Location: Black Helix Transport Route – Tavara Border
The sky was still dark when Ghost Team moved into position. Damien stood at the head of the formation, donned in matte-black tactical gear, his eyes fixed on the valley below where the convoy would pass.
"Two armored trucks, flanked by two bikes. Satellite jammers deployed. No aerial surveillance," Vanessa briefed quietly through his earpiece.
Damien's voice was ice. "No mercy. Nora's life depends on this."
As the first truck approached the kill zone, he raised a clenched fist. The silence shattered in an instant—smoke grenades, spike traps, and silenced gunfire. Within moments, the entire convoy ground to a halt.
Damien descended like a phantom, kicking open the rear doors of the lead truck. Inside were cryo-pods—two of them empty, one still occupied.
A woman lay inside, unconscious.
Not Nora.
But her mother.
---
Location: Black Helix Control Bunker – Unknown Location
Far from the firefight, a dark figure observed the chaos on a flickering monitor. The man known only as Director Voss leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers.
"So... Damien's finally uncovered a thread."
An aide entered. "He's intercepted the convoy. We lost the asset."
Voss smirked. "We let him. He's retrieving pieces of a puzzle we designed. Let's see how long he takes to realize he's being played."
He tapped a button. On-screen, a live feed of Nora appeared—inside her estate's secret chamber, trembling as she read the files.
"She was always meant to wake up... and when she does, the world will burn."
---
Location: Damien's Mobile Command – Hours Later
The woman, pale and cold, was slowly regaining consciousness.
"She's still alive, but sedated," Selene said. "That pod kept her suspended for years."
Damien watched the monitor. "We need to know what she knows. And why they were transporting her now."
Vanessa entered with news. "Nora's estate has been compromised. No signs of her. We found signs of forced access to a hidden vault."
Damien's jaw tightened. "She knows something."
Selene's eyes narrowed. "You're not thinking she's—"
"No," Damien snapped. "But they're making her think she is."
---
Location: Abandoned Church – Tavara Outskirts
Nora stood beneath the shattered stained-glass window, her hands trembling.
The old priest's words echoed from her past: "You were chosen, my child—not by God, but by ghosts in high places."
She had always thought it was metaphor.
But now, the evidence was clear—Black Helix hadn't just created weapons. They had created legacies.
And she was one of them.
Tears stung her eyes. "Damien… what else don't I know?"
Behind her, a shadow moved. A voice spoke softly: "Everything you were is a lie. But the truth... is still worse."
---