Eternity's War (Books 1-3) (Eternity's War Boxsets)

by Ruben Stelliswolfe

  Juliet shifted nervously at the mention of her name. She stood on the edge of the room, listening to the conversation taking place nearby. The novelty of working for White Shadow had worn off since the previous evening, causing her to question whether or not the others were merely using her for her telepathic tracking abilities.

  “I'll find Sierra,” Skye volunteered, jogging out the back door. At this time of night she was usually out in the nearby woods.

  “Are you okay?” Romeo whispered, walking out of the dormitory and seeing the worried expression on his young comrade's face.

  “I don't want to go back out there,” Juliet whispered back. The others were heavily involved in their plans, studying the map on Ren's screen and talking over each other.

  “I know. I want to stay here,” Romeo agreed.

  “So do I, but it's not safe here either. It's not safe anywhere.” She slowly slumped against the wall and lowered herself to the ground.

  Romeo felt her pain. The lifestyle was only new to him, but he felt just as trapped as she did. The impending threat of execution was hard to shake from his mind. He sat on the ground beside her. “Everything will be alright,” he spoke softly, trying to reassure her, but secretly was trying to reassure himself.

  “I don't feel safe in Athenia anymore,” she said. “When they found me, Ren promised I'd be safe with them. But last night I was almost killed, and then again today.”

  “I know the feeling. I don't know how much more of this I can take.”

  Juliet sat and stared. “A normal person wouldn't make it this far. Skye told me that our kind are more mentally resilient.”

  Romeo smiled internally. It explained why he had been so stable for the past two days. There had been so many instances when he felt as though he was going to break down in tears, but he had surprised himself by holding on for so long.

  “We should leave Athenia,” Juliet suggested, keeping her voice low. “Daye told me that it's not too late for us.”

  Romeo was bewildered by the idea. “We can't leave. Nikolai will kill us if we're exposed.”

  “But we're not safe in this country,” she said, turning to face him with fearful eyes. She had hardly spent any time with Romeo, but she felt a connection with him. He was only slightly older than her, and just as inexperienced with the elites' way of life. “I know you're as afraid as I am. I can sense it.”

  He bit his bottom lip. He tried in vain to suppress his fear, not wanting her to be affected by his negative emotions, but doing so was clearly impossible.

  “Are you ready to leave?” Skye asked the pair, returning with Sierra behind him. He noticed the reluctant looks on their faces. “Don't worry—you're safe with us,” the tired man reminded.

  Juliet and Romeo slowly rose up, knowing that debating the matter with him was futile. They would be marching into battle once again, their talents completely eclipsed by Black Dawn and the Tianzu. Their only means of survival were luck, faith, and hope that they weren't walking into another trap. The prospect of living through the night was not an auspicious one.

  Thirty-one

  The van drove along quietly, heading west for the highway which wound alongside the forest. Sierra commandeered the vehicle once again, with Tango sitting alongside her up front. They kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings at all times in case they were spotted. Ren had warned them that, while the hunt for Juliet had been called off and she was no longer classed as an enemy of the state, their damaged vehicle was still highly conspicuous, and all manner of caution was needed.

  “Hopefully Tahlia won't destroy this van too, otherwise we're in for a long walk home,” Tango said, interrupting the silence. It rumbled along without any rear windows, and was covered in dozens of bullet holes.

  “She won't,” Sierra dismissed, implying that her nemesis would be dead long before she even made such an attempt.

  “Hopefully Tahlia won't realise we've left the warehouse,” Echo added.

  “What if the police trace this van back to the warehouse?” Romeo asked, the thought suddenly popping into his mind.

  Tango laughed. “The vans are actually registered to Nikolai's company. And so is the warehouse. They're all legally his.”

  “How are you feeling?” Skye asked Juliet and Romeo, changing the topic. He sat opposite them in the back.

  The young man shrugged. “I'm not sure how I feel. Tired, I suppose.”

  Skye had hardly slept himself, and suddenly felt the drowsiness kick in once again. He tried to push it to the back of his mind so that he could remain focussed. His earlier actions were committed out of both fatigue and rage, and they had almost proven costly. Making another rash decision was not an option.

  “Do you have any other questions for me?” he asked Romeo in an attempt to keep both of their minds active.

  After a moment of pondering, Romeo fired his next query. “How did you all meet? How did White Shadow even start?”

  Skye smiled and nodded at the question. “I came here to work at Athenia National University, as I mentioned earlier. I met Nikolai, and soon after we met Ren, who had already started White Shadow with the others back in Novabourne.”

  Romeo was surprised by the answer. “It's strange that you all met in Athenia. You told me last night I was only the third person from this country to become what I have, so it's very coincidental that so many strangers from other nations all met here.”

  Skye laughed softly. “Some would call it a coincidence, whereas others might call it fate. But it's not as surprising as it sounds. Remember, Athenia was established as a hub for education and culture. It has very strict laws against corruption. Well, supposedly.” He sighed. “Paul and Archie changed everything. They brainwashed a lot of people, turning Athenia into a dangerous place. People began to protest and riot, and then they began to kill one another.”

  Romeo shook his head, empathising with him. He couldn't possibly imagine what had taken place there. “I still can't believe it. I had no idea.”

  “Exactly. The world has no idea what happened here. Even most of its own citizens are oblivious. The only thing the Athenians now know is that Shangwu is no longer safe at night.”

  “How did he manage to brainwash people though? Was that his ability?”

  “In a way,” Skye replied. “He was a powerful telepath, but he was the opposite to those you already know. Juliet and Nikolai are able to read emotions and intent, whereas Paul seemed to be able to plant an emotion within someone.”

  Romeo was astonished by the explanation. “So he brainwashed people by planting emotions in their heads?”

  “Essentially, yes,” Skye nodded. “But he's not the only one we've encountered who has such an ability.” He turned and looked at Echo, not wishing to bring up the painful memory of Foxtrot's horrific death.

  “Wow,” Romeo said. “It's amazing to think that the country just changed overnight because of one man.”

  “Two men. Archie was just as involved.”

  “You said Paul was dead though. Why didn't things go back to normal afterwards?”

  Skye shrugged. “I suppose it was too late. Paul died on the day of the riots, but the damage had been done. Some people seemed confused, not knowing what they were actually doing, whereas others were permanently changed. The effects of his ability are ... well, quite terrifying.”

  “Wait,” Romeo interrupted, “if Paul brainwashed people, why didn't it affect me?”

  “Not everyone was affected,” Skye explained. “Only those whose minds could easily be altered were brainwashed.”

  “So, in other words, the less intelligent people were the ones who became brainwashed?”

  “No, not quite,” Skye corrected. “Just those who are easily influenced. A person can be intelligent, but still prone to being told what to do or how to think. Some of the professors from ANU joined the protests.”

  “But why?” he asked again, feeling angered by the events that tore his country apart. “What were they protest
ing? You said yesterday it was to do with the Federation.”

  “That's right. I have no idea what Paul and Archie were trying to achieve, but it seems as though the protests were against Alexans. Which is odd, because Archie is Alexan himself. I can only assume Paul was protesting against the war. It's no secret that most people in Yuezhou are against Alexa waging war on Kaipura.”

  “Of course,” Romeo agreed. “The war's pointless. But staging protests in Athenia isn't going to help anyone. We're a world away.”

  Skye laughed weakly. “You're right. But unfortunately Paul's ability had a horrific effect. A lot of Athenians started turning violent against Alexans. No one bothered Ren or myself, but the others in White Shadow were attacked for their nationality.”

  Romeo shook his head. “That's sad to hear. You can't condemn someone for their nationality.”

  “Exactly. We're all against the war, but no one cared about that at the time. If you looked like an Alexan, or anyone else from the Federation, you weren't safe.”

  “That's ridiculous,” Romeo said. “This country's only forty years old. There are so many Alexans living here.”

  “Which made it even worse. There were a lot of people involved in the riot, and it will be forever known as the darkest day in this country's history. But remember, you can't blame the Athenians for what they did. None of them would really have been against other Alexans—it was Paul who instilled that belief in their minds.”

  Romeo buried his head in his hands. “That's horrible. I can't believe he would actually do that. This is such a beautiful country, and I've never once seen an act of racism living here. But you're saying this man, Paul, was able to undo everything so easily. He and Archie single-handedly ruined this country.”

  Skye nodded. “It's hard to accept, but it's the truth. This is why Archie needs to be stopped.” He thought back to the day of the riots. He wasn't in East Tower at the time of Paul's death, and Archie's vain attempt to redeem himself. “I can't let him run this country. I can't take the chance.”

  “And I suppose that's why Nikolai doesn't trust other shengxian,” Romeo added.

  “Correct. I don't agree with Nikolai ordering your death, but I can understand why he fears them. He doesn't want a repeat of what happened last year.”

  Romeo stared at the wall of the van, taking in all of the information. “So now it's just everyone in White Shadow trying to fix things?”

  Skye snorted. “Fixing things would be a lot easier if Nikolai didn't have his own views on how the country should be run.”

  Romeo paused for a moment, his mind suddenly remembering another question that he wanted to ask. “Yesterday I heard you mention two other names. Are there more in White Shadow?”

  “Charlie and Delta. They founded White Shadow back in Novabourne with Ren. They're currently in Shizudera. After Foxtrot was killed, they decided to go to Shizudera to try and find any information they could on the Tianzu. They wanted us to accompany them, but Ren and I decided that finding Archie before the inauguration should be our main priority.”

  Romeo was curious to ask how Foxtrot died, but decided against it for the time being. He instead sat in silence as his mind conjured up an endless number of other questions he wanted to ask. There was so much to learn from this group, and he was ever fascinated by the world that he had no idea existed.

  “What caused you to change?” he asked Skye. “How did you wake up and realise you were a changed man?”

  “Well, everyone changes in their own unique way. For some people, it's reaching a higher plane of consciousness. For others, it's something very traumatic which caused them to completely lose sight. Nikolai and I were both shengxian when we first met, which is why we got along so well. We became the best of friends, and we were so ambitious to change the world with our newfound knowledge. But the riots changed him forever, and he lost sight of what our goals were.” Skye would never forget the image of Nikolai kneeling in the Athenian streets, crying in agony. There was blood all around him, staining the road a deep sienna colour.

  “We're almost there,” Sierra called from the front as she looked down at the coordinates Ren had programmed into her comm.

  “We'd better get ready. Put your mask on,” Skye suggested, wanting to focus on the task at hand. “Juliet, if you sense anyone here, tell us immediately.” The girl nodded, but showed no enthusiasm to be there.

  Trees began to line the side of the road as they approached the beginning of the forest. The brightly lit city began to shrink behind them. Romeo turned his head and stared out the window at the black trees around them. The forest was man-made, created as a source of greenery to contrast against the rest of the island, which was heavily urbanised. Romeo had lived in Athenia his whole life but, like most citizens, rarely came to this uninhabited part of the nation. It truly was the perfect hiding spot for Nikolai's president.

  Thirty-two

  Without warning, the van came to a screeching halt. The tyres left long black marks where the rubber had burnt into the ground. It was Sierra who hit the brake pedal hard. On the highway in front of the van, illuminated by the headlights, was a decomposed body. It stood motionless, its arms by its side, its head slightly tilted.

  “What is that?” Romeo gasped.

  “It looks like a corpse ...” Skye said, “... it's just like the one I saw in the city today.”

  Confusion filled the van. Juliet stared at it, dumbfounded. Sierra said nothing.

  On the isolated road, the only available light was from the headlights of the van. It shone brightly on the body, its eyes dull and lifeless. Its clothes were ragged and filthy.

  “Is it Black Dawn?” Romeo asked nervously. “Is someone able to bring the dead back to life?”

  Skye shook his head, but he was just as perplexed as his young teammate. “No one can do that. It can't be possible.”

  The corpse began to lurch toward them.

  “Someone stop it!” Romeo shrieked.

  Sierra parked the van and opened the door. In a blur, she ran at the body and sliced its head off with her curved blade. The head and torso fell to the ground in a heap. She climbed back inside and, without a second thought, started driving again. A shiver ran down Romeo's spine as they ran over the sinister creature, mashing its bones with a sickening crunch.

  “Oh no,” Skye groaned.

  “What is it?” Juliet asked, panicking at what he was going to say next. She was already on edge at the thought of running into Black Dawn.

  “Night,” he spoke slowly. “Could he ...”

  “What, Skye?” Tango asked with concern. “What are you thinking?”

  Skye frowned under his mask. “Could he have dug that corpse up? Could he have taken control of it?”

  Romeo felt sick at the very suggestion. “What are you saying? I thought you said he could only control other people.”

  Skye grimaced. “Well, maybe he's been experimenting on the deceased. I suppose it's not out of the question.”

  “No, it's impossible,” Echo dismissed, although equally as baffled. “How can he take control of something that's dead?”

  Juliet and Romeo looked into each other's terrified eyes.

  “I'm not sure,” Skye admitted with uncertainty. “Maybe all he needs is for the organs to be intact.”

  Silence filled the van again as everyone tried to comprehend the strange revelation. None of them knew whether or not to believe it, but there was no other logical explanation for what they had just witnessed.

  Tango let out a mortified gag. “That's disgusting.”

  “Are there going to be more of those things?” Romeo asked, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.

  Skye's face contorted at the thought of corpses walking about. “I hope not.”

  “There's the dirt road,” Sierra said. She slowed the van down and turned into the forest. It was completely black under the dense canopy of trees. She drove over the uneven ground, looking left and right for any hostiles.


  “Juliet, is there anyone nearby?” Skye asked, thinking the same thing as Sierra.

  She closed her eyes and tried hard to focus her mind outwards. “I don't feel anything. I think we're alone.”

  Romeo sighed with relief, but Skye was far from convinced. “But you can't sense Night, remember?” He closed his eyes and wondered if Black Dawn knew they'd be coming. “I'm getting a bad feeling about this. No one's out here except for a walking corpse. It doesn't sound right.”

  “You think it might be a trap?” Tango asked, equally as concerned.

  “I'm not sure, but we need to be cautious.”

  The dirt path came to an end. Sierra stopped the van and shut the engine off. She kept the headlights on, allowing them to survey their surroundings.

  Skye dialled into his comm. “Ren, are you there? We've arrived.”

  “Excellent. What do you see?”

  He looked at the others in the van. “Everyone link your comms,” he ordered, then returned to his conversation with Ren. “We're in the forest. Juliet says there's no sign of anyone else here, but ... we found a corpse on the highway, just like the one I saw in Shangwu. It was standing upright. We think it might have been Night.” He glanced at the others, who were listening in on the dialogue. All of them wore their graphene masks, with the exception of Sierra, who seldom ever wore her armour.

  “What do you mean?” Ren asked, confused.

  “We think that maybe Night dug up the body and took control of it,” Tango spoke.

  “Impossible,” she dismissed.

  Skye glanced at the clock on his wrist. “No time to argue now. We've got to find that bunker as soon as possible. We'll keep you updated.” He opened the sliding door and exited the van.

  “Where do we start?” Romeo asked as he climbed out behind him. He turned around and stared at the infinite number of trees the headlights shone onto.

  Skye looked down at the coordinates and digital compass on his comm. “There,” he said, pointing to a section of trees that had branches snapped off. The grass in between had started to die off. “It looks like large equipment and machinery has passed through here. The bunker should be nearby.”