The wind howled over the frozen mountains, carrying dust and secrets in its icy breath. In the remote region of Farovik, where winter never ended, something hidden long ago was stirring beneath layers of snow and steel. Ash had been here once before—many years ago, when his mentor first whispered about the “Zero Archives.”

Now, with Solomon once again slipping through their hands, Ash knew he had no choice but to return.

---

Arrival at the Ice Station

Ash, Reina, and Kade arrived at a hidden airstrip in a camouflaged aircraft. The world outside was all white, but inside the cockpit, tension painted everything gray.

“Farovik used to be a military test zone,” Ash explained as he adjusted his gloves. “Now it’s abandoned. Except for the old vault—Sector Twelve.”

Reina peered out through the frost-covered window. “And you think Solomon is heading there?”

“No,” Ash said. “I think he’s already inside.”

---

Secrets in the Snow

Their snow vehicles crawled across frozen ground. Wind screamed against the glass. Kade monitored readings from his wrist tablet.

“I’m detecting unstable radiation levels from underground,” Kade said. “Could be a reactor leak. Or… something worse.”

Ash didn’t answer. His eyes were locked on the horizon.

---

The Entrance

Sector Twelve was buried beneath layers of ice and time. Its metal doors were rusted but still solid. Reina blew warm air into her gloved hands as Kade began bypassing the security.

“Give me ten minutes,” he muttered, connecting wires.

“You have three,” Ash said, pulling out a thermal scanner.

“Why?”

“Because someone else is already trying to get in from the other side.”

Reina’s hand flew to her gun. The air grew colder.

---

Inside the Vault

The doors groaned open, revealing darkness and old blood. The vault was built like a bunker—deep corridors, iron walls, and broken security cameras hanging like dead eyes.

They moved silently, flashlights cutting through the dark. Each step echoed like a memory.

“This place…” Reina whispered, “...it feels wrong.”

Ash stopped near a scratched door. The word “PROJECT: SILKSHADOW” was barely visible beneath the rust.

“That’s what Solomon wants,” Ash said. “And what he wants… must never see daylight.”

---

Traps and Memories

The deeper they went, the more dangerous it became. Traps triggered silently—gas vents, pressure plates, collapsing ceilings. But Ash remembered them. Every turn. Every trick.

“You’ve been here,” Reina said.

Ash nodded. “When I was young. They tested me here. This place made spies… and monsters.”

At the final chamber, they found rows of cryo-pods. Most were cracked or empty. One remained sealed.

Inside it floated a young boy—frozen in time, wires feeding into his spine.

“That’s not Solomon,” Kade said, voice shaking.

Ash nodded. “No. It’s worse. That’s what he plans to wake up.”

---

The Confrontation

The chamber lights flared.

From the shadows, Solomon appeared—smiling like a snake. “You made it. I knew you would.”

Ash raised his gun. “Step away.”

Solomon laughed. “Always the soldier. Never the dreamer. You don’t see the future, Ash. This child is the answer to control.”

“You’re playing god,” Reina spat.

“I’m fixing a broken world,” Solomon said.

Then everything exploded into chaos.

Gunfire. Smoke. Flashbombs. Solomon disappeared again, leaving behind only a corrupted control panel.

Ash ran to the pod. The boy inside twitched. Eyes fluttered.

“We have to shut it down!” Kade yelled.

“I can’t!” Ash said. “It’s hardwired into the vault’s power.”

Reina fired a blast into the reactor core. Sparks flew. The cryo-pod fizzled and went dark.

---

Escape

The vault collapsed behind them as they escaped through the emergency tunnels. Snow fell harder than ever.

They stood outside, panting, covered in frost and ash.

Ash turned back to the mountain.

“This war isn’t over,” he said. “It’s just beginning.”