Family system

Kael nodded at Amara's words; he scanned the rows of injured rebels in the medical tent. Despite the exhaustion in their faces, there was a will to fight in the air. They knew the odds and the sacrifices yet to come, but they were ready.

Kael stepped outside, his armor clinking faintly as he moved toward the command area.

Lysara stood at the center, commanding as she directed squads. She spotted Kael approaching and gestured for him to join her by the map.

"How are the demolitions squads looking?" Kael asked as he reached her side.

"Ready," Lysara replied, tapping the eastern edge of the barracks on the map. "They know the plan. We'll breach here and push through to the secondary conduit. If we can sever that, their constructs will fall."

Kael nodded. "What about the north?"

"I've sent the reinforcements to hold that line. It'll distract the Arbiter's troops while we make the main push. Amara's keeping the injured stable, and Lira will support us when we reach the conduit."

Kael's jaw tightened. "And how is the morale?"

Lysara gave him a wry smile. "See for yourself."

Kael turned to the gathered rebels, his voice cutting through the sound of activity. "Everyone, listen up!"

The camp fell silent, all eyes turning to him.

"I know you're tired. I know you're angry. And I know you've lost friends—family—along the way. But today, we take another step toward making their sacrifices matter. The Arbiters think we're beaten. They're drunk on their arrogance, blind to what we've built here. And that's their mistake."

He paused, letting the words sink in.

"They've underestimated us. They don't know the fire burning in each of you, the strength we've forged through loss and struggle. Today, we show them. Today, we hit them harder than ever before. We breach their walls, cut their power, and reclaim what they stole from us. Not just for ourselves but for everyone who can't fight beside us."

A cheer erupted, raw and fierce, echoing across the camp. Lysara stepped forward next to Kael as she yelled out.

"We are the resistance! We don't just fight to survive—we fight to win! Ready your blades, steady your hearts, and remember: the Arbiters' greatest strength is their belief that they are untouchable. Let's remind them they're wrong."

The rebels roared again, and their energy was overwhelming. Kael glanced at Lysara, and a rare smile appeared on both their faces.

As dawn broke, the rebels gathered at their positions. The demolition squads moved silently in the dark, carrying the charges they would plant near the eastern barrier. Scouts kept giving updates on the barracks' defenses and confirming that the constructions patrolling the perimeter hadn't increased.

While stationed at the medical outpost near the forward line, Amara finished tending to a soldier's arm before addressing Kael as he approached.

"We're as ready as we'll ever be," she said, wiping her hands on a cloth.

Kael nodded. "You'll stay here?"

Amara gave him a look. "I'll stay where I'm needed. Right now, that's here. But don't think I won't come running if things get bad."

"Good," Kael replied. "Keep the injured alive. We'll need every hand we can get."

Amara grinned faintly. "Don't worry. I'll be ready."
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Kael turned to Lira, seated nearby. Her hands glowed faintly with golden light as she meditated, and she opened her eyes as he approached.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

Lira gave him a tired but determined smile. "Always. Just don't make me carry the whole fight again."

Kael smirked. "No promises."

When the signal came, the rebels moved fast as planned. The demolition squads sprinted towards the eastern barrier, their movements silent through the shadows. The rest of the forces waited in position, weapons drawn and breaths held.

Kael, Lysara, and a core group of fighters stood at the front, their eyes fixed on the distant barracks. The shimmering barrier glowed faintly.

A distant explosion shattered the silence as the charges detonated, and a section of the eastern wall crumbled. The rebels moved forward, their battle cries cutting through the smoke and chaos. Constructs emerged from within the barracks, their forms glowing as they moved to intercept the rebels.

Kael's blade flashed as he engaged the first wave, his strikes targeting their weak points. Lysara fought beside him, her twin blades spinning in beautiful arcs. The rebels pressed forward on the constructs, and now, with enough energy to fight, they could exert more pressure than the day before.

Amara's healing light reached the wounded even in the heat of battle, her power flowing through the ranks and keeping them on their feet. Lira, positioned near the conduit, channeled her energy into powering up the rebels, her golden aura pulsing with each surge.

The battlefield erupted into chaos as the rebels charged through the broken barrier. Smoke and dust filled the air, hiding the glowing constructs that emerged from the barracks. The clang of metal on crystal resounded as the rebels met their enemies head-on.

Kael took the lead with his blade slicing through the crystalline form of a construct. He dodged a retaliatory strike, rolling to his feet and delivering a slash that severed the construct's glowing core. Sparks erupted from the impact, and the construct collapsed into shards.

"Hold the line!" Kael yelled out. He spun and deflected a strike from another construct. This one was larger, and its limbs glowed brighter as it swung a massive hammer. Kael barely avoided the blow, the ground cracking under the force.

"Lysara!" he called out.

"I see it!" Lysara darted forward, her twin blades flashing in the dim light. She attacked with fluid movement and was targeting the joints. Her first strike weakened its leg, and her second severed the limb entirely. The construct stumbled, but before it could recover, Kael's blade found its core, shattering it.

More constructs poured from the barracks. Some were smaller and faster, moving among the rebels with razor-sharp limbs, while others were massive and slow, their heavy strikes devastating anything they hit.

One of the larger constructs moved toward a group of rebels struggling to hold their ground. Amara, who stood at the rear, noticed the danger. Her hands glowed brighter as she called out to them.

"Hold on!" she shouted, sending a wave of healing energy toward the injured fighters. When the energy hit, the rebels stood taller, their wounds closing and their strength returning. They rallied and launched a counterattack, their weapons finding weak points in the construct's crystalline form.

Lira's golden aura flickered near the conduit as she maintained her focus. Her power surged through the rebels, enhancing their strength and fortifying their defenses. But the strain was as clear as day. Sweat fell from her forehead, and her breathing grew heavier.

A squad of constructs broke through the front lines, heading straight for her position. "Lira! Incoming!" one of the rebels shouted, but she had already seen them.

"I've got this," she muttered, raising her hands. The golden light around her flared, forming a barrier that blocked the constructs' advance. They battered against it, their glowing limbs striking with force. Lira winced, the strain visible on her face, but she held firm.

One of the constructs leaped over the barrier, its claws aimed at Lira. Before it could strike, a spear impaled it in mid-air. Lysara, blood streaking her face from a shallow cut, landed beside Lira. "You need to focus on the conduit. Let me handle them."

"Thanks," Lira replied, her voice strained. She redoubled her efforts, channeling more energy into the rebels.

Kael faced off against one of the largest constructs yet. It was a towering figure with four arms, each wielding a glowing blade. It moved with terrifying speed, its strikes forcing him on the defensive. He deflected one blade to dodge another from a different angle narrowly.

"Kael, move!" Amara's voice rang out. A burst of healing light hit him, numbing the pain from a gash on his arm. Kael parried a third strike with some new energy and leaped onto the construct's back. Driving his blade into its shoulder joint, he severed one of its arms. The construct roared, spinning wildly to shake him off.

Lysara appeared behind it, her blades cutting into its legs. Together, they brought it to its knees before Kael drove his weapon into its core, shattering it.

Elsewhere, the demolition squad reached the secondary conduit. Explosions rang out as charges detonated, sending debris flying. The rebels cheered as the glowing lines feeding mana to the constructs began to flicker and fade.

The constructs weakened their movements slowly. Sensing that victory was nearby, the rebels pressed their advantage.

The rebels moved forward. Kael led the charge, his blade blurting as he took down another construct. This one was slower, its movements jerky as the mana loss disrupted its coordination. He ducked under a swing from its arm and drove his blade upward, piercing its core. It shattered in a burst of light and shards, collapsing into a heap at his feet.

"Push forward!" Kael shouted, his voice hoarse but commanding. "Don't let up!"

Lysara fought with unmatched precision; her twin blades a deadly dance of steel. She moved like a shadow, weaving through the constructs and targeting their cores. She briefly locked eyes with Kael, nodding toward the barracks. "The conduit room is ahead! We're close!"