The early morning light crept slowly through the wide hotel window, casting golden lines across the suite's silken sheets and expensive carpet. The world outside was silent. Birds chirped softly from the distant trees beyond the balcony. Inside, everything felt warm and still.
Jasen lay on his back, one arm under his head, the other resting beside Jill, who was just beginning to stir. Her bare leg was tangled in the sheets, one arm draped lazily across his chest.
Her eyes blinked open. A soft, satisfied smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Morning, birthday boy," she murmured.
He kissed her forehead and smiled.
The moment didn't last long.
Jasen's burner phone, tucked into the inside pocket of his duffle, began to vibrate.
He slipped out from under the covers and quietly walked to the desk, answering as soon as he saw the name.
"Barry?"
"Hey," Barry said, voice tense. "Sorry to call this early. Something's up."
Jasen frowned, already feeling the shift in the air.
"Talk to me."
"We've got reports of missing hikers up in the Arklay Mountains. Four confirmed. Two found... or what's left of them. Mutilated bodies. Claw marks. Organs missing."
Jasen's grip tightened.
"It's starting."
Barry sighed. "I figured you'd know what this means. RPD is sending STARS up to investigate. Bravo Team's already prepping."
"What about Marvin?"
"He doesn't like it," Barry said. "But he got orders. Higher-level. Someone in the federal branch leaned on him. He tried to stall, but it's happening."
"Umbrella's pulling strings early," Jasen muttered.
"You think they know?"
"My involvement already shifted the timeline. We're a month early. Wesker is trying to maintain control."
Behind him, Jill stirred more fully.
"Jase? Everything alright?"
"Just Barry. I'll be off in a second."
Jasen lowered his voice.
"Keep me posted on every move Bravo makes. If anything strange happens up there, I want to know."
"You got it."
"Tell Rebecca to stay grounded for now."
"Will do."
They hung up.
Jasen turned to see Jill already out of bed, wearing nothing but one of his T-shirts, brushing her hair while reaching for her travel bag.
"What's going on?" she asked.
Jasen walked over, helped fold her blazer, and handed it to her.
"There's trouble in the Arklay Mountains. You're being called back. Bravo Team's heading in first."
Jill stilled, lips tightening. "Wesker?"
"He'll be overseeing the op. But something tells me he's more involved than he's letting on."
She went quiet, nodding slowly.
"Alright. I'll get ready."
While she disappeared into the bathroom to pack and clean up, Jasen grabbed his secondary phone and called the Birkins.
Annette answered.
"Jasen? Something wrong?"
"The Arklay outbreak is happening.. Missing hikers, bodies showing signs of viral mutations. Umbrella is forcing Marvin to send STARS."
There was a pause.
"That matches Wesker's recent uptick in communication frequency. We've seen transfers out of Raccoon going to the Umbrella labs at the edge of the forest—high security loads, not the usual shipping."
"So he's setting it in motion," Jasen said. "He's activating his plan."
William's voice came on the line next.
"Then he's testing containment. Seeing how the teams respond to real-world conditions."
"Or paving the way to discredit STARS. Use the infected as a cover to wipe them out."
"That's possible," Annette admitted. "We've heard chatter about a secondary protocol. Something about experimental BOWs in field trials."
"If that's true," Jasen said, voice tight, "this is about more than cleanup. It's a show."
Annette sighed. "There's something else. About the V-Sparda strain."
Jasen's breath caught. "Tell me."
"The synthesis has stabilized. You're at 93% compatibility. Full-body infection would still carry risks—loss of control, psychological impact, neurological rerouting—but... it would work."
William added, same as before "You'd become immune to all known Umbrella strains. And the enhancements... well, we've started a new category of classification. You'd register off the charts for strength, reflex, and regenerative ability."
Jasen exhaled. "What's the worst-case side effect?"
"Unstable mutation. Overload. Psychological fragmentation. You'd need controlled conditions and oversight. No sudden exposure."
"Understood. I'm not taking it yet. But keep a dose on standby. If this mission goes the way I think it will... I might not have a choice."
"We'll prepare it," Annette said.
Jasen ended the call just as Jill stepped out of the bathroom, dressed and armed in her STARS uniform.
"You good?" she asked, adjusting her belt.
"Yeah.. I'll be in touch with Barry during the operation."
Jill stepped close, leaning into him.
"Thanks for last night. I needed that more than I realized."
I kissed her. "I did too. Lets go."
She gave me a half-smile and walked out the door, not looking back.
Jasen stood in the quiet suite, watching the sun rise.
The nightmare was beginning.
And this time, it was ahead of schedule.