04/03/2026, 4:00 am. On the outskirts of Berlin, Germany.
Beneath the shroud of shadows that covered the vast forest, the trees stood motionless, like ancient guardians of secrets buried in time. Their gnarled branches intertwined in the dimness, creating silhouettes that resembled deformed human figures—a testament to nature itself, twisted by the passage of time. The air was thick with humidity, saturated with a pungent scent of decaying vegetation that invaded the senses, giving the impression that even nature resisted human intrusion.
The Antena Fortte laboratory rose like a monolithic specter amidst that chaotic wilderness. Its concrete walls were covered in moss and cracks that seemed to pulse with a life of their own under the intermittent glow of the antennas. Security cameras whirred with mechanical precision, their lenses gleaming like omniscient eyes. Everything about the place conveyed a sense of deliberate isolation, as if the structure had not been built to keep intruders out but to contain something far darker within.
A sudden creak shattered the stillness. A guard, his flashlight trembling, advanced along the gravel path leading to the main building. Sweat glistened on his face, and each step echoed like a hollow sound in the abyss of silence. When a shadow flickered across his field of vision, his breath hitched. "Who's there?" he called out, his voice unsteady. The only response was a silence so profound it seemed to devour the very words.
Inside the laboratory, the corridors were wrapped in suffocating darkness. The constant hum of monitoring systems filled the air with white noise, barely masking the underlying tension. In the center of the main control room, Toya Ibara stared at a series of screens displaying endless streams of data. His face, illuminated by the bluish glow of the monitors, bore the marks of exhaustion and an almost inhuman determination. Adjusting his glasses, he tapped his fingers against the table in a mechanical rhythm that betrayed his nervousness. His lean figure, dark slightly unkempt hair, and absent-minded manner made him seem more like a distracted professor than a man facing an impending catastrophe.
"They're getting closer," he murmured to himself, though the room was empty save for his own presence. His voice was a whisper laden with tension. He knew that tonight would mark a before and after in his research, but he also understood that the external threat was not something he could control with calculations and data alone.
On the other side of the laboratory, a tall, muscular figure watched from the shadows. His four arms crossed over his chest projected an imposing silhouette under the dim red emergency lighting. His sallow skin, beginning to take on a faint violet hue, shimmered with sweat that seemed to evaporate on contact with the air. His dark, deep, calculating eyes scrutinized the hallway leading to the main entrance, as if waiting for the exact moment to strike.
"They won't be a problem," he said in a deep, almost guttural voice, a slight, crooked smile crossing his face. "No one is getting out alive."
Behind him, a blonde-haired, green-eyed woman emerged from the shadows with a silent yet deliberate step. Her pale, almost translucent skin shimmered under the faint light, and a pair of folded, membranous wings rested against her back like a latent threat. She wore a form-fitting combat suit that accentuated both her slender figure and authoritative posture, and a devil-like tail swayed behind her.
"Do your job quickly and without mistakes," she said coldly. Her tone was as sharp as a blade, a mix of threat and command that made any form of questioning unnecessary. "We cannot afford to fail. Not tonight."
The four-armed man tilted his head slightly, a gesture that could be interpreted as respect or mere indifference. "Understood. But remember, I'm not one of your pawns." His gaze met hers for a brief moment, and in that silent exchange of challenges and intentions, the tension in the air seemed to thicken.
Meanwhile, outside, the gloom shattered with the roar of an explosion. One of the watchtowers collapsed in a rain of debris and sparks, briefly illuminating the darkness. Alarms began to blare, filling the air with a mechanical scream that announced the beginning of chaos.
"It's time," the woman said, turning to the man as she unfurled her membranous wings with an elegant yet lethal motion. "Take care of them."
Without another word, the man lunged toward the main entrance, his four arms moving with lethal precision as his skin fully took on the characteristic purple hue of his transformation. Behind him, the woman advanced with a calmness that contrasted with the violence about to unfold, her footsteps echoing like a harbinger of death in the desolate corridors of the laboratory.
The explosion's roar gradually faded, giving way to a silence broken only by the crackling of debris and the wail of emergency alarms. The flashing red lights bathed everything in an eerie glow, turning the laboratory's interior into a nightmare scene. Shadows seemed to come alive, cast chaotically upon the walls as thick smoke filled the air.
In the main lobby, a group of guards struggled to form a defensive line. Their armored suits and automatic rifles made them appear as a solid line of defense, but their eyes betrayed a panic spreading like a virus. "Hold formation!" barked the captain, a hardened-faced man gripping a shotgun with steady hands, though his voice couldn't fully mask his unease. "Nothing gets through that door!"
The purple-skinned intruder burst in like an unstoppable force, ripping one of the reinforced doors from its hinges and hurling it like a projectile. The heavy metal crushed a group of guards against the wall without mercy. His glowing violet skin shone with an unnatural radiance under the emergency lights, and his four arms moved with ruthless precision, cutting down everything in his path. As he advanced, the guards' gunfire bounced harmlessly off his hardened skin, ringing like tiny hammers striking an anvil.
"Fire!" the captain shouted, but his orders fell on deaf ears. Chaos had taken hold of his men. Some fired blindly, while others scrambled for cover behind overturned furniture or cracked pillars. The screams of the wounded and the deafening roar of gunfire filled the air, creating a cacophony of desperation.
Amid the turmoil, a thunderous roar echoed through the hall. From the smoke emerged a figure that stood apart from the chaos. A man of medium build yet imposing presence strode forward with deliberate steps. His black jacket was singed at the edges, and his bare arms radiated a heat that made the air around him waver. "I never thought this day would come," he said in a deep voice, his gaze locked onto the purple-skinned intruder. A small flame danced between his fingers as he positioned himself between the guards and their enemy.
The intruder smirked mockingly. "And who might you be? Another insect to crush?"
"Call me the fire that consumes beasts," the man replied before extending both arms and unleashing a torrent of flames. The searing heat lit up the lobby, casting reflections off metallic surfaces and engulfing the intruder in a blazing whirlwind. But the purple giant did not retreat. Roaring with an almost animalistic fury, he advanced through the flames, his skin glowing even more intensely. "You can't stop me!" he bellowed as he charged at his opponent like an avalanche.
The clash between them was devastating. The hunter's flames crackled against the intruder's hardened skin, while the latter's crushing blows shook the building's very foundations. Walls began to crack, and fragments of the ceiling rained down. A nearby gas tank exploded, sending sparks and debris flying, forcing the surviving guards to retreat even further.
Some researchers, trapped in the lobby during the attack, desperately sought shelter. A young woman stumbled as she ran toward a side exit. Before she could get up, a collapsed beam crashed down nearby, partially trapping her leg. Her screams of pain blended with the roaring fire and the deafening impacts of the battle. "Help! Please, someone help!" she cried, struggling in vain to free her pinned leg.
"Get them out of here!" the captain shouted to his men, but the chaos swallowed his words. One of the guards tried to carry an injured researcher, but a stray blow from the purple intruder sent a desk flying toward them, crushing them against the wall. The flame hunter growled at the collateral damage. "Damn beast!" he yelled, increasing the intensity of his attacks. With a gesture, he created a wall of fire that temporarily blocked the intruder's advance, forcing him to step back.
"Is that all you've got?" the purple giant roared before breaking through the wall with a ferocious strike of his arms, sending a wave of scorching air sweeping through the room. The flames scattered, licking the walls and ceiling, which began to give way. A hanging lamp fell to the floor, exploding into a shower of sparks.
The battle raged on in a frenzy of destruction. The flame hunter tried to contain his opponent, creating controlled explosions that surrounded him in a ring of fire, but the intruder kept advancing, unstoppable. The screams, the heat, and the sound of blows echoed throughout the laboratory, turning the lobby into an apocalyptic battlefield where humanity and brutality clashed relentlessly. Some of the remaining guards began abandoning their positions, dragging the wounded as the fire consumed what was left of the furniture. As the flames rose, the air became unbreathable, and visibility was reduced to blurred silhouettes amid the smoke and the orange glow.
The hunter knew time was running out. "I won't let you take another step forward!" he exclaimed, gathering all his energy into one final attack. The flames erupting from his hands surged into a pillar of fire that completely engulfed the purple intruder. For a moment, it seemed the creature would finally fall, but a deafening roar proved otherwise. Through the fire, the giant's eyes glowed with an almost supernatural intensity, and with a brutal movement, he dispelled the flames and advanced toward his opponent, ready to end the battle.
The confrontation in the lobby had reached a violent climax, but in another part of the laboratory, the corridors were beginning to fill with an eerie silence. The figure of the blonde woman advanced with deliberate steps, her elegant posture and cold expression contrasting with the destruction around her. Each step she took echoed like a threat-laden whisper.
She paused momentarily at a crossroads in the hallways, assessing the situation. The concrete walls bore cracks and smoke stains, and some emergency lights flickered intermittently. The sounds of battle in the lobby were now a distant murmur, but she showed no urgency. Her green eyes shone with an almost supernatural intensity, calculating every necessary move.
"They're here," she murmured to herself as she adjusted the black gloves that covered her hands up to her elbows. The membranous wings folded on her back shuddered slightly, as if preparing for combat. A metallic glint flashed across her face as she drew a sleek dagger hidden at her belt.
From a side corridor, a security team appeared quickly. Five men armed with automatic rifles, their dark uniforms stained with soot and sweat. The leader raised a hand, ordering his team to spread out. "Halt!" he shouted firmly. "Get on the ground and raise your hands!"
She did not respond. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, as if analyzing the men before her. Her posture remained relaxed, but her eyes projected a latent danger that made one of the guards instinctively step back.
"Last warning!" the leader insisted, raising his rifle and aiming directly at the mysterious woman. "We don't want to kill you, but we will if necessary!"
With a fluid movement, the woman unfurled her wings. The sound was a sharp snap that echoed down the hallway. Before the guards could react, she was already upon them. The dagger in her hand gleamed under the red light as she moved with surgical precision, disarming the leader in a single motion and using his body as a shield against the gunfire that followed.
The corridor filled with screams and the roar of rifles. Vlyr moved with inhuman speed and grace, dodging bullets and neutralizing the guards one by one. Her membranous wings flapped with each movement, blocking shots or knocking down her opponents with precise strikes. Within seconds, the security team was reduced to a collection of motionless bodies on the floor.
The last guard, still conscious, tried to crawl away. His rifle lay meters away, and his face was pale with terror. "W-what are you...?" he stammered before the beautiful woman leaned over him, her green eyes glowing like embers in the darkness.
"I am the shadow that devours the light," she whispered before striking him with the flat of her dagger, knocking him unconscious.
Without pausing to observe the aftermath of her massacre, Vlyr continued forward. The hallways grew darker as she approached the deeper sections of the laboratory. The sound of her footsteps echoed like a metronome, marking the rhythm of her relentless advance.
Along the way, she passed an observation room with glass walls that were cracked but still intact. Inside, a group of researchers had taken refuge, watching her with expressions of horror. One of them, an older man with broken glasses, raised a trembling hand as if appealing to her compassion.
"P-please... don't kill us," he begged.
Vlyr turned her face toward them, her eyes coldly assessing the people inside. "If you don't interfere, you will live," she said in a soft but firm voice. Then she continued on, leaving the researchers trembling in the dim light.
Finally, she arrived at a reinforced door marked "Main Laboratory." Vlyr stopped in front of it, her wings folding again as she traced her fingers across the metallic surface. A slight smile crossed her lips before she whispered, "There you are, Toya."
The reinforced door to the main laboratory opened with a mechanical hiss, letting in a gust of dense air heavy with tension. The cold glow of the white lights inside bathed the relentless woman, outlining the stylized shape of her folded wings. Her steps echoed against the metal floor as she advanced, her gaze fixed on the lone figure standing by the consoles.
Toya Ibara stood on the other side of the room, his posture tense but upright. The monitors' glow illuminated his tired face, where determination and fear seemed to battle for control. His fingers drummed lightly against the edge of a table as his jaw tightened slightly.
"I knew you would come," he said in a voice that tried to sound firm, though a note of doubt betrayed his effort. He adjusted his glasses on his nose, a mechanical gesture that revealed his discomfort.
Vlyr took another step forward, tilting her head slightly as her gaze studied him. Her face was a mask of calm, but her eyes burned with something deeper—a silent judgment. "Toya," she spoke his name like a sentence, her voice low and sharp. "You always were good at anticipating the inevitable."
Toya pressed his lips together and briefly looked away, as if searching for answers in the data projected on the screens. "You don't have to do this," he replied, his voice carrying a mix of plea and defiance. "There are ways to fix what's happening."
The woman gave a brief, almost mocking smile that did not soften the hardness of her expression. "Fix?" she repeated, taking another step forward. Her right hand rested on the edge of a nearby table, her fingers tracing an invisible pattern on the metal surface. "This world isn't fixed, Toya. It's purged."
The room's tension was like a cord about to snap. Vlyr raised her dagger, the weapon's gleam reflecting the cold laboratory lights. "Tell me, Toya," she continued, her wings twitching slightly behind her as if responding to an inner impulse. "What are you willing to sacrifice this time?"
Before he could answer, a metallic sound echoed in the distance, followed by a tremor that shook the laboratory slightly.
Suddenly, a metallic sound and a spark of electricity shattered the tense silence. The robotic arms, which had begun moving toward her, halted abruptly. A second later, a massive surge ran through the system, shutting off the lights and plunging the room into near-total darkness, broken only by the occasional flicker of damaged monitors.
Toya, who had been taking cover behind an overturned table, lifted his head with a start. "What...?" he began to murmur, but his words were cut off by a distant echo from the hallways—an explosion, followed by an inhuman roar that made the walls vibrate. The tension on his face deepened as he tried to calculate what was happening.
The woman remained motionless, her figure barely visible beneath the glow of the flames dancing outside the room. She slowly lowered her wings and let out a faint sigh, a gesture that seemed to mix irritation with satisfaction. "The ogre has done his part," she murmured to herself, though the tone of her voice suggested she considered it an inevitability rather than an achievement.
In the lobby, the body of the flame hunter lay motionless among the rubble. Mario, his skin still gleaming in an intense purple hue, leaned toward one of the partially destroyed consoles. His massive fingers closed around an exposed cable, and with a deep growl, he ripped it from its base. Sparks flew, illuminating his face and revealing an expression of fierce triumph. "Goodbye, toys," he muttered as one final spark marked the system's total overload.
Back in the main laboratory, Toya tried to get up, but his ragged breathing betrayed the growing panic inside him. "This can't be happening," he whispered as his eyes frantically searched for an escape.
The woman's voice stopped him. "There's nowhere to run, Toya," she said with unsettling calm. Her silhouette advanced toward him slowly, her footsteps echoing against the metallic floor. "You knew this moment would come."
Toya lifted his gaze, his eyes reflecting both fear and defiance. "You have no idea what you're unleashing," he responded, his voice trembling but filled with conviction. "You think you understand what you're doing, but you don't."
The woman tilted her head slightly, as if his words were curious but irrelevant. "And you think you can stop me with morality and warnings?" she retorted, her green eyes gleaming with intensity. "I didn't come here to debate with you, Toya."
She stopped in front of him, lowering the dagger she had kept ready throughout the confrontation. The tension in the air was palpable, and Toya swallowed hard before speaking again. "She doesn't have to be part of this. Harai is just a child, a victim in all of this. Leave her alone!"
The woman's eyes narrowed at the mention of the name. "You're in no position to give orders, Toya. You know what she is. We're only here to claim her."
Toya took a step back, gripping the edge of a console tightly enough that his knuckles turned white. "Harai is not an object. She's my daughter."
The woman let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Your daughter?" she repeated, her tone laced with both mockery and disdain. "She is so much more than that, Toya. And you know it better than anyone."
Before Toya could respond, a heavy sound resonated behind them. Both turned toward the laboratory door as it burst open, revealing the imposing figure of the ogre. His skin, still purple and covered in small burns and dust, glowed faintly under the flickering emergency lights. His four arms moved with a crunching sound, as if adjusting his limbs after battle.
"It's done," Mario said, his voice deep and guttural. His gaze flicked briefly toward the woman before settling on Toya. "Are you finished here, or do you want me to do it for you?"
The woman smiled slightly but didn't answer immediately. Instead, she pulled a black revolver from her belt. "Don't worry, Ogre. This is personal." Without further ado, she aimed directly at Toya's chest.
"Wait!" Toya exclaimed, raising his hands in a pleading gesture. "If you kill me, you'll never know everything Harai can do. You'll never understand what's truly at stake."
The woman tilted her head slightly, her finger tightening on the trigger. "We already understand enough." A gunshot echoed through the room, followed by the dull thud of Toya's body collapsing to the floor.
For a moment, silence took over the laboratory. The woman holstered her weapon, but her gaze remained fixed on Toya's body. A shadow of something resembling regret crossed her face, though her expression quickly hardened again. "I'm sorry, Toya," she murmured, barely audible, as her eyes drifted to the smoke-darkened ceiling.
Mario watched in silence, his brow furrowing slightly. "So, where's the girl?" he asked after a moment.
"She's not here," the woman replied, regaining her composure. She holstered the revolver and moved toward the console Toya had been using minutes before. Scanning the still-functional screen, she continued, "Someone took her out of here recently, through a tunnel."
Mario nodded slowly, crossing his four arms as he processed the information. "A tunnel? Perfect." His tone was laced with sarcasm but also impatience.
The woman turned on her heel and walked toward the lab's exit. "We're leaving," she ordered without bothering to look back. "We follow the trail."
The ogre, now once again just a man, followed her, but not without casting one last glance at Toya's lifeless body. "They always make things complicated," he muttered before disappearing down the corridor with her. The room was left in silence, with only the flickering monitors and the distant echo of their footsteps as the sole witnesses to what had just transpired.
Meanwhile not far from there…
The roar of the truck's engine shattered the stillness of the night. The vehicle moved slowly along a dirt road full of potholes, kicking up a cloud of dust that faded under the dim moonlight. The headlights barely illuminated the narrow path, flanked by trees whose bare branches seemed to scratch the sky. Inside the truck, the air was thick with a fragile calm, barely contained.
Vlakiev had both hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. His angular face, hardened by time, bore scars that spoke of old wounds and past battles. His piercing gray eyes scanned every inch of the road, searching for any hidden threat. A scruffy beard covered his jaw, and strands of blond hair peeked out from beneath his worn-out cap. Despite his rigid and controlled posture, there was something in his tense shoulders that betrayed a deep exhaustion.
In the back seat, Harai was curled up, wrapped in a gray blanket that barely covered her frail figure. Her dark, disheveled hair fell in strands over her pale face, and her large eyes, wet with restrained tears, stared at the floor. In her trembling hands, she clutched a small backpack against her chest, as if it were a shield against the outside world.
Vlakiev broke the silence, his deep, rough voice filling the confined space. "Don't worry about what we left behind," he said without taking his eyes off the road. "Only what lies ahead matters now."
Harai slowly lifted her gaze, her lower lip trembling. "This shouldn't have happened… none of it," she murmured, her voice cracked by a stifled sob. "It's all my fault."
Vlakiev clicked his tongue, a gesture of mild irritation mixed with concern. "That's not true," he replied firmly, though his words carried a weight that seemed to contradict them. "None of this is your fault. You didn't choose this."
Harai curled up even more under the blanket, her breathing becoming unsteady. "If I weren't here, no one would have… they wouldn't have died." Her voice was barely a whisper, but the pain in her words filled the cabin like a scream.
Vlakiev took a deep breath, his hands loosening slightly on the wheel. "Listen, Harai," he said, his tone softer this time. "The world is a messed-up place, and there are people who do terrible things no matter who stands in their way. But you are not responsible for what they do."
Harai didn't respond immediately. Instead, she turned her gaze to the window, watching the trees pass like fleeting shadows. "I don't understand why everyone hates me," she finally said, a mix of confusion and sadness in her voice. "I don't want to hurt anyone."
Vlakiev pressed his lips together, his jaw tightening as he searched for the right words. "Not everyone hates you," he said after a moment. "There are people who protect you, who believe in you. Like Toya. Like me."
The mention of Toya made Harai let out a small sob, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle the sound. Vlakiev exhaled, allowing silence to settle again as he continued driving.
The crackle of the radio interrupted the moment, followed by a familiar voice. "This is Falk. Vlakiev, do you copy?"
Vlakiev grabbed the transmitter from the dashboard with one hand, keeping the other firmly on the wheel. "I copy, Falk," he responded, his tone returning to its usual firmness. "Any updates on our destination?"
"Yes," Falk answered, his voice deep and measured. "I've confirmed a meeting point in Warsaw, Poland's capital. Coordinates sent. You have until 10:00 AM the day after tomorrow to get there. A contact of Toya's will meet you." There was a brief pause before he added, "Divine House will find out about your escape soon. Move fast."
Vlakiev nodded to himself, even though he knew Falk couldn't see him. "Understood. See you on the other side."
Harai lifted her head slightly, her large, reddish eyes shining with uncertainty. "Who is this contact? Will we be safe there?"
Vlakiev put the transmitter back in its place, glancing briefly at her. "Someone Toya trusted. And if Toya trusted him, we should too."
Harai nodded, though doubt still clouded her expression. She curled up again under the blanket, letting Vlakiev's words echo in her mind as the vehicle continued its journey into the darkness.
The truck finally pulled off the road, stopping where the vegetation grew thick and the trees formed a natural arch, darkening the early morning even further. Vlakiev turned off the engine and let out a long sigh, resting his head against the wheel for a moment before straightening up. Fatigue was beginning to show in his tense shoulders and controlled breathing.
"We're taking a break here," he said in a deep voice, looking at Harai through the rearview mirror. "You need to eat and regain your strength."
Harai, who had been curled up the entire ride, slowly lifted her gaze. Her eyes were still swollen from crying, and her expression was a mix of exhaustion and fear. "Is it safe to stop?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Vlakiev stepped out of the vehicle without answering right away, opening the passenger door to grab a worn-out backpack resting on the seat. "It is for now," he finally said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "But we can't stay long."
Harai nodded slowly and stepped out of the vehicle, hugging the blanket around her shoulders as her bare feet touched the damp, leaf-covered ground. Vlakiev placed the backpack on the truck's hood, pulling out a thermos and a small packet of dry food. "Eat this," he said, handing her the packet while pouring some hot water into a metal cup.
Harai took the packet with trembling hands, looking at the contents without much enthusiasm. "I'm not hungry," she murmured, but her stomach betrayed her with a growl.
Vlakiev raised an eyebrow and set the cup beside her. "That's not an option. You need to stay strong," he said, a mix of sternness and concern in his voice. "The last time you ate was hours ago."
Harai nodded again, slowly opening the packet and taking a bite of a cracker. As she chewed in silence, her gaze drifted into the thick forest, where the shadows seemed to move on their own. "Do you think all this will ever end?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
Vlakiev packed away the thermos and leaned against the hood, crossing his arms. His gray eyes studied her, but he didn't answer right away. Finally, he sighed and said, "I don't know. But the only thing we can do is keep going, one step at a time."
Silence settled between them once more, broken only by the distant sound of the wind rustling through the trees. Harai took another bite of the cracker, and for the first time in what felt like hours, her shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Uncle Vlakiev," she said suddenly, looking up at him. "Are you afraid too?"
The question seemed to catch him off guard. His jaw tensed for a moment before he answered. "Of course I am," he admitted, his voice softer than usual. "But fear doesn't mean we stop. It means we're human."
Harai stared at him in silence, processing his words. Finally, she nodded and set the empty packet on the hood. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Vlakiev nodded in return and pulled a lighter from his pocket, lighting a cigarette he had tucked behind his ear. He took a deep drag, letting the smoke mix with the cold night air. "Finish your tea," he said, motioning to the metal cup still sitting on the hood. "We'll be leaving soon."
The cigarette smoke drifted slowly into the sky, and as Harai sipped her tea, a faint glimmer of something resembling relief crossed her face. They took that moment to breathe, knowing that the next steps would be even more dangerous.