Location; Tavara – Valemont Estate, Private Archives
Alina stood frozen, the dim light of the underground archive flickering overhead. In her hands was a timeworn envelope sealed with the Valemont family crest—a phoenix wrapped in twin serpents. The ink had faded, but the name was clear.
"To my daughter, Alina. Read this when everything begins to crumble."
Her mother's handwriting.
Celeste stood behind her, holding a small flashlight. "Are you going to open it?"
Alina nodded and carefully unsealed the letter. The moment she unfolded the parchment, a thin sheet of transparent film slipped out—encrypted with old Valemont tech. She set it aside and began to read.
"My sweet Alina, if you are reading this, the world has already begun to shift. Everything your brother and Nora are uncovering—the war, the bloodlines, the Council—it all traces back to a single decision I made twenty-three years ago. I chose to keep you hidden. Because among the children born during the Eclipse Moon, you were the only one who showed the original gene sequence. You are the true heir to the Ninth Line."
Alina's heart pounded.
"I don't understand," she whispered. "Damien always believed he was the key…"
Celeste picked up the encrypted film and activated it. A hologram flickered to life—an old lab video. A younger version of Damien's mother stood beside a stasis pod. Inside, a baby girl with faint glowing marks on her chest.
"That's you," Celeste confirmed. "Your mother faked your prenatal data. She buried your bloodline in a sea of decoys."
"But why?" Alina asked, her voice trembling.
"Because," Celeste said softly, "Damien was strong. But you were unstable. The energy inside you… it scared even the scientists working with the Council. You weren't meant to be a soldier, Alina. You were meant to be a trigger."
Location; Hiroshima, Japan – Abandoned Research Facility
Nora and Jun stood before a rusted vault door buried deep beneath a forgotten metro station. Jun's hands shook as he typed in the sequence from the old scroll.
"It was here," he whispered. "Where they first tested the Divina Serum on children… decades ago."
Nora tightened her grip on her weapon. "This place is cursed."
Inside, the facility was frozen in time. Broken lab equipment, IV lines dangling like spiderwebs, chalkboards filled with symbols only someone like Jun could understand.
They reached the central chamber where a preserved terminal blinked to life. Jun pulled the drive Damien had sent from Brazil and connected it.
Lines of data scrolled rapidly.
PROJECT: HEIR MATRIX
SUBJECTS: O'CONNOR – NORA – JUN – ALINA
RESULTS: Genetic Convergence Active. Chrono-Trigger Imminent. Location: SWISS ALPS.
"Chrono-Trigger?" Nora echoed.
Jun looked pale. "It means the convergence has already begun. And it's going to activate… wherever Damien is."
Location; Swiss Alps – Council Fortress, Emergency Chambers
Damien fought like a man possessed. Sebastian's forces had breached the chamber, turning the Council into a warzone.
A blade whistled toward his neck—blocked by Viktor, his father's old friend and a retired GRU general.
"You shouldn't be here," Damien growled.
Viktor grinned. "Neither should they. But blood runs deep, boy."
They made their way to the vault chamber beneath the Council floor, where Sebastian had retreated. The room was unlike anything Damien had seen—filled with ancient texts, golden tablets, and stasis tanks filled with pale, unformed clones.
One tank had the name "Alina" etched beneath it. Another, "Subject Omega."
Sebastian turned to face them.
"It's too late, Damien. Your sister is the last piece. She will rise, whether you want her to or not."
Damien raised his gun.
"Then I'll burn this place down before I let you touch her."