Chapter 33: Assault on the Old Dockyards
The first light of dawn barely pierced the dense fog clinging to the harbor as Joshua's team moved cautiously through the labyrinth of rusting ships and dilapidated warehouses. The air smelled of salt and decay, but beneath it simmered the thick aura of Soul Energy — hostile, watchful.
Karen's eyes scanned the shadows, her Shadow Bloom weaving faintly around her like a living cloak, ready to bloom into deadly petals at her command. Beside her, Marie and Leslie moved with quiet confidence, while Jim's steady presence grounded the group. Cassandra brought up the rear, ever vigilant.
"Veil operatives won't expect us here this early," Joshua whispered. "But stay sharp. Cirth is ruthless, and he knows we're coming."
Suddenly, a flicker of movement—an indistinct shadow darting between crates. Karen reacted instinctively, extending her Soul Energy to manifest a shimmering barrier of darkness that swallowed the space before her. The shadow faltered, then dashed back toward a towering warehouse.
"They're aware of us," Leslie murmured, gripping her own weapon tighter.
Joshua signaled the Soul Reapers hidden nearby. In response, ghostly figures materialized, their forms barely visible but radiating immense power as they silently took position, ready to strike.
A chilling voice echoed from the shadows, smooth and commanding: "You think you can storm the Veil's fortress and walk away? Foolish."
From the darkness stepped Cirth—the Black King—his presence a crushing wave of high-level Soul Energy. His eyes gleamed with cold amusement, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
Karen felt her pulse quicken. This was the moment she had dreaded and prepared for. The battle for her future—and the fate of those she cared about—was about to begin.