Chapter 65: The Dark Portal... summoners Goals

Chapter 65: The Dark Portal... summoners Goals After the group arrived at the base, it was a stroke of luck—they had made it just in time. The once-bustling military base, which had always teemed with officers and soldiers, now felt hauntingly hollow. The corridors echoed their footsteps, and the silence pressed heavily on their shoulders. Most of the personnel had already left through the portals, escorting as many students as they could during the evacuation. When Lloyd and Fex finally stepped inside, they found only a few individuals remaining. Agent Tom stood among them, flanked by three others, all wearing tired expressions and stained uniforms. "We waited for you," Tom said firmly, nodding toward the corridor. "Now let’s hurry." Without wasting a second, he took the lead, guiding the remaining group through the desolate halls toward the portal room. As they walked, a subtle but undeniable tension grew in the air. Everyone knew time was running out. Upon reaching the portal room, they were met with a sight that sealed the reality of their situation—only two portals remained active. The rest had been shut down, permanently disabled in preparation for the worst-case scenario. It was a contingency in case hostile beasts breached the facility. What once was a hub of operations now felt like a closing tomb. Tom pointed toward one of the glowing portals. "That one will take you back to Titanfang." Lloyd didn’t need the confirmation—he already knew. This wasn’t just a return. The other group were heading to the central military base: the headquarters. They would report the mission... or rather, the disaster. But Lloyd still had questions clawing at his mind. He turned to Tom, hesitation in his eyes. "Uhm, Tom, isn’t it?" he asked, ensuring he remembered the name right. Tom gave a curt nod, and Lloyd continued, voice low but urgent. "Is this attack... is it related to the Nyxaris?" Tom paused, his expression darkening. It was a question he himself had considered. And yet, there were no clear answers. He shook his head, his voice low with uncertainty. "I’m not sure either. If the Nyxaris had entered our planet’s atmosphere, our scanners should have picked up their location before they even landed." He glanced toward the swirling portal, its light casting flickering shadows on their faces. "But nothing was detected," he added grimly. "Still... what else could cause such chaos?" With that, he turned and walked through the portal with the others, leaving behind uncertainty and fear. The portal shimmered one last time before closing. Only Lloyd, Fex, and a few others remained. Sensing Lloyd’s unrest, Sergeant Fex took the initiative, guiding some of the students toward the remaining portal. Soon, only Lloyd stood behind with Kairos and Kaela at his side. ’It’s repeating itself again...’ Lloyd’s thoughts throbbed like a wound. ’So many students are still out there... fighting to survive... and we’re abandoning them.’ The guilt twisted like a knife in his chest. As a soldier, he had made hard decisions. But this—leaving behind those they were meant to protect—was too much. Yet there was no other choice. Silently, Lloyd stepped into the portal. As soon as he emerged on the other side, he was met with bright white lights and a crowd of officials waiting for their arrival. The portal room at Titanfang headquarters buzzed with urgency and cold precision. The moment he stepped through, a medical team rushed forward. The nurses moved quickly, prying Kairos off his back and laying him on a stretcher. One nurse lingered for a second, her eyes scanning Lloyd’s face. "Are you injured or do you need care?" she asked softly. Lloyd shook his head, and with a nod, she vanished into the corridor with the others, focused on saving who could still be saved. Lloyd turned, just in time to see the portal behind him darken. The officials had wasted no time—they disabled it from this side, permanently shutting it off. Moments later, the glowing portal shifted color. A dark hue spread over it like a stain. "A Dark Grade portal..." Sergeant Fex muttered behind him, his hands deep in his pockets, his voice quiet and heavy. "I guess that’s the end of planet Pascoloid... for now." Lloyd exhaled, eyes fixed on the portal. A silence hung between them for a while before he spoke again. "I know. But something about this doesn’t feel right. The Military... they’re too calm about the whole thing." He stopped himself, biting his tongue, realizing that there were too many ears around. But Fex understood. The implication was clear—it was almost as if the Military knew this was coming. Or worse... they were part of it. --- Far away from the portal rooms, in the heart of the headquarters, General Albert sat behind his desk. Paperwork towered on either side of him like lifeless soldiers, and the scratch of his pen was the only sound in the room. The news had just reached him. The hunt had gone horribly wrong. But his face showed little concern. His thoughts were not with the students who might have died but with the complications their deaths would bring to his desk. As long as none of the important ones died, he could live with the outcome. A sudden knock broke the silence. It was brief—impatient. Then the door opened without permission. A tall man entered casually, unbothered by decorum. "Man, this place is as gloomy as ever," the newcomer remarked, making his way to the seat opposite Albert as if he owned it. General Albert’s eyes narrowed. His lip curled with disdain. "Ravin Elteth," he growled, dropping his pen. "What did you do to planet Pascoloid?" Ravin chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. He leaned forward, reaching for a small case on the desk. From it, he grabbed a handful of chewing gum and stuffed it into his coat pocket. He popped one into his mouth, chewing loudly. "Are you deaf?!" Albert slammed the desk, rising halfway in anger. Ravin finally responded, lips curling with amusement. "Relax, man. It wasn’t me. I swear," he said with a shrug. "I have no idea what caused the outbreak. Some kind of disease, maybe? That’s why I came—to talk to you." Albert sighed and sat back down, trying to calm his temper. He knew Ravin well. He was a lunatic, but he didn’t lie—at least, not about this sort of thing. "In any case," Albert said, voice low, "it’s out of our hands now. The head General is handling the matter. That means we’re powerless." Ravin nodded slowly, though a trace of concern passed through his eyes. He had been experimenting on beasts—under both the General’s command and his own twisted curiosity. If any of that ever leaked, Albert would fall with him. "I’m close to finishing the experiments," Ravin said, changing the topic. "Just a few more months, and we’ll remove every weakness humans were cursed with at birth." A flicker of pride flashed in Albert’s usually cold demeanor. Though he masked it well, Ravin noticed. But then Albert’s voice turned sharp again. "I want to ask something else." He leaned forward, brows furrowed. "Is it possible to steal a summon?" Ravin blinked, caught off guard. He tapped his jaw thoughtfully. "I’ve never heard of it. So I’d say... impossible? Summons are bound to the user’s soul. Stealing one would mean killing both, at least theoretically." Albert’s eyes darkened. "One of our students had their summon stolen... and they’re still alive." He stood and turned to the window, his voice growing distant. "I want you to look into it. Learn how it was done. If we can replicate it—if we can take summons from others—then we don’t need to train more summoners who’ll go rogue. We’ll take their power. We’ll own it. And the Military will rise beyond all limits. We’ll win this war." Behind him, Ravin smiled. Not out of loyalty—but excitement. Experimenting on summons? Now that was interesting. Albert clenched his fists, visions forming in his mind’s eye. ’The era of summoners commanding battalions of stolen summons... This is the way to end the alien race.’ And he would see it done—no matter the cost.