THE ASCENSION SYSTEM

CHAPTER 25

Marked for Death

The moment Kane confirmed it, a cold weight settled in my gut.

"The Overseers know about you," she said, her voice low, controlled. "They’ll send someone."

I didn't flinch, but my fingers curled into fists at my sides. The Overseers were more than just a problem—they were the executioners of the unseen world, a force that erased threats before they could grow into real problems. And now, I was on their list.

I forced out a breath, trying to keep my pulse steady. "How long do we have?"

Kane shook her head. "If they’ve marked you, they’ve already moved. The only question is—who did they send?"

A chime in my ear made my stomach drop. My system had triggered an emergency alert: LOCKDOWN PROTOCOL INITIATED.

My jaw clenched. "They just closed the net," I muttered.

Kane’s expression darkened. "What do you mean?"

I swiped my interface open with a flick of my fingers. The digital overlay flashed red warnings across my vision. Your network access has been restricted. Facial obfuscation protocols have been overridden. You are no longer undetectable.

"They’ve cut me off," I said, forcing the words through my teeth. "I can’t blend in anymore. Every camera, every sensor—they’ll all recognize me now."

A flicker of something—worry?—crossed Kane’s face, but she covered it fast. "Then we move," she said. "Now."

I should’ve argued, should’ve said we needed a plan, but the weight in my gut told me there was no time. If The Overseers had flipped the switch, then someone was already here. Watching. Hunting.

I yanked my jacket tighter, scanning the streets as we stepped out of the alley. It felt different now. The hum of the city, the neon reflections in the puddles, the blur of people moving past—it had all shifted.

Like a predator had entered the territory.

We moved fast, keeping close to the buildings, cutting through crowds when we could. My instincts screamed that we were being tracked, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. Kane moved like a shadow beside me, her hand brushing the inside of her coat—a silent promise that she was ready for whatever came.

"You’re too calm," I muttered, keeping my voice low.

She smirked, eyes scanning the rooftops. "I’ve done this before."

That wasn’t comforting.

A car backfired down the street, and my pulse jumped. Kane grabbed my wrist, steadying me before I could react.

"Paranoia won’t save you," she said. "Focus."

I let out a slow breath. "Easy for you to say. You’re not the one marked for death."

Her grip tightened for a fraction of a second before she let go. "Not yet."

That didn’t make me feel better.

We reached the intersection, the streetlights above flickering as if something was tampering with the power grid. A deep, sinking feeling spread in my chest.

"Something’s wrong," I said.

Kane nodded once, sharply. "I know."

The air felt charged, like static before a storm. I scanned the crowd, my system running what limited diagnostics it could. Facial recognition flagged a dozen faces, but none of them set off alarms.

Then I saw him.

A figure in the distance, standing just outside the glow of the streetlights. He was still, too still, like he wasn’t even part of the world around him. I couldn’t see his face, just the way his head tilted slightly, like he was studying us.

"Kane," I murmured.

"I see him."

The figure didn’t move, but my system pinged a silent warning: Unknown Entity Detected.

That shouldn’t have been possible. I was locked out, cut off from my deeper security layers. But somehow, even my crippled system recognized him.

My mouth went dry. "Who the hell is that?"

Kane’s voice was grim. "If I had to guess?"

The figure took a step forward.

I could finally make out his silhouette—tall, lean, dressed in dark tactical gear that blended into the night. His hands were bare, relaxed at his sides. No visible weapons. No aggression.

Just certainty.

Kane’s fingers twitched toward her gun. "That," she said, "is Zero."

A chill ran down my spine.

Zero. The ghost. The clean-up crew. If The Overseers wanted someone erased without a trace, they sent him.

And he was already here.

"Move," Kane snapped.

I didn’t hesitate. We cut through the crowd, shoving past bodies, ducking into the nearest building. The moment the door shut behind us, Kane pulled me against the wall, her breath controlled but fast.

"This is bad," I whispered.

"Understatement."

The room was dark, a storage area for some rundown diner. The scent of grease and old coffee clung to the air.

I checked the front. Zero was still outside. Watching. Waiting.

"What’s he doing?" I asked.

"Calculating," Kane muttered. "He won’t strike yet. He likes efficiency."

"Great. An assassin with a work ethic."

I had to think. The Overseers wouldn’t have sent Zero if they wanted to negotiate. This wasn’t a warning. This was an execution.

"Kane," I said slowly, "what are our odds?"

She hesitated, just for a second. Then: "Bad."

I let out a breathless laugh. "I appreciate the honesty."

"Don’t get comfortable." She checked her weapon, then mine. "We need to get out of the city."

"And go where?"

"Somewhere Zero won’t follow."

"Does that place exist?"

She didn’t answer.

Outside, Zero finally moved. Not toward us. Just a slow, measured step, as if he was testing the ground beneath his feet.

Then, for the first time, he spoke.

His voice was smooth. Calm. Absolute.

"Tony Rivera."

My pulse slammed against my ribs.

He lifted his head slightly, and even from this distance, I felt the weight of his gaze.

"You have one chance to make this easy."

Kane cursed under her breath. "Yeah. We’re screwed."

I swallowed hard. "That bad?"

Zero took another step forward.

Worse.

He smiled.