A Chance EncounterThe air in the warehouse was thick with dust, the scent of rust and damp wood hanging in the silence. Every creak of the floorboards beneath my boots sent a fresh wave of tension crawling up my spine. Riley walked beside me, her sharp eyes scanning every darkened corner. Neither of us spoke, but we didn’t need to—we were both waiting for the inevitable.The message had been simple: "Come alone. Trust no one."Well, we weren’t alone. And I sure as hell didn’t trust anyone.I flexed my fingers against the cool grip of my gun, my muscles coiled and ready. The warehouse was cavernous, shadows stretching into the rafters above us, crates stacked like forgotten memories. It felt like a setup. My instincts screamed at me to turn around. But we needed answers.Then, it happened.Figures emerged from the darkness—silent, efficient, well-trained. Guns clicked, safeties off. Riley and I spun, back-to-back, weapons raised. My pulse spiked, but my mind remained cold. These weren

The WarningThe hum of the underground base was steady, punctuated by the low murmur of hushed voices and the occasional flicker of the old fluorescent lights overhead. My fingers drummed restlessly against the metal table as I stared at the decrypted message on the screen in front of me. A series of numbers and letters, seemingly random, but when pieced together, they formed a single, chilling phrase.The Execution Protocol.My stomach coiled tight. The words reeked of finality, of something catastrophic brewing beneath the surface. I clenched my jaw, my mind racing through possibilities. Julian had always been ruthless, but this… this felt different.“They’re moving faster than we thought,” Riley’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. She was pacing, her boots clicking against the concrete floor. Her short, fiery red hair barely brushed her shoulders, and the fierce determination in her eyes made my pulse quicken. “We have to hit them first, Nathan. We can’t sit on this.”I e

A Desperate MoveThe rain hit like needles as Riley and I moved through the ruined streets, the city looming around us like a graveyard of forgotten battles. Our breath came in ragged clouds, exhaustion clinging to us like a second skin. We had nothing left—no base, no safety, no solid ground beneath our feet.All we had was a plan. A desperate, reckless, probably suicidal plan.I checked the stolen datapad again, its screen flickering in the dim light. The coordinates were set. A black site. One of The Oath’s hidden facilities, buried deep beneath the city. If we could get inside, we might finally understand Julian’s endgame.Or we might not make it out at all.Riley adjusted the strap of her rifle, eyes scanning the darkened skyline. "You sure about this?""No," I admitted. "But do we have a choice?"Her jaw tightened. "Not really."That was the problem. There was no other move left. Julian had forced our hand, cutting us off, hunting us like animals. If we wanted to hit back, we ha

HuntedThe explosion sent us sprawling.Heat seared my back as the shockwave ripped through the alley, fire licking up the sides of buildings like hungry beasts. My ears rang, drowning out everything but the wild thumping of my pulse. I hit the ground hard, my shoulder slamming into concrete.Riley landed beside me, coughing, eyes wide with alarm. Smoke curled around us, thick and suffocating. Somewhere beyond the flames, I heard voices—sharp, commanding. The Oath’s soldiers.They were closing in.I grabbed Riley’s wrist, hauling her up. “Move!”We stumbled through the wreckage, bodies scattered in the street, alarms blaring from every direction. Glass crunched underfoot. My ribs ached with every breath, but adrenaline shoved the pain aside.Riley coughed, her voice hoarse. “They were waiting for us.”No kidding. Julian wasn’t just hunting me anymore. He was tightening the noose.A spotlight cut through the smoke."Target located!"Bullets shredded the ground inches from our feet. We

FracturesRiley’s footsteps echoed through the bunker as she paced, her movements sharp and restless. The classified document sat open on the table between us like a loaded weapon, its presence heavier than the concrete walls surrounding us."You need to say something," she finally demanded, arms crossed, voice taut with frustration.I exhaled, fingers flexing against the table. My heartbeat felt too loud in my ears. "I don’t know what to tell you, Riley. I don’t remember any of this.""That’s exactly the problem!" She turned to face me, her expression raw. "Your name is in that file, Nathan. Project Orion. Memory alteration trials. What if The Oath didn’t just erase my past—what if they erased yours too?"I shook my head, but the motion felt unsteady. "I would know if my mind had been tampered with.""Would you?" she shot back. "Because I wouldn’t. And apparently, I was part of it too."I dragged a hand through my hair, my pulse pounding. The truth should’ve been simple. I was the on