The words burned on the screen.
PROJECT ORIGIN: SECOND ERA
PRIMARY SUBJECT: ARTYOM SOKOLOV
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone had believed they were finally free.
But the past had simply changed its name.
Artyom stared at the screen.
Not afraid.
Not surprised.
Just tired.
"Still using my name."
His voice was cold.
"After everything."
The woman on the screen watched him.
Dr. Seraphina Vale.
The first creator.
The person who had started the entire chain.
"You misunderstand, Artyom."
A pause.
"You were never a subject."
Viktor stepped forward.
"Then what was he?"
Seraphina looked at him.
"The answer."
The room went quiet.
Roman's expression hardened.
"People are not answers."
For the first time, Seraphina looked at him.
"You built empires on blood."
A pause.
"You all turned people into weapons long before I did."
The words landed.
Because nobody could completely deny them.
Artyom looked at the screen.
"You created the system."
Seraphina nodded.
"Yes."
"And they corrupted it."
Another nod.
"Yes."
His eyes narrowed.
"Then why bring it back?"
The screen changed.
Images appeared.
Cities.
Wars.
Collapsed governments.
Families destroying each other.
"The world outside is repeating the same cycle."
A pause.
"New leaders. Same hunger."
Yelena looked at the images.
Quietly:
"She's not entirely wrong."
Everyone looked at her.
She continued:
"Power always finds a way back."
Artyom looked at the screen again.
"So your solution is control."
Seraphina answered:
"No."
A pause.
"My solution is prevention."
Dmitri suddenly interrupted.
"Wait."
Everyone turned.
He was looking at the data.
His expression was serious.
"The system isn't trying to control Artyom."
Nikola frowned.
"Then what?"
Dmitri zoomed in.
"It's searching for a replacement."
Silence.
Viktor's gaze sharpened.
"A replacement for what?"
Dmitri looked at the screen.
"The old world."
Before anyone could react—
A new alert appeared.
SECOND ERA COMPATIBILITY TEST
BEGINNING
The facility lights moved.
Scanning.
Not only Artyom.
Everyone.
Mikhail immediately stepped closer.
"Stop this."
The system ignored him.
Names appeared.
VIKTOR VOLKOV — COMPATIBLE
ROMAN VOLKOV — COMPATIBLE
SERGEI SOKOLOV — COMPATIBLE
ANDREI MOROZOV — COMPATIBLE
Then—
One final name.
ARTYOM SOKOLOV — PRIMARY
Artyom's expression changed.
Because the system wasn't choosing him alone.
It was judging everyone connected to him.
Subject Prime stepped back.
"They want a new hierarchy."
Artyom looked at him.
"No."
A pause.
"They want a new cage."
Suddenly—
The facility doors opened.
Not enemies.
Not soldiers.
People.
Hundreds of them.
Former subjects.
Survivors.
Watching.
Waiting.
Seraphina's voice echoed.
"Now you understand."
A pause.
"The next era cannot be created by one person."
The screen went black.
Then a final message appeared.
CHOOSE YOUR LEADERS.
Everyone stared.
For the first time…
The project wasn't choosing.
It was asking.
Artyom looked around the room.
At Viktor.
At his family.
At the survivors.
And realized—
This was the real test.
Not power.
Not blood.
Leadership.