The door loomed before them. Massive. Unyielding. A gate to the unknown.
Ethan could feel it now—a pulse rippling through the air, crawling under his skin. The closer they got, the harder it was to think. To breathe.
Adrian was waiting.
Valerie gestured to her team. "Breaching in three."
Noah exhaled sharply, gripping his rifle. Olivia adjusted her stance, blade ready. Blaze crouched low, muscles tensed like a coiled spring.
"Two."
Ethan's heartbeat pounded like war drums.
"One."
The doors slammed open.
The Eye of the Storm
The chamber was massive—a hollowed-out ruin at the heart of the tower.
And in the center, surrounded by twisting cables and flickering monitors—stood him.
Adrian Vale.
His skin was a sickly gray, veins pulsing with an unnatural glow. His eyes—golden, burning, inhuman.
A smirk curled on his lips. "So. You finally made it."
Ethan's grip tightened on his weapon. "You're coming with us. Or we end this now."
Adrian laughed. Not human. Not anymore.
"You still don't understand, do you?" He spread his arms, motioning to the tower. "I am already free."
The air shook.
The monitors burst, sparks raining down like fireflies.
And from the darkness, the infected rose.
Dozens. Hundreds. Crawling from the shadows, eyes glowing the same unnatural gold.
Noah cursed. "Oh, we are so screwed."
Adrian tilted his head. "Kneel. And I might let you live."
Ethan exhaled. No hesitation.
"Go to hell."
He pulled the trigger.
The First One Awakens
The shot never landed.
Before the bullet could connect, Adrian moved.
One second, he was standing.
The next—he was behind Ethan.
Fast. Too fast.
A cold hand clamped around Ethan's throat, lifting him off the ground.
"You think a gun can stop me?" Adrian's voice was a whisper. "I am beyond that. Beyond you."
Pain flared through Ethan's skull. His vision blurred. A flood of images—memories—not his own.
Fire. Screaming. A lab filled with glass tanks.
A voice. "He is the future."
And then—nothing.
The Final Stand
A gunshot rang out.
Adrian hissed, releasing Ethan just in time to dodge Olivia's blade.
Valerie's team opened fire.
Bullets tore through the air. Some hit. Some didn't. None seemed to matter.
Adrian barely flinched.
He moved like a shadow, weaving through the chaos, striking with inhuman speed.
Noah yelled as Adrian's hand sliced through the air—without touching him, he was thrown across the room.
Ethan forced himself up, gasping. They weren't winning this.
Unless—
His eyes darted to the explosives strapped to Valerie's belt.
The tower wasn't just Adrian's prison. It was his source.
"We bring it down." Ethan's voice was raw. "Now."
Valerie met his gaze. No words needed.
She ripped the detonator free.
Adrian's eyes widened.
For the first time—he looked afraid.