The Iron General, tasked with crushing the western rebellion, grew increasingly frustrated by the resistance’s elusive tactics. His disciplined legions, trained for open battle, found themselves constantly harried by unseen enemies who struck swiftly and then vanished into the shadows. Supply lines dwindled, communication became unreliable, and the morale of his troops began to fray under the constant pressure of these unseen attacks.

  His wrath focused on the civilian population, whom he suspected of harboring and aiding the rebels. Mass arrests became commonplace, and brutal interrogations were carried out in a desperate attempt to extract information about the resistance’s movements and hideouts. The price of silence for the civilians became torture and death.

  Archivist Valerius, though stripped of his amplified sonic weapon, remained a dangerous and influential figure within the Dominion’s command structure. His obsession with the resistance, particularly with capturing or eliminating those who had defied him, fueled his relentless pursuit of intelligence. He deployed his aura hunters with even greater ruthlessness, offering rewards for any information leading to the capture of key rebel leaders.

  Lyra, aware of the increasing pressure on the civilian population and the effectiveness of the Dominion’s intelligence gathering, implemented stricter security protocols within the resistance. Communication became more coded and compartmentalized, and safe houses were frequently changed. The price of information for the resistance became constant vigilance and the risk of betrayal.

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  Despite these precautions, the Dominion’s relentless pressure began to yield results. A captured resistance courier, under brutal interrogation, revealed the location of a major supply cache hidden in the outskirts of a seemingly abandoned village. The Iron General, seizing this opportunity, dispatched a large contingent of troops to secure the cache and capture any resistance fighters guarding it.

  Lyra, through her network of informants within the Dominion’s ranks (disillusioned Legionnaires and sympathetic civilians), received word of the impending raid just hours before it was to occur. She faced a difficult decision: abandon the valuable supplies or risk a direct confrontation to defend them.

  The supply cache was crucial for sustaining the resistance’s guerrilla campaign, containing vital medical supplies, weapons, and food. Losing it would be a significant blow to their ability to continue their operations. However, engaging a large Dominion force in a direct confrontation would go against their current strategy of attrition and risk heavy losses.

  As Lyra weighed her options, a small team of seasoned resistance fighters, including Torvin and Seraphina, volunteered to attempt a daring raid on the Dominion forces heading towards the cache. Their plan was to create a diversion, disrupt the Dominion’s advance, and hopefully allow the supplies to be moved before they could be seized.

  The serpent’s coil of the resistance was facing a critical test. The Iron General’s wrath was tightening its grip, and the price of information was being paid in blood and sacrifice. Lyra’s decision and the outcome of the daring raid would have significant consequences for the future of the rebellion.