Chapter 15: The Rebellion Protocol
The cathedral was no longer just a sanctuary. It had become a war room.
Cracked stained glass cast fractured light over digital maps and glowing artifacts. People buzzed around Rayven—scrappers, relic hunters, awakened orphans, and rogue Watchers. All of them looking to him.
Not for orders.
For hope.
Rayven stood tall before them. The pressure was crushing, but he'd carry it. Because if he didn't, no one would.
"If we wait, we lose. The Seraphim don't want peace. They want control,"
"So we don't fight fair. We fight smart. We bleed them from the shadows. And when they're weak… we hit them where it hurts."
The crowd was silent for a moment. Then Rhea slammed her fist on the table.
"Then it's settled. We build the resistance. Operation name: Rebellion Protocol."
The Four Wings of the Resistance
Rhea projected a map of Bastion. The Seraphim's red zones were growing by the day.
"To survive, we split into Four Wings:
Vanguard, Echo, Whisper, and Relic."
Vanguard Wing – Headed by Rhea. Attack supply routes and sabotage patrols. Hit-and-run.
Echo Wing – Led by Jex Kain. Infiltrate their tech systems and disrupt communications.
Whisper Wing – Handpicked by Selene. Spread truth and awaken the sleeping public.
Relic Wing – Rayven himself. Hunt down the Seals before the Seraphim do.
"Each Wing acts independently but reports back to the Cathedral," Rhea continued. "If we lose one, the others survive."
"And if we lose the Cathedral?" someone asked.
Rayven answered without flinching. "Then we rebuild. Brick by brick. Body by body."
The Wildcard: Jex's Warning
Later, in the eastern courtyard, Jex pulled Rayven aside.
The night air was bitter, carrying distant echoes of gunfire.
"You're building something noble, Ray," Jex muttered. "But the higher you climb, the more the gods pay attention."
Rayven gave him a sharp look. "You know something?"
Jex scratched at the burn scar under his eye. "Let's just say… not all of us ran from the Seraphim. Some of us made deals."
Rayven tensed. "Deals?"
"I walked away before I became something I hated. But others didn't."
He handed Rayven a data chip. "The Fourth Seal… it's under Echo Vault Seven. But it's booby-trapped. And someone in your circle is feeding them info."
Rayven's blood ran cold. "Who?"
Jex only smiled. "That's the fun part. You'll have to find out."
Elsewhere – Seraphim High Spire
High Warden Caelis stared at a map glowing red with resistance activity.
A figure knelt before him—cloaked, armed, masked in bone-etched metal.
"You've watched long enough, Vahl," Caelis said. "Now act."
The figure bowed wordlessly.
"Break their spirits. Starting with the Cathedral."
Bastion Underground – First Strike
Two nights later, Rayven led a team into the tunnels beneath the Seraphim-controlled district. They needed fuel cells to power the Whisper Wing's new signal disruptors.
Selene moved beside him, quiet but focused. Jex trailed behind, chewing on a dried stimulant stick.
They found the vault—guarded, but not impossible.
Rayven and Selene struck fast. Blinding speed, calculated force.
Within minutes, the cells were theirs.
But then—
Boom.
An explosion ripped through the ground behind them.
Selene shoved Rayven into cover.
Smoke. Screams. Then laughter.
A tall figure walked through fire.
"Did you miss me, little prince?"
Vahl.
He moved like liquid death, gauntlets coated in bone-metal, eyes glowing with red serpents.
Rayven stood, body surging with energy.
"Get out of here," he told Selene.
"This one's mine."
Rayven vs. Vahl – The Broken Tunnel
The tunnel shook with their battle.
Vahl struck fast, using the same old Watcher techniques—but warped, faster, brutal.
Rayven's gauntlet met his blade in a burst of purple light.
"You were one of us!" Rayven shouted.
"I still am," Vahl snarled. "But I chose survival. You chose death with honor."
Rayven fired a blast of spectral energy, sending Vahl flying into a wall.
But the man only laughed, vanishing into the dark.
Aftermath – Something's Not Right
Selene helped Rayven out of the ruins.
His shoulder was dislocated, ribs cracked.
"We were followed," she said bitterly. "The ambush wasn't luck."
Rayven looked toward the burning tunnel entrance.
Jex caught up, dragging a stunned resistance fighter. "This guy? He was supposed to guard the tunnel. Found him texting coordinates."
Rayven narrowed his eyes. "We've got a mole."
Back at the Cathedral – Trust Fractures
The council room was in chaos.
Some accused Jex. Others pointed fingers at Selene. One even questioned Rhea's leadership.
Rayven slammed his hand on the table.
"Enough. We don't splinter. Not now."
He turned to the room. "We need to move the resistance base. Tonight. If there's a mole, we starve them."
Rhea added, "And we bleed the Seraphim. The next raid won't just be for supplies."
Rayven looked around the room, voice steady.
"From this point forward, we stop surviving… and start fighting."