CHAPTER 1 – STORM

The White House – Oval Office

—Sir, they’re in position, —the suited officer reported firmly.
The President of the United States, his expression grave and tense, nodded slowly.
—Let them proceed.
—Yes, sir, —the officer replied, pressing his earpiece decisively.

Somewhere in Russia – Stormy night

A stealth helicopter tore through the sky at full speed, cloaked in darkness and the wrath of a thunderstorm. Its flight was invisible, save for the occasional lightning flashes that revealed its silhouette for mere seconds.

Inside the cockpit, the pilot handled the controls with precision.
—We’re close, —he announced, voice steady.

In the rear, five soldiers in advanced tactical gear prepared for the mission. They tightened straps, secured helmets, and checked their ammunition. They were ready.
—In sixty seconds we’ll be right over the target, —warned the pilot.
59… 58… 57…

The seconds fell like the rain itself—slow, heavy, timeless.

One of the soldiers, the leader, turned to the others:
—Alright, boys. Just another job. We go in, grab what we came for, and vanish like ghosts.

The group responded in unison with a fierce battle cry:
—AWOOOO!

—We’re above it. Good luck, —said the pilot.

The hatch burst open, a gust of wind and rain slamming into the soldiers’ visors. One by one, they leapt into total darkness.

They fell with pinpoint precision, stabilized by parachutes, and finally touched down on solid ground.

—Alright. Night vision on. We’re going in through here, —he said, pulling out a spray can.

He shook the can and sprayed a corrosive liquid onto the metal fence. A faint sizzling sound followed as the material melted away, leaving a hole just large enough for the team to slip through.

Not far ahead, two guards in black uniforms stood watch at a control tower. The Theralux logo was visible on their shoulders.

—This day’s crap, —grumbled one.
—I’m soaked to the bone, —the other growled.

The American soldiers crept closer, blades in hand. Two quick moves. Two silent strikes.

Zaaassss.

The knives sank into their necks. A hand over each mouth. The bodies were dragged into the shadows.

—Good. Follow me, —the leader ordered.

The group moved with trained precision, avoiding the lit areas until they reached a set of double steel doors. A name was engraved on them:

THERALUX

—This must be it, —the leader whispered, signaling one of his men.

The soldier knelt down, pulled a cable from his forearm, and connected it to the terminal. His fingers danced over the screen on his wrist. Seconds later, the door clicked open.

A guard on the other side barely had time to react.

Zaaasss.
Aargh!

A throwing knife struck him straight in the neck. Another body down. Another shadow on the floor.

—You. Stay here and cover this exit, —the leader ordered.
The soldier nodded silently. The rest of the team moved on, slipping into cold, white-lit hallways. They knew exactly where to go.

At the leader’s signal, one soldier stopped as a scientist approached down the corridor. Without hesitation, he crouched and waited. When the scientist was close enough...

Crack.

A quick twist of the wrist—his neck snapped with a clean, dry sound.
The body was dragged into a side room. The soldier grabbed the ID badge and rejoined the group.
He tossed the card into the air. The leader caught it effortlessly and headed toward a reinforced door covered in warning labels:

"Restricted Access — Maximum Security Level — THERALUX"

He swiped the card through the reader. A green light blinked. The door opened slowly.

The team entered with caution. The room was eerily empty—no furniture, no visible machinery, just pristine white covering the walls, floor, and ceiling.

They moved forward, tense.

Rrrrrrrrr…

A mechanical hum rose from the floor. A hatch opened, releasing a dense cloud of white vapor. The leader took a step back.

From within, a metallic structure began to rise.

It was some kind of vertical storage capsule, equipped with robotic arms. Inside it, rows of test tubes were perfectly aligned. Some were empty. Others held a strange, glowing violet liquid.

The leader gave a signal. One of his men opened a silver case with internal padding. He advanced with extreme care, as if the contents might explode at the slightest impact.

He picked up one of the vials, placed it delicately into the case, and sealed it with surgical precision.

—We’ve got it, —the leader announced.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Applause filled the room. U.S. military brass and the president were watching the entire operation live from the Oval Office.

—Good job, —muttered the president, barely cracking a smile.
—Now, get them out of there, —the officer commanded.

—Copy that, sir, —the leader replied firmly. He turned to his team. —Move out. We’re leaving.

But something changed.

Plof. Plof. Plof. Plof.

The sound of rushing footsteps echoed through the halls. Within seconds, a dozen Theralux soldiers stormed into the room, rifles raised and ready.

—Freeze! Drop your weapons and get on the ground! —shouted one, his voice sharp with authority.

The leader raised a hand and made a silent gesture to his squad.

As if everything had been pre-planned, the soldier guarding the exit hurled a flashbang into the room.

BAAAAAANG.

A blinding burst lit up the space like an artificial sun. The Theralux soldiers were disoriented.

—FIRE! —the leader roared.

BANG BANG BANG.

Gunfire erupted. Theralux soldiers fell one after another. Blood splattered across the pristine white walls, now painted with chaos.

But not all the Americans made it.

One of them, riddled with bullets, collapsed lifeless.

—Shit! —the leader cursed. He knew there was nothing he could do.

Without wasting a second, the team—now down to four—raced through the corridors as sirens blared, red lights flashed, and countless footsteps echoed around them.

It was a wasp nest stirred into frenzy. Theralux forces were emerging from everywhere.

During the retreat, another teammate was shot down. He hit the floor, tried to get up...

BANG.

Executed on the spot.

—Damn it! We need to get out NOW! —the leader shouted. —Tell the chopper to head to the extraction point!

Like an arrow tearing through the night, the helicopter approached the rendezvous point, cutting through the storm with aggressive maneuvers.

The three remaining soldiers burst outside, immediately hit by wind and rain. They weren’t alone. Behind them, the entire Theralux complex was on red alert.

They ran while firing at anything in their path. Finally, they reached the fence.

There it was—the helicopter descending.

—GO! We have to leave NOW! —the leader shouted, urgency boiling in his voice.

They were just steps from the chopper when suddenly...

FIUUUUUUUMMMMM.

A faint, sharp whistling cut through the storm. Almost inaudible. Almost invisible.

The pilot's eyes widened in horror.

—Oh, shit...

BOOOOOOMMMMM!!

The explosion was devastating. The helicopter turned into a fireball, metal shards flying in all directions. The shockwave threw two of the soldiers into the mud. The leader shielded his face instinctively.

Their only escape route... gone.

In the chaos, a spotlight snapped on above them, blinding them with its glare. Theralux vehicles surrounded them like a pack of wolves.

They were trapped.

From one of the vehicles, a man stepped out.

His face remained hidden.

All that could be seen was his long white lab coat, corporate black shoes, and the sound he made as he stepped into a puddle:

Plafff.

He stopped in front of them and began to clap—slowly.

Clap... Clap... Clap...

—Well, well, well… What do we have here? —he said in a cold, calculated voice. —So, you came to steal from me, hmm?

The American soldiers said nothing. Only the rain could be heard... and the crackle of burning helicopter wreckage.

—Nothing to say? I get it... Doesn’t matter.

Immediately, the Theralux soldiers moved in. They struck the Americans with their rifle butts, knocking them to the ground.

—Take them. I have something to show them, —the man in the lab coat ordered.

No one questioned him. Black bags were pulled over the Americans’ heads, and they were dragged through the halls.

Darkness. Footsteps. Silence.

From the leader’s perspective—only shadows and distant sounds.

Finally...

—We’re here. Take off their hoods. Let them see.

White light blinded them for a few seconds. Gradually, their eyes adjusted.

They were in a different kind of room.

Operating tables. Surgical instruments. Monitors. Screens.
But none of that was what caught their attention.

Cages.

Massive cages reinforced with bars as thick as a man’s torso.

—I’m going to show you something you’re going to love, —the man said, with a smile that wasn’t visible… but could be felt.

He stepped up to one of the cages and tapped gently on the bars.

Clang. Clang.

Something inside stirred. Glimpses of glowing violet markings—like pulsating veins—moved through the darkness.
A deep, inhuman growl rumbled from within.

The American soldiers instinctively took a step back.

—Throw them in, —the man ordered, without a shred of emotion.

One by one, they were tossed into the cage.
The door slammed shut behind them with a metallic clunk.

The man—clearly a scientist—pulled out a notebook. He watched. He took notes.

And as he did...

Grrrrr...
Aaaagh! No! AAAAAH!!
Zaaasss.

Screams. Inhuman sounds. Thrashing. Flesh tearing. Something splattered.

A stream of blood slid across the floor and soaked the hem of the man’s white coat.

He murmured, turning away with chilling calm:

—Mmm... interesting.

No one spoke. In the Oval Office, the screen showed only static.

The officer quietly turned off the monitor.

The president sat frozen. The weight of his decision had finally caught up with him.

—Sir... what do we do now? —the officer asked at last.

The president took a deep breath. His eyes remained locked on the dark screen.

—Prepare for the worst...

Everyone in the room tensed.

—......

—......

Silence flooded the room.