Frozen Eden
...****************...
Snow swallowed the horizon.
From the window of the military transport aircraft, Dr. Adrian Vale saw nothing but an endless sea of white and steel-gray clouds. Somewhere beneath them lay an island that officially did not exist.
He tightened his grip on the leather folder resting on his lap.
Inside were only two things:
A contract that forbade him from ever revealing what he would see.
A faded photograph of his father.
His father had vanished fifteen years ago during a scientific expedition near Iceland.
Everyone had declared him dead.
Adrian never believed it.
---
The aircraft descended through a violent snowstorm.
Suddenly, the clouds parted.
An island emerged like a forgotten kingdom.
Towering black volcanic cliffs rose from the ocean, crowned with glaciers that shimmered beneath the northern lights. Hidden among the ice stood a vast research complex of glass, steel, and blue lights, almost invisible against the frozen landscape.
No maps marked it.
No satellites recorded it.
The pilot spoke without turning around.
"Welcome to Eden."
---
Inside the research station, dozens of scientists hurried through spotless corridors. Security drones floated silently overhead. Every door required retinal scans and biometric verification.
Adrian couldn't shake the feeling that he was walking into a prison disguised as a laboratory.
A woman in a white coat approached him with a warm smile.
"I'm Dr. Freya Lindholm, Director of Zoology."
She extended her hand.
"Welcome to Project Eden."
Before Adrian could answer, every researcher in the hallway suddenly stopped.
The atmosphere changed.
Footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor.
Slow.
Confident.
The guards straightened immediately.
A tall man dressed in a black overcoat walked toward them. His silver hair contrasted sharply with his dark clothes, and icy blue eyes swept across the room with calm authority.
He looked too young to command such fear.
Dr. Freya lowered her voice.
"He's here..."
The man stopped in front of Adrian.
"So," he said, "our famous biochemist has finally arrived."
Adrian met his gaze without flinching.
"And you must be the billionaire hiding an illegal research facility."
A stunned silence filled the hallway.
Several guards instinctively reached for their weapons.
The stranger only smiled.
"A bold first impression."
"I'm Adrian Vale."
"I know."
The man extended his hand.
"I'm Elias Frost."
"The CEO of Frost Biotech..."
He paused just long enough for the silence to become uncomfortable.
"...and the owner of this island."
Adrian ignored the offered handshake.
"I didn't come here to impress rich men."
"No," Elias replied softly. "You came here to find your father."
Adrian's expression froze.
"I never mentioned my father."
"You didn't have to."
For the first time in years, Adrian felt as though someone had looked straight through him.
---
Several kilometers beneath the research station, hidden deep within a glacier, warning lights suddenly flashed red.
A containment chamber trembled.
Inside, a massive silhouette shifted in the darkness.
A pair of golden eyes slowly opened.
An alarm echoed through the underground tunnels.
SPECIMEN ALPHA HAS AWAKENED.
---
End of Episode 1
Next Episode: Adrian begins work at Project Eden, but his first day ends with a mysterious death—and his uneasy partnership with Elias begins.
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