The sirens didn't stop sounding for a single moment.Ambulances, police cars, fire trucks… the small town of Yellowknife had become a war zone. Everyone ran without understanding what had happened: some shouted that it had been a terrorist attack, others swore they had seen monsters, impossible creatures emerging from the air.Blurry videos showed ice beams, fire explosions, tentacles tearing through buildings. For the first time in millennia, the veil had failed… and humanity was seeing everything.
"This got out of control," murmured Sophia, watching from Eleonor's apartment window.
Within less than two hours, drones were patrolling the sky. A military helicopter flew at low altitude.
Eleonor, with her characteristic calm, spoke in a serene voice:—"It's no surprise, we erased this town from the map."
I stayed seated on the edge of the bed, the bracelet on my wrist. I felt my pulse stabilize… different. It was no longer an uncontrolled torrent. Now it responded. Slowly.
I closed my eyes and breathed.The power didn't go out of control.It flowed.
—"Eleonor…" I said quietly. "I can feel it, it seems like it doesn't hurt you anymore."
She looked at me attentively and asked:—"How much of the power do you think you control?"
—"Maybe… forty percent," I replied.
Sophia whistled softly.—"That's more than I thought."
—"Or more dangerous," Eleonor responded.
Suddenly, the magical alarms vibrated.
—"We are not alone," Eleonor said instantly.—"And they are not Claimoor."
Sophia already had a weapon in her hand: a compact device that emitted blue light pulses.—"Trackers," she said.
Suddenly, an impact shattered a side wall.
Three figures slipped in through the shadows. They wore black suits, and on their chests was the figure of an eagle.
—"The bearer," one of them said. "You come with us."
I jumped to my feet.My heart raced… but not from fear.
—"I'm not going anywhere!" I shouted with all my strength.
The three attacked at the same time.
Eleonor was the first to move. She activated her spear and shield, piercing the nearest one before he could strike.
Sophia rolled across the floor and fired a bullet: it was a magical bullet that went through the chest of the second attacker.
The third lunged straight at me.
Instinctively.Without thinking.I raised my hand.
And a sword of ice formed in it.
I blocked the first attack.The impact shook the entire apartment.
—"What…? But what is this?"
Suddenly, a wave exploded, throwing the enemy against the wall, freezing him.
I breathed heavily.My legs trembled… but I didn't collapse.
Eleonor looked at me, surprised.—"Good," she said. "Stay calm."
But it wasn't over yet.
Five more broke in through the glass balcony doors.
—"Direct order," said one.—"The bearer must not die… he must be taken alive."
Chaos increased. Explosions and screams.
Sophia activated a seal in the air.—"We have four minutes."
—"Then let's finish quickly," Eleonor replied.
I no longer limited myself to fleeing.I could partially use the power. Every movement was more precise.
I froze one and shattered him with a single strike.Blood ran from my nose.
Sophia fell to her knees after receiving a hit to the head.
Eleonor shouted:—"Noah! Are you okay?"
I nodded.The bracelet burned.
Forty percent. I think I already control forty percent of the power.
I joined my hands and shouted:—"Full protection!"
And a colossal figure manifested, sweeping away the last attackers with a roar that shook the apartment.
Suddenly, sirens could be heard in the distance.I fell to my knees.
Eleonor immediately reached me.—"You overdid it…" she said, holding me.
—"No…" I replied, breathing heavily.—"This time… it was enough."
Sophia got up, wiping blood from her lip.—"We have to go, this is going to blow up any second."
Eleonor looked out the window.Police officers were aiming at the apartment.
Eleonor clenched her fist.—"And he said—" Followed by: "They will keep coming for you."
The bracelet glowed softly.I closed my eyes.
For the first time… I didn't want to run.
A black van appeared and honked.—"Let's go," Sophia said. "This is about to explode."
We jumped from what was left of the balcony.
The police shouted at us to stop. Suddenly, a blue light shone in the apartment, followed by a massive explosion.
Debris flew through the air. Taking advantage of the confusion, we got into the van and drove away as fast as it could go.
Six hours later, the videos were everywhere.Live streams, leaked military recordings. The words creatures, magic, non-human entities were no longer tales.
In New York, secretly, the UN Security Council was convened in an emergency session.
—"This is not an isolated event," said a woman in a dark uniform, projecting images on a screen.—"We have similar records of what happened in Canada, Ireland, Russia, France, China, Japan, and Brazil."
—"Whatever happened… was not a coincidence."
—"Are we talking about an invasion?" asked a European diplomat.
—"We don't know yet," she replied.
In parallel, special forces from multiple countries received the same unspoken order: containment, capture, silence.
Far from there, in an underground room, a man watched the global chaos with a calm smile.
His name was Valerius.He was tall, with silver hair and brown eyes.
A servant knelt.—"The capture attempt failed, sir. The bearer showed partial control of the relic."
—"How interesting," he said.—"How much?"
—"Approximately… forty percent."
—"Then my lord, he is right.—That boy is not just a vessel.—He is the heir."
He approached a table where an ancient map of the world lay, covered in red marks.
—"Prepare yourselves," he ordered.—"If the world has seen it… we no longer need to hide.—Let the families awaken."