The ocean stretched endlessly, black and endless under a moonless sky. The submarine slid through it like a shadow, engines humming with a steady rhythm that sounded almost like a heartbeat. For days, the crew had lived in silence, waiting, counting breaths, knowing that every mile brought them closer to the place where Andrew planned to unleash something beyond human control.

Jason leaned against the glass of the observation port, staring at the shifting currents outside. His jaw was tight, his eyes hollow from lack of sleep. The only thing in his mind was the island where Andrew wanted to “give birth to his god.”

“Feels like we’re sailing into...