<h4>Chapter 228: _The Military Archives</h4><subtxt> "The military archives of the Mexico City army are just up ahead in this hallway," Leticia announced, ncing back at Odessa as we stepped into arge hallway that was lit with chandeliers dangling with white magic crystals.


    The walls seemed to brim with power, causing me to scan my gaze on them. That’s until Odessa spoke with a whisper.


    "Protecting runes. This ce is heavily guarded."


    I nced at her and nodded. "Well, it’s a good thing we don’t have to break in, right?"


    Finally, we arrived at the end of the hallway where we saw arge metal door, standing at possibly ten feet.


    Leticia stopped in front of this door and brought out a key from her pocket, opening the door in silence.


    I squinted my eyes at her at first until the doors suddenly made a clicking sound.


    She then stepped back as a series of connected runes began twirling on the metal door before glowing with a white light that pulsed with power.


    The doors slowly opened as Leticia nced back at Odessa and me.


    "Come in." She muttered before stepping into the brightly lit room with a ceiling that seemed too high for a basic military archive.


    When Odessa and I stepped inside alongside her, the door closed behind us with a bang, causing me to swerve my head backwards alertly.


    ’Okay, so I’m not the only one getting a weird feeling?’ Damon asked in my mind as we walked deeper.


    There were several monitor screens on the walls as well as high shelves that reached the ceiling.


    But one thing that stood out was the huge metal golems, in the shape of silver knights, that were lined against the walls, motionless like statues.


    "These... Golems." Odessa surprisingly spoke up to Leticia, staring at the knight statues. "Are they magically enchanted? Connected to the security system maybe?"


    Leticia paused just then, slowly turning around to face Odessa with a small smirk.


    "Well, telling you would technically be a breach in security protocols. But, yes." She admitted with a nod. "But they only awaken once a witch from our security team sends a magic signal."


    Impressive...


    Howe I’ve never seen these things during the wars?


    Leticia walked ahead of us, her heels echoing off the polished floor, then stopped before a floating orb close to the far wall.


    She ced her palm against the orb and whispered something in Latin... or something close to it. The magic responded instantly, pulsating through the room like a heartbeat.


    With a low hum, the entire far wall shimmered and flickered into a massive curved disy screen.


    Multiple video feeds began ying at once—some in colour, others grainy and monochrome.


    Each wasbelled with dates, coordinates, or unit codes. Most were angled like body cams. Others seemed to be taken from flying surveince drones.


    "This is your first time viewing ssified human military footage, isn’t it?" Leticia asked over her shoulder, a trace of smugness in her tone.


    "Not by choice," I muttered, folding my arms. "Our kind doesn’t exactly get front-row seats to human war crimes."


    Leticia ignored the jab and began filtering through the feeds.


    Her fingers moved with sharp precision, each motion casting sparks of magic through the air. I didn’t understand half the symbols she drew—but Odessa’s eyes followed with ease, and I watched her nod once, absorbing everything.


    ’Looks like you’re learning some things.’ I observed through the link to the mate bond.


    "I found something..." Leticia said finally, pausing one video on a screen in the center. "This was from a week ago... Operation ck Mesa, Sector D."


    The footage began to y.


    A squadron of human soldiers in grey armour swept through what looked like an abandoned vige in the forest. No insignia. No spoken names. Just cold efficiency.


    The screams were the worst part.


    They dragged wolf children from makeshift shelters. Sedated them. And branded their arms one by one.


    My fists clenched as I tried containing my rage.


    Children. They’ve been capturing werewolf children... Right under my nose.


    ’Right, under their noses, dude.’ Damon muttered in my mind with a growl.


    "Son of a—"


    "They’re moving them like cargo," Odessa whispered, horror creeping into her voice. "Those symbols on the trucks... Those are portal routes."


    Leticia frowned. "Portal routes? Those are ouwed."


    "They’re still being used," Odessa snapped, her eyes locked to the screen. "They’re marked, just hidden beneath the illusion spells. Watch."


    She gestured at the upper corner of the video.


    Leticia slowed the frame.


    Just behind one of the soldiers, a faint shimmer—barely visible—revealed a glowing arc etched into the truck’s side.


    "That’s a teleportation rune," Odessa muttered. "It seems modified to hide from tracking. But I have this feeling... The victims are being transported somewhere within the country."


    She paused for a while before adding with a solemn tone.


    "Or to somewhere else entirely. Somewhere hidden."


    Leticia looked visibly disturbed. She quickly sent anothermand into the orb, and the screen changed again.


    "I’m pulling the timestamp and area feed from the Lord of the North’s broadcast... this should’ve been recorded the same night his message aired."


    Suddenly, the footage got corrupted—flickering with static and magical distortion.


    Leticia cursed softly. "Someone tampered with this file."


    I knew it!


    Someone was ying games.


    Odessa suddenly spoke sharply. "Wait. That’s a magical disruption. That means something in the footage is still holding power."


    She stepped forward and ced her hand on the screen, her fingers glowing with a violet light. I furrowed my brows, watching her intently.


    A moment passed. Then another.


    And suddenly... the static cleared.


    The scene was dark. It was a back alley, lined with broken stone walls and wet pavement. Soldiers crouched behind crates. We could hear distant shouting in the background.


    And then...


    A raven.


    It flew past the lens andnded on a post.


    Leticia tilted her head. "That’s strange. That species isn’t native to this zone."


    "Pause it," I ordered.


    Leticia did just that.


    And there they were.


    Barely visible at the far end of the alley and shrouded in ck. Hood pulled low but unmistakable.


    The cloaked figure. The one that has been watching us since Iron Fang.


    A raven perched calmly on their shoulder, as if it were a part of them.


    "What the hell..." I muttered. "Why is—" <fn7398> Checktest chapters at </fn7398>


    Suddenly, the screen glitched again.


    Their head moved.


    They turned toward the camera.


    I instantly realised at that moment that it was a woman... Thanks mostly to the lipstick that managed to be visible under the hood.


    Her eyes, which were glowing faint purple, locked directly onto the lens.


    Onto us...</subtxt>