In Tavara – Valemont Estate, North Wing
Alina's breath came in short gasps as the world around her pulsed with an eerie, violet light. The walls of the Valemont estate shuddered—not from any tremor, but from the raw energy radiating from her body. Celeste, standing just feet away, shielded her eyes.
"Alina, breathe! You have to stabilize or—"
"I can't!" Alina screamed, clutching her chest. "It's like something inside is waking up—something that knows me!"
The encrypted letter had warned of it. The gene activation wasn't just a dormant trait—it was a living force, encoded with ancient knowledge and intent. The Ninth Line wasn't just blood. It was prophecy.
Suddenly, the energy dissipated like a wave crashing into still air. Alina collapsed. A strange burn mark now glowed on her back—a sigil in the shape of a dragon's eye.
Celeste stared in horror. "You're marked. The Trigger has begun."
Location; Swiss Alps – Beneath the Council Fortress
Nora and Jun sprinted down a spiral staircase carved into black obsidian. The decrypted terminal from Hiroshima had pinpointed the final convergence zone—deep within the Council's catacombs.
"Chrono-Trigger isn't just an event," Jun said, panting. "It's a synchronization of all active heirs. Once triggered, it awakens the dormant ones around the world. If they align... the power could reset everything."
Nora halted as they reached a chamber shaped like an hourglass. On the floor, glowing veins of silver formed a massive map.
Jun dropped to his knees, tracing a line with his finger.
"These aren't just paths—they're DNA sequences etched across geography. Tavara, Kyoto, Nairobi, Caracas, Montreal… all marked. Bloodlines distributed globally, waiting for a convergence."
"And what happens when they converge?" Nora asked.
Jun looked up. "One of them becomes the Origin. The rest… either bend or break."
Location; Arctic Circle – Blacksite Omega
Damien stood before a reinforced glass case containing a massive crystal core. Beside it, Sebastian's voice echoed through a hidden speaker.
"You still think you're in control?" he sneered. "You never realized this was never about you and me. It was always about the next phase—your sister. Nora. Jun. Even Archer. You're pawns in something older than bloodlines."
Damien's jaw tightened.
Behind him, Viktor and a small strike team hacked into the side terminals.
"Sir," one of the operatives called out, "The crystal is reacting to a signal coming from Tavara—coordinates lock to Valemont Estate."
At that moment, the core pulsed, sending out a shockwave. Across the globe, dormant subjects in hidden facilities began to stir—eyes opening for the first time in years, some screaming, some laughing, some… chanting names.
In Tavara – Valemont Estate, Moments Later
Alina woke in a cold sweat.
She wasn't alone.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—tall, draped in black, face hidden behind a ceremonial mask made of obsidian and bone.
"Aunt Lucia?" Alina whispered.
The figure removed the mask. A striking woman, features sharp and ageless.
"You've awakened the blood," Lucia said softly. "Now you must survive what comes next."
"What is this?" Alina asked.
"A gathering of blood," Lucia replied. "And the death of one."