Chereads / The Obsidian Sovereign: Shadow Reign / Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: In the Shadow of Power

Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: In the Shadow of Power

The cold air outside the safe house bit at Sarah and Helena's skin as they were hurried into the armored vehicle that had been waiting for them. The rain still poured, relentless, but the chaos that had erupted moments ago now felt like a distant memory. The Black Ravens had left the battlefield as silent as they had arrived, but their presence still lingered—an invisible shield of protection around Sarah and Helena.

Inside the vehicle, Helena clung to Sarah, her eyes wide, though her tears had dried. There was still fear in her eyes, but something else too—a fragile hope. The Ravens, the silent, terrifying force that had come for them, were clearly not ordinary. And whoever had sent them… well, that person had the power to destroy an entire army without even lifting a finger.

"Sarah… do you think it's really over?" Helena whispered, her voice small but steady.

Sarah squeezed her sister's hand, her own heart still racing from the night's events. But as she glanced around the vehicle, at the cold, focused faces of the Ravens sitting near them, she began to feel something she hadn't felt since this nightmare began: a sense of safety. "I think we're in good hands," she said softly, her voice filled with quiet assurance. "They wouldn't have come for us if they didn't know we were important."

Helena's eyes flickered with uncertainty. "But why us? Why do they care so much? We're just…" She trailed off, her voice shaking slightly. "We're just two ordinary people."

Sarah didn't have the answer, but as the vehicle sped through the darkened streets, she realized they weren't ordinary at all. At least, not to whoever had sent this elite team to protect them. Whoever the Lord was, he had gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure their survival.

And the Ravens—their efficiency, their brutality, the way they had wiped out 300 soldiers like they were nothing—proved that they were dealing with a power far beyond anything Sarah could have imagined.

The Streets – En Route

The vehicle moved swiftly, cutting through the rain-soaked streets, weaving in and out of the shadows that clung to the city's dark corners. Sarah peered out the window, but all she saw was a blur of buildings and empty roads. The city, which had once been so vibrant, now felt like a ghost town—silent, cold, and empty. It was as though the world had retreated, giving the Ravens free reign to move undetected.

Helena's grip on Sarah's hand tightened. "Do you think they'll come after us again?" she asked, her voice trembling with the residual fear that still clung to her.

Sarah glanced over at Specter, who sat across from them, his black tactical mask still covering his face, his posture rigid. He didn't move, didn't speak, but the mere presence of him and the other Ravens exuded an impenetrable force. Sarah shook her head slowly, a strange confidence settling over her. "Not while we're with them. No one would dare."

Helena blinked up at her, confusion mingling with her lingering fear. "How can you be so sure?"

Sarah thought about what she had seen tonight—the sheer power of the Ravens, the speed and precision with which they had eliminated the enemy. They weren't just soldiers—they were something more. Something unstoppable.

"Because…" Sarah hesitated, the weight of realization settling over her. "Whoever's protecting us—whoever the Lord is—he's not someone you cross lightly. They sent an army, Helena. And look what happened to them."

Helena swallowed hard, her eyes flickering with fear as she glanced back at the Ravens. The memory of the bloodshed they had witnessed still haunted her, but it also brought a strange sense of reassurance. These were the people protecting them. And they had made it clear: no one was going to touch them.

Elsewhere – The Lord's Command Center

Far beneath the surface of the city, in a place few knew existed, the Lord stood in the center of his command room, his hands clasped behind his back as he watched the live feed from the vehicle carrying his sisters. His sharp eyes remained fixed on the screen, though his face betrayed no emotion. He was calm, methodical, a man who had learned long ago how to control his fury, his grief, his fear.

But tonight… tonight had been different.

Sarah and Helena. His sisters. His only family.

He had kept them hidden for so long, away from the war that raged in the shadows, away from the dangers that threatened to tear the world apart. But now, the enemy had forced his hand. They had sent an army to kill them. And for that, they would suffer.

Behind the Lord, Seraphine stood quietly, watching him with her usual calm detachment. But even she could sense the tension in the air, the fury that simmered just beneath the Lord's icy exterior. He rarely allowed his emotions to show, but tonight, there was a darkness in him that even she hadn't seen before.

"My Lord," Seraphine said softly, her voice respectful. "The Ravens have completed their mission. The sisters are safe."

The Lord's gaze didn't waver from the screen, but his voice was low and dangerous when he spoke. "Safe… for now. But they dared to challenge me, Seraphine. They dared to touch my family."

Seraphine nodded, though she knew better than to offer any sympathy. The Lord didn't need comfort. He needed control. "The message has been sent. The enemy knows your power."

The Lord's eyes darkened, a faint hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "They've seen only a glimpse. They still don't understand what they've awakened."

Seraphine raised an eyebrow. "You intend to escalate?"

The Lord's gaze finally shifted from the screen to Seraphine. His expression was unreadable, but there was a coldness in his eyes that sent a shiver through the room. "I will give them one final warning. If they refuse to heed it… they'll see what true terror looks like."

Back in the Armored Vehicle

The ride continued in tense silence, the only sound the distant hum of the engine and the steady beat of rain against the roof. Sarah kept her eyes on Specter, trying to understand who—or what—these Ravens truly were. She had never seen anything like them, never even imagined people like this existed. But now, here they were, and they were protecting her and Helena with a kind of ferocity that shook her to her core.

Specter's head turned slightly, as if he sensed Sarah's gaze on him. His eyes, hidden behind the dark visor of his mask, seemed to lock onto hers for a brief moment, sending a chill down her spine.

Helena shifted nervously beside her. "Do you think we'll ever meet him?" she asked quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Who?" Sarah asked, though she already knew the answer.

"The Lord," Helena replied. "The one who's been protecting us all this time."

Sarah didn't respond immediately. She had thought about the Lord often in the last few hours, the mysterious figure who seemed to control so much of their fate. Whoever he was, he clearly had enough power to crush armies, to command a force like the Ravens. And yet, they had never seen him. Never spoken to him. He was a shadow, hidden behind layers of secrecy and terror.

"Maybe," Sarah said finally, her voice quiet. "But I don't think we're ready to meet him yet."

Helena frowned, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "Why not?"

"Because…" Sarah hesitated, glancing once more at Specter. "I don't think we understand how much we really matter to him."

As the Lord Watched

The Lord's eyes flicked to another screen, displaying the data he had compiled on the factions that had dared to move against him. His voice was cold, emotionless, as he spoke to Seraphine.

"They thought they could take my sisters," the Lord said, his voice a low growl. "They thought they could test my limits."

Seraphine nodded, her face impassive. "They've seen the error of their ways."

The Lord smiled faintly, though it was a smile devoid of warmth. "Not yet, they haven't. But they will."

He turned his gaze back to the screen showing Sarah and Helena. They were safe for now, surrounded by his Ravens, protected by the best of his forces. But this attack had shaken something in him—a reminder that the world was still full of threats. Threats that would stop at nothing to get to him through the people he cared about.

"They'll never touch my family again," the Lord murmured, his voice like a dark promise. "I'll make sure of it."

And as the night stretched on, the Lord's enemies—those who had dared to challenge him—would begin to understand the true meaning of fear.