Sacrifice and Storm: The Last Web / Chapter 6: Victory and Mourning
Sacrifice and Storm: The Last Web

Sacrifice and Storm: The Last Web

Author: Nancy Payne


Chapter 6: Victory and Mourning

← Prev

All the officials kneel. The Governor lowers his eyes, looks skyward, and shouts, “Shoot down the Sage!”

---

Hayes, while no one’s watching, opens a wormhole in the floor and slips out of the warship. Traveling in his own tunnel, he notices something—an invisible airflow, visible as ripples along the walls. The so-called cosmic wind is a fluctuation in the Higgs field—usually syrupy, now moving fast.

Hayes is overjoyed, shouting silently, italics, The Sage is truly something, able to summon the cosmic wind—more than any tech.

Then he thinks, “No, he’s an astronomer. He used no machines—he must have seen the signs and timed the east wind. Brilliant!”

At the same time, the commander and chief of staff stand on the mothership, watching the fleet advance, full of confidence. A flagship captain bursts in, frantic. “Commander, bad news—a storm’s coming from the eastern sector!” Alarms blare, warning lights strobing.

“What storm?”

“Cosmic wind, speed thirteen knots, at NGC 850—fifteen minutes to impact.”

The chief panics, “Commander, we’ve been duped!”

“Don’t panic!” The commander tries to sound calm, but inside he’s reeling. “Call the experts—find a fix!” He curses under his breath, slamming the console.

“Too late, sir—we must retreat now.”

“Is this wind really that strong?” His voice thins, the words barely audible.

An expert explains, “The wind is invisible—ordinary matter isn’t affected. But if it hits a dense Higgs field, it creates massive drag, like a current catching a net.”

The chief rages, “Why didn’t astronomy report this?”

A trembling astronomer steps up, “We were about to report the expansion—wanted to run a probe. If we’d started earlier, we could’ve predicted it. But the commander didn’t want to hear—”

“Drag him out and execute him!”

The commander, still fuming, addresses the experts, “Whoever finds a fix lives. Otherwise, you’re all done.”

Silence. The flagship captain reports again, “Commander, the wind has hit. Should we order the fleet to retreat?”

“Retreat!”

At the edge of the cluster, ninety thousand ships scatter like ants, but it’s a layered trap. The sticky field locks them in place. A captain shouts, “Damn, we got combo’d!” The invisible web acts as a sail, bulging westward.

The ships strain, but can’t break free—instead, they’re stuck. Under the wind, the web acts like a sail, bulging westward. The fleet is slowly dragged to the center, about to be wrapped up—self-wrapped in a cocoon.

Ships collide, explosions light up the void, flames burning. Since the web is invisible, the destruction looks like a giant claw crushing them in an instant.

He stares, hollowed out, his legacy destroyed, stunned, until the chief shouts, “Commander, we have to go—the web’s coming!”

The commander watches, his legacy destroyed, numb, as a hollow ringing fills his ears. The chief grabs his arm, dragging him toward the escape pods. The dream is over.

---

Ironridge broadcasts the enemy’s defeat. The people cheer, the noise swelling. The Governor wipes away tears, feeling joy like never before. His weak knees, suddenly strong, carry him upright as he stares at the screen. A real, honest smile breaks across his face.

Hayes emerges from the wormhole, greets the cheers, and runs to the Governor, shouting, “Governor! Governor! I’m back!”

The Governor drops all reserve, runs forward, and they shake hands, hug, and check each other’s faces—Hayes’s beard is bushier, the Governor’s face thinner. Both burst into tears, grateful to be alive.

Then Hayes pulls away and asks, “Where’s the Star Sage?”

The Governor lowers his gaze, looking away, not daring to meet Hayes’s eyes. Hayes asks again, “Governor, where is he? I want to thank him myself.”

No one speaks, until a general in on the plan says, “The Sage was shot down by the guards—he died for us all.”

Hayes can’t believe it. He grabs an official’s collar and shouts, “Guards? Whose guards? Why shoot?”

He grabs more, but all are silent. Then he realizes, and looks at the Governor’s back, seeing stooped shoulders and older eyes—sensing he’s changed.

Days later, the enemy retreats for good. Ironridge celebrates, but the whole outpost mourns. The Governor climbs the altar, bows to the heavens, then, in tears, ascends the tower and writes a somber ‘Ode to the Outer Reaches.’ This battle will be remembered in the galaxy’s history because of the Supreme Sage. Coffee and sacrifice echo through the memorial, a motif for what’s been lost.

What the Star Sage meant by sacrificing a beloved general was, in truth, sacrificing himself—Colonel Hayes was saved, the Sage was lost.

The lesson lingers—sometimes, the greatest victory comes at the highest price. And somewhere, far beyond the edge of the Milky Way, the wind carries the memory of a Sage who saw the storm coming, and gave everything to turn its tide. In the darkness, a new vengeance stirs—one day, the Empire will remember this defeat.

This chapter is VIP-only. Activate membership to continue.
← Prev

You may also like

Stolen by the God of War
Stolen by the God of War
4.9
After the Leviathan King is slain by Jupiter, Sam the Sage and Eric Young are thrust into a divine war that threatens the Atlantic’s very soul. As gods and legends rise, betrayal and vengeance ignite a battle where loyalty, grief, and raw power will decide who rules the heavens—and who survives. One wrong move, and everything they love could be lost forever.
Washed Up in the Immortal Army
Washed Up in the Immortal Army
4.8
Ethan Summers clawed his way from a small-town prodigy to Immortal Realm legend—only to become a faceless soldier, just another number in Heaven’s endless wars. Betrayed by fate, forgotten by history, he wanders the cosmic battlefield, haunted by a love he can never claim and a home he can never return to. But when the broken and the damned cross his path, Ethan must decide: will he die a pawn, or finally seize the destiny the gods denied him?
Heaven’s Betrayal: I Killed the King
Heaven’s Betrayal: I Killed the King
4.9
Immortality was never a blessing—it was a curse that shattered the heavens and condemned gods and mortals alike. After a legendary betrayal, the Victorious Saint is forced to take up the mantle of a fallen friend and escort the enigmatic Reverend Thomas on a westward journey laced with lies, monsters, and the promise of eternal life. But when legends awaken and the sky itself begins to break, old debts and ancient secrets come calling: Who truly deserves to survive when the gods go mad with fear? As the line between savior and destroyer blurs, one stubborn monkey must decide if he’s a hero, a pawn, or just a memory the world can’t let go. If you could rewrite the fate of heaven—would you dare?
Sold to the Mountain Stranger
Sold to the Mountain Stranger
5.0
When Derek races against a deadly storm to save a missing boy, a ruthless ferry woman stands between him and the only shortcut up the mountain. With his father’s keepsake on the line and every second ticking down, Derek must choose between sacrifice and survival. Will his past haunt him, or will he defy fate and become the hero his family needs?
The Devouring Road: A Journey West
The Devouring Road: A Journey West
4.9
Samuel Brooks, orphaned and haunted by faith’s dark secrets, is swept into a harrowing journey across a post-apocalyptic America. Forced to wear the mantle of Father Ambrose, he witnesses the horrors of corrupted religion, the loss of innocence, and the transformation of hope into monstrous devotion. In the face of gods, angels, and despair, Samuel must choose between surrendering to fear or reclaiming his humanity, discovering that true salvation lies in courage, compassion, and the stubborn refusal to bow to terror.
They Came as Angels—Left Us in Ruins
They Came as Angels—Left Us in Ruins
4.8
Angels didn’t save us—they hunted us live on TV. When the world’s disasters matched the ancient plagues, millions clung to faith… until the day a winged being beheaded the Archbishop in front of the world. Now, cities burn, angels slaughter with holy fury, and humanity’s only hope is to run, hide, and fight back. Alex, an ordinary skeptic, is thrust into the chaos—surviving a near-fatal attack, fleeing a city in ruins, and joining up with battle-hardened soldiers as civilization unravels. As faith collapses and nations fall, new alliances flicker to life: resistance cells, broken armies, and a desperate hope for a miracle that isn’t coming from above. Can humanity unite against extinction—or will we turn on each other before the final angel falls?
Betrayed by Heaven, Bound by Blood
Betrayed by Heaven, Bound by Blood
4.7
Nate spent centuries fighting for a father who branded him a demon and a world that demanded his obedience. When his only friends—fellow outcasts Marcus and Derek—are forced into a rigged road trip across the realms, Nate faces the ultimate betrayal: his own ally sells him out to the gods. Now, with a stolen heirloom and a heart full of rage, Nate must choose—avenge his stolen childhood and destroy the heavenly order, or be crushed beneath the weight of family and fate forever.
He Blamed Me for the Drought
He Blamed Me for the Drought
4.9
Hope is a dangerous thing—especially when it’s dying. For three years, drought has scorched the Redwater River valley, and a timid rain spirit named Creek hides from desperate townsfolk who would do anything for a drop of water. But when a hustler preacher, a grieving President, and a crowd hungry for miracles all demand the impossible, Creek is dragged from the shadows and forced to answer for a world’s pain. Blamed for every withered crop and empty well, Creek faces impossible choices: betray his own kind, or betray the humans who mistake suffering for punishment. When hope turns to anger and ritual becomes a trap, Creek must decide what it means to be seen—not as a god, but as a person. Can a spirit survive when faith turns into fury, or is the only way out to become human after all?
Heatwave Reborn: Last Chance to Survive
Heatwave Reborn: Last Chance to Survive
4.7
In a blistering near-future city, Alex wakes up twelve hours before a catastrophic heatwave apocalypse, armed with memories from a failed timeline. Racing against time, he secures a hidden cold storage warehouse, stockpiles supplies, and cautiously joins forces with a fellow survivor—fighting to rewrite fate and survive the coming inferno.
When the Mob Came for Us
When the Mob Came for Us
4.9
Dylan Foster’s world collapses when his pregnant wife Savannah is driven to suicide by a cascade of tragedy: a staged accident, public shaming, and relentless online abuse. Battling grief, injustice, and the mob mentality of the internet, Dylan claws his way through heartbreak and rage to seek justice for his family. In the end, he exposes the true villains—scammers and influencers alike—risking everything to reclaim his life and honor Savannah’s memory.
Used Her Body to Save Myself
Used Her Body to Save Myself
4.9
When a broke, snarky swordfighter uses the school's golden girl as a human lightning rod to survive a deadly trial, she sets off a storm of online chaos and real-world consequences. As the internet trolls her every move and her own conscience gnaws at her, she must dodge furious coaches, sabotage rivals, and face the fallout with everything—her future, her friendships, and her dignity—on the line. In this cutthroat world, one wrong move could cost her everything, but she’s not about to back down.
Bone Lands: Salvation or Extinction?
Bone Lands: Salvation or Extinction?
4.9
Thomas Carver, a hardened survivor in a post-nuclear America, leads a desperate mission west through mutant wastelands, facing monsters, betrayal, and the limits of hope. As the fate of humanity hangs on a dying hero and a power source guarded by living legends, every sacrifice and every mile tests what it means to be human. Will salvation come before extinction claims them all?