The cold night air bit at Alex's exposed skin as he approached the pier, the salty breeze mixing with the faint, distant hum of a city struggling to stay awake. His breath formed short, visible clouds in the darkness. The pier was deserted except for the occasional scrape of wood shifting in the wind.
The streetlights that once illuminated the docks had long since failed. Only the pale moonlight guided his steps, casting long, wavering shadows across the cracked concrete.
He paused, listening.
The silence was thick — unnatural. It pressed on him like a weight.
Then, from the shadows, a figure stepped forward.
She moved with fluid grace — Raven.
Her presence was magnetic. Not the cold hacker or mercenary he imagined, but a woman with an edge of experience carved deep into her face. Her dark hair tumbled loosely over one shoulder, framing eyes that burned with fierce intelligence and hard-earned pain.
Alex's heart beat faster — not just from adrenaline, but from the realization that this woman carried secrets he desperately needed.
"You came," she said softly, voice low and steady.
"Who are you really?" Alex asked, his tone cautious.
Raven smiled, a brief, almost sad curve of her lips. "Someone who's lost more than she can count. Someone who's been hunting the Syndicate long before you even knew it existed."
She took a step closer, the salty air seeming to swirl between them.
"They lied about the meteor. It's no accident. The Mars Project was a cover story, a distraction to keep eyes off the real target — Earth. The meteor's trajectory is being controlled. Accelerated."
Alex swallowed hard. "By who?"
"OMNI. Verma. The Syndicate." Her eyes darkened. "They're using this chaos to consolidate power — to cull the weak and rebuild a new order in their image."
Alex clenched his fists. "Why tell me? Why trust me?"
Raven's gaze hardened. "Because you're the only one who can stop them. And because the people you trust… might not be as safe as you think."
She reached into her coat and pulled out a small, encrypted drive, pressing it into his palm.
"This contains everything you need — satellite data, Syndicate communications, proof that will expose the truth."
Alex looked up, meeting her eyes. "And you? What do you want?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Redemption. And to protect what's left of my family. Including the son I lost to this madness."
A flicker of pain crossed her face, quickly masked by resolve.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed — faint but growing closer.
"Go back to your friends," Raven urged. "No one else. If they catch me with you — it's over. This is your crossroads, Alex. Choose wisely."
He nodded, the weight of the moment settling deep in his chest.
As Raven melted back into the shadows, Alex felt the enormity of the task ahead. He wasn't just fighting for survival — he was fighting to save a world blinded by lies.
The war had truly begun.
—
That night as Alex walked back through empty streets, his mind raced. The data Raven gave him was a lifeline — but also a target painted on his back.
The city around him seemed quieter, colder.
He thought of his friends, the people who'd risk everything alongside him.
And most of all, he thought of Brad — tough, stubborn Brad — who'd never back down from a fight.
Alex quickened his pace.
He had to get back. He had to protect them.
Because now, more than ever, they needed each other.