jaw unhinged.
"BRO… THEY DROPPED A WHOLE SPACECASTLE INTO LAGOS??"
Aiden stared upward, fists trembling.
"No…
They dropped a Citadel."
Maya's voice cracked.
"The Dominion only deploys a Citadel for one reason:
Capturing a Vessel."
A beam of light swept the city—searching.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Dara ducked.
"HEY—THEY'RE LASER-SCANNING THE CITY LIKE WE'RE BAR CODES!"
Aiden's aura flickered.
"They're locating me."
---
THE CITADEL SPEAKS
A voice boomed from the sky—layered, ancient, and impossibly powerful.
"ASCENT VESSEL IDENTIFIED."
Aiden flinched as a light locked onto his chest.
"PRIORITY CAPTURE ORDER: OMEGA."
Dara screamed,
"OMEGA? BRO WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE SCARY CODE NAMES?!"
Maya grabbed Aiden's arm, grip trembling.
"Aiden… Omega means… they're done testing you."
Aiden's eyes narrowed.
"So now they want to take me."
Maya shook her head.
"No… Aiden… Omega means they want to extract the Vessel.
From your body."
Aiden's blood turned cold.
"They want to remove the System…"
Dara looked between them.
"WAIT—AND WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU IF THEY REMOVE IT?"
Aiden didn't answer.
He didn't have to.
The silence said everything.
---
THE HUNTERS DROP
Six figures fell from the Citadel, landing across the destroyed district with thunderous impact.
Each wore heavy celestial armor.
Not scouts.
Not enforcers.
Hunters.
Maya's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Aiden… Dominion Hunters are designed specifically to capture System hosts. They'll target your aura output, your starlight channel, your mental flow—everything."
Dara raised his hand.
"So… we run, right? Running sounds good. Running sounds GREAT—"
Aiden stepped forward.
"No.
If they're here… running won't save anyone.
They'll burn the whole city to find me."
He turned to Maya.
"Can you amplify me again?"
Maya hesitated.
"I can… but the strain on your body—"
Aiden smiled, tired but determined.
"We don't have a choice."
Dara dropped his pipe.
"Bro… you're insane.
But… I'm with you.
Even if my only power is being confusing."
Aiden clapped his shoulder.
"That's exactly why I need you."
The Hunters raised their spears—blue light gathering at the tips.
The Citadel above began charging a massive cannon.
Maya whispered:
"Aiden… if that cannon fires… everything within a kilometer—"
"I know."
Golden light ignited around Aiden again—
but this time, it wasn't smooth.
Not stable.
It crackled violently—
Pushing his body beyond safe output.
The Hunters spoke in unison:
"VESSEL DETECTED.
BEGIN CAPTURE."
Aiden inhaled slowly.
"Then come take me."
His aura exploded—
And the next war began.