The Old One Was Already Burning.

Singapore – The Underground Safehouse. Sebastian watched the rain hammer against the glass of a high-rise, the city lights blurring into neon streaks. He had been a shadow for too long, slipping between timelines, collecting whispers of futures that never should be. But now, the present was collapsing faster than even he had predicted.

Clarissa’s voice cut through his thoughts. "Heru is alive."

Sebastian turned, his expression unreadable. Across the room, Kiran, Eka, and Rhea were gathered around a flickering monitor. A distorted transmission played on a loop—Heru’s face, his eerie smile frozen in time.

"Miss me?"

Sebastian sighed. "I hate that guy."

Eka scrolled through lines of stolen code. "The Phoenix Protocol isn’t just a biological experiment—it’s an override system. Heru isn’t just coming back. He’s rewriting the rules."

Clarissa crossed her arms. "Then we need to move before the Nine Dragons do."