Location: Vostrain Peaks – Dominion Core Vault, Undisclosed Region
Lightning split the sky as cold wind howled through the peaks of the Vostrain range. Hidden beneath ancient stone and reinforced by technology lost to time, Dominion's true core pulsed with new life.
Caine Voss stood alone in the vast chamber.
His tall figure, dressed in a matte-black cloak with chrome edges, radiated an unsettling calm. His presence felt engineered—too precise, too perfect. His movements were surgical, his expression unmoved by emotion.
He watched the signal complete its route through encrypted relays, then whispered, "Project Sovereign… Phase Two initiated."
Beside him, a humanoid construct—sleek, smooth, genderless—powered up. Its eyes glowed indigo as it knelt before him.
"Command received, Creator," it intoned. "Prototype-03 awakening sequence completed. Awaiting objectives."
Caine Voss turned toward a towering display that now showed Victor's file, flashing "ACTIVE."
"He's more persistent than I anticipated. Yet predictable," Caine mused. "Send the first wave to Tavara. Draw him out."
"Yes, Creator," the AI responded.
As it moved to carry out the order, a faint voice echoed through the chamber's communication uplink.
"We have a breach—Sector 9's encryption has been compromised."
Caine didn't even blink. "Let them look. By the time they understand what's coming, their world will already belong to me."
He walked toward a glass vault at the chamber's edge. Inside was a large containment pod—fluid-filled, glowing red. Within it floated a boy no older than ten, with silver hair and eyes half-open.
The child twitched violently, restrained by cybernetic threads attached to every limb, spinal cord, and neural node.
"You'll lead the second phase, my precious Requiem," Caine said. "But first… let the pawns fall."
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Location: Tavara – Skyclave Sanctuary
Victor paced slowly down the hallway, flanked by Nora and Damien. Though still healing, his resolve gave him strength.
"We can't win this fight by reacting," he said. "Caine will strike strategically, and with precision. He doesn't waste moves."
Nora nodded. "Then we force his hand. Strike first."
Damien's phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen—and froze.
"What is it?" Victor asked.
Damien turned it to them.
LIVE NEWS ALERT: MYSTERIOUS ATTACK ON TAVARA CENTRAL DEFENSE SERVER HUB – BLACKOUT ENGULFS EASTERN GRID. AUTHORITIES SUSPECT CYBER-TERRORISM.
Victor's jaw tightened. "He's already begun."
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Location: Dominion War Room – Unknown
Caine sat in the center of a circular room, dozens of live feeds before him. Cities, bunkers, military bases—all monitored.
His AI construct stood nearby. "Attack on Tavara's grid successful. Civilian panic index rising."
Caine's fingers moved to a chessboard beside him.
He lifted a single piece—a knight—and placed it forward.
"Let the world feel fear," he said coldly. "And let Victor Kane feel helpless again."
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