In Arkhangelsk, Russia – Subglacial Research Station "Nyx Deep"
The cold was punishing. Not the kind that simply chilled the bones—but the kind that whispered death into your bloodstream. Damien tightened his insulated parka and stepped off the black transport chopper, boots crunching into centuries-old ice.
Beside him, Nora's breath fogged in front of her visor, her eyes sharp. The facility buried beneath them—Nyx Deep—was rumored to be decommissioned. But Cassian's data chip told another story.
"This place isn't on any satellite feed," Nora murmured, checking her tracker. "It's a phantom site. Like it was erased."
"Or protected," Damien replied. "If the second Helix node is down there, it's guarded by more than frozen doors."
Kiyomi and Elijah joined them from a second chopper, flanking with gear and surveillance drones. Nora's younger cousin, Talia—barely nineteen but a cybersecurity prodigy—was in tow, tapping rapidly on her wristpad.
"Russian backdoors are primitive," Talia said smugly. "We're in."
A hidden elevator shaft opened in the ice like a metallic iris. They descended.
---
Nyx Deep – Sublevel Alpha
The walls here were lined with cryo-tanks and hibernation chambers, each one bearing logos from now-defunct defense companies and collapsed biotechs.
"What the hell is this place?" Kiyomi asked.
Damien's jaw tightened. "A graveyard. For failed ideas and… people."
Elijah paused. "Readings show movement ahead. But not warm-blooded."
Nora pressed forward, torch raised. The hall curved into a vast dome where a crystal-like column pulsed blue—Helix Node-002B. The moment they entered, the doors slammed shut behind them.
And from the shadows, the figure emerged.
---
Sasha Mirov.
Former Russian intelligence asset. Alleged dead after the Black Rebellion. And Damien's mother's cousin.
Nora whispered, "She's family."
Damien didn't lower his weapon. "She betrayed family."
Sasha smiled coldly. "I did what was necessary. Tavara was bleeding. Your mother understood that until she forgot herself in love."
Nora stepped forward. "So you serve Archer now?"
"I serve evolution. And you're the blockage."
From the ceiling, automated sentries descended, opening fire. The team scattered.
Bullets rang. Frost shattered. Damien leapt across the platform and tackled Sasha—knocking both into the lower floor below.
---
Lower Sublevel – Core Quarantine Zone
Sasha rolled, agile even in her age. She drew twin blades, coated in a black venom that Damien recognized instantly.
"Vrolenite," he muttered. "You really came to kill me."
"No," Sasha said. "I came to replace you. The Helix AI chose you. But your hesitation makes you unworthy."
They clashed. Blade to fist. Precision against fury. For every strike Sasha made, Damien countered with raw strength and cold memory.
Above, Kiyomi hacked the sentry system. Nora and Talia bypassed the node's encryption and secured the data.
---
Ending Sequence
Bloodied but standing, Damien held Sasha by the throat.
"You talk of evolution," he growled, "but you've only mutated into a weapon."
He dropped her unconscious body to the floor. "I'm done burying family."
They extracted the Helix node. But the last camera feed—unknown to them—showed something far worse.
Nexus.
Walking through the ruins of Brazil. Eyes glowing. A group of mercenaries kneeling before him.
He spoke for the first time with something disturbingly human:
"Find the girl. The one called Nora. She has what I need."