🌑 Episode 54
The Journey to the Unknown
The helicopter cut through the stormy sky.
Below them, the endless ocean stretched into darkness.
No cities.
No ships.
Nothing.
Inside the cabin, silence filled the air.
Commander Elena kept her eyes on the horizon.
"We'll reach the island before sunrise."
Ryan looked at her.
"You've been there before, haven't you?"
She nodded once.
"Only once."
"And I barely made it back."
Victor frowned.
"What exactly is waiting for us?"
Elena didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she handed Ariba an old leather notebook.
"This belonged to your father."
Ariba carefully opened it.
The first page carried a handwritten message.
"Truth isn't found. It's earned."
She smiled sadly.
"His handwriting..."
Lena leaned closer.
"There are maps inside."
Several pages showed detailed sketches of underground tunnels beneath the island.
Then one page caught everyone's attention.
A drawing of a massive circular structure.
Underneath it were two words:
THE CORE
Ryan frowned.
"What's the Core?"
Elena answered quietly,
"The heart of Project Phoenix."
"If the Core falls..."
"...everything falls."
Before anyone could speak—
⚠️ WARNING: UNKNOWN AIRCRAFT DETECTED
The helicopter cockpit filled with alarms.
The pilot shouted,
"Missiles incoming!"
Ryan grabbed the nearest seat.
"Brace yourselves!"
Outside—
Two black helicopters emerged from the clouds.
Each carried the Black Phoenix symbol.
Victor looked through the side window.
"The Founder's strike team."
Machine-gun fire ripped through the sky.
Bullets shattered the helicopter's rear window.
Lena ducked.
"They found us already!"
Commander Elena grabbed the controls.
"Hold on!"
She pulled the helicopter into a steep dive.
The missiles missed—
But only by meters.
Ariba looked out the window.
One enemy helicopter flew directly beside them.
A masked soldier aimed a rifle.
Ryan reacted instantly.
He kicked open the side door.
"I'm ending this."
Victor tossed him a compact rifle.
"Don't miss."
Ryan leaned out into the freezing wind.
He fired.
The enemy helicopter lost control.
It spun into the ocean below.
💥 BOOM!
One down.
But another remained.
The second helicopter launched another missile.
Lena screamed,
"Incoming!"
Commander Elena banked sharply.
The missile exploded just behind them.
The shockwave damaged the engine.
Smoke poured into the cabin.
"We're losing altitude!" the pilot yelled.
Ariba gripped her father's notebook tightly.
"No..."
"We're too close."
Elena pointed ahead.
"There!"
Through the morning mist—
An enormous island appeared.
Surrounded by steep cliffs.
Hidden beneath dense forests.
And at its center—
A towering black fortress reached into the clouds.
Ryan stared in disbelief.
"So that's..."
"The Creator's island."
Suddenly—
Every radio inside the helicopter came alive.
A familiar voice echoed through the cabin.
The Founder.
"Welcome, Ariba."
"I've prepared the island for you."
A pause.
"I hope you're ready..."
"...because once you land..."
"...there will be no way back."
The transmission ended.
The damaged helicopter shook violently.
The pilot shouted,
"We're going down!"
The island rushed closer.
The ocean rose beneath them.
And the fate of everyone aboard depended on the next few seconds...
To Be Continued…
💬 Comment & Earn Coins! 🪙
How will the team survive the crash?
A) Emergency landing on the island
B) They jump with parachutes
C) Someone rescues them at the last second
D) The Creator lets them land on purpose
👇 Comment A, B, C, or D and don't forget to send your Power Stones! 💎