Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 494

Chapter 494

XENOIS

I stood in the ruins of what had been Silver Creek Academy’s main courtyard and tried to comprehend the scale of what had just

happened.

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Jerome had attacked a school. Had sent an army of supernatural creatures to assault a building full of children during the middle of a school day. Had orchestrated magical weather manipulation to create artificial twilight so nightwalkers could operate freely.

It was unconscionable. Beyond anything I’d imagined even Jerome would stoop to.

And if not for my seventeen-year-old stepbrother and three five-year-olds, the casualties would have been catastrophic.

‘Final count, Thorne reported, appearing beside me with a tablet displaying casualty assessments. Three adult deaths-Professor Chen, Security Officer Martinez, and Nurse Williams. All died protecting students during the initial assault. Seventeen wounded, four

critically but stable. No student fatalities.”

“No student fatalities,” I repeated, letting that sink in. “How is that possible? jerome sent dozens of attackers specifically targeting

children.

Because Shawn held the elementary building.” Thorne said simply. “And Riley coordinated defensive efforts with tactical precision we’d expect from experienced commanders. And Lake evacuated over two hundred students through improvised portal networks while simultaneously using dimensional gateways as weapons.”

He paused, looking at the scorched ground that marked where Shawn’s plasma blasts had eliminated entire groups of enemies.

“Your family is terrifying,” Thorne added. “In the best possible way. But genuinely terrifying.”

I couldn’t argue with that assessment.

I’d arrived expecting to find a massacre. Instead, I’d found my sons-my five-year-old sons-coordinating a multi-layered defense that had held against overwhelming odds. I’d found Shawn leading a group of high school students in organized combat operations. I’d found the mysterious Underground that Shawn had mentioned fighting openly to protect their classmates.

I’d found victory carved out through sheer desperate determination and abilities that shouldn’t have been possible for children to

wield so effectively.

‘Survivors from Jerome’s forces?” I asked.

“Twenty-three captured alive,” Thome reported. “Another forty-seven bodies being processed. Unknown number escaped when they realized the tide had turned. We’re tracking fleeing signatures but most have gone to ground in human populations where we can’t pursue

without risking exposure.”

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Chapter 494

“Twenty-three prisoners,’ I said. “That’s more than we’ve captured in all previous encounters combined.”

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“They weren’t expecting the level of resistance they faced, Thorne said. “Most of them were low-level operatives following orders. The tactical commanders all died or escaped-they had evacuation protocols that activated once the operation failed.”

Of course they did. Jerome would never risk his actual leadership being captured.

“Start interrogations immediately, I ordered. “I want to know everything-how they coordinated this attack, who provided intelligence about school schedules and layouts, what other targets Jerome is planning. Use whatever methods necessary.”

Thorne gave me a long look. “Whatever methods necessary?”

I knew what he was really asking. Was I authorizing torture again? Was I willing to cross that line a second time, so soon after the

first?

“Start with conventional interrogation,” I said carefully. “Offer deals, use psychological pressure, exploit any divisions in their loyalty to Jerome. But if that doesn’t produce results-yes. Whatever is necessary. He attacked children, Thorne. Our children specifically. I’m not

playing nice anymore.”

“Understood,” Thorne said, though I saw concern in his expression. The same concern Lynn had voiced after the last interrogation. Worry that I was sliding into brutality too easily, that the threshold for justified cruelty was getting lower each time.

Maybe he was right. But Jerome had forced my hand by attacking a school.

If he wanted to see how brutal I could become when my family was threatened, I’d show him.

Medical teams were still working through the wounded. I watched Lynn moving between patients, his healing abilities being pushed to their limits as he stabilized critical injuries. Lyn was there too, having come through the portal with Zade’s warriors, his gravity manipulation being used to carefully move wounded students without exacerbating injuries.

My parents had positioned themselves near the elementary building, both of them armed and alert for any follow-up attacks. They’d arrived expecting to fight and found the battle already won-but that hadn’t stopped them from immediately establishing defensive perimeters in case Jerome tried a second wave.

Lumina was still with the boys, all three of them clustered around her while she checked them for injuries with the kind of thorough maternal concern that wouldn’t accept “I’m fine as an adequate answer. I could see the exhaustion on all their faces, but they were alive.

Safe. Whole.

That’s what mattered.

Shawn was sitting apart from everyone else, his back against a wall, staring at his hands like he wasn’t quite sure what he’d done with them. The Underground members were gathered near him-eight teenagers who’d apparently been hiding supernatural identities for years and had finally fought openly.

I needed to talk to them. To understand what they’d done, who they were, why they’d felt the need to hide in my territory when I’d

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Chapter 494

specifically implemented reforms to make non-traditional pack members welcome.

But first, I needed to talk to Shawn.

I crossed the courtyard and sat down beside my stepbrother, who looked up with startled exhaustion.

“Hey,’ I said.

“Hey,” he echoed.

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