The morning began without any drama.
Eric woke up earlier than usual. His face was calm, almost blank. The chaos from the night before felt locked away, sealed deep inside him. Not because he had moved on, but because he understood one thing clearly—if he let himself drift any further, he would be the one who broke.
He stepped into the main room, mission jacket already on. Liam was checking his weapons, movements precise. Noah stood in front of a holographic screen, scrolling through data with a serious expression.
"Jay's not coming," Noah said without turning around.
Eric nodded. "I know. He needs rest."
The name was said simply, but the weight behind it was unmistakable. Jay wasn't just a teammate anymore. His condition changed everything. For now, it was just the three of them.
Liam glanced at Eric. "You okay?"
Eric took a short breath. "Enough to work."
No further questions. They understood. Sometimes, focus was the only way to stay upright.
---
This mission didn't begin with gunfire.
It began with information.
FEROM-9.
The name appeared again on the screen, alongside old files that had just been partially unlocked. Noah zoomed in on a damaged report, layers of data corrupted, deliberately erased.
"The original owner of FEROM-9 wasn't an Alpha," Noah said quietly. "And not a Beta either."
Eric looked up.
"Omega?" Liam asked.
Noah paused, then nodded. "Yes. All compatibility patterns point to Omega. Pheromone adaptation levels, bodily response, stability rates. This wasn't a random serum."
Eric felt his stomach tighten.
An Omega as the origin… or the core.
"Why an Omega?" Eric asked.
"That's what we need to find out," Noah replied. "But one thing's clear—FEROM-9 wasn't designed for control. It was designed for protection."
Liam leaned against the table. "Or to protect someone."
The screen shifted. A location appeared. An old facility—abandoned on record, but still drawing power. Too clean to be empty.
Eric stared at it.
In his mind, everything collided—Clara, Carl, words left unsaid. This time, he pushed it all aside.
Not now.
"What's the objective?" Eric asked, his voice fully professional.
"Infiltrate," Noah answered. "Extract any data related to FEROM-9. Get out before anyone realizes we were there."
Liam gave a faint smile. "Silent mission."
Eric nodded, fingers tightening around his weapon.
One thing was clear— FEROM-9 wasn't just a serum. And the Omega involved was anything but ordinary.
---
The facility stood silent on the edge of an old district, a gray concrete structure that should have been dead long ago. Yet dim lights glowed on several floors—enough to prove one thing.
This place was still in use.
Eric moved first. His steps were light, precise, as if every knot in his mind had been temporarily sealed shut. Liam followed, eyes scanning corners and ceilings. Noah stayed in the center, tactical tablet in hand.
"No external alarms," Noah whispered. "But internal systems… someone's awake."
Eric raised a hand, signaling a stop. They pressed against the wall, listening. Old machinery hummed softly inside, layered with uneven electrical vibrations.
"This place has been modified," Liam murmured. "Not military work. Too clean."
Eric nodded. "Someone who doesn't want to be seen."
They entered through a side door Noah had hacked earlier. The smell of metal and old chemicals hit immediately. Emergency lights flickered, casting long shadows down the corridor.
On the walls, faded symbols remained—experiment codes, serial numbers, and a half-erased logo. Eric stopped when he spotted an open file on a terminal screen.
FEROM-9
Status: Stable
Subject: O-
The file cut off.
"Omega," Noah said from behind him. "They deleted the rest. On purpose."
Eric's chest tightened—not from shock, but from clarity. The owner of FEROM-9 wasn't just a test subject.
They were the center of everything.
Liam scanned the area. "If this is an abandoned facility, why is the data still updating?"
"The right question," Noah replied. "Because FEROM-9 is still active."
They moved deeper, descending to a lower level. Colder. Quieter. Rows of glass containment rooms lined the corridor. Most were empty. Some shattered from the inside.
Eric stopped in front of one that remained intact. Inside sat a reinforced metal container, etched with an Omega pheromone symbol.
"This isn't storage," Eric said softly. "This is protection."
Noah swallowed. "Someone's protecting FEROM-9… or someone tied to it."
Footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor.
Liam raised his weapon instantly. "We're not alone."
Eric made the call. "Noah, extract the data. Two minutes. Then we move."
Noah's fingers flew across the screen. Eric and Liam took positions, back to back, ready.
In the silence, one thought circled Eric's mind—
If FEROM-9 belongs to an Omega…
and it's still active…
then that Omega is still alive.
And very close.
---
They exited the containment area with FEROM-9 data secured. The tension in the corridors had thickened—the hum of machinery now louder, almost aware.
"Move. Before the security system fully reactivates," Eric whispered.
Liam lifted his weapon. "Something's moving at the end of the hall."
Noah shut down his tablet. "Not human. But sensors are picking up pheromones."
Eric froze for half a second.
Omega.
"Still here," he murmured. "And close."
They advanced carefully. Each door led to darker corridors, abandoned labs, signs of FEROM-9 trafficking. Emergency lights reflected off cracked glass, broken experiments left behind.
"We can't stay long," Liam said tightly. "If lockdown triggers, we're trapped."
Eric nodded, forcing his focus. Clara. The mission. The Omega. Everything tried to blur together—but he pushed it down.
They reached a larger control room. Panels flickered. Screens displayed lab layouts. Noah scanned fast.
"He's an Omega," Noah said quietly. "Someone's protecting him. And it's not just anyone."
Eric exhaled. "Then we're close to the real center of this operation."
A soft siren sounded nearby.
Liam grabbed Eric's arm. "Movement. Now."
Red lights flooded the corridor. Shadows stretched across the floor. And then—
A scent.
Subtle, but unmistakable.
Eric's nerves went rigid.
"We're not alone," he whispered.
Noah snapped his tablet shut. "Data's enough. We leave. Now."
They headed for the exit—but a shadow appeared at the far end of the corridor. For a brief second, it shifted, revealing just enough.
The Omega.
Watching them.
"He's alive," Eric breathed. "And he's waiting."
Noah pulled him forward. "We don't stop!"
They burst through the final doors. Heavy steel slammed shut behind them, the mechanical echo rolling through the facility.
Outside, night air hit them hard. Eric drew in a deep breath, steadying his pulse.
"This is only the beginning," he said quietly. "FEROM-9 is still active. And that Omega… is close."
Liam rested a hand on his shoulder. "Focus. We regroup tomorrow. Don't let emotions cloud this."
Eric nodded, eyes sharp.
That night, the three of them stood outside the abandoned facility, fully aware—
What they uncovered would carry far greater risks than expected.
And the most dangerous truth of all—
The Omega behind FEROM-9 was still out there.
Watching.
Waiting.
The next mission would not be the same.
FEROM-9 was no longer just an experiment.
It was a key.
And whoever held it would decide everything.