In the secret underground Resistance hideout, the gathered members circled Tiflos. The intelligence he had provided had shifted the balance of power in ways they had never imagined.
Liam looked at Tiflos with newfound admiration.
"With this information… we can truly strike them where it hurts."
Tiflos turned toward the main map, eyes scanning every detail with sharp focus.
"Cain is hiding his true strength… a power beyond all logic. He is the only one whose waves I have never sensed… no emotions, no sound, nothing. It's… emptiness."
Noor stepped closer, concern etched on her face.
"What does that mean?"
"I think… he isn't entirely human," Tiflos answered quietly.
"Or he's concealing something far more dangerous than we imagined."
The Resistance began mobilizing based on Tiflos' intelligence. Quick, precise strikes on vital Organization locations were showing results.
"Attack the northern weapons depot," Tiflos commanded from his bed, hand pointing to a mark on the map.
"It's the weakest point right now, and the main guard is on leave."
The small victories fueled morale, but Tiflos knew these were mere skirmishes in a much larger war. The real battle had yet to begin.
---
Meanwhile, in the deepest levels of the Organization, Cain prepared Project Phoenix in a massive, secret chamber. The central apparatus resembled a high-tech incubator with a glass surface filled with green liquid, glowing with strange lights, generating an intense optical field. At the center floated an enormous, oval-shaped crystal, over two meters long.
"The ability I want from Orion…" Cain whispered, studying screens with complex data.
"The power to open the ancient coffin… and summon the ultimate Seer." He smiled subtly.
"…Or at least, what they should think they know."
Suddenly, warning signals appeared on the screens:
Warning… massive optical field approaching the city…
Cain slammed his hand on the table but remained outwardly calm.
"The Dragon approaches! It always hinders progress!"
---
In a room of the Government Palace, Zephos and Casander sat at a table, waiting for the President.
"What do you expect Arcanus to do about Tiflos?" Casander asked, a serious expression on his face.
Zephos sighed.
"You can't even respect the President in his absence… Actually, the President plans to remove Tiflos from the country."
"And how will he do that?" Casander leaned forward.
"Wouldn't it be better for him to stay here, under our watch?"
"You're right… better if he stays. But…" Zephos' voice tensed.
"The Dragon… is coming."
Casander's eyes widened.
"That old man is coming? But didn't Zephyr say the Dragon hasn't moved since the Curio incidents?"
"In fact…" Zephos clenched his fist.
"It seems someone has leaked information! Remember our last meeting with Cain and the external members? The Dragon, Dracon, is hunting family members because of leaks from Nathan about Agabius' origins, and Agabius was once highly wanted by the Hunters' Organization."
"I understand, but Nathan's info concerns only Agabius. Why would the Dragon come after us? We haven't raised suspicion for over a century."
"Here lies the crux," Zephos said firmly, looking at Casander.
"I suspect Cain leaked the information."
Casander tilted his head toward the ceiling.
"I don't know if this man is truly one of the family… none of us have ever seen such an act! But if you told me he did it, I wouldn't dismiss it outright."
Zephos nodded.
"This time the President will let us investigate him after capturing him. His future as commander can serve this time, and we'll dig into his branch for all its filth."
Suddenly, the door opened. Both Zephos and Casander rose respectfully as a figure entered, a shadow with gleaming golden eyes.
"You are right," the figure said.
"This time Cain answers to you. I will remove him from his position and prosecute him for his actions."
The two men exchanged glances, smiles spreading across their faces.
---
Back in the Resistance cave, Tiflos stood for the first time since his injury.
His body still ached, bones protesting under the strain, but his willpower was stronger than any pain.
He faced the assembled members of the Resistance. Though his true identity as the headless reaper was hidden, some still doubted that a man in his early twenties could lead such an operation. Yet Tiflos' eyes carried a resolute, fateful determination.
"It's time," he declared, his voice clear and commanding.
"We will liberate the city from tyranny… and destroy the Organization. Not for revenge, but for the future."
Noor stood beside him, her hand in his.
"Together. This time… we do it the right way."
At that moment, Liam arrived.
"An urgent message from the state… from the Foreign Minister."
Casander's words flashed on the screen:
"The state officially declares war on the Organization. Join us, and let us unite against the common enemy."
Tiflos glanced at the message, then at the gathered Resistance, then at Noor.
Was this truly a war between the Organization and the state? Or a ploy by the Organization to annihilate the Resistance? Could they have just dismantled the group slowly instead of staging a war? The decision was difficult, yet the choice was clear.
"We fight… but on our terms," Tiflos announced, voice infused with new strength.
"We will not be anyone's tool. We will free everyone, stop Cain, and build a better world. We will topple the corrupt system in this land. And know this… this is not the end. This is the beginning—the start of the real battle."
His words marked the declaration of war that would change the fate of the entire city, and reveal the darkest secrets hidden at the very heart of the continent.