The Enclave's headquarters hummed with a cold, efficient energy, a fortress built from the modern world's big ideas. Its huge, windowless rooms buzzed under bright fluorescent lights that lit up everything in a harsh, unforgiving glow. Rows of monitors glowed with maps and numbers, showing red dots of portals, popping up all over the world. Those dots were spreading fast, like a bad rash, and the data on the screens told a grim story: things were getting worse every day.
In the middle of it all was the Council Chamber, a big round room made for planning and arguing. Twelve council members sat around a shiny black table, their faces tight with worry as holograms floated above them, showing stats and graphs. The air felt heavy, like a fight was about to break out.
Director Freya Navarro stood in the center, her voice sharp and strong. "We have another breach," she said, cutting through the low chatter. She pointed at the main screen, and a map of Mexico zoomed in on a quiet spot in Jalisco. "A sanctum portal opened near a village here."
She tapped her tablet, and ugly pictures flashed up: chupacabras with sharp teeth ripping into cows and dragging villagers into a glowing portal. "It's already killed livestock and people," Navarro said. "If we don't stop it, this thing's going to spread like wildfire. We'll have a monster outbreak in days."
The council muttered, staring at the awful images. Director Renier Malek leaned forward, his rough voice full of doubt. "So what's your big plan, Navarro? We're already running on empty. Every new portal makes it harder."
Navarro's eyes narrowed. "Doing nothing just makes them stronger," she said. "These creatures get smarter, tougher, and multiply. Waiting makes it a bigger mess. We need to act now."
Director Elias shifted in his chair, speaking calmly. "She's got a point," he said. "But our teams are exhausted. Rushing in could make things worse. We have to be smart about this, whole areas might fall apart. We should hold back, keep it under control, not try to wipe it out. Slow and steady might save us long-term."
Volkov frowned, his deep voice rumbling. "Control it how? With magic? We've stomped that out for years. Saying we can't handle this could cost us everything! Our power, our money, all of it."
Director Lin snapped back, her words quick and biting. "Sticking to old ways will sink us. These portals are magic. Science alone won't fix this."
Navarro's voice turned cold. "Speaking of magic, we've got trouble in Scotland."
The screen switched to a view of Doras Dagda, a busy settlement with strong walls and crowded streets. "Robert McCallum's project is moving fast," Navarro said. "If he keeps going, he'll be a problem for us soon. He's using these portals to make it happen."
Lin raised an eyebrow. "A problem? Or someone we could work with?"
Navarro's answer was short and firm. "He's teaming up with magical things, building his own strength. That's no friend. We think he's messing with portals to boost magic around Doras Dagda. He's not just fighting back, He's controlling them in ways we don't understand."
Volkov growled, "What's he after?"
Navarro shook her head. "We don't know yet. But if he gets too big, we're in trouble."
She hit a button, and the room got darker as pictures of Doras Dagda appeared. "This is Day 1," she said, showing a few huts sitting on dirt and grass. Then she flipped to "Day 2," and everyone gasped. In just one day, it was a full-blown city—tall buildings, shiny walls, all of it. "No workers, no machines," Navarro said. "It's like the place grew on its own overnight."
The council stared, caught between amazement and worry. "If McCallum's behind this," she went on, "he's got magic we can't touch. This isn't just local. It breaks every rule we know. We can't just watch him. We need to figure this out, quick."
Elias tapped the table, his voice steady. "Our new base near Doras Dagda is coming along," he said. "It's ahead of schedule, set up to keep an eye on McCallum and any weird stuff nearby. With some tweaks, it can handle trouble if we need it to—a solid spot to stand our ground."
Navarro's eyes flicked to him. "It's close to him," she said. "He's trashed our setups before."
Elias didn't blink. "It'll hold," he said. "And he won't see it coming. It's a smart move, keeps things even."
The council nodded, though some looked uneasy. Elias had a way of steering them, and it bugged Navarro. He was too smooth, too in control.
Lin spoke up, her voice urgent. "Control's not the issue. Surviving is. While we fuss over McCallum, portals are ripping everything apart. Jalisco's not alone. Greece has harpies and sirens hitting the coast. Egypt's got mummies walking out of the Nile, powered by dark magic. They're pulling from local legends, and it's on purpose."
Navarro nodded. "It's no fluke," she said. "McCallum might know something we don't. Ignoring him leaves us blind."
Lin leaned back, thinking. "So why not team up? He's handling this better than we are."
The room went quiet. Volkov's jaw clenched, saying nothing.
Navarro's voice tightened. "Team up? He's going against everything we're about."
"Or doing it better," Lin shot back. "Maybe he's worth talking to."
Navarro didn't budge. "And then there's Langston," she said. "Drones spotted him with McCallum. We fired him, and he knows our secrets. If he's talking, we're at risk. We need to know what he's spilled."
Volkov slammed the table, his voice booming. "Enough! No alliance talk now. Send small teams to Jalisco, Greece, Egypt—just to check things out. No fighting, no losses. Look for chances, but don't move without real info. Keep McCallum in sight, friend or not, we watch him."
The council agreed, though it felt forced. Elias's quiet control hung over them, and Navarro didn't like it. The screen moved to plans and maps, but the cracks were showing.
When the meeting ended, Navarro stayed behind, staring at Doras Dagda's image. Elias's hold on them felt like a trap, all careful moves and no action. McCallum was unpredictable, possibly dangerous... maybe useful. But Elias kept him at arm's length, and she wondered what he was really hiding.
She walked to her office, a little escape from the headquarters' cold vibe. Plants lined the walls, green and alive, softening the room. A colorful lamp in the corner threw warm light everywhere, a small fight against the gray. She sat down, hands clasped, staring at the glow as her mind raced. Why build a whole base just to watch McCallum?
That money could gear up teams to hit these portals hard. Were they more about stopping him than fixing the world? Her console beeped with a new report: Southwestern China Sanctum Breach. Another mess Elias's slow game ignored.
Miles away, a village in southwestern China was facing pure terror. A sanctum portal ripped open in the fields, its green-and-gold swirl twisting the air with bad energy.
Monsters spilled out in a rush. Dragons and spirits from old tales, but wrong and twisted. Their eyes glowed dark, and they moved like they knew exactly what they were doing. The air stank of sulfur and rot, heavy and choking. Crops shriveled up fast, and the river turned black and bubbly, killing fish that floated up dead and weird.
The villagers grabbed pitchforks and hoes, shouting into the dark. A mom held her crying kid, singing softly even as a dragon's claw scraped close. But their tools didn't do much. A farmer swung his shovel—it broke against a hound's tough skin, and the thing bit his arm off. He hit the ground, yelling. An old lady stabbed at a shadowy figure that laughed like her dead husband. It clawed her chest, and she was gone.
Huts fell apart as the creatures smashed through, no safe spot left. The portal kept pulsing, spitting out more monsters every time one went down. The ground shook, cracking open with sticky black stuff oozing out. Trees bent and grabbed at people, and the wind whispered names, tricking folks into stopping just long enough to get caught.
In the middle, an old man stood strong, blood on his face from a cut. "We can't fight this!" he yelled. "Run to the caves! Take the kids, tell our story! The world needs to know!" He looked at his granddaughter, dead next to her mom, both slashed by a dragon. A dad carried his boy, dodging a hound's teeth. A woman pulled her brother's body, crying but not letting go.
They ran for the caves, but the portal's light grew, eating up everything. The mountains stood there, no help at all, as the monsters chased them down.
Navarro shut the report, her teeth clenched. She leaned back, the lamp's colors flickering in her eyes, a small comfort against the awful truth. If this hit cities, would the Enclave just cover it up? She didn't trust them. To them, control mattered more than answers. Science could figure things out, but they used it to hide instead.
She remembered a project she'd fought for. Clean energy. That was killed off by the bosses for cash. Now magic got the same treatment, hated without even trying to understand it. Elias's excuses felt off.
Was he scared of losing his spot? Or was it something else?
They didn't get magic yet, but they could learn, maybe use it right. Why wouldn't he try? She thought of villages like China's, left to rot. The Enclave was strong, but could it save everyone? A tiny green flash blinked on her console, a hint of something bigger she couldn't quite grab.