Zack was running through the long metal corridor, his feet striking the floor in a rapid rhythm that echoed with dozens of other feet around him. The air was cold and metallic-smelling, illuminated by harsh white lights that revealed tired but anticipation-tense faces. His squad – four other fighters who had just returned from different missions – ran with him toward the main equipment room, removing pieces of their torn armor while running, throwing worn gloves and burnt helmets into side bins that automatically swallowed them.
Suddenly, a small transparent screen lit up directly in front of his right eye, part of his internal helmet lens. The familiar symbol appeared on it: a black circle with an inverted hourglass, then One's calm robotic voice filled his inner ear:
"Congratulations, Zack. You've been officially promoted to squad leader. Under your direct command will be a heavy armor fighter, MS-28 model, Zero Zack – latest release, excellent by all standards. Your team will be equipped with the new Valkyrie combat devices: medium-range machine guns with miniature nuclear rounds, accelerated energy pistols, single-shot anti-Tatanomium armor sniper rifles. Before heading to the main arena, you are required to meet the Supreme Commander personally."
The voice paused for a moment, then added in a slightly deeper tone, like an undebatable slogan:
"Long live the Hunters... forever."
The screen disappeared, and Zack felt a small smile form on his lips despite the exhaustion. A promotion. Finally. After all the partially failed missions, after all the purple blood that had spilled at his hands, after seeing friends pulled from portals as corpses or dismembered pieces.
He reached his personal equipment room – a metal door bearing his code name: ZAK-09 – it opened as soon as he approached, recognizing his eye retinal print and DNA signature in his sweat.
Inside the room, his new armor stood tall on a glowing metal stand, like a living statue.
Dark black with sharp white and glowing purple lines, but this time more complex: heavier armor plates on the chest and shoulders, smoother mechanical joints, a helmet with a transformable mask. On the left shoulder, the new badge: no longer just an hourglass, but a broken hourglass with small metallic wings protruding on the sides – the symbol of aerial commanders.
Beside the armor, on the metal table, his new equipment:
A pair of folded combat wings, true Valkyrie technology: lightweight mechanical wings made from an unbreakable alloy, allowing low-altitude flight and aerial maneuvering for up to four hours, equipped with small plasma guns at the tips.
A long combat axe, two meters long at full extension, a glowing purple blade made from a material that melts Tatanomium armor on contact, its handle automatically adapting to his grip, light as a feather but cutting steel like paper.
Zack approached slowly, extended his hand to touch the cold armor. He felt something move inside him: pride, fear, excitement, all mixed together.
Behind him, the door opened again, and the officer who had pulled him earlier entered – now wearing a rare smile.
"Congratulations, Commander Zack," the officer said in a rough but sincere voice. "The Supreme Commander is waiting for you in the upper arena. Don't be late. The Ancients don't wait for anyone."
Zack nodded, began putting on the armor piece by piece. Each part automatically attached to his body, tightening and stretching, becoming an extension of him.
When he finished, he stood before the metal mirror. He no longer looked like a tired young recruit. Now, he looked like something completely different.
He raised the axe, watched it glow deadly purple.
He whispered to himself:
"Long live the Hunters... forever."
Then he left the room, his steps now heavier, stronger, heading toward the elevator that would take him to the upper arena, where Chris stood waiting for him, and where he would be given his first real order as a commander.
Outside, in the Algerian desert, the sands were shaking more and more. Something massive was approaching the surface, and the air itself began making strange sounds.