Chapter 80: Dominion Strikes
The house shook as the breach began.
Doors burst open. Windows shattered. Shadows spilled into the home like a rolling tide. Zak moved before the first agent hit the floor.
<hr>
The Battle at Home
Liam grabbed a fire poker from the fireplace, knuckles white. Noah clung to Maya’s arm, his eyes wide, instincts screaming at him to run. Maya pressed them both toward the basement door, but something in her gut twisted. Zak wasn’t moving to escape. He was moving to intercept.
He was too fast.
Before the agents even aimed their weapons, Zak was inside their formation—a blur, a force, a shockwave of kinetic grace. He twisted mid-movement, grabbing a rifle mid-swing, flipping it, and hurling one agent into another. His body moved like raw energy, faster than any man should be able to.
An operative hesitated for a split second.
Zak saw it.
That was all he needed.
A pulse burst from his palm—subtle, almost invisible—but it sent the agent crashing into the dining table, splintering wood like matchsticks.
“Hold your positions!” a commanding voice barked.
Agent Connors.
<hr>
Connors Steps In
The man entered, calm amid the chaos. He straightened his coat as if arriving at a boardroom meeting. His gaze met Zak’s.
“It’s good to see you again, Carter,” Connors said.
Zak exhaled, rolling his shoulders. “You’re making a mistake.”
Connors gestured. “Stand down.”
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The agents froze. Guns still raised, but hesitated—then obeyed.
Zak flexed his fingers, energy crackling beneath the skin. He could end this, but Maya, Liam, and Noah were watching.
This wasn’t about him anymore.
So, for now—he listened.
<hr>
Dominion’s Offer
“You know why we’re here,” Connors said, stepping further into the wreckage.
Zak crossed his arms. “Do enlighten me.”
“The QSE. The harmonic matrix. Your research. And, let’s not kid ourselves—you.” Connors nodded at the shimmering air around Zak’s form.
Zak’s jaw tensed.
“Not happening.”
Connors sighed, as if exhausted by the obvious.
“You think you have a choice?”
Zak didn’t respond.
Maya’s gaze was on him. Liam’s grip on the poker tightened. Noah’s fear was palpable.
“I know I do,” Zak said.
Connors shook his head. “We don’t want a fight. But we will take what we need.”
“You think you can control this?”
“You built it. It’s bigger than you now. Whether you like it or not, the world is changing.”
Zak’s fists clenched.
He wasn’t handing anything over.
But Dominion wasn’t asking.
<hr>
A Dangerous Bargain
Connors tilted his head. “We can protect them—your wife, your boys. You work with us, they live untouched.”
Zak narrowed his eyes.
“You’re threatening them?”
“We’re offering insurance. You know how this works.”
Maya stepped forward.
“Zak—”
He heard the plea in her voice. Felt the weight in her silence.
He couldn’t fight here. Not like this.
So—he made his choice.
<hr>
A Silent Decision
Zak took a breath and relaxed his stance. The shift was immediate.
Connors raised an eyebrow.
“So?”
Zak’s voice was low. “I’ll go.”
The silence was deafening. Maya stiffened. Liam dropped the fire poker. Noah looked like he was about to cry.
Zak turned to Maya, held her gaze just a second longer than necessary.
She nodded.
He wasn’t surrendering.
He was infiltrating.
He leaned in close, whispering something only she could hear. “Tell Liam to watch the skies.”
Maya blinked—but understood. Zak was already thinking ahead.
<hr>
The Extraction Begins
<blockquote>
LIVE STATUS: EXTRACTION IN PROGRESSTARGET ACQUIRED: ZAK CARTEREN ROUTE TO SECURE FACILITY</blockquote>
Zak was led to an armoured SUV.
Connors walked beside him. “You’re making the right decision.”
Zak didn’t answer. His mind was already moving.
As the door closed behind him, he let his head rest back for a moment.
This wasn’t defeat.
It was positioning.
The harmonic field still pulsed beneath his skin.
He hadn’t lost his power.
He had just brought it to the heart of the enemy.
And once inside Dominion’s walls?
He’d be ready to tear them down from within.