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
Victor, Enoch, and Stephen faced him in the darkened room; the core pulsed behind them, alive with unbridled energy. Standing forward, a sadistic grin plastered on his face, Clarke was flanked by armed men ready to create chaos where there was none."You really think you can just waltz in here and steal what rightfully belongs to me?" Clarke sneered, his tone full of disdain. "This system is mine. It's my work-my legacy.""Let Ariane go," Stephen said, his fists clutched at his sides as he took a step forward. "This isn't about power; it's about lives."Clarke laughed. It was a cold, mirthless sound that seemed to reverberate off all four walls. "Ah, but you don't understand. Power is life. I've created a new reality—one in which I am God. You're all just pawns in a game, and I won't let you interfere with my plans."The others would have done no more than opened their mouths to respond when Clarke raised his hand. The next instant, the air around him appeared to shimmer. In an instan
The room reset, and the real chaos only became background noise for the re-ignition of the fight as the air grew thick with tension. Clarke's clones materialized, ready to attack; this time, Stephen had a plan, as did Enoch and Victor."Stay focused!" he yelled above the din. "We need to split them apart, get to the core!"They sprang into action, dodging the first wave of clones. Enoch grabbed a metal chair and swung it at one of the clones, sending it crashing to the ground. Victor fired a shot and took out another before it got anywhere near them. For a moment, the clones recoiled, disoriented.Clarke merely stood his ground, arms crossed, oozing with confidence. "You really think this will change anything? You're still trapped in my game!""Not for long," Stephen said, dashing back to the core's control panel. He had to keep Clarke's attention on him. The glowing core behind him was really humming with energy now."Enoch! Victor! Distract him!" Stephen yelled, his head twisting ar
Stephen sat in the corner of a dimly lit café, staring out the window. He had sat there for hours, sipping cold coffee and watching the rain trickle down the glass. The café wasn't crowded-just a few people scattered about, lost in their conversations. His foot tapped impatiently under the table. Enoch was late. Very late. The waiter had been by twice, offering Stephen polite smiles, asking if he needed anything else. Each time, he waved him off, too intent on what was to come. His mind was reeling, questions, doubts, and a growing sense of frustration building inside him. Enoch was never this late. The doorbell above the entrance jingled, and Stephen looked up. His heart stopped at the sight of Enoch stepping inside, shaking rain from his coat. He glanced briefly around the room before his eyes fell upon Stephen, and he hastened to him, an apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," Enoch said, reaching for the chair opposite of Stephen. Stephen did not sa
Stephen sat in the corner of a dimly lit café, staring out the window. He had sat there for hours, sipping cold coffee and watching the rain trickle down the glass. The café wasn't crowded-just a few people scattered about, lost in their conversations. His foot tapped impatiently under the table. Enoch was late. Very late. The waiter had been by twice, offering Stephen polite smiles, asking if he needed anything else. Each time, he waved him off, too intent on what was to come. His mind was reeling, questions, doubts, and a growing sense of frustration building inside him. Enoch was never this late. The doorbell above the entrance jingled, and Stephen looked up. His heart stopped at the sight of Enoch stepping inside, shaking rain from his coat. He glanced briefly around the room before his eyes fell upon Stephen, and he hastened to him, an apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," Enoch said, reaching for the chair opposite of Stephen. Stephen did not say an
Stephen sat in the corner of a dimly lit café, staring out the window. He had sat there for hours, sipping cold coffee and watching the rain trickle down the glass. The café wasn't crowded-just a few people scattered about, lost in their conversations. His foot tapped impatiently under the table. Enoch was late. Very late. The waiter had been by twice, offering Stephen polite smiles, asking if he needed anything else. Each time, he waved him off, too intent on what was to come. His mind was reeling, questions, doubts, and a growing sense of frustration building inside him. Enoch was never this late. The doorbell above the entrance jingled, and Stephen looked up. His heart stopped at the sight of Enoch stepping inside, shaking rain from his coat. He glanced briefly around the room before his eyes fell upon Stephen, and he hastened to him, an apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," Enoch said, reaching for the chair opposite of Stephen. Stephen did not say an
Stephen sat in the corner of a dimly lit café, staring out the window. He had sat there for hours, sipping cold coffee and watching the rain trickle down the glass. The café wasn't crowded-just a few people scattered about, lost in their conversations. His foot tapped impatiently under the table. Enoch was late. Very late.The waiter had been by twice, offering Stephen polite smiles, asking if he needed anything else. Each time, he waved him off, too intent on what was to come. His mind was reeling, questions, doubts, and a growing sense of frustration building inside him. Enoch was never this late.The doorbell above the entrance jingled, and Stephen looked up. His heart stopped at the sight of Enoch stepping inside, shaking rain from his coat. He glanced briefly around the room before his eyes fell upon Stephen, and he hastened to him, an apologetic smile on his face."Sorry to have kept you waiting," Enoch said, reaching for the chair opposite of Stephen.Stephen did not say anythi
Stephen stood by the door, watching as Victor’s car grew smaller in the distance. The rumble of the engine slowly faded, leaving nothing but the usual quiet that hung around the small neighborhood. He let out a breath, resting his hand on the doorframe. The last two months had been tough—tougher than he ever imagined.Without the system—the network of contacts and favors that once made his life easy—Stephen had to figure out a way to survive on his own. And it wasn’t glamorous. Every day was a grind, a constant scramble for enough money to cover the basics. Work wasn’t easy to come by, not when you’d burned as many bridges as he had. But he’d managed to find some odd jobs here and there—just enough to scrape by, though never enough to truly get ahead.He closed the door softly, the sound echoing through the small room. Glancing around the cramped space, he couldn’t help but think of the penthouse he once called home. The stark difference between his old life and this one weighed on hi
Stephen stood in the door and watched as Victor's car dwindled to a dot on the horizon. The rumble of the motor died out, leaving only the silent night air hovering over the little neighborhood. He exhaled a breath, his hand falling to rest on the doorframe. The last two months had been rough-tougher than he ever imagined.No system to fall back on now-the network of contacts and favors that oiled his life-Stephen was forced to scrounge some means of survival for himself. Not quite glamorous, the daily fight, the eternal hustle just for the real basics. Jobs were not easy to find, not when one had burned bridges as he had. But he'd been able to find odd jobs here and there, enough just to scrape by, never enough to get any further ahead.He closed the door behind him with a quiet click. The softness echoed inside the tiny room. Glancing around at the cramped quarters, his mind strayed to the penthouse he once called home. The stark dissimilarities between where his life used to be and
Two months later, Victor stared at the address on his phone, then at the small, run-down building in front of him. It didn’t look like a place Stephen would be living. The paint was peeling off the walls, and the grass in front was overgrown. This was far from the sleek, modern apartment Stephen used to own.Victor killed the engine, stepped out of his car, and walked toward the house. It was a self-contained unit—cheap, cramped, and barely enough for one person. He checked the address again. Room number 9. It matched. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.When he reached room 9, he knocked hard. The wood felt thin under his knuckles, like the door could break if he wasn’t careful. He knocked again, louder this time.After a moment, the door creaked open. Victor’s eyebrows shot up. Standing in front of him was Stephen, but he was almost unrecognizable. His hair was longer, his face covered with a scruffy beard, and he’d gained weight—his old sharp features now s
Standing beside Ariane's bed, his mind was spinning as he stared down at the screen of the system on his phone. His fingers trembling, he hit the icon for healing skills. He muttered under his breath, "Why can't this work on her? Why can't I save her?The system kept mum-no explanation, no solution. The shallow breathing of his daughter echoed in the room; every weak breath made him helpless. Stephen swallowed hard as his throat went dry. He could fix deals, he could manipulate numbers, but here in this hospital room, he was powerless.The door creaked open, and Stephen turned to see Enoch step in. Gone was Enoch's usual smug expression, replaced with a concerned frown. "What are you doing here?" Stephen's voice was low, edged with suspicion.Enoch shrugged, glancing over at Ariane. "Heard she was sick, so I decided to come by. How's she doing?"Stephen stared at him for a long moment, unsure of how to reply. His mind flashed back to his earlier doubts. Ariane wasn't his daughter, at
Stephen sat cross-legged on a soft mat, his eyes closed to focus on the calm voice of the guru. The air around him was scented with burning incense; a low hum of chanting echoed softly from the walls. He had called in the guru in a last-ditch effort to clear his mind, escape the relentless pull of the system. It had started to devour him, bit by bit, till it was all he could think of, all he could perceive.He was losing his grip, and he knew it.The guru's voice came, calm: "Breathe in. breathe out. let your thoughts flow like water. Do not cling to them."Stephen sucked in an enormous breath, then let it slowly out again, as if to expel everything at the same time: the market crash, the system, the deals that went right past him. The tension between him and Enoch was endless. He'd gotten pulled into something so much bigger than he was that he couldn't possibly control it himself, and however hard Stephen fought his way free of it, he felt ensnared.Then, though, as his breathing st