Encino – Mike's Apartment
The silence in Mike's apartment was deafening. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows on the walls, shadows that seemed to stretch, stretch as though they too wanted to escape from the weight of his past.
Mike stared at the half-empty beer bottle in his hand, the condensation cold against his fingers. He hadn't touched the drink in minutes, his mind lost elsewhere. In the stillness, he felt the scar in his soul—the one left by the war. The one left by the life he never chose but was forced into.
The life he had been reborn into.
He shook his head, standing abruptly. He couldn't do this. Couldn't linger in the past anymore. He needed a change. A path forward. And that path, for him, could only be found through mastery.
He glanced toward the corner of the room where a heavy bag hung, the marks of countless training sessions seared into its fabric. His fists clenched involuntarily. It was time to move again.
With a grunt, Mike turned on his heel and stepped into his workout clothes, his old military jacket resting on the back of a chair. Every step felt heavier than the last. His body ached, but it wasn't just the injury. It was the memories. His past life… haunting him.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Mike froze. He didn't expect anyone.
Johnny? he thought. No. It was too late for that.
He opened the door to find a figure standing outside—unfamiliar. A man dressed in sleek black, his face obscured by a hood and a dark, sinister grin that immediately set Mike on edge.
"You must be Mike Harris," the stranger said, his voice smooth but dangerous. "I've heard much about you."
Mike's instincts flared. "And who the hell are you?"
"I'm here to make sure you're prepared," the man replied, his smile growing wider. "For what comes next."
Valley High School – Gymnasium
Tory paced in the empty gymnasium, her hands restless at her sides. Her mind raced, the images from earlier still haunting her. The shadow. The feeling. She couldn't shake the sense that something—or someone—was coming.
Suddenly, a sharp click echoed through the empty hall.
Tory's head snapped to the side, but there was no one there. She swore under her breath, her fingers brushing the knife tucked in the waistband of her jeans.
But then… there it was again.
Footsteps.
Soft. Deliberate. Like a predator drawing near.
She crouched low, her breathing shallow, waiting. But the gym was empty. Nothing but the sound of her own heartbeat.
What is going on?
Germany – FANG V2 Compound
Kade stood in front of a mirror, the reflection staring back at him like a stranger. The surgical precision of his movements had replaced his humanity, replaced the boy who once had a name, a family.
He was Ghost Echo now.
Dr. Kessler's voice came through the intercom again.
"Your target is approaching, Kade. Prepare yourself."
He didn't respond. His fingers tightened on the edge of the mirror, a small, involuntary action—an echo of something that wanted to break free.
Echoes of who I once was…
But there was no room for that. There was only the mission.
Encino – Mike's Apartment
Mike stood face to face with the man in black. The stranger's smirk only grew as he sized Mike up, his eyes sharp with an unsettling glint.
"You don't remember me, do you?" the man said, his tone mocking. "You should. You were a soldier once. You're still a soldier, Mike. Only now… you're a weapon."
Mike's gaze hardened. "I don't know what game you're playing, but you've got one chance to explain yourself."
The man chuckled darkly, then threw something onto the ground.
A picture. A faded photo of Mike's old team. A team that died in the war he had barely survived.
"Your ghosts have been tracking you," the man said. "And they're about to catch up with you. You thought you could escape your past. But that past…" He paused, letting the weight of the words sink in. "That past will find you. And when it does, you'll wish you had stayed dead."
The man turned and began walking away, but not before he added, "Good luck, Mike. It's coming for you."
Mike stood still for a moment, the world feeling strangely heavy. And then, without warning, the ground beneath his feet seemed to tremble—just a little.
The echo of something far darker was drawing near.