Damien's Private Airfield – Tavara, Midnight
The engines of Damien's private jet roared to life, illuminating the tarmac in streaks of gold. A storm loomed overhead—both in the sky and in Damien's chest. He paced toward the jet with measured urgency, Revenant's voice echoing through his earpiece.
"Coordinates to Bordeaux secured. French customs overridden. Cloak protocols engaged."
Nora walked beside him, her expression steel, but her heart racing. "I can't believe your sister kept this from you. Twin children?"
"She was always the elusive one," Damien said tightly. "Sienna liked her silence. I thought she left for her own peace."
"But she didn't," Nora murmured. "She hid them. To protect them from the world... or from you?"
Damien stopped short, eyes dark. "I don't care why she did it. I only care that now they're in danger."
They boarded the jet. As the runway disappeared behind them, Damien stared out the window, haunted by the reflection of the uncle he never expected to become.
Rosewood Academy – Bordeaux, France
Twilight cloaked the grounds in a dreamy haze. The twins, Cassian and Elara, were asleep in their beds—dreaming of dragons, circuits, and stars.
But danger slithered beyond the iron gates.
Three operatives clad in Eclipse stealth gear scaled the perimeter. Their instructions were clear: retrieve the targets alive. Leave no trace.
Suddenly, motion sensors triggered. A burst of EMP disabled their devices. The courtyard lights flared bright.
From the shadows, Nyra Voss stepped forward—cloaked in winter gray, her blade drawn.
"You picked the wrong bloodline to target."
One operative lunged.
He never reached her.
Nyra moved like lightning through the dark—cutting them down with ruthless precision. A fourth agent tried to flee.
A sharp whistle.
From above, a falcon dived, its talons striking with surgical accuracy.
The fourth man fell unconscious.
Nyra activated a comm. "Bordeaux secure. Children unharmed. Package extraction ready."
Revenant responded, "Extraction jet en route. Damien is airborne."
She looked up at the stars. "Good. The family should reunite while there's still a world left."
---
Damascus, Syria – Eclipse Underground Assembly Hub
In a cavernous chamber beneath the Syrian mountains, Archer Grey stood before a digital globe, watching sectors blink red—hot zones, intercepted intel, and compromised legacies.
Beside him, Cassandra scowled. "Damien's faster than expected."
Archer smirked. "He was always a fast learner."
"He's unifying legacy families. Voss, Quinn, even Sienna's bloodline. That wasn't supposed to happen."
"No," Archer replied, "but it changes nothing. We move to the second wave."
He turned toward a massive reinforced chamber. Inside, a man floated in stasis—features eerily similar to Damien's.
"He won't be able to face himself," Archer whispered. "Not when we unleash what we've created."
Cassandra crossed her arms. "You said Revenant couldn't be stopped unless—"
"Unless Damien's beliefs are shattered," Archer finished. "And the only one who can do that… is someone who thinks exactly like him."
He pressed a button.
The clone's eyes opened.
---
Tavara – Nora's Safehouse
As Nora monitored feeds from Bordeaux, her tablet buzzed.
A name flashed across the screen: Riven Talos.
Her hand trembled slightly. A ghost from her past, one she had buried deep.
A video call opened. A rugged man with storm-gray eyes filled the screen. "Hello, Nora. Long time."
She narrowed her gaze. "Why now?"
"Because the game's changed. And I have intel you'll want. About Archer... and your father."
Nora's breath caught. "My father died in Oslo. That explosion was—"
"A setup," Riven cut in. "He's alive. But not for long."
Silence fell between them.
Then Nora spoke. "Send coordinates."
In Damien's Jet – Over the Atlantic
Damien stared at a photo Revenant had compiled—two children with familiar eyes, familiar expressions. It struck something deep in him. A sense of responsibility he didn't expect.
He turned to Nora. "You ever wonder what kind of father I'd be?"
She looked at him for a long beat. "No," she replied. "Because I already know."
She leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder as the jet pierced through the clouds—toward a reunion that would redefine everything.