Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

Lin was placed in a cell with walls of reinforced volcanic glass, thick enough to contain even a dragon’s full strength. Two guards remained posted outside, their weapons drawn and their attention focused entirely on her.

In his own cell several levels above, Grim was piecing together fragments of conversations carried through the thermal vent system. The rebels were definitely preparing for a major assault, but more concerning was what he was learning about their expectations.

"...if the princess is genuine, she might convince them to withdraw..." drifted through one vent.

"...or she might signal them to attack..." came from another.

"...human could be a spy sending messages..." echoed from a third.

The rebels were clearly divided about whether their supposed defectors were genuine refugees or advance scouts for the attacking force. That division could work in their favor—if they could exploit it correctly.

Meanwhile, Captain Zhen was experiencing his own crisis in the intelligence wing. The interrogator assigned to him was a dragon he recognized. Someone who might know enough about the real Captain Zhen to expose their deception.

"Tell me about your service with the Third Reconnaissance Squadron," the interrogator was saying. "Specifically, your role in the Thermal Ridge incident."

Captain Zhen’s mind raced. He had no idea what the Thermal Ridge incident was, but he needed to respond in a way that wouldn’t expose his ignorance.

"That operation was classified," he replied carefully. "I’m not certain how much I should reveal, even to allies."

"Interesting deflection," the interrogator observed. "Because the Third Reconnaissance Squadron was never involved in any operation at Thermal Ridge. That was the Fourth Squadron’s mission."

The trap had been sprung. Captain Zhen felt his cover story crumbling, but before he could respond, the chamber door burst open and a messenger rushed in.

"Commander Yuehua’s orders," the messenger announced breathlessly. "All interrogations are suspended. We need every available dragon to defensive positions."

The interrogator looked frustrated but nodded. "We’ll continue this later," he told Captain Zhen as guards prepared to escort him to a holding cell.

Back in the secure holding area, Lin was experiencing her own unexpected development. A new figure had entered the chamber. Her armor was more elaborate than the standard rebel gear, marking her as someone of very high rank.

"I am General Huoyan," the newcomer announced. "Second in command of the Southern Liberation Forces."

"General," Lin acknowledged with a respectful nod, though her mind was calculating the implications of facing such a high-ranking rebel leader.

"I’m told you claim to be Princess Lin of the North Sea," General Huoyan continued. "Daughter of Ao Shun, seeking asylum with forces opposed to everything your family represents."

"I claim to be a dragon who’s seen the cost of failed leadership," Lin replied, maintaining her cover story despite the growing danger.

General Huoyan moved closer to the cell, her expression thoughtful. "You know, I’ve seen Princess Lin before. Years ago, during a diplomatic summit between the realms. She was younger then, of course, but certain features don’t change."

"You have the same eyes," General Huoyan continued, "the same way of holding your head when you speak. But there’s something different about your magical signature."

"I told the others," Lin said quickly, "my estrangement from my father has affected—"

"That’s not what I mean," General Huoyan interrupted. "I saw your last test results before anyone else did. Your royalty, but only partly."

The revelation hit Lin hard. The magical detection devices had revealed what Shen Lao had told her—that Ao Shun wasn’t her biological father.

"Interesting," General Huoyan mused. "Either you’re an incredibly sophisticated imposter who somehow acquired authentic royal magic, or you really are Princess Lin but with a very different parentage than official records suggest."

Lin realized she was at a crossroads. She could continue the deception and hope the general’s suspicions didn’t destroy them, or she could take a calculated risk and use the truth.

"My parentage is... complicated," she said carefully.

"I imagine it is," General Huoyan replied. "Which raises the question—if you’re not Ao Shun’s biological daughter, what exactly is your relationship to our cause?"

Before Lin could answer, alarms blared again throughout the stronghold. This time, the sound was different—not the steady warning of an approaching threat, but the rapid, urgent pulses that indicated imminent attack.

"The loyalist force has reached our outer perimeter," a voice announced through the communication crystals. "All units to defensive positions. This is not a drill."

General Huoyan’s expression shifted to something more serious. "We’ll continue this conversation later," she told Lin.

As the general departed to coordinate the defense, Lin was left alone with her guards and the growing sounds of battle.

In his cell, Grim could hear the battle beginning through the thermal vents. The sounds of dragon fire, clashing weapons, and shouted orders painted a picture of intense combat. But more importantly, he could hear something else—the gradual withdrawal of guards from the detention level as every available dragon was called to the defense.

This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. When his guards were called away to join the battle, leaving only a skeleton crew to watch the prisoners, he would make his move. freewebnσvel.cøm

The sound of his guards receiving new orders interrupted his planning. They were being reassigned to defensive positions, leaving only one dragon to watch the entire detention level.

"Keep the prisoners secured," the departing guard told his replacement. "If anything happens to them, General Huoyan will have your scales."

The single remaining guard settled into position, but Grim could hear the dragon’s attention being pulled in multiple directions. The sounds of battle were growing closer, and status reports crackled constantly through the communication crystals.

Grim began working on the lock mechanism he had been studying for hours. The thermal vents had given him a bunch of information.

When the next wave of battle sounds erupted, masking any noise he might make, Grim carefully manipulated the lock’s pressure points. The volcanic glass walls were impenetrable.

The lock clicked open just as another explosion shook the stronghold.