CHAPTER 154: Insurrection-23

CHAPTER 154: Insurrection-23

The fire consumed what was left of the house as the clash between the two lycanthropes made the ground tremble. Phoenix and Matthias struck each other with an almost animal brutality, claws against flesh, fangs against bone. Each impact left marks on the blackened floor, each roar echoed into the night.

Matthias threw Phoenix against a wall, but the Über Lycan rose with a roar, his eyes burning with a wild, golden hue. He launched himself with devastating force and charged Matthias, driving his claws into his chest. The two tore through the house wall and were sent flying into the street amidst rubble and embers.

There, the two beasts faced off again. Neighbors fled, cars shook from the uproar, and the asphalt cracked under their steps. Matthias swung a claw that Phoenix narrowly dodged. The Über Lycan responded with a charge that knocked him down, and without giving him a breath, pounced on him with unleashed fury.

Phoenix's roar echoed throughout the block. His jaws opened, glinting with a metallic sheen under the moon. Matthias tried to resist, but Phoenix sank his fangs into his neck and bit down with impossible force. Blood gushed forth as his enemy's body convulsed. Phoenix clamped down harder, tearing the jugular until Matthias's roar died in a gurgle.

The Über Lycan raised his head, panting, his fangs covered in blood. But at that moment, something strange happened. Matthias's blood tasted different… bitter, thick, alive. A wave of images invaded Phoenix's mind: memories, faces, orders, documents… Matthias as a child, his training with Helena, secret missions, the experiments of the Strauss Division…

And then he saw it all.
The underground laboratories, the blueprints for "Project Rebirth," the true purpose of the Über Lycan serum, the coordinates of the next operation, and… the figure of Helena Strauss, observing from her containment chamber, giving orders.

Phoenix pulled away from the lifeless body, breathing heavily. His mind was on fire.
Now he knew who his enemies truly were. And what was coming would be much more than simple revenge.

Agnes approached slowly, her heart pounding. The air smelled of iron and smoke; the flames still devoured what remained of the house as Matthias's body lay motionless in the middle of the street. In front of her, the huge figure of the Über Lycan breathed heavily, its chest rising and falling like a living forge.

"Phoenix…" she whispered in a trembling voice.

The monster didn't respond. It only slowly turned its head towards her. Its red eyes glowed in the darkness, wild, inhuman… but there was something different in them: not rage, but a shadow of doubt, of internal struggle. Agnes took another step, swallowing hard.

"It's you… right?" she said quietly. "Tell me you're still in there, that I haven't lost you too."

The Über Lycan let out a low growl, a deep sound that rumbled through the ground. Agnes stopped on instinct, but didn't back away. She watched as the lycanthrope's huge ears flattened back, and its head slowly lowered, like a tamed animal remembering who stood before it.

"Phoenix…" she murmured, stepping closer until she stood before his chest, covered in blood and soot. "I know you can hear me. It doesn't matter if you can't speak… I know you're still you."

Agnes raised her hand, trembling, and placed it on the lycanthrope's head. The heat it radiated was overwhelming, but she didn't pull away.
"I promised I wouldn't leave you alone. And I won't, do you hear me?" she said firmly, though her voice cracked. "I don't care how you look, or what you've done… as long as you keep breathing, as long as you keep fighting, that's enough for me."

The Über Lycan exhaled a deep growl, almost a sigh. It lowered its head further, allowing her to stroke it. Its breathing became slower, more controlled.

"You're coming back," Agnes whispered, tears in her eyes. "I know it. You're coming back, Phoenix… and when you do, I'm going to yell at you for all of this, okay? But for now… just stay with me."

The lycanthrope closed its eyes for a moment, and though it couldn't respond with words, a slight, almost imperceptible movement of its body told Agnes everything she needed to know: Phoenix was still there, resisting inside the monster.

Hours later, the hotel room was wrapped in tense silence. Steam escaped from the bathroom door crack as Phoenix showered, letting icy water run over his skin. Each drop seemed to wash away the weight of the fight, the roar of the fire, and the foreign memories still echoing in his mind.

On the sofa, Marcus sat with his torso bandaged, staring at the TV without paying attention. Beside him, Agnes held a notebook and reviewed everything Phoenix had told them in a serious voice.

"So, according to what you saw in Matthias's memories…" she began, looking down at her notes, "Helena isn't just alive, but she's planning to ally with Viktor. And the worst part: she wants to convince Enid to join them."

Marcus snorted bitterly.
"That's not going to end well. If Enid believes them, the game's over for us."

Agnes nodded.
"That's why we have to act fast. Tonight's event is our only chance. Enid is attending a charity gala at the Munich Opera House."

The sound of water stopped. The glass door of the shower slid open, and a moment later, the soft click of a zipper could be heard.

The bathroom door opened, letting out a gust of steam. Phoenix appeared with a towel around his neck, his hair still damp. His body showed the recent scars from the battle, but his expression was cold, resolute.
"So the gala is at the Opera House," he said, picking up the black shirt lying on the bed. "Perfect. There's no better place for a disaster in black tie."

He dressed in silence, buttoning the shirt with military precision. Then he put on his pants, the vest, and finally the black jacket, adjusting it with a slight pull. In front of the mirror, he knotted his dark tie with a methodical gesture.