Fragments of Dawn

Chapter 26: The Siege Begins

The air was thick with tension.

From the battlements of The Hollow Bastion, Kai could see the flickering fires in the distance—the Iron Fangs were coming. Their army moved like a pack of hungry wolves, slinking through the ruins, their weapons glinting under the shattered moonlight.

Juno stood beside him, arms crossed despite her injuries. “They’re not wasting any time.”

Reyes approached from behind, her expression unreadable. “They know we’re vulnerable. If we don’t hold the line, this fortress falls.”

Kai exhaled, flexing his fingers. The Moon Fragment embedded in his wrist pulsed faintly, resonating with the approaching chaos.

“They won’t take this place,” he muttered.

Juno smirked. “Damn right they won’t.”

Reyes studied them both before nodding. “Then let’s get to work.”

Inside the Bastion, soldiers moved quickly, reinforcing barricades, sharpening weapons, and preparing makeshift explosives. The fortress wasn’t the most secure place in the world, but it had held against previous attacks—this time, however, felt different.

Reyes slammed a map onto the table in the war room. “The Iron Fangs have numbers, but they’re not tacticians. They’ll try to overwhelm us with brute force. We need to be smarter.”

She pointed at the outer walls. “We reinforce these with whatever we can find. If they break through, we fall back to the inner courtyard.”

Juno leaned over the table, tracing a different route. “They might also try sneaking in through the old sewer tunnels. If they get inside before we notice, it’s over.”

Reyes nodded. “I’ll send scouts to block those paths.”

Kai’s gaze lingered on the map. “And Ava?”

Silence.

Reyes exhaled sharply. “No sign of her. But if she’s leading them, we’ll know soon enough.”

Kai clenched his jaw. He wasn’t ready to face her again—not yet.

But if she came, he wouldn’t run.

Not this time.

The first attack came at dawn.

A deafening explosion shattered the morning silence as a section of the outer barricade was blown apart. Smoke and fire filled the air, and before the dust had settled, the Iron Fangs charged.

Kai reacted instantly.

The blade bit into flesh, but the warlord barely flinched.

Instead, he grabbed Kai’s collar and slammed him into the wall.

Pain exploded in Kai’s ribs. He gasped, struggling to break free—

Then suddenly, a gunshot rang out.

Kane staggered back, a bullet lodged in his shoulder.

Juno stood atop the barricade, rifle smoking. “You’re welcome.”

Kai didn’t hesitate. He surged forward, slashing at Kane’s leg. This time, the warlord grunted in pain and took a step back.

Reyes and her forces pushed forward, driving the Iron Fangs into retreat.

The battle wasn’t over—

But they had bought themselves time.

The Iron Fangs fell back for now, dragging their wounded with them.

The Hollow Bastion still stood, but barely.

Kai sat against a wall, breathing heavily. His entire body ached, but he was alive.

Juno dropped beside him. “Hell of a morning, huh?”

Kai let out a tired chuckle. “Yeah.”

Reyes approached, her expression unreadable. “You fought well.”

Kai looked up. “Is that a compliment?”

She smirked. “Don’t get used to it.”

Then her face hardened. “This isn’t over. They’ll be back. Stronger.”

Kai’s hands tightened into fists.

Then they would be ready.

Because this time, they weren’t fighting alone.