Victor, Stephen, and Enoch sprinted down the streets, staying as close to the shadows as possible, as they moved on toward the safe house. Enoch was limping heavily; with the blood loss, he was growing weaker as the time went by. Stephen was keeping his arm around him, practically carrying him at this point in time."We're almost there," Stephen said tightly. He kept his eyes roaming, scanning every corner, every shadow, waiting for something to pop out at them. He could feel the tension build up in his chest, coiling tighter and tighter like a spring ready to break.Victor walked a few steps behind, the weight of his failure clinging to his mind like a shroud. He couldn't avoid the nagging sense that this was all his fault. Enoch wouldn't be bleeding out if it weren't for him. Voss's men wouldn't be hunting them down if he hadn't thought he could outsmart them."How far is it?" Enoch asked, his tone weak.Just a few more blocks," Stephen said. He readjusted his grip on Enoch, fightin
When Stephen saw Victor's lifeless body lying on the floor, the pool of blood around him growing, he froze. His heart beat at an incredible rate, and momentarily the world around him became a blur. He stumbled forward, dropped down onto his knees beside Victor, but he knew that he was already too late. The cold stiffness of Victor told it all."Damn it," Stephen whispered, his voice cracking. His friend was dead, and he could do nothing to help him.The briefcase. His gaze snapped to it, still clutched in Victor's hand. He pried it loose and checked the contents, making sure it hadn't been tampered with. It was all there.Before he could even think what to do next, the chilling silence was cut through by the faraway shrieks of police sirens, louder with each passing second. The air around Stephen's chest seemed to tighten. **They were coming.** He rose up onto his feet, wincing at the weight of it all coming down on him. He couldn't stay here, but he couldn't run without a plan eithe
Stephen blinked, his vision foggy as he fought hard to orient himself to the surroundings. The cold cement of the prison cell beneath him was too real, and at the same time, his brain was still whirling from the night's chaos. He had blacked out-again."Stephen?" a voice called out.He looked up, his gaze locking onto Enoch's worried expression. "What's wrong?" Enoch asked. "You passed out.""I'm fine," Stephen growled, his voice low as he forced himself to sit up. His leg was still sore from the wound, but that was the least of his problems now. He looked to Clarke, who was standing by the cell door with that same annoying smile on his face."What did you do?" Stephen asked, narrowing his eyes.The only immediate reaction from Clarke was the releasing of a slow, satisfied chuckle. "Behold," Clarke said with a theatrical gesture, "a little touch of power-the Anti-5G system."And with that, suddenly, a holographic interface appeared in the air before them. It shimmered with strange sym
Stephen blinked, his eyes foggy, trying to focus on anything. The concrete of the prison cell beneath him felt so real, yet his head was still reeling from chaos in the night. He had blacked out—again."Stephen?" a voice called out.He looked up and into Enoch's concerned expression. "What's wrong?" Enoch asked. "You passed out.""I'm fine," Stephen grumbled, low, forcing himself to sit up. His leg was still sore from the wound, but that was minor compared to what was bothering him now. He turned to Clarke, who was standing by the cell door with that same frustrating smile on his face."What did you do?" Stephen asked, narrowing his eyes.For several seconds, Clarke said nothing; he just emitted a slow, pleased chuckle. "Behold," Clarke said with an oververo reviewer gesture, "a little touch of power-the Anti-5G system."There appeared in the air in front of them a holographic interface that shimmered with weird symbols, thin lines of fire, as if it had bent reality itself. The heart
Stephen's fists clenched at his sides as he stepped backward, his mind racing with possibilities. He didn't know how, but he would stop Clarke-before it was too late.As he turned to go, Enoch looked at him questioningly. "What now?"Stephen's eyes hardened. "We find a way to destroy that system," he said, firm, his voice full of resolution. "Before Clarke reshapes this reality into something we won't even recognize."Enoch nodded, but there was still a deep furrow in his brow. "And if we can't?"Stephen didn't waste time. "We will," he let the words fall, cold and unyielding. "I won't let him destroy everything."Stephen's mind was racing as he and Enoch slipped out of the prison cell, leaving Clarke behind. He felt the weight of what they needed to do. The Anti-5G system wasn't just something-it was a weapon that could rewrite the very fabric of reality. If they didn't stop it, everything might spiral out of control.We need to find out the origin of this system," Stephen whispered,
Victor stood at the large window of his penthouse, staring out at the city below. The night sky was blanketed with dark clouds, and the dim glow of the streetlights lent the city an eerie feel. He could see everything from up here-the sprawl of the metropolis, the chaos unfolding, the quiet corners where plans were being laid. But none of it seemed to matter at this moment.His fingers tapped along the edge of the window, his mind racing through one thought and then another. He knew about the Anti-5G system. He had known of it long before Stephen or Enoch had ever heard the name. The system had been created under his watch-by people he had once trusted. And now that dangerous piece of technology was in the hands of Clarke, someone unpredictable and dangerous.Victor took a deep breath and placed his forehead against the cold glass. He had never wanted things to go this far. The Anti-5G system had been meant as a last resort, something to be activated only when the world faced an event
Victor looked at Enoch, and his words hung in the air; Clarke was a problem to which they had not given due attention, and now he was fast running out of time. They could not leave the bunker without getting rid of him, and neither could they afford any more delay.We deal with him after we fry the core," Victor said, his voice hard. "Once the system's offline, Clarke loses all his leverage. Without it, he's just another dangerous man with no way to control the chaos.Stephen nodded, his gaze never leaving the panel as he worked around the clock to access the system's power grid. His fingers fled across the keys. The room was somber, each of them knowing what weight would soon rest on their shoulders.Enoch spoke up, his voice a little lower now. "Before we do this, there's something you both need to know. The system—it was here a lot earlier than we thought. I did some digging into the old records, news clippings-anything I could find. There were mentions of something like this going
Victor looked at Enoch and Stephen as the phone rang, deep furrows creasing his brow. He could feel the tension in the room escalate. Stephen answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear. His face went from focused determination to shock."Clarke," Stephen greeted brightly, trying to show no emotions though dread was building up."Stephen," Clarke's voice was honey-laced with venom. "I do hope you are savoring your small win. But I wouldn't pop the corks just yet, if I were you. I have something to tell you that will definitely take another turn in the way you feel right now."Stephen's heart quickened. "What do you want, Clarke?"There was silence, the chilling silence that turned Stephen's stomach. Again, there was Clarke speaking-a bit too smug. "I have your daughter, Ariane. If you want her back, you need to find the core. Otherwise, she won't be around much longer.""What?" Stephen said, his breath catching. "You're lying."Oh, I wish I were. But you know me better than tha