NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35 - CleanUp
The debriefing room at the compound felt unnaturally normal after their encounter with otherworldly forces. Marcus stood at the head of the table, reviewing the data Maggie had extracted from the facility's systems. Val and Dr. Velez sat opposite, their expressions grave as they examined sensor readings from the encounter.
"The resonance amplifier was definitely Callahan technology," Marcus confirmed, enlarging a schematic on the display. "But the activation sequence originated from an unknown source."
"A third player," Val suggested, her usual stoicism tinged with concern. "Someone with access to both Callahan's research and Arcadian knowledge."
Dr. Velez nodded. "The echo-entity's composition matches nothing in our database. Not fully manifested, but more substantial than previous dimensional bleed-through. The Veil is thinning faster than our models predicted."
Nick sat silently, still processing the memory shard triggered during the mission. Images flashed behind his eyes—Arlize confronting a robed figure in Aurilia's Council Chamber, evidence of sabotage spread across a table between them. The betrayal hadn't come from an enemy, but from within the highest echelons of Aurilian society.
"Nicholas," Marcus said, drawing his attention back to the present. "Your assessment?"
"The node is temporarily stabilized," Nick replied. "But it's just one of many. The facility was positioned there specifically because that location already had a natural Veil weakness. Callahan didn't create the vulnerability—they exploited it."
Maggie leaned forward. "The data I recovered suggests they were attempting to establish a controlled connection to whatever exists beyond the Veil. Not just studying it—communicating with it."
"For what purpose?" Jordan asked.
"We don't know yet," Marcus answered. "But this aligns with their other research initiatives. Callahan has been pursuing this type of dimensional technology since the 1980s."
As the debriefing continued, Nick's system interface activated privately:
🜂【VEIL FRACTURE EVENT LOGGED】🜂
[Status: Delayed – Not Prevented. Memory Shard #2 – Integration Incomplete. Please rest to complete the Memory shard's integration.]
Val observed the abandoned facility through high-powered binoculars, her position in the dense foliage offering perfect concealment while maintaining line of sight to all approach vectors. The predawn air carried the scent of damp earth and decay—normal jungle smells that couldn't quite mask the lingering wrongness emanating from the collapsed structure below.
Seventy-two hours had passed since Nick's team had temporarily stabilized the node. Seventy-two hours that Val had spent watching the site. Her body needed minimal rest compared to normal operatives. Marcus hadn't ordered this surveillance mission; this was her initiative—born from decades of experience that taught her to never leave loose ends.
Her comm unit vibrated silently against her wrist. She tapped it once, authorizing the encrypted channel.
"Position," she said simply, voice barely above a whisper.
"Hernandez at southeast perimeter. Clear," came the first response.
"Kessler at northwest approach. Clear," followed the second.
"Vega monitoring the access road. Vehicle approaching—still five kilometers out."
Val's posture remained unchanged, but her attention sharpened. "Identification?"
"Military-grade transport. Colombian markings, but non-standard modifications." Vega's voice carried the precision of someone reading sensor data. "Heat signatures indicate multiple occupants. ETA twelve minutes."
"Maintain positions. Observe only." Val ended transmission, her gaze returning to the ruined facility.
The building had collapsed further since Nick's team had left, the jungle already reclaiming spaces where concrete and steel had stood for decades. Nature always won eventually—a lesson humanity continually failed to learn. But she wasn't here to philosophize; she was here to eliminate a threat.
Yesterday, under cover of darkness, she and her team had entered the laboratory's compound. The resonance amplifier that Nick had temporarily disabled remained largely intact despite the structural collapse around it—exactly as she'd anticipated. Arcadian technology was designed to survive dimensional disturbances.
Her team had mapped the still-accessible portions of the sublevels, rigged strategic demolition charges, and—most importantly—extracted the amplifier's core. The delicate operation had required specialized equipment and Vega's unique talents. Designed to channel and amplify dimensional energies, the core would be invaluable to Marcus's research team... after Val confirmed who had reactivated it in the first place.
Movement on the access road caught her attention. The vehicle Vega had detected emerged from the jungle canopy—a modified military transport with Colombian Special Forces markings, but sporting communications equipment no standard military unit would ever need.
She watched it approach the facility's former entrance, now just a depression in the earth. The vehicle stopped, and uniformed soldiers emerged first, establishing a perimeter with practiced efficiency. Their weapons and formation revealed elite training, likely AFEAU—Colombia's answer to special forces. Val counted eight operatives, all carrying enhanced tactical gear.
Next came the technical team—four men and two women in matching lab coats, carrying equipment cases that Val recognized as portable sensor arrays and sample collection kits. They moved with the caution of scientists familiar with hazardous environments.
Last to exit was a man in an immaculate charcoal suit that somehow defied the jungle humidity. He stood beside the vehicle, surveying the destruction with obvious displeasure. Even from this distance, Val recognized him: Alejandro Vargas, Colombia's Deputy Minister of Scientific Development—officially responsible for overseeing research grants and technological initiatives, unofficially the government's liaison to private corporate interests like Callahan Industries.
Her comm vibrated again. "Facial recognition confirms Vargas," Hernandez reported unnecessarily.
"Proceed to phase two," Val instructed. "Kessler, maintain overwatch."
She descended from her position atop one of the jungle's tallest trees, moving through the thick brush of the jungle floor like a shadow. Her mana signature remained completely suppressed, not even a flicker detectable to sensors.
The soldiers had established a standard search grid, with pairs moving systematically through the ruins. The technical team huddled near what remained of the main entrance, calibrating their equipment. Vargas stood apart, speaking rapidly into a secure phone, his free hand gesturing with increasing agitation.
Val circled the perimeter, approaching from the eastern side where the vegetation grew thickest. She could hear fragments of Vargas' conversation now.
"...completely destroyed. Yes, I understand the implications... No, there's no sign of the amplifier... We cannot afford another delay, the timetable is..." His voice dropped lower as he spotted one of his soldiers approaching.
Val's path took her directly behind one of the soldier pairs. She moved within three meters of them without detection, close enough to hear their muttered conversation.
"...same shit as the Mexico City site," one was saying. "Another fucking cleanup of Callahan's mistakes."
"At least no bodies this time," his partner replied. "Remember Paraguay?"
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Val filed away the references for later investigation. They had conducted operations at multiple sites across multiple countries. This wasn't an isolated incident.
She waited for her moment—a brief gap in security coverage as teams repositioned themselves around the laboratory compound's remains. Then she simply stepped out of the jungle and walked directly toward the command area, making no attempt to hide her approach.
The first soldier to spot her reacted instantly, weapon raised and aimed at her center mass. "¡Alto! ¡Identifíquese!"
Val continued walking, ignoring the command. A second soldier joined the first, both now shouting warnings. The commotion drew Vargas's attention, his conversation abruptly ending as he turned to assess the intrusion.
The first soldier fired—a warning shot meant to stop her advance. The bullet never reached its target, instead striking an invisible barrier that shimmered momentarily with golden light before fading back to transparency. The distinctive crack of the rifle echoed across the clearing, freezing all activity.
Val never broke stride. She walked directly to the soldier who had fired, moving faster than human reflexes could track once within striking distance. Her hand connected with the precise point where his neck met his shoulder, a perfectly calibrated strike that disrupted neural pathways without causing permanent damage. He crumpled instantly, unconscious before hitting the ground.
The other soldiers had raised their weapons, but uncertainty kept them from firing. Her demonstration had achieved its purpose—establishing dominance without unnecessary bloodshed.
Val continued toward Vargas, who had visibly paled when he saw her, yet maintained his composure. The remaining soldiers parted before her, unwilling to block her path after what they'd witnessed.
"Deputy Minister Vargas," she said when she reached him, her voice carrying just enough for the surrounding personnel to hear. "Your presence here violates multiple international agreements and specifically contravenes the Santos-Eidolon Accords of 2019."
Vargas attempted a diplomatic smile that failed to reach his eyes. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Ms...?"
"You may call me Val." She removed an envelope from her jacket and held it out. "From Marcus Eidolon."
The name had an immediate impact. Vargas's feigned ignorance vanished, replaced by barely concealed alarm. He accepted the envelope with noticeably unsteady hands.
Val turned and began walking away without waiting for him to read its contents. Behind her, she heard the paper rustle as he opened the sealed document.
The silence that followed told her everything. Marcus's message was typically direct—evidence of Vargas's unauthorized collaboration with Callahan Industries, documentation of funds transferred through shell companies, and precise details of his three previous meetings with Callahan representatives.
"Everyone back to the transport," Vargas called out, his voice strained. "Abort mission. We're leaving immediately."
Val continued walking, disappearing back into the jungle's edge as the scramble to evacuate began behind her. She made her way to her predetermined rendezvous point, a small clearing 500 meters east where Kessler waited with their equipment.
"Successful delivery?" he asked, already packing their surveillance gear.
Val nodded once. "Prepare for the final phase."
From her position, she watched as the Colombian transport hastily departed, its occupants abandoning equipment in their rush to leave. When the vehicle disappeared from view, she activated her comm unit.
"Vega, Hernandez—confirm all clear."
Both operatives reported no remaining personnel in the area. Val removed a small detonator from her tactical vest.
"Withdrawing to a safe distance," she instructed. "Demolition in three minutes."
They moved efficiently through the jungle, putting a full kilometer between themselves and the facility before stopping at their rally point. Val checked her watch, waited until the precise moment, then activated the detonator.
The explosion was surprisingly contained—not the spectacular fireball of conventional demolitions, but a series of precisely calculated detonations designed to collapse the sublevels where the Veil node had been detected. The ground shook beneath their feet, birds erupting from the canopy in panicked flight.
When the dust settled, Val activated a specialized sensor from her pack, scanning for dimensional fluctuations. The readings confirmed her expectations—the Veil integrity in this location had actually improved following the complete destruction of the facility and removal of the amplifier core.
"Node stabilized," she confirmed. "Mission complete."
They gathered their remaining equipment and began their journey back to the Compound, moving northeast toward their emergency landing zone. The Colombian government wouldn't risk officially acknowledging the confrontation, not with the evidence Marcus held. Vargas's involvement with Callahan would be severed—at least for now.
"Missed the Cartagena trip," Kessler commented as they hiked, making a rare attempt at conversation.
Val didn't respond immediately, her mind already cataloging the information gleaned from this operation. The mention of similar sites in Mexico City and Paraguay revealed a pattern of Callahan's activities that extended beyond what they'd previously mapped. Marcus would need to be informed.
"The students will manage without us for a bit," she finally replied. "They've progressed adequately."
Kessler nodded, knowing better than to expect further discussion. They continued in silence, moving through the jungle and leaving no trace of their passage.
Hours later, as their extraction helicopter lifted off from a remote clearing, Val watched the jungle canopy recede below them. Somewhere beneath that green expanse lay the ruins of yet another attempt to breach the dimensional barriers that protected Earth from what lay beyond. Another crisis temporarily averted.
But these attacks against the Veil were accelerating. Callahan wasn't working alone anymore—they had government allies, possibly in multiple countries, in their pocket. Somewhere out there, other nodes were being activated, other amplifiers tested.
She removed her tactical gloves, revealing the faint Arcadian script etched into the skin of her wrists—legacy of a past she shared with few. Her role had always been clear: prepare the next generation while containing the immediate threats. Nick and his team were progressing well, but time was running short.
The helicopter banked northward, carrying them back to the compound. The Brazilian operation was complete, but the larger mission continued. The Veil was thinning, and what waited on the other side grew more restless with each passing day.
Val closed her eyes, allowing herself the luxury of a brief rest. Marcus would want a full report, and then preparations would begin for the students' next phase of training.
There was no turning back now.
🜂 ARCΛDIΛN SYSTΞM INTERFΛCE – CORE STATUS | NICK VALIENTE 🜂
Identity: Nicholas Valiente (Ω-Class)
Host Pattern: Dual-Soul Fusion (Nick + Arlize Dentragon)
System Tier: Initiate
Class Alignment: SHAPER (Tier I – Adaptive Manifestation)
Level: 1
Integration Progress: 53.8%
Vital Stats: HP: 135 / 135 | MP: 340 / 340 | Strength: 67 | Speed: 80 | Agility: 69 | Stamina: 78 | Wisdom: 75 | Intelligence: 79 | Vitality: 66 | Fortitude: 48
🜂 INTEGRATION MODEL STATUS 🜂
Emotional Barrier Reduction: 95.5%
Core Harmony: Partial (self-sustaining)
Projected Efficiency Increase: +37.8%
Estimated time to 60%: 7–10 days
🜂 NEW CAPABILITIES UNLOCKED 🜂
Emotional Resonance (Basic): Perceives emotional influence on mana
Trauma Channeling (Limited): Converts emotional distress into mana
🜂 SHAPER ABILITY TREE – TIER I 🜂
➤
Sensory Enhancement
– 63%
See mana flows & dimensional frequencies
Heightened sound filtering
Tactical perception in motion
Next Tier Req.: 80% mastery
➤
Mana Projection
– 41%
Energy constructs (1–2 min duration)
Offensive strikes
Defensive redirection
Next Tier Req.: Execute all three in live combat
➤
Environmental Manipulation
– 27%
Thermal control (~5–7m radius)
Atmospheric pressure manipulation
Micro-kinesis (objects < 5kg)
Next Tier Req.: Maintain 2 effects for 5+ min
➤
Combat Enhancement
– 57%
Strength amplification
Reflex acceleration (14% faster)
Impact resistance (2 strikes)
Next Tier Req.: Survive Tier II combat encounter
➤
Tactical Analysis
– 41%
Threat prediction (72% accuracy)
Pattern recognition
Adaptive counters
Next Tier Req.: Counter 10 unique combat styles
🜂 TIER II ADVANCEMENT REQUIREMENTS 🜂
80% memory integration with Arlize
Achieve 65% mastery in all Tier I skills
Successfully defeat a Tier II opponent
Stabilize neural-emotional pathways through consistent, dedicated practice