The facility was plunged into an eerie silence after the mysterious voice echoed through the comms. The hum of power flickered back on, but the lights stayed dim, casting long shadows across the room. Evelyn Carter, usually composed and arrogant, now stood frozen, her eyes darting between the malfunctioning console and the darkness around her.
Sana tightened her grip on her weapon. Her chest heaved from the adrenaline of the previous battle, but now a new fear crept in. "Rylan," she called through her earpiece, her voice low and urgent. "Who is this? What's going on?"
"I'm still figuring it out," Rylan replied, his tone equally tense. "The system… it's not responding to anything I do. Someone has locked us out completely."
"That's impossible!" Evelyn suddenly snapped, her voice laced with panic. "I built this system. No one could override it without my access."
"And yet, here we are," Sana retorted, stepping closer. "Whoever that is, they've outplayed you."
The mysterious voice returned, smooth and unhurried. "Oh, Evelyn, you underestimated the scope of my reach. You thought you were the mastermind, but in truth, you've always been just a pawn."
Sana's mind raced as she analyzed the situation. The voice sounded male, calm, and unnervingly familiar. "Who are you?" she demanded, scanning the room for any sign of movement.
"I have many names," the voice replied. "But for now, call me… Orion."
The name sent a chill down Sana's spine. Orion was a myth in their world—an elusive figure rumored to manipulate global events from the shadows. No one knew if he was a single person or a collective, but his influence was undeniable.
Evelyn's face twisted with a mix of rage and fear. "You're lying. Orion is nothing but a myth."
The voice chuckled, the sound reverberating ominously. "Is that what you told yourself to sleep at night, Evelyn? You've been working for me this entire time. Every plan you thought was yours was part of my grand design."
"No," Evelyn whispered, taking a step back. Her confidence cracked like glass under pressure. "That can't be true."
Sana took a calculated step forward, her eyes locked on Evelyn. "Looks like you were as much of a puppet as everyone else."
Before Evelyn could respond, the room's screens lit up again, displaying data streams and encrypted codes. Rylan's voice came through Sana's earpiece. "I'm tracing the signal. Whoever Orion is, they're using a remote server that's bouncing between multiple locations. It's like chasing a ghost."
"Then stop chasing," Sana said. "We need answers, not dead ends."
Rylan grunted in frustration. "Working on it."
Evelyn suddenly lunged for the console, her fingers flying over the keys. "If I can regain control"
Sana aimed her gun at Evelyn. "Step away. Now."
"You don't understand!" Evelyn snapped. "If Orion is real, then he's more dangerous than anything you've faced so far. Stopping him requires me."
"And trusting you requires a lobotomy," Sana shot back. "Move."
The voice cut through the tension again. "Ah, I see the cracks forming in your fragile alliance. How predictable."
Sana gritted her teeth. "What do you want, Orion?"
"Want?" the voice mused. "I already have what I need: control of the most advanced global network ever created. Thanks to Evelyn, the pieces fell perfectly into place. Now, I'm offering you a choice."
Sana's heart pounded. "What choice?"
"Join me," Orion said simply. "You're resourceful, intelligent, and unyielding. Those are qualities I admire. Together, we could reshape the world."
Evelyn laughed bitterly. "Don't fall for it. He'll discard you the moment you're no longer useful."
Sana ignored her, focusing on Orion's words. "And if I refuse?"
"Then you'll be erased," Orion replied, his tone devoid of emotion. "Not just you, but everyone connected to you. This is bigger than your personal vendettas, Sana. This is evolution."
Rylan's voice interrupted the tense moment. "Sana, I've got something. Orion's signal isn't just bouncing it's anchored somewhere. It's coming from a facility in the Alps."
"Can you lock it down?" Sana asked, her gaze darting between Evelyn and the screens.
"I can try, but he's got layers of encryption. It'll take time."
"Time we don't have," she muttered. Turning to Evelyn, she added, "What else do you know about Orion?"
Evelyn hesitated, then sighed. "He's a strategist, always ten steps ahead. If Rylan traced his location, it's because Orion wanted him to."
"Then why reveal himself now?" Sana pressed.
"Because he's setting a trap," Evelyn admitted. "For all of us."
Suddenly, the room shook violently. The floor beneath them trembled as explosions echoed from deeper within the facility. Orion's voice returned, calm despite the chaos.
"It seems our time is up," he said. "This facility has served its purpose. Consider this a parting gift."
"What did you do?" Sana yelled, struggling to maintain her balance.
"I'm purging the site," Orion explained. "You have five minutes before it collapses entirely. Good luck."
The connection cut, leaving only the sound of blaring alarms.
"We need to move!" Rylan shouted through the comms. "I'm pulling the team out now."
Sana grabbed Evelyn's arm. "You're coming with me."
"Why?" Evelyn asked, her voice laced with disdain. "You don't trust me."
"No, but I need you alive," Sana replied sharply. "You're the only one who knows how Orion thinks."
The two women sprinted through the crumbling corridors, dodging falling debris and bursts of fire. Rylan guided them through the comms, directing them to the nearest exit.
As they neared the surface, Evelyn stumbled. Sana hesitated, then pulled her to her feet. "I'm not leaving you behind."
"Why?" Evelyn asked again, her voice cracking.
"Because I'm not like you," Sana said firmly. "I don't abandon people."
They burst out onto the ice just as the facility collapsed behind them, sending up a plume of snow and smoke. The team's helicopter hovered nearby, and Rylan waved them over.
But before they could reach it, a second explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet. The ice cracked, forming a jagged chasm that separated Sana and Evelyn from the helicopter.
"Jump!" Rylan yelled.
Sana prepared to leap, but Evelyn grabbed her arm. "You still don't understand," she said urgently. "Orion won't stop. He's already won."
"Not yet," Sana replied, shaking her off. She jumped, catching the edge of the helicopter's skid. Rylan and another teammate pulled her up.
As the helicopter ascended, Evelyn remained on the other side of the chasm, her expression unreadable.
"What about her?" Rylan asked.
Sana hesitated, her gaze locked on Evelyn. But before she could respond, a figure emerged from the shadows behind Evelyn.
It was Lucien, battered but alive, holding a weapon aimed at Evelyn's back.
The helicopter rose higher, the scene below growing smaller. Sana's fists clenched as Lucien's words echoed faintly through the icy air:
"Orion sends his regards."
The sound of a gunshot shattered the stillness.
To be continued...