Jiang Han felt a sharp jolt of clarity course through his mind.
The real target is us.
The Architects didn't just want to sow chaos in Seladang City. They wanted to cripple the only force standing in their way—the Aegis Sentinel Corps itself.
And now, they had planted a bomb inside their headquarters.
---
Jiang pushed himself upright, wincing as pain flared in his ribs. Mikhail Darmawan immediately stepped forward, forcing him back down.
"You are not running off into danger again," Mikhail snapped.
Jiang shot him a glare. "We don't have time for this."
Sophia Liew's fingers flew over the keyboard. "If they've planted explosives inside HQ, we're in immediate danger. I'm scanning all security feeds for any anomalies."
Adrian Yong's voice was sharp. "If they wanted to hit us, they wouldn't just leave a bomb in an obvious place. It's hidden—probably in a critical infrastructure point."
Sophia's screen flashed red. "Shit."
She turned the display toward the group. A maintenance hatch in the lower levels had been accessed two days ago—by someone using forged security credentials.
Jiang's heart pounded. "That's where they put it."
Colonel Yusof's voice cut through the tension. "We're evacuating non-essential personnel. Adrian, Mikhail, Elisa—you're with me. We find that bomb and defuse it."
Jiang clenched his fists. "I'm coming too."
Mikhail groaned. "Han—"
Jiang's voice left no room for argument. "I am coming."
Mikhail sighed. "Fine. But if you die, I'm killing you."
---
The team moved swiftly through the underground corridors of Aegis Sentinel Corps headquarters. The lower levels housed power generators, data servers, and critical infrastructure—a perfect place to plant an explosive.
Adrian scanned the blueprint on his tablet. "The maintenance hatch leads to the central power core. If they take that out, the entire HQ goes dark."
Mikhail's expression was grim. "And if the explosion is strong enough, we could be buried alive."
Jiang ignored the sharp pain in his ribs as they reached the hatch. Colonel Yusof gestured for silence, then signalled Marcus Tan, who was stationed behind them.
Marcus nodded and pulled out a thermal scanner. "There's something behind this wall."
Jiang exhaled slowly. "Open it."
Mikhail and Elisa worked quickly, removing the panel.
What lay behind it made everyone freeze.
---
A military-grade explosive device was rigged to the main power core.
But it wasn't just one bomb.
It was three, wired together in a sophisticated detonation network.
Sophia's voice crackled through the comms. "Tell me what you see."
Adrian crouched, examining the wiring. "It's not just a bomb. It's a remote-triggered chain detonation."
Colonel Yusof's expression darkened. "Can we disable it?"
Adrian's fingers hovered over the wires. "I need a minute."
Jiang's mind was already calculating. "They wouldn't have left this unguarded."
Mikhail stiffened. "Then where the hell are they?"
The answer came a second too late.
Gunfire erupted from the corridor behind them.
---
A squad of masked operatives stormed into the underground level, rifles aimed with deadly precision.
Jiang shoved Sophia's tablet aside just as bullets ripped through the air, barely missing them.
Colonel Yusof shouted, "Cover Adrian! He's the only one who can disarm the bomb!"
Mikhail and Elisa returned fire, ducking behind the metal storage racks. Marcus flanked left, taking out one of the intruders with a single headshot.
Jiang, despite the pain still lingering in his body, grabbed a sidearm from a fallen enemy and fired two precise shots, hitting another operative in the leg.
Adrian, his hands steady, continued working on the bomb. "I need more time!"
Sophia's voice came through the earpiece. "Reinforcements are on the way!"
Jiang grit his teeth. "They won't get here fast enough."
One of the enemy operatives lunged at Adrian with a combat knife.
Before he could reach him—
BANG!
Jiang fired, hitting the attacker right in the chest.
Blood splattered onto the floor as the man collapsed.
Mikhail exhaled. "Not bad for someone who was supposed to be resting."
Jiang smirked despite himself. "Not bad for someone who was supposed to cover Adrian."
Adrian, ignoring them, cut the final wire.
The bomb's countdown stopped.
00:02:03 → 00:00:00
A breath of relief rippled through the team.
But before they could celebrate—
The remaining enemy operatives threw flash grenades into the room and vanished into the smoke.
When the light faded, they were gone.
---
As the smoke cleared, Jiang surveyed the damage. They had disarmed the bomb, but they had lost their attackers—and their chance for answers.
Colonel Yusof exhaled heavily. "Secure the area. We're locking down the entire facility."
Sophia, who had rushed down from the command centre, approached them. "I traced the signal they used for the remote detonation. It was relayed through a proxy server in the Grand Pavilion."
Jiang's eyes sharpened. "Celeste Moreau."
Adrian nodded grimly. "She was always one step ahead. Until now."
Mikhail crossed his arms. "Then it's time we catch up."
Colonel Yusof's voice was cold. "No. It's time we end this."
---
In a dimly lit penthouse overlooking the skyline, Celeste Moreau leaned back in her chair, sipping a glass of wine.
A masked figure stood before her. "They disarmed the device."
Celeste smirked. "I expected as much."
The figure hesitated. "Then why—"
Celeste waved a hand. "Because now they're chasing us instead of the truth."
She turned toward the city, watching the lights flicker in the distance.
"Tell the others," she murmured.
"It's time for Phase Three."
---
The tension in the war room was suffocating. The bomb had been defused, but no one was celebrating.
Jiang Han sat at the briefing table, exhaustion evident in the lines of his face, but his mind was sharp as ever. The Architects had made their move. They had infiltrated Aegis Sentinel Corps headquarters. That wasn't just an attack—it was a message.
Colonel Yusof's voice was firm. "They're not running. They're baiting us."
Mikhail Darmawan scowled. "Then let's take the bait. End this before they make another move."
Sophia Liew shook her head. "We can't rush this. Celeste Moreau is too smart to let us find her easily. If we charge in blind, we play right into her hands."
Jiang exhaled slowly. "She wants us distracted. That's why she staged the bomb attack. We need to figure out what she's really after."
Adrian Yong leaned forward. "The signal that triggered the bomb came from the Grand Pavilion. If Celeste is still there, she won't stay for long."
Jiang met Colonel Yusof's gaze. "Then we move now."
Yusof nodded. "I'll deploy recon teams immediately."
Sophia's voice was quiet but firm. "And if this is another trap?"
Jiang's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes dark with determination. "Then we spring it."
---
Celeste Moreau watched the city from her penthouse window, sipping her wine. The bomb had been neutralised, but it didn't matter.
The real game had just begun.
She turned to her masked associate. "Contact our sleeper agents. Activate Phase Three."
A slow smile spread across her lips.
"Let's see how far Jiang Han is willing to go."
---
To Be Continued…