The wind howled through the Alpine peaks, carrying with it a biting cold that cut through the night. High above the valley floor, nestled in the rugged landscape, was the Black Phoenix facility—a fortress of steel and stone, hidden from the world by both nature and design. It was the heart of their operations, the place where The Architect orchestrated the web of corruption and chaos that spanned the globe.
Sophia's team had arrived in the dead of night, moving under the cover of darkness to avoid detection. The journey through the mountains had been treacherous, but they had made it to their staging area—a small, snow-covered ridge overlooking the facility. From this vantage point, they could see the compound, its perimeter lit by harsh floodlights and patrolled by armed guards.
