The massive doors finally opened completely.
A wave of cold air brushed against Damien’s face as he stepped forward into the lobby.
And immediately—
He realized he wasn’t alone.
The room was enormous, far larger than the word lobby should have allowed.
The ceiling stretched high above, layered with dark metallic panels and dim white lighting that gave the place a strangely calm atmosphere despite being buried beneath one of the most infamous locations on Earth.
Unlike the rest of the underground base, this room looked… comfortable.
Too comfortable.
Dark couches circled around the center of the room in a semi-organized arrangement.
Transparent screens floated silently near the walls displaying streams of unreadable data.
A long glass wall on one side revealed part of the underground facility outside, where giant mech frames moved slowly through maintenance platforms like sleeping monsters being prepared for war.
But that wasn’t what caught Damien’s attention.
It was the people.
Fifteen.
By Damien’s quick count, there were fifteen others already inside.
Ten men.
Five women.
And every single one of them looked abnormal.
Not in the obvious way.
Not mutants.
Not enhanced with visible cybernetics.
But physically…
Perfect.
Like sculptures made by someone obsessed with symmetry and precision.
Some sat calmly on couches.
Others leaned against walls quietly.
A few were talking among themselves in low voices.
But Damien noticed something instantly.
None of them carried themselves like normal people.
Even relaxed, they radiated something dangerous.
The room itself felt tense because of it.
Like fifteen predators pretending to be civilized for a few minutes.
And somehow…
Damien didn’t feel out of place among them.
That thought bothered him more than anything else.
As he stepped further inside, a few eyes turned toward him.
Some curious.
Some indifferent.
One guy with silver earrings and messy brown hair glanced at Damien once before scoffing quietly and looking away like he had already judged him.
Another tall woman with braided red hair studied him openly without bothering to hide it.
Damien ignored them.
Instead, he looked for an empty seat.
That was when he noticed her.
A woman sat near the far side of the room on one of the black couches.
She looked older than the others.
Not by much.
Maybe early twenties.
But the difference felt obvious somehow.
While the others had sharpness to them, she carried something calmer.
More serene.
More controlled.
And honestly…
She was beautiful.
Not just attractive.
Beautiful in a way that made the room subtly bend around her presence without her even trying.
She wore dark blue jeans and a black vest that fit perfectly against her figure.
Nothing flashy.
Nothing overly revealing.
Yet somehow it emphasized everything effortlessly.
Her posture was relaxed, one leg crossed over the other as she quietly observed the room around her.
Unlike some of the others, she didn’t seem interested in proving anything.
That alone made her stand out.
Damien walked toward the couch.
There was still space beside her.
She glanced at him briefly as he approached.
No hostility.
Just curiosity.
Damien sat down beside her casually.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Damien broke the silence.
“Damien.”
The woman blinked once.
Then a small smile touched her lips.
“Straight to the point.”
“Usually works.”
A faint amused exhale escaped her.
“Ria,” she replied.
Her voice matched her appearance.
Calm.
Smooth.
Comfortable.
Damien leaned back slightly.
“You know what this place is?” he asked.
“Not really.”
“You came anyway?”
Ria looked forward toward the center of the room.
“I was curious.”
“Same.”
A brief silence followed.
Then she glanced sideways at him again.
“You don’t look nervous.”
“I’m thinking.”
“That sounds like nervousness with extra steps.”
Damien almost smirked.
Almost.
The room gradually settled as more conversations died down.
At some point, Damien realized everyone here looked around the same age range.
Late teens.
Early twenties.
And all of them shared something strange.
Perfect health.
Perfect physiques.
Perfect features.
It was unnatural once you noticed it.
Like someone had selected only the best possible versions of people and gathered them into one room.
The realization quietly settled into Damien’s chest.
What exactly are we?
Before he could think further—
The doors behind them opened again.
Instantly, the atmosphere shifted.
Conversations stopped.
Eyes turned.
Dr.
Frost entered the room.
This time, he looked different.
More official.
More dangerous.
A long white lab coat hung over black cybernetic armor that fit tightly against his body.
The armor itself resembled some kind of futuristic ninja combat suit, sleek and lightweight but clearly advanced far beyond civilian technology.
Thin blue energy lines moved faintly beneath sections of the armor like flowing electricity.
His silver hair remained perfectly calm despite the movement around him.
And somehow…
The room naturally quieted the moment he appeared.
Not because people were told to.
Because they instinctively did.
Dr.
Frost walked toward the center of the room with relaxed confidence.
His gaze swept across everyone briefly.
Then he smiled lightly.
“Thank you all for coming,” he said.
His voice echoed softly through the lobby.
“Sorry for the wait.”
He paused.
Then spread one hand slightly toward the room.
“But now that you’re finally all here…”
His smile sharpened faintly.
“…we can begin.”
The center floor suddenly moved.
A low mechanical sound echoed beneath the room.
Then the circular platform at the center slowly split apart.
Everyone’s attention shifted instantly.
Something began rising upward from beneath the floor.
At first Damien thought it was machinery.
Then he realized it wasn’t.
It was a black crystal sphere.
Roughly the size of a basketball.
The object floated slightly above a metallic pedestal as it emerged fully into view.
Dark energy-like patterns moved faintly beneath its smooth surface, almost like liquid shadows trapped inside glass.
The room’s lighting dimmed automatically the moment it appeared.
And for the first time since arriving underground—
Damien felt uneasy.
Not because of danger.
Because the thing felt… alive.
Or at least aware.
The black crystal reflected faint distorted images of everyone in the room.
But none of the reflections looked perfectly accurate.
Damien noticed his own reflection lagging slightly behind his actual movements.
That definitely wasn’t normal.
Several others in the room seemed to notice strange things too judging by their expressions.
Ria’s calm face narrowed slightly.
The silver-earring guy muttered quietly under his breath.
Even the confident-looking red-haired woman stopped leaning casually against the wall.
Dr.
Frost observed all of them with obvious amusement.
Then he placed both hands behind his back.
“Well then,” he said lightly.
His eyes gleamed faintly beneath the room’s dim lighting.
“Touch the crystal ball…”
A small grin appeared on his face.
“…and your fate shall be revealed.”