The moment the transmission cut off, Albert remained motionless, his breath shallow.
His mother.
The image of her face, frozen in time, burned into his thoughts. The Quantum Shroud—or whoever these people were—knew something. And they had just baited him with the one thing he couldn't ignore.
He had two choices.
Walk away, pretend this was just another manipulation.
Or take the risk and step into the unknown.
His fingers tightened at his sides.
There was no choice at all.
---
The Decision
Minutes later, Albert stood before the reinforced armory in his suite. Security scans confirmed his identity, and the panel slid open, revealing an array of specialized gear.
He moved swiftly, selecting a sleek adaptive combat suit designed for deep-space operations. Unlike the standard EvoTech models, this one incorporated Aetherion enhancement nodes, amplifying his abilities while providing high-density shielding.
Next, he retrieved a compact quantum translocator—a personal teleportation device with limited range. If things went south, it was his best chance at escape.
Finally, he secured a pair of kinetic compression blades, sheathing them at his sides. Lethal force wasn't his first option.
But he wasn't walking into a trap unarmed.
He activated his comm-link.
"Liana."
A brief pause before her voice came through. "You're up early. What's wrong?"
Albert hesitated. Telling her would mean involving her in something far beyond what they'd dealt with before.
But if he didn't, she'd find out anyway.
"I'm going off-grid for a while." His voice was controlled, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.
A sharp inhale. "Albert, what's going on?"
He turned toward the window, looking out at the endless cityscape below. "I might have a lead on my mother."
Silence. Then, softer, "Where are you going?"
"I can't say."
Another pause. "Then at least let me—"
"Not this time." He exhaled. "I need to do this alone."
Liana didn't argue, but the tension in her voice was clear. "Be careful."
Albert closed the comm-link.
Then, without another word, he stepped toward the launch bay.
---
Albert's destination was a set of coordinates embedded in the encrypted transmission. An isolated docking station orbiting the dark side of Neo-Terra's second moon.
The Quantum Shroud's signature was faint, but present. Whatever waited for him there, it was beyond EvoTech's reach.
He piloted a stealth-class interceptor through the outer stratosphere, engaging cloaking protocols. The ship hummed around him, the Aetherion reactors adjusting to the void of space.
Then, a transmission crackled through.
"Good. You came."
The voice from before.
Albert didn't respond. His grip tightened on the controls as the docking station came into view—a sleek, abandoned structure drifting in silence, its surface scarred by past conflicts.
No defenses. No visible threats.
That only made it more suspicious.
As his ship latched onto the airlock, he checked his gear one last time. His Aetherion circuits pulsed beneath his skin, attuning to the atmospheric shift as he stepped into the station.
The interior was dark. Too dark. The faint glow of emergency lighting flickered along the corridors, casting eerie shadows across the metallic walls.
Then—a sound.
Footsteps.
Albert pivoted, blades sliding into his hands.
A figure emerged from the darkness, draped in a flowing black cloak. Their features remained concealed, but their stance was calm, almost welcoming.
"You're cautious. That's good."
Albert's voice was ice. "Start talking."
The figure didn't react to his aggression. Instead, they raised a hand—and a small device flickered to life between them.
A hologram materialized. Not just a recording. A memory.
Albert's chest tightened as the scene unfolded.
A woman stood in a laboratory, surrounded by unfamiliar quantum stabilization chambers. Her expression was tense, her hands moving rapidly across the console.
Then—an explosion. The room shuddered as figures in dark uniforms stormed in.
The woman turned.
His mother.
The video froze, highlighting a small insignia on the intruders' armor.
Not Quantum Shroud.
Something else.
The figure lowered their hand. "You've been looking in the wrong place, Albert Faustin."
Albert's pulse thundered. "What is this?"
The hooded stranger took a step closer. "Proof that your mother wasn't killed by accident. Proof that EvoTech and the Quantum Shroud aren't the only players in this war."
Albert felt the weight of their words settle over him.
His entire life, he had believed in a battle between two sides—his father's empire and the enemy that had hunted them from the shadows.
But this—
This changed everything.
"Then who?" he demanded. "Who really killed her?"
The figure hesitated. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper—
"The Architects."
The name sent a shiver down Albert's spine.
Because he had never heard it before.
And yet, somehow, he knew—they had been waiting for him all along.