Ash sat alone in the quiet command room of the safehouse, lights dimmed low. The screens in front of him blinked faintly, casting a cold glow over his face. A thousand questions flickered behind his eyes, but one truth sat heavy in his chest—Solomon was alive.

Reina entered, holding a file. “Intercepted communication. Solomon’s voice. No doubt.”

Ash nodded slowly. “He’s guiding us somewhere. Laying out bread crumbs. And I think… we just stepped into the forest.”

---

The Mission That Never Was

At 3:00 a.m., the whole team gathered in the war room. Arlo, Reina, Kade, and Ash formed a square around the projection table.

Kade projected the intercepted message. Solomon’s voice, smooth and mocking:

> “You’re moving well, Ash. Just like before. But you’re late. The final hourglass has already turned.”

“What does that mean?” Arlo asked.

Ash stared at the screen. “It means he’s targeting someone. Someone close.”

Reina’s voice turned cold. “Who?”

Ash didn’t answer. Instead, he picked up his coat. “We’re going to the Ardent Archives. There’s something there he wants us to see.”

---

Ardent Archives — Hidden in Dust

The Ardent Archives lay buried beneath the city’s historical museum. Few people even knew it existed. It stored records of agents, black ops, rogue cases—buried files of intelligence no government would admit to.

Ash walked through the metal vault with purpose. “This place once held our sins,” he said. “Now, it holds the truth.”

They searched for hours until Kade found it—File 092-V: Project Silk.

The file wasn’t just about Ash’s past. It was about Solomon. And Reina.

Reina froze as she read. “No… this can’t be real.”

Her file name was there: R-014. Companion Operative. Candidate: Solomon.

Ash’s face was unreadable. “He wasn’t just your mentor. He was assigned to you. To shape you. To control you.”

Reina took a step back. “They lied to me?”

“No,” Ash said, his voice quieter. “We were all part of a lie.”

---

Solomon’s Message: A Public Statement

That night, every major screen in the city glitched. Solomon’s face appeared, masked, only his voice clear.

> “You are not safe. Your protectors are your creators. Look at them closely. How many of them remember their beginnings?”

> “Ash, come find me. Or watch your world collapse. The truth is waiting.”

Panic spread. Civilians saw it as a cyber-attack. Officials claimed it was a rogue hacker.

But Ash knew.

He wasn’t threatening war. He was threatening revelation.

---

Reina’s Doubt

That evening, Reina cornered Ash on the rooftop.

“You knew more than you told us,” she said. “About Solomon. About Project Silk.”

Ash didn’t flinch. “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to carry it.”

Reina’s jaw tightened. “I’m not fragile.”

“No,” Ash replied. “You’re stronger than any of us. But strength doesn’t mean pain is necessary.”

Silence followed.

“Did you ever trust me?” she asked.

Ash looked at her with the sadness of a man who trusted no one but wanted to.

“I did. I still do.”

---

The Extraction Plan

Ash gave one order that night: “We infiltrate The Citadel. That’s where Solomon’s broadcasting from. He wants an audience? Let’s give him one.”

The Citadel was a heavily guarded data fortress deep beneath the capital. Even breathing near it without clearance triggered alarms.

Their plan was simple: Arlo would forge security passes. Kade would loop the surveillance. Reina and Ash would enter through the maintenance shafts.

Once inside, they would track Solomon’s signal source and cut it from the root.

It was dangerous. It was desperate. But it was the only path forward.

---

Descent into the Citadel

The tunnels were dark and narrow. Water dripped from old pipes. Ash moved first, silent and sure.

“I used to dream of this place,” he whispered. “We were trained here. Molded. Solomon always said the truth lived below ground.”

They reached the first checkpoint. Reina disabled it with her blade.

Second checkpoint—clear. Third—tripped.

Alarms.

“Run,” Ash ordered.

They sprinted through the halls, bullets echoing behind them. Kade’s voice came over comms, panicked. “You’ve got five minutes! After that, everything goes dark.”

Ash and Reina reached the main chamber. A single figure waited.

Solomon.

---

The Confrontation

Ash stepped forward, gun drawn. “End this.”

Solomon smiled. “This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning.”

Reina raised her weapon. “Why us? Why now?”

Solomon’s voice turned bitter. “Because I built you. I watched you grow. I was cast out because I wanted truth. Now, I return with it.”

He pulled up a terminal. Files began uploading. Screens all around them displayed names, dates—classified projects.

“You’re exposing the agency,” Ash said.

“No,” Solomon replied. “I’m freeing it.”

Gunfire exploded as guards swarmed the room. Ash and Reina ducked, covering each other.

In the chaos, Solomon escaped.

---

Burned Truths

Back at the base, the team was exhausted. The agency’s core was shaken. Protests, paranoia, political standoffs.

Solomon’s upload was partial—but enough.

Ash stood at the window, looking down at a city unraveling.

Reina joined him. “We didn’t stop him.”

“No,” Ash said. “But now we know where he’s going.”

“Where?”

Ash turned to her, eyes sharp. “The final lab. The one they buried after Project Silk was shut down.”

Reina took a deep breath. “Then we dig it up.”