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
With a loud thud, they hit the floor as Stephen tackled him. For that one short second, Stephen felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, finally, they could take him down. Within the same swift second, his eyes sparkled in mischief, and a sly grin spread across his face."You really think this ends anything?" Clarke snickered, dusting himself off. "I just put it all into an infinite loop.""What are you talking about?" Stephen panted, pushing himself up. The pain shot through him, but he couldn't show weakness.Clarke shrugged, the laughter bubbling from him like an evil spell. "It means this fight will never end. We'll keep coming back to this moment until I win. No matter what you do, you'll be trapped here forever."Stephen's heart sank. "No… That can't be true."Victor was still catching his breath as he met Enoch with worried glances. "What is going on?" Victor exclaimed questioningly.Clarke sat back and relaxed; everything around them was chaotic, but he was content. "Oh, I'll just keep