The sky over the dense jungles of Southeast Asia was overcast, casting a steely hue over the landscape. Below, a tactical aircraft flew low, skimming just above the treetops. Inside, Hana stood with her gear secured, eyes locked on the holographic map projected in front of her.
"This is it," she said quietly. "Kai's command center is somewhere inside that mountain facility. We get in, gather intel, shut him down."
Alina stood beside her, checking her sidearm. "And if he's there?"
Hana's gaze sharpened. "Then we finish this."
The landing zone was barely a clearing, surrounded by thick vegetation and treacherous terrain. The team moved swiftly and silently through the jungle, every step calculated. Mika led the way, using satellite coordinates to guide them. Hours passed with only the sound of insects and the distant call of animals.
Finally, they reached the ridge overlooking a heavily fortified complex built into the mountainside.
"Thermal scans show minimal surface activity," Nam said, peering through a scope. "That means most of the operation is underground."
"Which makes it harder to breach," Hana muttered. "But not impossible."
They made their descent at nightfall. With tactical precision, the team disabled outer patrols and breached a hidden access tunnel. The inside was unlike anything they had encountered before—an advanced underground base with automated defenses, labs, and encrypted servers.
As they moved deeper, Hana's comm crackled. "Multiple heat signatures approaching from the west corridor."
"Split up," Hana ordered. "Mika, Alina—you take the control room. Nam and I will find the core server."
The tension in the tunnels was suffocating. Alarms hadn't gone off—yet—but they could feel the system adapting to their presence.
Suddenly, lights flickered.
Then—
A calm, familiar voice echoed through the intercom: "Welcome, Hana."
Everyone froze.
Kai.
Hana's jaw clenched. "He's watching us."
Screens lit up around them, showing surveillance footage from earlier missions. Kai's voice continued, almost amused:
"You've always been predictable. Brave. Righteous. But this world doesn't reward that anymore."
"Where are you?" Hana growled.
"You're standing in my past," he replied. "But my future is already in motion—somewhere you won't reach in time."
A sudden explosion shook the lower level. Smoke and debris filled the corridor as security drones activated and rushed toward them.
"Trap!" Nam shouted, dragging Hana behind cover as the drones opened fire.
"We need that intel now!" she barked.
Nam quickly plugged into a wall port, hacking into the server while Hana and Mika covered him. The data streamed in—locations, transaction logs, contact networks. A staggering list of high-profile collaborators.
But one name caught Hana's eye, and it made her blood run cold.
A senator. From their own country.
The implications were massive. Kai hadn't just infiltrated borders—he had roots in global policy.
"Got it!" Nam shouted. "I'm transferring everything to our backup drive."
"Time to go," Mika called. "This place won't hold much longer!"
As they made their escape, fighting off drone swarms and evading collapsing tunnels, Hana felt a grim clarity settle in her chest. The war wasn't just about Kai anymore. It was about the system that let him rise.
And taking him down would mean tearing apart the very fabric of international power.
They barely reached the surface when the facility imploded behind them. The shockwave blew through the jungle, and the night lit up with fire.
But they had the data.
They had the truth.
And now... the world would see it.