The North Sea was not just dark; it was a heavy, crushing void that swallowed light and sound with equal indifference.
Inside the cramped, titanium-reinforced cockpit of the Vanguard stealth submersible, the only illumination came from the soft, tactical green glow of the instrument panels. The ambient temperature had dropped significantly over the past hour, leaving a thin layer of condensation on the curved glass of the primary viewport.
Kai Ravens sat in the pilot’s seat, his hands resting lightly on the dual control yokes. His wounded shoulder was strapped tight, the pain numbed by a heavy dose of combat stimulants. Beside him, strapped into the navigator’s chair, Livia Moreau stared out into the pitch-black water. She looked pale, but her jaw was set with a hard, unfamiliar determin
