Your DNA

The next morning, as Alexander and his team gathered in the war room again, the door to the mansion was suddenly thrown open, and a figure entered—a man they had all thought was lost to them.

"Victor, you've been looking for answers," the man said, his voice low and filled with mystery. "Well, it's time I gave you some."

The figure stepped into the room, revealing himself to be none other than Damon Caldwell, a former associate of Alexander and Damien's, and someone who had mysteriously disappeared years ago.

Damon's eyes gleamed with hidden knowledge. "I know what Project Paragon is. And I know how to stop it."

Damon Caldwell's sudden appearance in the war room sent a ripple of shock through the team. His presence was both unexpected and unsettling. For years, Damon had been an enigma—a former associate of Alexander and Damien, who had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Now, he was standing before them, with an aura of knowing and urgency.

Victor was the first to speak, his voice incredulous. "Damon? How—how are you here? We thought you were—"

"Dead?" Damon finished for him, a grim smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I know. It's a long story, but it's one that needs to be told now."

Mia's eyes narrowed as she studied Damon. She remembered the man, a once-shrewd ally, but his disappearance had always left a lingering question. "What do you know about Project Paragon?" she asked, her voice steady despite the storm of questions swirling in her mind.

Damon took a deep breath, his expression darkening. "Everything," he said simply. "I know exactly what it is and what it was supposed to be. And I know the truth behind your connection to it, Mia."

Mia's heart skipped a beat. She exchanged a glance with Alexander, who had stiffened beside her. "What do you mean by that?" Alexander asked, his voice low but firm, his protective instincts fully engaged.

Damon paused, his gaze flicking to the monitors on the wall, where the images of Project Paragon and the encrypted files still loomed. "You've uncovered part of the story. The experiment. The mutation. The enhancements. But there's one thing you don't know," he said, his eyes locking onto Mia's. "The Catalyst wasn't just a code name—it was a title. A person. And that person was meant to be you, Mia."

Mia's breath caught in her throat, and she instinctively reached for her belly. "What are you saying?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to remain calm.

Damon's gaze softened, but his tone remained serious. "I know this is hard to believe, but everything about you—the way you've been targeted, the way Damien and Marco have been obsessed with you—it's all connected. They were after something in you, Mia. Something you didn't even know you had."

Victor leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "What was it? What did they want from her?"

Damon looked at the team, his expression now grim. "It wasn't about power, not in the way you think. They didn't just want control—they wanted to create a new world order, and Mia… she was the key to it."

Mia swallowed hard, her mind racing to keep up. "How? What do I have that they wanted?"

Damon's eyes seemed to flicker with a mixture of regret and determination. "Your genetics. Project Paragon was never just about testing enhancements—it was about unlocking the potential in certain individuals. And Mia, your DNA… it was the perfect match. The perfect key to bring about the next phase of human evolution."

Alexander's hand tightened on Mia's shoulder as he absorbed the gravity of Damon's words. "So, you're telling us that Mia was meant to be some kind of… genetic experiment? A weapon?"

Damon shook his head. "Not a weapon. At least, not in the traditional sense. They wanted to use her to create something much more dangerous—an entire army of enhanced individuals, each one capable of unimaginable feats. But Mia… she was always meant to be the first."

Mia recoiled, her thoughts racing. "An army? You mean… they were going to turn me into some sort of… leader of this new world?"

"Exactly," Damon said. "They saw you as the catalyst to initiate the transformation. Your ability to unlock that potential in others, to lead them, was the final piece of the puzzle."

Victor looked to Damon, his expression filled with a mix of disbelief and disbelief. "So, if Mia is the Catalyst… does that mean it's not too late? Can we stop this? Can we stop whatever they've been planning?"

Damon nodded slowly. "Yes. But it won't be easy. The technology they've developed is unlike anything we've seen before. And it's not just Marco and Damien who are involved. There are others—powerful people, hidden in the shadows—who have their own agendas. But the key to stopping them is Mia."

Mia felt a chill run down her spine. The weight of what Damon was saying was suffocating. She had always known there was something strange about the way she had been pulled into this world, but to learn she was at the center of it all—she didn't know whether to be terrified or enraged.

"I don't want any part of this," Mia said, her voice trembling. "I don't want to be the leader of some army. I just want to be… me. I just want to protect my family."

Alexander's arm wrapped around her, pulling her close. "We will fight this together," he said, his voice low and resolute. "No matter what, we will fight it."

Damon met their gaze, his own resolve hardening. "I know this is a lot to take in. But the time to act is now. We don't have much time before Damien makes his move. And he will come for you, Mia, whether you're ready or not."