Location: Damien's Private War Room – 4:17 AM, Tavara
The flickering light of Damien's command board reflected in his narrowed eyes. A holographic map of the TavTech HQ spun slowly, highlighting security breaches, biometric bypass points, and exit route projections.
All signs pointed to one unthinkable conclusion: the thief knew the building better than most of its architects.
Kaito stood at Damien's side, silent for once, his arms crossed. "Only a handful of people know about Project Phoenix. Whoever did this isn't just talented… they're one of us."
Damien's jaw tightened. "I already suspected that. But I never expected it to come this soon."
Juno entered with Ava, who had just woken up. The young girl looked shaken, but not afraid. She was clutching her camera like it was a sacred artifact.
"I tried to record their face," Ava said softly, "but I only got a part of it."
Damien knelt beside her, his tone gentle. "That was brave, Ava. Do you remember anything else? A sound? A smell?"
She nodded slowly. "They smelled like ozone and something… metallic. Like burned wires. And they whispered something when they saw me."
"What did they say?"
Ava frowned. "'Tell Damien his ghosts are waking up.'"
The room fell into stunned silence.
Kaito swore under his breath.
"That phrase," Damien muttered, standing up slowly, "isn't just a warning. It's a message."
Juno's eyes widened. "It's from Operation Requiem. The shadow program you shut down five years ago."
"No one outside the original council knew that phrase," Damien said, voice cold. "And all records were wiped. Or so I thought."
Kaito activated a secondary screen, pulling up encrypted personnel files. "Let's cross-reference past members involved in Requiem with anyone recently returned to Tavara."
A list populated. Several names turned red—deceased. A few remained gray—MIA. Then one name turned amber: Cassian Wolfe.
Damien stepped forward.
"Cassian was presumed dead during the Bangkok incident."
"Maybe presumed wrong," Kaito said.
Damien's gaze hardened. "He was a tactician. A manipulator. If he's back, this wasn't just theft. It was a declaration."
"And Project Phoenix?" Juno asked.
"It's not about the AI core anymore," Damien replied. "It's about leverage. Someone's trying to weaponize our future against us."
He turned to Elijah, who had just walked in, bruised and grim.
"Send a ghost beacon to our dormant agents. I want everyone in the shadows brought back online. We're activating contingency protocol: Midnight Net."
"And if Cassian really is alive?" Elijah asked.
Damien's eyes blazed with cold fury.
"Then we finish what we started. And this time, I bury him myself."