The safe house buzzed with tense energy as the team prepared for their separate missions. The battle against Alaric wasn't over—it had only evolved.
Sebastian and Dominic would head into the underworld, tracking Alaric's suppliers to find any trace of Project Ascension. Meanwhile, Chloe and Marcus would dig deeper into the stolen data, racing against time to uncover the facility's location before it was too late.
And then there was Claudia—the unexpected wildcard. Could she be trusted?
The clock was ticking, and every decision mattered.
Sebastian & Dominic – Into the Underworld
The streets of Bucharest were slick with rain, neon lights reflecting off the wet pavement. Sebastian and Dominic moved with purpose, their presence blending into the crowd of late-night wanderers and black-market dealers.
Their target was Vladislav Grekov, a weapons trafficker with deep connections to Alaric's network. If anyone knew where Alaric was hiding, it was him.
They found him in a dimly lit club, surrounded by muscle. A blonde woman draped over his arm whispered something in his ear before he waved her away. He had the air of a man who believed himself untouchable.
Sebastian approached, sliding into the booth across from him. Dominic stayed close, eyes scanning for any threats.
"Grekov," Sebastian said smoothly. "We need to talk."
Grekov smirked. "And who might you be?"
Sebastian leaned forward, lowering his voice. "The people who just burned Alaric's favorite facility to the ground."
The smirk vanished.
Grekov's men shifted, their hands hovering near weapons. Dominic tensed, ready to move.
"I don't deal with ghosts," Grekov said. "And you should be dead."
Sebastian chuckled. "Disappointed?"
Grekov's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"
Sebastian slid a photo across the table—an image of a shipment manifest tied to Project Ascension. "Tell us where this went."
Grekov hesitated, then grinned. "You're in luck. I don't work for Alaric anymore."
Dominic snorted. "Convenient."
Grekov leaned back. "Believe what you want, but he's burning bridges. He's getting desperate, making enemies. The shipment you're looking for? It went to a remote location near the Carpathian Mountains. Underground facility, high security."
Sebastian studied him. "You wouldn't give this up unless you had something to gain. What's your angle?"
Grekov smiled. "Let's just say I prefer to be on the winning side. Alaric's empire is crumbling. When you kill him, do me a favor—make it painful."
Sebastian and Dominic exchanged a glance. It wasn't much, but it was a lead. And it was more than they had before.
As they left the club, Dominic muttered, "Think we can trust him?"
Sebastian smirked. "No. But we don't need to. We just need to get there first."
Chloe & Marcus – Cracking the Code
Back at the safe house, Chloe's fingers flew across her keyboard, lines of code reflecting in her glasses. Marcus paced behind her, impatient.
"Come on, Chloe. We need something solid."
"I'm moving as fast as I can," she snapped. "Alaric's encryption isn't amateur work."
Marcus sighed, rubbing his temple. "Yeah, well, neither are you."
That earned him a small smirk, but Chloe didn't slow down. She was close.
Then—BEEP.
Her eyes widened. "I got something."
Marcus rushed over. "Talk to me."
Chloe pointed at the screen. "It's not just one facility. Alaric has three locations tied to Project Ascension. The main one is in the Carpathian Mountains, but there are backup labs in Serbia and Kazakhstan."
Marcus exhaled. "So, we blow up one, and he still has two more."
Chloe frowned. "Not quite. The Carpathian site is labeled as 'The Crucible.' The others are secondary test sites. This is the one that matters."
"Then that's where we hit him," Marcus said firmly.
Chloe hesitated. "There's something else. These facilities—they aren't just research labs. They're training grounds."
Marcus stiffened. "Training grounds? For what?"
Chloe pulled up a series of grainy images. Test subjects—enhanced humans—training in combat, their movements impossibly fast, their bodies pushing the limits of human endurance.
Marcus muttered a curse. "So that's his plan. Build an army."
Chloe nodded grimly. "And we're running out of time."
Claudia's Choice
Claudia sat alone in the safe house's corner, her mind racing. She had made her choice—betray Alaric, side with her enemies. But doubt gnawed at her.
Could they really stop him?
Would she survive this?
Sebastian entered the room, tossing his jacket aside. "We have a location."
Claudia looked up. "Then we're going after him?"
Sebastian nodded. "Hard and fast. No mistakes."
She hesitated. "I want to help."
Sebastian studied her. "You already did. But if you're coming with us, you'd better be ready to go all the way."
Claudia met his gaze. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."
Sebastian smirked. "Then suit up. We leave at dawn."
The Final Stretch
As the team geared up, tension crackled in the air. This wasn't just another mission—it was the beginning of the end.
Alaric had made his move.
Now, it was time to make theirs.