Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

Grim slipped out of his cell as quietly as possible. The sounds of battle above masked his escape. The remaining guard was positioned at the end of the corridor, his attention divided between watching the detention level and monitoring the increasingly frantic battle reports coming through his communication crystal.

Moving through the shadows cast by the thermal vents, Grim made his way toward where he believed Lin was being held. The stronghold’s layout became clearer to him—the detention level was organized in concentric circles, with the most secure cells at the center.

As he navigated the heated corridors, fragments of conversation continued to drift through the thermal vents, painting a picture of a battle that wasn’t going as the rebels had expected.

"...loyalist forces are better coordinated than anticipated..."

"...they’re using tactics we’ve never seen before..."

"...request immediate reinforcement of the northern defenses..."

The attacking force was clearly more formidable than the rebels had prepared for, which meant the battle could go either way. If the loyalists won, Grim and his companions would be discovered as infiltrators. If the rebels won, they would be trapped deeper in enemy territory with their cover stories increasingly compromised.

He found Lin’s cell just as General Huoyan returned, her armor showing scorch marks from the battle above. Grim could hear their conversation clearly. He was around the corner waiting.

"The situation has changed dramatically," General Huoyan was telling Lin. "The attacking force isn’t just loyalist dragons. They’re being led by someone with intimate knowledge of our defenses."

"What do you mean?" Lin asked, though Grim could hear the concern in her voice.

"Coordinated strikes on our weakest defenses," General Huoyan explained. "Either we have a spy in our ranks, or someone who used to be one of us is now working with the loyalists."

"General," Lin said carefully, "If you’re concerned about loyalty, perhaps I can help prove mine."

"How?" General Huoyan asked, her tone sharpening with interest.

"Let me fight," Lin replied. "Let me stand with your forces against the attackers. Actions speak louder than words."

General Huoyan studied her through the reinforced glass. "An interesting proposal. But how do I know you won’t turn your weapons on us the moment you’re released?"

"Because," Lin said, making a calculated decision, "I have more reasons to oppose the current system than you know. I have no interest in preserving the status quo than anyone realizes."

"Explain," General Huoyan commanded.

Lin took a deep breath, preparing to reveal a truth that could either save them or destroy them. "The magical tests revealed something that even I didn’t fully understand until recently. Ao Shun isn’t my biological father."

General Huoyan’s eyes widened. "Yes, I already got that much."

"Royal bloodline, yes," Lin confirmed. "But not Ao Shun’s line. Which means my entire position in the North Sea hierarchy is based on a lie."

From his hiding position, Grim realized what Lin was doing. She was using the truth about her parentage to strengthen their cover story, turning the revelation about Shen Lao into evidence of her motivation to rebel.

"If that’s true," General Huoyan said slowly, "then you have every reason to want the current system overthrown."

"Exactly," Lin replied. "I’ve spent my entire life living a lie, being groomed for a position that was never truly mine. When I learned the truth, it changed everything."

General Huoyan was quiet for a long moment, clearly weighing the implications. "Even if I believe you, releasing you to fight alongside us is an enormous risk."

"Then don’t release me alone," Lin suggested. "Keep guards with me. Let me prove my loyalty under supervision."

Before General Huoyan could respond, another explosion shook the stronghold, this one close enough to rain dust from the ceiling.

"General Huoyan to the command center immediately," a voice crackled through the communication crystals. "Eastern defenses are failing. We need you here now."

General Huoyan cursed under her breath. "The battle is turning against us," she told Lin. "Which means I need every advantage I can get."

She gestured to the guards. "Release her. But she stays with an escort squad at all times."

"General," one of the guards protested, "the risk—"

"Is less than the risk of losing this battle," General Huoyan interrupted. "We need every capable fighter we have."

As the cell door was opened and Lin was escorted elsewhere, Grim realized their situation had just become infinitely more complex. Lin was about to be thrust into actual combat between rebels and loyalists.

"Remember," the escort squad leader told her as they prepared to move to the surface, "you’re fighting for the future of the South Sea. Any hesitation, any sign that you’re not fully committed to our cause, and you’ll be cut down where you stand."

"I understand," Lin replied, her voice steady despite the impossible position she was being placed in.

As they departed for the battle above, Grim knew he had to act quickly. Lin was walking into a situation where she might be forced to choose between maintaining their cover and harming innocent dragons. He needed to find Captain Zhen and coordinate an escape before the battle reached its conclusion.

Moving through the heated corridors, he made his way toward the intelligence wing where Captain Zhen was being held. The sounds of battle were growing louder, suggesting that the conflict had spread throughout multiple levels of the stronghold.

When he reached the intelligence wing, he found it largely abandoned—most of the personnel had been called to support the defense. Only a single guard remained, and he was clearly nervous about being left alone in such a critical area.

Grim waited until another explosion masked his movements, then struck quickly. The guard went down without raising an alarm, and Grim was able to access the holding cells.

"Captain Zhen," he whispered as he found the right cell.

"Grim!" Captain Zhen replied with obvious relief. "How did you—"

"Questions later," Grim interrupted. "We need to get out of here before Lin is forced to do something she might regret."

"What do you mean?" Captain Zhen asked as the cell door opened.

"She’s been released to fight with the rebels," Grim explained as they moved quickly through the corridors. "They’re testing her loyalty by making her participate in the battle."

Captain Zhen’s expression showed concern. "If she’s forced to fight against loyalist dragons..."

"She’ll have to kill dragons she doesn’t want to."

They reached the surface levels of the stronghold just as the battle was reaching its climax. Through the reinforced windows, they could see dragons locked in aerial combat above the volcanic peaks, their fire illuminating the sky in deadly displays of power. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"There," Captain Zhen pointed to a section of the stronghold’s outer wall where the fighting was most intense. "That’s where they would have sent her."

The rebels were indeed losing, their defenses crumbling under the coordinated assault of the loyalist forces.

"We need to get to her before this ends," Grim said. "Before she’s forced to make choices that could destroy her."