The explosion of light shot into the sky like a nuclear bomb made of pure energy.
Every shadow demon scread and dissolved. The black sky turned brilliant white. And the light kept expanding.
"It’s too bright!" Luna yelled, covering her eyes.
"I can’t control it!" baby Sage cried, his truth-sight blazing out of control.
"Neither can I!" baby Blaze added, orange flas erupting from his tiny body.
The sanctuary walls exploded outward at the speed of light. The energy wave swept across the entire state. Then the entire country. Within seconds, it circled the globe.
"What have we done?" Phoenix whispered.
Every human on Earth saw the flash.
Every satellite captured it.
Every cara recorded it.
"The whole world just witnessed magic," Dr. Webb said in horror.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Ergency sirens started wailing. Military helicopters appeared on the horizon. News vans raced up the forest road.
"They’re coming," Kane growled, his wolf senses detecting approaching vehicles.
"Who’s coming?" Lydia asked, clutching her babies protectively.
"Everyone," Timothy said grimly, watching the sky fill with aircraft. "Military. Governnt. Scientists. dia."
The first helicopter landed in the clearing. Soldiers in black uniforms jumped out, weapons raised.
"FREEZE! NOBODY MOVE!" their leader shouted through a gaphone.
"This is General Morrison, Departnt of Supernatural Affairs!" the man continued. "We know what you are!"
"Departnt of what now?" Ronan asked.
"They’ve been watching us," Frost realized, her ice powers creating defensive barriers.
More helicopters arrived. Then trucks. Then news vans with satellite dishes.
"LIVE FROM THE SUPERNATURAL INCIDENT SITE!" a reporter yelled into her cara. "THIS IS CHANNEL 7 NEWS!"
"Turn that off!" General Morrison barked at his soldiers.
But it was too late. The caras were already rolling. Broadcasting live to the entire world.
"Ladies and gentlen," the reporter continued breathlessly, "we’re witnessing what appears to be actual magic!"
Baby Sage tried to dim his glowing eyes. Baby Blaze attempted to stop his flas. But their powers were still out of control from the massive energy release.
"The children can’t hide it," Seraphina said urgently.
"ATTENTION SUPERNATURAL BEINGS!" General Morrison’s voice bood. "YOU ARE SURROUNDED! SURRENDER IMDIATELY!"
"How did they find us so fast?" Darian demanded.
Dr. Webb pulled out a strange device from his pocket. It was beeping rapidly.
"Marcus," he said quietly. "This is a tracking beacon. You’ve been carrying it this whole ti."
Everyone stared at Dr. Webb in shock.
"You led them here?" Kael snarled.
"I didn’t know!" Dr. Webb protested. "Soone must have planted it when I was unconscious!"
"Who?" Elara demanded.
Dr. Webb’s mother stepped forward, tears streaming down her face.
"I did," she whispered.
Stunned silence.
"Mom?" Dr. Webb gasped.
"They threatened to kill you," she sobbed. "The governnt agents said if I didn’t help them track supernatural activity, they’d execute you for practicing illegal dicine."
"You betrayed us," Luna said, her silver eyes blazing with hurt.
"I was trying to protect my son!" the old woman cried.
"By dooming our children!" Phoenix shot back, golden power flaring angrily.
"I’m sorry!" she wailed. "I’m so sorry!"
But apologies couldn’t fix what was happening.
More vehicles arrived every minute. Military trucks. Governnt sedans. dia vans. Even helicopters with international logos.
"The whole world is watching," Timothy said in dismay.
On every screen visible through the news van windows, their faces were broadcasting live. The babies’ glowing eyes. Luna’s silver power. Phoenix’s golden light.
"BREAKING NEWS!" another reporter shouted. "SUPERNATURAL CHILDREN CONFIRD REAL!"
"MAGIC EXISTS!" scread a third journalist.
"WEREWOLVES AND VAMPIRES AMONG US!" yelled a fourth.
Kane shifted nervously. "This is bad. Really bad."
"Understatent of the century," Seraphina muttered.
General Morrison stepped closer, his weapon trained on the babies.
"You children will co with us for testing," he announced coldly.
"Over our dead bodies," all four parents said simultaneously.
"That can be arranged," the General replied without emotion.
Red laser dots appeared on everyone’s chests. Sniper rifles.
"You’re threatening babies," Elara said in disbelief.
"We’re containing dangerous weapons," Morrison corrected.
"They’re children!" Lydia scread.
"They’re anomalies," Morrison shot back. "Threats to national security."
Baby Sage’s truth-sight suddenly blazed brighter.
"He’s lying," Sage announced clearly. "They don’t want to test us."
"What do they want?" baby Blaze asked his brother.
"They want to use us," Sage replied grimly. "As weapons."
Morrison’s face twitched. "Smart kid. Too smart."
"You planned this," Darian realized. "The tracking device. The public exposure. All of it."
"Of course we did," Morrison said smugly. "We’ve been monitoring supernatural activity for decades. Waiting for subjects powerful enough to be useful."
"Useful for what?" Kael demanded.
"War," Morrison replied simply. "Do you have any idea what weapons these children could beco? The enemies we could defeat?"
"They’re babies!" Ronan roared.
"They’re resources," Morrison corrected coldly.
Around the world, people were watching this conversation live on television. Social dia exploded with reactions.
#SaveTheSupernaturalChildren started trending.
#MagicIsReal broke the internet.
#ProtectTheBabies beca a worldwide movent.
But the governnt didn’t care about public opinion.
"Load them up," Morrison ordered his soldiers. "All of them."
"Wait," baby Sage said suddenly. "Look at the caras."
Everyone turned. The news caras were still rolling. Broadcasting everything live.
"The whole world just heard you admit to kidnapping children for weapons," Phoenix pointed out.
Morrison’s face went pale. "Turn off those caras! NOW!"
But the reporters refused.
"This is breaking news!" one shouted. "The public has a right to know!"
"You’re under arrest for threatening children!" another added.
The soldiers looked confused. Half of them lowered their weapons.
"Sir," one soldier said hesitantly, "maybe we should reconsider..."
"FOLLOW ORDERS!" Morrison scread.
But sothing else was happening.
Cars were pulling up. Regular cars with regular people inside. Humans who had been watching the live broadcast.
"Leave those children alone!" a woman yelled, getting out of her car.
"They’re just babies!" a man added, joining her.
More people arrived. Dozens. Then hundreds.
"The humans are protecting us," Luna whispered in amazent.
"So of them," Phoenix corrected, watching other people arrive with signs reading "SUPERNATURAL THREAT" and "MAGIC IS EVIL."
The crowd was dividing. Half wanted to protect the supernatural children. Half wanted them gone.
"This is about to beco a riot," Kane observed grimly.
"Sir!" a soldier called to Morrison. "We’re getting orders from Washington. Stand down imdiately."
"What?" Morrison snarled.
"The President wants to speak with the supernatural children personally," the soldier continued. "No weapons. No threats. Diplomatic contact only."
Morrison’s face turned purple with rage.
"You’re making a mistake," he hissed. "These creatures will destroy everything."
"The only creature I see destroying anything is you," Elara said coldly.
But baby Sage was looking worried again.
"What is it?" Darian asked.
"The President," Sage whispered. "She’s not coming here to talk."
"What’s she coming for?" baby Blaze asked nervously.
Sage’s truth-sight showed him a vision that made his tiny face go white with terror.
"She’s bringing the Enhanced Human Project," he said quietly.
"What’s that?" everyone asked.
"Humans with artificial supernatural powers," Sage explained. "They’ve been experinting for years. Creating human-werewolf hybrids. Human-vampire combinations. Human-witch crossbreeds."
"Impossible," Timothy breathed.
"Not impossible," Morrison said with an evil smile. "Just classified. Until now."
The sky filled with new helicopters. These were different. Bigger. More heavily ard.
And when they landed, the beings that stepped out weren’t fully human anymore.
"et the future," Morrison announced proudly. "Enhanced humans designed specifically to capture supernatural children."
The enhanced soldiers had glowing eyes like werewolves, fangs like vampires, and magic crackling around their hands like witches.
But they moved like machines. Cold. Emotionless. Programd.
"They can’t feel love," baby Sage realized in horror.
"Or compassion," baby Blaze added.
"Or fear," Phoenix said grimly.
"Which ans they can’t be reasoned with," Luna concluded.
The enhanced soldiers raised weapons that humd with supernatural energy.
"Surrender the children," their leader commanded in a voice like grinding tal.
"Never," Elara said firmly.
"Then you will all be terminated," the enhanced soldier replied.
"Wait!" a new voice called out.
A black limousine pulled up. The President of the United States stepped out.
But when she looked at the supernatural children, her eyes weren’t human either.
They were silver. Just like Luna’s.
"Hello, granddaughter," the President said to Luna with a cold smile.
Luna’s silver eyes went wide with shock.
"That’s impossible," she whispered.
"Is it?" the President asked. "Did you really think you were the only supernatural bloodline in the governnt?"
The truth hit everyone like a lightning bolt.
The President wasn’t human.
She was supernatural.
And she’d been hunting her own kind for decades.
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