The main hangar of the Sanctuary was a place of hushed, final reverence. The air was still, the only sound the low, almost imperceptible hum of the impossible, silver doorway that stood in the center of the room. It was not a violent tear in the world; it was a calm, shimmering window, and through its surface, the dark, pine-filled forests of a German night were clearly visible. The path was open.
The Vanguard strike team stood before it, twelve figures clad in the dark, sleek shells of their new symbiotic armor. They were no longer individuals. They were a single, cohesive weapon, their very breathing synchronized, their stance a testament to the hellish forge they had endured under Lin Feng's command.
At their head, Lin Feng stood apart. His own armor was a custom variant, sleeker, its surface interwoven with fine, glowing conduits that pulsed with a low, violet light. It was not just armor; it was a containment system, a weapon, a second skin designed to hold the storm that now lived in his soul.
The other six members of the Council of Seven stood with them, their final act as planners before the warriors took over.
"Our intelligence shows Adler is in the deepest level of the bunker, the 'Heart Chamber'," Amira said, her voice a final, steadying presence. "He does not know you are coming. The serpent is still sleeping."
"The Restraint is stable," Jack added, his eyes fixed on a datapad connected to Lin Feng's suit. "All Vanguard armor is synced and running at one hundred percent efficiency. Green lights across the board, Commander."
"My teams are in position," Ivan's voice rumbled, a promise of cold, hard support. "Once you engage, we will lock down the entire Spree river and the surrounding airspace. Nothing gets in or out."
Sophia stepped forward, her eyes locking with Lin Feng's. Her face was pale, but her gaze was a point of unbreakable steel. "The window for the cure will be fleeting, Commander. You must get me to Anna."
Lin Feng looked at her, then at the rest of the Council, the architects of this desperate, brilliant gambit. He then turned his gaze to his team, to the twelve silent, waiting warriors. He saw in their stillness not fear, but a shared, unyielding resolve. He saw the weapon he had forged.
He gave a single, sharp nod.
He reached up and activated his helmet. The dark, visored faceplate slid down with a soft hiss, sealing him away, transforming him from the man into the commander.
"Sakura," he said, his voice now a calm, clear, and amplified command in their earpieces. "Is the path clear?"
From the portal itself, Sakura's voice echoed, a whisper from both Berlin and Giza at once. "The door is stable. The path is clear."
Lin Feng turned to face the shimmering window between worlds. He did not look back.
"Vanguard," he commanded, his voice a low, hard edge of purpose. "Into the dark."
He took the first step, his armored boot crossing the threshold from the warm, dry air of the Egyptian desert into the cold, damp night of a German forest. He did not vanish. He simply... walked through, the silver light of the portal washing over him for a single, silent moment.
One by one, in perfect, silent unison, the rest of the Vanguard team followed their commander, a river of dark steel and grim purpose flowing between worlds.
The last soldier disappeared through the veil. The portal remained open, a silent, shimmering promise in the heart of the Sanctuary.
The operation had begun.