> [Location: Sovereign Region – Galehorn Province, Astral Ascension Grounds]
Time: 02:13 AM (Local Time)
Team: Jiang Han, Tian Xue, Lin Suyin, Yan Feng, Shadowguard Twins (Lira & Lio)
Stealth Thread Activation: 100% — Time Remaining Before System Detection: 11:00
Mission Objective: Extract 10 high-value sparkbearers, locate hidden Monolith shard, escape undetected
---
Drop Point: Cloudveil Ledge
The drop was silent.
A single ripple in the clouds marked the arrival of the stealthflame glyph-capsule, shaped like an obsidian teardrop. Jiang Han crouched first, checking the readout:
> [Time to system ping: 10:56]
He motioned silently.
Yan Feng led them across the skybridge veiled in mist. His cloak shifted color with the stars. Even the stone didn't echo under their steps.
> "This used to be a trial academy," he whispered. "Now it's where the Sovereigns hide their mistakes."
Tian Xue's eyes flickered.
> "Then let's set those mistakes free."
---
Sector Assignments
Each infiltrator broke off silently:
Jiang Han: Lower Archives – Search for Monolith shard
Tian Xue: West Dormitories – Contain and extract suppressed soul flame carriers
Lin Suyin: Admin Tower – Hack system nodes, loop security threads
Lira & Lio: Medical Wings – Sedate and extract restrained combat-class initiates
Yan Feng: Control Vault – Secure override glyphs to delay alarm cascade
Timer: 09:48
---
Jiang Han – Archives Below
The stone steps felt wrong—too smooth, as if rewritten over and over again. Down here, the flame wasn't warm. It was cold and ash-colored.
Jiang passed glass tanks—each filled with pieces of broken artifacts and soulflame shards, stripped from condemned sparkbearers.
Then he saw it.
A black pedestal. Floating above it: a shard of the Monolith, shaped like a burning spiral turned inward.
But as he reached out, the flame pulsed.
> [Caution: Shard Integrity tied to Astral Grounds Core. Removal will trigger soft cascade protocol.]
Jiang didn't flinch.
> "Let them come."
He touched it—
And the flame roared to life.
---
Tian Xue – West Wing
She moved like a whisper between dorm rows, each lined with sealed rooms. Inside, teenagers no older than Jiang lay strapped to fire-suppressing bands.
> "Flame level 8. Nine. Eleven?"
These were awakeners who lit up before 18, just like Jiang Han. Suppressed. Buried.
> "Not today."
She dropped glyph after glyph—unlocking the bindings, whispering:
> "Wake up. We're here to take you home."
A boy opened his eyes. Then a girl. Then more. Some cried. Some screamed.
But all stood.
And followed.
---
Lin Suyin – The Pulse War
Inside the control node tower, Lin's fingers danced across the ancient system threads. Her own flame wasn't brute force—it was precision.
One false move and a Rewrite Sweep would purge the whole academy.
But she wasn't alone.
> "Override node... Found."
With a slash of code and a flick of a flame-thread, the system froze.
> [System Freeze: 73 Seconds]
> "Move, now!" she whispered over the bond thread.
---
Extraction Begins
With time bleeding fast, the squad converged on the outer skyhall.
Jiang Han carried the shard, hidden in a nullflame case.
Tian Xue led a group of nine rescued initiates—scared, dazed, alive.
Lira & Lio emerged with three injured, one of them muttering Sovereign command code in his sleep.
Yan Feng bled from a shoulder wound, but held the glyph key in his hand.
> "Go," he said. "I'll seal the relay gate behind you."
> "You're not staying," Jiang said flatly.
> "It's not a debate."
Tian Xue stepped forward. "We don't leave our fire behind."
They grabbed him.
And jumped.