Location: Damien's Underground Command Base – Tavara Capital
The war room was unusually silent. Monitors flickered, displaying real-time feeds from around the globe—shipping docks, private airstrips, luxury skyscrapers. Damien stood at the center, flanked by his inner circle: Lucas, Nora, Vanessa, and Colonel Reinhardt.
"She's dead," Damien stated, eyes locked on the glowing table map. "But her words weren't empty."
Reinhardt crossed his arms. "You think this isn't over?"
"No," Damien replied. "It's just beginning. Whoever's behind the Ash Widow is watching us, studying every move."
Nora stepped forward, placing a small chip onto the console. "Before she died, I scraped her visor's internal memory. Partial logs, encrypted locations."
Damien's brow lifted. "Show me."
The chip uploaded quickly. A holographic feed emerged, outlining coordinates across Tavara, South Korea, Cyprus, and a base deep in the Arctic sector.
Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Military-grade funding. We're dealing with a shadow faction."
Vanessa muttered, "One with access to sovereign zones."
Damien exhaled sharply. "Activate Storm Protocol."
Everyone in the room stiffened. Storm Protocol was a last-resort intelligence maneuver—one that pulled all assets into play, from mercenary informants to elite hackers and long-dormant spies.
"This is your call now?" Nora asked, quietly. "No second thoughts?"
"I'm done being on the defensive," Damien said. "Whoever they are… they came too close. Now, we draw them out."
---
Location: Private Bunker – Tavara Outskirts
Later That Night
The bunker door creaked open. A woman waited inside—slim, elegant, dangerous. Her eyes scanned Damien with a mix of suspicion and amusement.
"Damien Kane. Last I heard, you were dead."
"Not yet," he replied, stepping into the room. "And neither are your secrets, Selene."
Selene Zhara. Former top-tier operative for the European Covert Council. Retired. Disavowed. Dangerous.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"I want to know who they are," Damien said. "The people who trained the Ash Widow. Who funded the Temple Attacks. Who've been watching Nora's every step."
Selene raised an eyebrow. "That'll cost you."
Damien tossed a black satchel onto the table. "Two million. Front end."
She opened it, whistled. "Still fond of overkill, I see."
"Tell me what I need to know," Damien said, voice iron. "Or I'll start knocking down every shadow network until the truth bleeds out."
Selene's smirk faded. "You're not chasing shadows anymore, Kane. You're chasing ghosts."
---
Location: Nora's Penthouse – Tavara Capital
Midnight
Nora sat on the couch, legs tucked beneath her, the city's glow spilling in through the glass walls. She stared at the photo in her hand—her parents. Smiling. Innocent. Before the secrets.
She whispered, "What did you get involved in, Dad?"
Her phone buzzed. A message from Damien:
"They know who you are, Nora. Storm Protocol is live. Be ready."
She locked the screen, her eyes hardening.
"I've been ready all my life."