🌑 Episode 48
The First Move
The underground laboratory was silent.
The only light came from the red emergency lamps.
Ryan picked up his backpack.
"We can't stay here."
Victor nodded.
"The Founder knows this place is compromised."
Lena unplugged the recovered data drive and slipped it into her pocket.
"I managed to decrypt another file before the system went offline."
Ariba turned to her.
"What did you find?"
Lena hesitated.
"A list."
"A list of Phoenix facilities?"
Lena shook her head.
"No."
"A list of people."
Ryan frowned.
"What people?"
Lena looked at the screen one last time.
"Agents."
"Hidden operatives living normal lives."
Victor's expression darkened.
"So Phoenix never disappeared…"
"It spread."
Ariba clenched her fists.
"How many names?"
Lena took a deep breath.
"More than two hundred."
Silence filled the room.
Ryan whispered,
"They could be anywhere…"
"Universities."
"Companies."
"Government offices."
Victor added,
"Even beside us."
A cold feeling ran through Ariba.
"For years… we were surrounded."
Suddenly—
A loud explosion shook the building.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Victor looked toward the exit.
"They're here!"
Ryan grabbed Ariba's hand.
"Move!"
The four of them ran through the emergency tunnel.
Behind them, armed soldiers flooded into the laboratory.
One of them shouted,
"Recover the data drive!"
Bullets struck the walls around them.
Victor fired back while covering the group.
"Hurry!"
Lena pointed toward a steel door.
"This way!"
Ryan forced it open.
On the other side was an abandoned subway platform.
Old tracks disappeared into darkness.
Ariba stopped for a moment.
Something caught her eye.
A symbol.
The same Black Phoenix painted on the wall.
Fresh paint.
Someone had been there recently.
Victor noticed it too.
"They're leaving us a message."
Ariba stepped closer.
Under the symbol, someone had written—
"Truth has a price."
Ryan read it silently.
"This is a warning."
Lena shook her head.
"No…"
"I think it's an invitation."
Just then—
A train's headlights appeared deep inside the tunnel.
But according to every map…
This subway line had been abandoned for years.
The train slowed to a stop in front of them.
Its doors opened automatically.
Inside—
No passengers.
Only a single envelope resting on one seat.
Ariba carefully picked it up.
She opened it.
Inside was a black card with silver letters.
"Welcome to Phase Three."
At the bottom was one line that made everyone freeze.
"See you at Black Tower."
Victor looked at Ariba.
"So…"
"The Founder just invited us."
Ariba closed the envelope.
A determined look filled her eyes.
"Then we'll accept."
Far away, from the top floor of a skyscraper hidden in the clouds…
The Founder watched the city through a glass wall.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"The game has truly begun."
To Be Continued…
💬 Comment & Earn Coins! 🪙
Where do you think Black Tower is?
A) A secret headquarters
B) An abandoned research center
C) A trap set by the Founder
D) Something even more dangerous
👇 Comment A, B, C, or D and don't forget to send your Power Stones! 💎