Chapter 86: The Frozen Hell

The transition was brutal.

Eight hours ago, they were sweating in the Sahara desert. Now, they were flying over the Arctic Circle, staring down at an endless expanse of white death.

Inside the jet, the silence was heavy.

Margaret sat by the window, her hands trembling as she held an old photograph of her husband, Liam Sterling.

"I thought we died together," Margaret whispered, a tear sliding down her face. "I saw the fire consume the car. If Phineas is right... if Liam is alive... what have they done to him for twenty years?"

"He's not Liam," Jackson said coldly from the other side of the cabin. He was sharpening a combat knife, the scraping sound rhythmic and eerie. "Whatever is down there... it's just a shell. A weapon made by Vex Corp."

"He is still your father, Jackson," Serenity placed a hand on his arm.

"My father died when I was ten," Jackson stopped sharpening. He looked up, his eyes hard as flint, hiding immense pain. "My mission is to neutralize the threat. Even if it wears his face."

"Approaching Sector Ice," Luke’s voice came over the intercom. "Landing gear down. Brace for impact. The runway is... mostly ice."

BUMP. SKID.

The heavy jet touched down on a frozen lake, skidding sideways before finally coming to a halt near a massive glacier.

The ramp opened.

The cold hit them like a physical punch. It was -40 degrees. The wind howled like a banshee.

"Helmets on," Jackson ordered. They were dressed in white thermal tactical suits. Even Alex looked like a mini-astronaut.

"Thermal scans show a massive heat source inside that glacier," Alex checked his wrist computer. "It's huge. It's not just a base. It's a city."

They climbed into the snow-crawlers (all-terrain vehicles) unloaded from the plane.

They drove towards the glacier wall. As they got closer, they saw it.

Carved directly into the sheer ice cliff was a gate made of black metal, three stories high. Above it, carved in ice, was the symbol of The Ouroboros.

And standing in front of the gate... was a lone figure.

The figure wasn't wearing a coat. He was standing in the freezing blizzard wearing a torn suit.

Jackson stopped the crawler. He grabbed his binoculars.

The man had grey hair, a strong jaw, and broad shoulders. He stood perfectly still, letting the snow bury him. His eyes were closed.

"It's him," Margaret gasped over the radio. "Liam."

"It's a trap," Sebastian warned. "Why is he alone?"

Jackson opened the door of the crawler.

"Jackson, no!" Serenity grabbed him.

"I have to look him in the eye," Jackson stepped out into the snowstorm.

He walked towards the figure. The wind whipped around them.

When Jackson was ten feet away, the figure opened his eyes.

There were no pupils. No iris. Just glowing, swirling Violet Energy—the pure, raw power of the Element.

"Jackson," the figure spoke. His voice didn't sound like a man; it sounded like many voices overlapping. "You have arrived. The Master is waiting."

"Where is the Master?" Jackson aimed his gun at his father's chest.

"I am the vessel," Liam smiling chillingly. "And you... you are the sacrifice."

Liam raised his hand. Without touching him, Jackson was lifted off the ground by an invisible force and slammed into the ice wall.

CRACK.

"Daddy!" Alex screamed from the crawler.

"Welcome home, son," Liam laughed, the sound echoing through the frozen canyon. "Class is in session."

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