The canals of Bangkok stretched out like dark arteries, the water glistening under neon signs and dim lanterns. Helena crouched low in the long-tail boat, the humid air clinging to her skin. Every sense sharpened, every nerve alight.
Ahead, the Serpent compound loomed against the night—high walls of concrete crowned with barbed wire, floodlights sweeping across watchtowers. The sound of generators hummed faintly beneath the din of cicadas.
In her earpiece, General Kruger's voice cut through.
"Remember, Helena. Extraction is not guaranteed. If Orchid breaks, we lose everything. Don't let her talk."
Helena exhaled slowly, steadying her pulse. This isn't just about one spy. It's about proving I belong out here.
She slipped into the water, her body gliding with trained precision. The phosphorescent glow of plankton shimmered around her like embers. With each stroke, she got closer to the drainage outlet that would take her inside.
---
The interior of the compound was worse than she imagined—cameras, drones, and men armed to the teeth. She moved like a shadow, each step rehearsed in endless training halls back in Berlin.
Her first guard dropped without a sound, her strike clean, controlled. She dragged his body into the dark before slipping deeper.
Then she heard it—muffled cries.
Helena found a steel door marked with the serpent insignia. Behind it, Orchid was chained, her face bruised, but her eyes still defiant. The spy looked up as Helena slipped inside.
"Germany finally sent its phoenix," Orchid rasped.
Helena cut the chains with surgical precision, but Orchid's next words chilled her:
"They know you're here. You walked into their trap."
---
The alarms screamed. Floodlights ignited. The entire compound roared to life.
Black Serpent soldiers swarmed the halls, weapons raised. The leader of the cell, a towering figure draped in black-scaled armor, stepped forward, his voice carrying over the chaos.
"Helena Strauss. The German project. We were hoping you'd come."
Helena pushed Orchid behind her, fire building at her fingertips, her stance steady.
"Then you're about to regret it."
The first wave of Serpents lunged. Helena ignited. Flames burst from her body, wings of fire unfurling in the night as the fight for Orchid—and for her place in the world—began.