Page 69 of Taken

“Team Three, report.” My voice cuts through the confusion of comms chatter. “Status on primary target?”

Static, then: “Heavy resistance. Circle forces entrenched around some kind of chamber. Can see the Heartstone. The Ross woman is there, but—” The transmission dissolves into static.

“Team Three, repeat. Status on the Ross woman?” I demand, a cold knot forming in my gut.

More static. Then a different voice breaks through, panicked: “She’s touching it! The Stone! Something’s happening—”

The transmission cuts off, replaced by an earsplitting shriek of feedback. Warning lights flash across my command console—energy surge detected, readings off the charts.

Through the drone feed, I watch as a pulse of crimson light erupts from the base of the tower, spreading outward like a shockwave. Glass shatters on the lower floors, car alarms blare on surrounding streets.

The Heartstone.

Elena has accessed it.

I switch to ground-level cameras, watching civilians fleeing in panic, phones still recording despite their terror. Capturing every moment of revelation. Every second of the world changing forever.

Above, dragon combat intensifies, tactics abandoned for raw aggression. Fire blooms more frequently now, dragons no longer concerned with concealment. One Syndicate operative falls, wing membranes shredded, spiraling toward the ground before catching himself mere feet above screaming onlookers.

“All teams, report!” I demand, cycling through feeds, tracking confusion spreading through the building. “Status on primary target!”

Nothing from Team Three. Their last known position now shows only a thermal blank—some kind of interference blocking readings.

Team One reports heavy casualties, pinned down in the lobby by Circle forces. Team Two still fighting their way toward the basement levels, but making minimal progress.

“Command to Creed,” I transmit. “Have lost contact with Team Three. Energy surge detected at primary target location.”

“What kind of surge?” His voice is tight with strain.

“Unprecedented. Readings beyond established parameters.”

Another energy pulse emanates from the building’s foundation, stronger than the first. The command vehicle rocks with the force of it, systems flickering momentarily. On the streets, civilians abandon cars, flee buildings, social media no doubt exploding with footage no government agency could hope to contain.

No protocols will be enough for this. No plans, no contingencies, no careful management. The dragon world erupts into the human one in an uncontrolled explosion—exactly as the Circle always wanted.

The third pulse hits like a physical blow, systems throughout the command vehicle shorting out momentarily before emergency backups engage. Through the windshield, I watch as windows shatter throughout the tower, glass raining onto screaming civilians below.

This is beyond containment now. Beyond any contingency the Syndicate could have prepared for.

Dragons are revealed. The world changes today.

And I can’t do a damn thing to stop it.

Through damaged systems, I receive fragments of team reports. Circle forces retreating. Malakai Steele seen fleeing the basement level, injured but alive. And most concerning: Elena Ross has the Heartstone. Is controlling it somehow.

A witch with the power to command dragons. The Heartstone in the hands of someone who doesn’t understand what she holds. And humans discovering our existence through violence and terror.

The perfect storm.

I slump back in my seat, watching dragons battle in open skies above the city. Centuries of secrecy ending in minutes. The Aurora Collective’s careful plans for peaceful coexistence shattered before they could begin.

My comms unit crackles to life with a burst of static.

“Command, Team Two. Malakai’s retreating with remaining Circle forces. Heavy casualties on our side.”

“Status on the witch and the Heartstone?” I demand, leaning forward.

“Craven Clan has her. They’ve formed a defensive perimeter. Took down three of our operatives when we attempted approach. The witch… She has the stone. It’s responding to her.”

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