Chapter 16: The Hideout (Flashback)
The heavy steel door groaned as it slid open, revealing nothing but darkness beyond. Alex took a slow breath and stepped forward, the dim emergency lights flickering to life.
Then—everything changed.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the entire facility awoke. Bright golden-blue light surged through hidden circuits along the walls, illuminating the vast underground complex.
Holographic displays flared to life, filling the air with cascading data streams, 3D blueprints, and shifting world maps tracking real-time events. The ceiling above him, impossibly high for something built underground, morphed into a panoramic view of the night sky, complete with drifting constellations as if he were standing beneath the open heavens.
Alex’s breath caught in his throat.
Rows of sleek, ultra-modern workstations lined the walls, each one more advanced than anything he had ever seen. Transparent glass panels displayed projected interfaces, responding to unseen commands as if they had a mind. A network of interwoven corridors stretched beyond his sight, leading to labs, living quarters, and research chambers bathed in soft, ambient lighting.
He turned in slow awe, his mind racing.
His mother had sent him here. It was as if she was prepared for them to be attacked.
But why?
A few minutes passed, but Alex remained frozen, his mind still struggling to process the sheer magnitude of what he saw. This place—this impossible sanctuary—was unlike anything he had imagined. But as the awe settled, something else crept in—the weight was heavy and suffocating.
Then everything came crashing down at once.