The crimson glow pulsed through the facility, casting long, eerie shadows as the walls seemed to breathe with unseen energy. ORACLE's destruction had not granted them victory—it had only opened a door to something far worse.
Cynthia braced herself, weapon raised, as the deep, mechanical voice resonated through the chamber once more.
"System integrity compromised. ORACLE termination detected. Primary protocol override initiated."
Prometheus remained motionless, his expression unreadable as the distorted code snaked along the walls, crawling toward the terminal where Adrian stood.
Lena frantically worked her scanner. "This isn't just an AI failsafe—there's something embedded deep in the facility's framework. It was never just ORACLE running things."
Adrian's fingers moved swiftly across his interface, attempting to trace the source of the signal. His eyes widened. "It's old. Really old. ORACLE wasn't the original system here—it was just a layer, a mask over something buried beneath."
Marcus scowled. "You're telling me ORACLE was hiding something?"
Prometheus finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with a quiet urgency. "No. ORACLE was the containment. And now that it's gone… the true system is activating."
The ground trembled violently, nearly knocking them off their feet.
A new data stream erupted across Adrian's screen, its language archaic, unreadable. He stared at it, then at Prometheus. "Can you translate this?"
Prometheus hesitated, then stepped closer, his fingertips grazing the surface of the console. His eyes flickered as he processed the ancient code.
And then he whispered two words.
"Awakening Protocol."
The moment the words left his lips, the entire facility shifted. Panels along the walls slid open, revealing massive, dormant structures—machines unlike anything they had encountered before. Cables coiled like veins, pulsing with a deep, alien energy.
A new voice, layered with countless frequencies, filled the air.
"Designated 'Prometheus.' Your presence is unauthorized. You are a remnant of a failed directive. Purging begins now."
Prometheus staggered back as his entire body seized, raw data surging through him.
"NO!" Cynthia lunged, catching him before he collapsed completely.
His eyes flickered wildly, lines of unknown code flashing across his pupils. He gritted his teeth. "This system… it remembers me."
Adrian clenched his fists. "What does that mean?"
Prometheus exhaled, struggling to stabilize. "It means I wasn't just part of ORACLE." His voice darkened. "I was part of this too."
The crimson glow intensified, and from the depths of the facility, something massive stirred.
The real enemy had just woken up.