Interrogation

The operation had been flawless. Surya and his squad efficiently cleared the underground facility, eliminating every obstacle between them and their target. Now, with Alaric secured, it was time to extract the information they needed.

**"Move out,"** Surya commanded as Viper and Chameleon secured Alaric's unconscious body. The squad moved with military precision, navigating through the tunnel's alternate exit. The system had already scrambled any external communications, ensuring no outside interference. Reinforcements would arrive at the now-collapsed tunnel, only to find a massacre and no sign of their target.

After a 20-minute drive through the darkened streets of Geneva, they reached a nondescript warehouse near the outskirts of the city. It was the safe house given by system, stocked with advanced surveillance jammers, weapons,medical supplies, and an interrogation setup.

**"Lock it down,"** Surya ordered as they entered.

The team swiftly secured the perimeter, setting up motion sensors and disabling any remote surveillance feeds. Inside, the air was tense. Alaric was strapped to a reinforced chair, his head still drooping as he regained consciousness.

**"Wake him up."**

Havoc dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over Alaric's face. He jolted awake, gasping for breath. His eyes darted around the dimly lit room before settling on Surya, who stood in front of him with an emotionless expression.

**"W-Where am I?"** Alaric stammered, his voice hoarse.

**"That doesn't matter."** Surya crouched to eye level. **"What does matter is how much pain you want to endure before telling me what I need to know."**

Alaric's breathing quickened. **"I don't know what you're talking about."**

Surya smirked, exchanging a glance with the system. **"System, scan for neurological stress indicators."**

**"Analysis complete. His heart rate is elevated, and his pupils are dilated. He's lying."**

Surya sighed, straightening up. **"Viper, let's help him remember."**

Viper stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves. With precise, controlled force, he drove a fist into Alaric's ribcage, making him groan in pain. The next hit was to his shoulder, dislocating it with a sickening pop. Alaric screamed.

**"I don't have time for games, Alaric. Tell me about the Architect."**

Alaric spat blood, shaking his head. **"Even if I tell you, it won't help. You're already too late."**

Surya's expression darkened. **"System, search his biometric patterns for deception." And then he invades his memories.**

**"He is stalling. Increased anxiety detected when mentioning the Architect."**

Surya smiled coldly. **"So, we're on the right track."**

He turned to Chameleon. **"Bring in the projection device."**

Moments later, a holographic display flickered to life in front of Alaric, showing his financial transactions, call logs, and encrypted messages.

**"This?"** Surya gestured to a set of numbers. **"These offshore transactions show a trail leading directly to the Architect. I already know more than you think, Alaric. I just need confirmation."**

Alaric's face went pale. He looked at the data in disbelief. **"H-How did you get this? These are black-level encrypted files…"**

Surya leaned in. **"That's the difference between you and me. Now, are you going to tell me where the Architect is? Or should I start removing body parts?"**

Surya got a little hint ,where second node was, but could figure out architect.

Alaric hesitated for a long moment before finally exhaling in defeat. **"Alright… I'll tell you everything."**

Unveiling Architect

The safe house was a reinforced underground facility, hidden beneath an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Geneva. It was soundproofed, secured with biometric locks, and equipped with interrogation chambers designed for extracting the most guarded secrets.

Alaric sat strapped to a steel chair in the dimly lit room. His face was bruised from the takedown, his breaths ragged. Across from him, Surya leaned back against the cold wall, his arms crossed, eyes unreadable. The Wagner squad members—Viper and Chameleon—stood on either side, their presence an unspoken warning.

Surya finally broke the silence. **"Alaric, you know why you're here. Let's not waste time."**

Alaric chuckled weakly, spitting out blood. **"You think I'll just hand over the Architect?"**

Surya smirked and gestured to the system interface visible only to him. **"System, monitor his vitals for deception."**

**"Vitals calibrated. Monitoring initiated."**

Surya knelt down to Alaric's level, his voice chillingly calm. **"Every lie you tell will cost you something. So again, where is the Architect?"**

Alaric clenched his jaw but finally exhaled sharply. **"Fine. You want the truth? The Architect isn't a single person."**

Surya's eyes narrowed. **"Explain."**

Alaric licked his dry lips, shifting uncomfortably. **"The Architect is a title. A mantle passed down through generations. The current one… he's the most dangerous yet. He isn't just a strategist; he's a visionary, a man who believes in reshaping global intelligence."**

Surya remained silent, allowing him to continue.

**"Project Eclipse wasn't just his brainchild—it's his legacy. He has agents in every major intelligence agency: CIA, MI6, Mossad, FSB, even R&AW. Some know, most don't. His control is invisible, but absolute."**

Surya tapped his fingers on the chair's armrest. **"Where is he?"**

Alaric hesitated, his heartbeat spiking. The system flashed a deception alert.

Surya sighed, then nodded at Viper. Without hesitation, Viper grabbed Alaric's hand and snapped his little finger backward. A scream filled the room.

**"You're stalling, Alaric,"** Surya said, his voice carrying no emotion. **"I don't have patience for this."**

Alaric gasped for air, his body shaking. **"Zurich!"** he blurted out. **"He operates from Zurich! But he never stays in one place for long."**

Surya's gaze remained fixed on him. **"Where exactly in Zurich?"**

**"He has a safe house—high security, underground vaults, encrypted servers. The financial district. The headquarters of Eclipse is hidden in plain sight under a multinational investment firm."**

Surya exchanged a glance with Chameleon, who nodded and began feeding the information into their system for cross-verification.

Alaric swallowed hard. **"You think you can kill him? You don't understand. The Architect isn't just one man. He's an ideology. You destroy one, another will rise."**

Surya stood up, cracking his knuckles. **"Then I'll destroy them all."**

He turned to Viper and Chameleon. **"We move to Zurich. I want full surveillance on that firm. And as for him…"** he glanced at Alaric, who shivered under his gaze. **"Make sure he doesn't leave this room alive."**

As he stepped out of the chamber, the door closing behind him, a single suppressed gunshot echoed through the safe house.

The hunt for the Architect had begun.