The countdown to the Helix gathering has begun.
But the Red Tower isn't just a location.
It's a trap.
And Aria?
> She's about to walk straight into the lion's mouth… with her head held high.
---
Location: Oslo, Norway.
Red Tower – A hidden fortress beneath the Arctic Circle.
By the time Aria and Liam arrived, the air was already colder than death.
It wasn't the weather.
It was the presence.
Ten Helix siblings had arrived before her.
Each had their own wing. Their own security. Their own bloodstained history.
Elian stood waiting at the entrance like a host greeting a queen.
I wasn't sure you'd come,they said.
Aria smiled coldly,you knew I would.
---
Inside, the walls of the Red Tower pulsed with energy.
> It wasn't made of steel.
It was made of biotech.
The building was alive — feeding off the psychic frequencies of the Helix subjects inside.
The Red Tower is a Helix weapon — designed to amplify or destroy the minds of its inhabitants.
---
Aria was led to a central hall — a ring-shaped arena, carved into a deep pit of red stone and glass.
Each of the 12 siblings had a throne.
Hers sat empty.
Until now.
Elian gestured.
Take your seat, Subject Zero.
---
As she sat, the tower pulsed brighter.
Lights flickered.
Some of the siblings watched with curiosity. Others with pure hatred.
Ares sat in silence, arms crossed.
He hadn't spoken a word since she arrived.
Let's begin,Elian said.
---
A large hologram appeared in the center.
Augustin Rothschild's face.
Pre-recorded.
Children experiments weapons.
You've all survived because I made you.
But only one of you is worthy of leading the new world.
The rest — are liabilities.
Welcome to the Final Protocol.
Augustin planned for all the Helix siblings to eliminate one another — until only one remains which none of them know until now
---
Elian's face darkened.
Even they hadn't expected this.
I knew he was a monster,Aria muttered but this…Liam stepped forward.
I counted ten siblings here. You, Ares, Elian, Aria… that's twelve total.
No,Elian whispered.
One's missing.
Suddenly, the tower trembled.
An alert screamed overhead:
> "UNAUTHORIZED SUBJECT DETECTED.
CODE: H09 — OMEGA PRIME.**"
---
There's a 13th subject.
A failed clone of Aria. Created in secret.
More powerful. More unstable.
And it's awake.
---
Aria's eyes widened.
Clone… of me?
Ares stood slowly. His voice gravel-deep.
Not a clone.
Your replacement.
---
Before anyone could move — the walls of the Red Tower cracked.
And stepping through the smoke was her.
Eyes like fire. Skin like polished ivory. A perfect, emotionless mirror of Aria.
Except…She smiled.
And Aria never smiled like that.
---
"Hello, sister," the clone said.
"I'm what you were meant to be — without the pain, without the heart, without the weakness.
---
The Final Protocol had begun.
And this time? It wasn't a war between siblings.
It was Aria vs. Herself.
---
❓ Reader Questions:
1. Can Aria defeat a version of herself that feels nothing?
2. What was Augustin's true endgame — was Aria ever meant to survive?
3. Should Aria unite the Helix siblings — or let them all burn?
4. Will Ares stay silent… or finally choose a side?