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THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 83
Breaking the AssassinThe trap was set.I stood in the dimly lit storage room of an abandoned complex, my pulse a steady thrum in my ears. The walls were lined with rusted pipes and flickering bulbs, the air thick with dust and the metallic bite of something old and forgotten. It wasn’t much, but it was perfect.Zero would come. He always did.Kane watched from the upper level, crouched behind a railing with her rifle slung over her shoulder. She wasn’t here to kill him—just to make sure I didn’t get myself killed."You sure about this?" Her voice crackled through the comm in my ear.I flexed my fingers, shaking out the tension. "Not even a little."Her sigh was sharp. "That's what worries me."Footsteps.A slow, measured cadence. Not rushed, not hesitant. Purposeful.Zero.I stepped away from the center of the room, just enough to let the shadows swallow part of me. The single overhead light buzzed, its dim glow casting long, jagged shadows.Then he emerged.Zero moved like a phantom
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 84
The Overseers’ LieThe screen flickered, casting an eerie blue glow over the dimly lit room. Dust swirled in the stagnant air, settling over cracked keyboards and forgotten equipment. The hum of the terminal was the only sound, save for the faint clicking of Kane’s fingers flying over the keys.I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the metal desk, my pulse steady but tight. My gut told me we were about to uncover something we couldn’t unsee. Kane was silent, her usual cocky smirk absent. That alone sent a shiver down my spine.We had spent hours breaking through the Overseers’ encryption. Whoever buried this data did not want it found."Almost there," Kane muttered, narrowing her eyes. "Come on, you bastards. Show me your dirty little secrets."The screen flashed, and suddenly, a folder materialized.PROJECT: ZEROThe weight of it settled in my chest like lead.Kane’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. “Tony…”I didn’t let her finish. “Open it.”She hesitated for only a second before
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 85
The Rescue MissionThe rain hammered against the rooftop, soaking through my jacket, but I barely felt it. My focus was locked on the street below, where neon lights flickered against wet pavement, their reflections distorted in puddles that had collected in the cracks of the broken city. The smell of ozone and damp asphalt clung to the air.Beside me, Kane adjusted her earpiece, eyes narrowed. “He’ll come through here,” she whispered. “You ready for this?”I exhaled, steadying my pulse. “I have to be.”We had been tracking Zero for weeks, watching his movements, analyzing his patterns. He was a ghost, slipping through the cracks of the city like he belonged to the shadows. But tonight, we had him cornered. He just didn’t know it yet.Kane’s voice was low but firm. “We only get one shot. If he gets away, we might never find him again.”I nodded, but the weight of what we were about to do pressed against my ribs. I had fought Zero before, but this wasn’t just another battle. This wasn’
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 86
Rewriting a Rewritten MindZero was strapped to the chair, his arms pinned, legs bound, head slumped forward like a marionette with its strings cut. The underground hideout smelled of damp concrete and rust, the flickering overhead lights casting restless shadows against the walls. The hum of old servers filled the air, a constant, droning reminder of the risks we were taking.He hadn’t moved since we brought him in. Hadn’t made a sound.Kane stood at the console, scrolling through lines of encrypted data, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Are you sure about this?”“No.” I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling. “But it’s the only chance we’ve got.”Zero—Elias—was still in there. I had seen it. Felt it.But The Overseers had buried him under layers of rewritten code, neural implants forcing him to be something he wasn’t. If I could just break through that—if I could trigger something real—I could bring him back.Or I could kill him.I shoved that thought away.Kane hesitated, fingers
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 87
The Man Beneath the MaskElias was in there. I had seen it—the flicker of recognition, the way his voice cracked when he said my name. But now he was silent, his body limp in the restraints, his breath shallow.The moment felt fragile, like if I moved too fast, the illusion of hope would shatter.Kane stood behind me, arms crossed, jaw tight. “He’s not stable.”“I know,” I muttered.She hesitated before adding, “Tony… if this doesn’t work, he could end up a hollow shell.”I turned to her, my hands clenching. “And if we do nothing? He stays their puppet forever?”Kane exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “I’m saying we might have already lost him.”I looked back at Elias—no, at Zero. His face was still slack, expression unreadable. But I knew better. The storm was inside. I just had to reach him before he drowned in it.I pulled up a chair and sat, leaning forward so we were eye level. “Elias,” I said, my voice low, steady. “You know me. You know who you are.”For a moment, nothing.Then
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 88
The Final TriggerElias lay motionless, his breath shallow, his face slack. He looked almost peaceful, but I knew better. His mind was at war, caught between the fractured pieces of his past and the programming that had stolen him from me.I sat beside him, fingers digging into the armrest of my chair. Every instinct screamed at me to keep talking, to keep pushing him toward the truth. But words alone weren’t enough anymore.He needed something stronger.Kane stood nearby, arms crossed, watching with the kind of wary concern that meant she was already calculating worst-case scenarios. “If you force too much at once,” she warned, “his mind might shut down completely.”I swallowed hard, my pulse a steady drum against my ribs. “Or it might bring him back.”She exhaled sharply but didn’t argue. She knew as well as I did—we were past the point of caution.I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small holo-drive. It was nothing special to look at—just another piece of tech, another encr
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 89
Elias RebornElias stirred before his eyes even opened, his body shifting restlessly, muscles twitching like a man waking from a nightmare he couldn’t shake. I sat beside him, watching, waiting. His breath came slow and unsteady, uneven—like he was struggling to pull himself back from somewhere deep, somewhere dark.When his eyelids finally fluttered open, I saw nothing but confusion.His gaze darted around the dimly lit hideout, his chest rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths. For a moment, he just stared, as if his brain couldn’t process where he was. His fingers clenched into the thin blanket covering him, his grip white-knuckled.Then his eyes landed on me.And something inside him broke.Elias sucked in a sharp breath, his entire body going rigid. His lips parted, but no words came out, just a sound—low, hoarse, like a man drowning in memories.I leaned forward. “Elias?”He flinched.I watched his throat bob as he swallowed hard, his body language shifting—tension coilin
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 90
The Nexus RevealedElias sat across from me, his hands clasped so tightly his knuckles turned white. The dim light from the single overhead bulb cast deep shadows across his face, making the weight in his eyes even heavier. He had barely spoken since his last revelation, and now, as I pressed for more, I could see the hesitation tightening his muscles.Kane leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching him carefully. She didn’t rush him. Neither did I. Whatever he was about to say, it wasn’t just dangerous—it was something he wasn’t sure he should share at all.When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet but firm. “The Overseers don’t just control people.” He exhaled slowly. “They control reality.”A chill ran through me. “What do you mean?”Elias lifted his gaze, and I saw the truth burning in his eyes. “There’s a place,” he said. “A facility unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It’s called The Nexus.” His fingers twitched. “And it’s where they rewrite the world.”The words sat heavy i
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CHAPTER 190
The Unseen HandWe walked deeper into the broken building. The air had a low buzzing sound that made my teeth feel funny. It felt like we were getting to the center of everything. Kane’s light moved over walls with strange drawings, the same ones from the leather book. They seemed to glow a little.“This way,” Kane whispered, her voice tight. She pointed to a strong metal door behind some broken wall. It looked new in all the mess.Elias pulled at the door, and it made loud noises before opening with a bang. The room inside was round, with glowing lines on the walls. In the middle was a strange machine with metal rings and shiny parts. It made a buzzing sound, and the air around it shook a little.“What is this?” I whispered, walking closer. The drawing from the book was on the shiny part in the middle, glowing strangely. It felt alive.Kane walked around the machine slowly, looking at everything. “This has to be it. The thing that’s causing all this.”Elias reached out to
CHAPTER 189
The Fading AnchorI felt like I was falling fast. The colors around me spun and didn't make sense. Was this the floor? Or the sky upside down? A hand grabbed my arm, strong and familiar, but the face above changed. One second it was Darren, looking worried like always. The next, it was a scary person from a dream I almost forgot, with glowing eyes."Easy, Tony. Just breathe." It was Darren's voice, thank goodness. For now.I blinked, trying to see clearly. My head felt full of buzzing; each buzzed a different, mixed-up memory. Kane… where was Kane? Had she been here? Or was that just a whisper from another time?"Kane… the… the light…" I mumbled, the words feeling thick in my mouth. Light. Yes, there was a bright light, a tear in the world. And then… everything became a mess of broken pictures.Darren held my arm tighter. "Kane's not here now, Tony. It's just me. Remember? Darren."Darren. Yes, I remembered Darren. Sometimes. He was… real. Something steady in this craz
CHAPTER 188
The Tangled WebDust floated in the dim light through dirty windows. The air smelled old and a bit like metal and something sweet. Kane's light moved across the dark room, showing broken machines and glass. My stomach felt bad; this place felt very wrong."See anything, Elias?" Kane's quiet voice barely made a sound. She moved carefully, her hand near her gun. I stayed close behind, my heart beating fast. The drawing we found led us here, an old building outside the city that wasn't on any maps. That made me scared.Forgotten for a reason, I thought, looking at a table with broken bottles and strange tools – some for living things, others like machines mixed together. It was a gross mix."Tony, look here." Elias's voice was usually calm, but now it sounded worried. He was kneeling by a broken metal box. Inside were glass jars with weird things floating in liquid, with thin wires all through them. I couldn't breathe for a second. This wasn't just science; it was horrible.
CHAPTER 187
Darren's WatchThe room was dim, but I could see the tired lines on Darren’s face. He hadn’t slept much. He watched Tony all the time, trying to guess what Tony was seeing in his head. He told Tony old stories, showed him old pictures, played music they both knew – anything to help Tony remember. Sometimes, Tony’s eyes would focus, and he’d remember a joke or something fun they did. But these moments were quick, like flashes of light before a storm. Then, Tony would go back to being lost. Darren was getting more and more worried that he was losing his friend.Darren sat next to Tony, holding an old picture. It was the four of us – me, Elias, Tony, and Darren – smiling after we did something dangerous but got away with it. Tony had dirt on his face and looked happy.“Remember this, Tony?” Darren’s voice was quiet. He held the picture close to Tony’s face. “That old computer place? We thought we were going to die when the robots locked the doors. But you… you fixed that old
CHAPTER 186
The Shifting LandscapeThe air this morning felt wrong. Not just city dirt, but different. Like something familiar had changed a little. Elias smelled it too.“Did you feel that Kane?” he asked, looking around. “Something feels… heavy.”I checked my systems. The air was okay. But I knew what he meant. It felt like the world was holding its breath.We were following a clue, a small digital piece left in the Overseers’ broken computer system. It pointed to a secret lab outside the city. We knew the way. Or so I thought.The first thing that was really wrong happened after walking three blocks. A street we knew very well was just… gone. Instead, there was a tall, black wall, smooth and endless. It looked old and strange like it didn’t belong there.“What the…” Elias said, stopping. He touched the wall. “This wasn’t here yesterday, Kane. I’m sure.”My inside maps agreed. This street was important. It couldn’t just disappear. My brain couldn’t understand it. It was impossibl
CHAPTER 185
The Seed of DoubtThe quiet hum of the Overseer's secret room always bugged me. It felt cold and planned. Tonight, the air felt tight, like something was about to break. Elias, next to me, looked closely at the moving computer words.“See anything?” I whispered. The room was quiet, so my voice felt loud. I checked for hidden traps. This room was supposed to be impossible to get into. But we were inside.Elias made a noise like he was annoyed. “Lots of locks inside locks, Kane. They weren’t kidding.” He stopped, tilting his head. “Wait… something’s not right.”On the screen, one file glowed in the middle of broken computer stuff. It looked perfect. A soft light blinked inside it.When the picture on the file showed up, I held my breath. It wasn’t tech like I knew. The lines looked like they were alive. A soft light moved inside.Elias made a small sound. I looked at him. He looked worried. “Do you feel that, Kane? It feels old.”I did feel it. A little shake inside me.
CHAPTER 184
Listening to NothingTony was slipping away. Not like falling asleep, but in a broken, scary way. What was real for him was fading, like sand in a hand. The Architect's power was still there, like a poison inside him.His memories were like water, moving and mixing, past times all messed up. One minute he'd talk about a trip to a star we never went to, describing things we never saw. Then he'd ask about Joyce, a woman Kane and I never knew, his voice sad."She always loved the rain, Darren," he'd say, looking at nothing. "Said it washed away the noise.""Tony," I'd say softly, holding his hand. "There was no trip to that star. And I don't know Joyce. It's just you, me, and Kane."He'd look confused for a second. "But... the red deserts... the shiny trees..." Then he'd look away again like he was hearing something far off.He started seeing things. Faces would flash in the shadows, people I couldn't see. He'd point, handshaking. "Did you see that? By the door... the woman
CHAPTER 183
The World Playing TricksSomething felt wrong. Not just a little, but deep down. It started with small things that you could almost ignore. But that bad feeling in my neck wouldn't leave.We were walking back through a part of the Overseer place we had already checked. Kane was looking for any missed computer spots, and Elias was feeling for leftover mind energy."This room..." Kane stopped, looking confused. "I'm sure this room was empty."I looked around. It was a small, round room with dead computers. Nothing special. "Yeah, I remember. We checked for traps."But in the middle of the room now was something I had never seen. It was round, black like stone, and had a soft blue light inside. Thin, silver lines went across it and into the smooth surface."That wasn't here before," Elias said quietly. He moved slowly towards it, hand out but not touching. "I would have felt... something."Kane used her scanner. "The energy is... strange. Not Overseer stuff. Not anything I k
CHAPTER 182
Darren's PromiseThe lies were gone, like old skin peeling off. I saw the truth: they had made me a servant. This made me angry, wanting revenge.I found Tony in a broken room. He was my old friend, but now he seemed lost, not knowing what was real. I felt bad and also really loyal to him. He sat on a broken chair, smiling and talking nonsense. The bright Tony I knew was gone. He looked at me for a second, the old Tony in his eyes."Darren?" he whispered weakly. I felt a little hope."Tony, it's me," I said, my voice shaky. I knelt down.He smiled more, but his eyes didn't. "The stars are singing, Darren. Can you hear?"My heart sank. He was lost. The Overseers had messed with his mind. I felt guilty. I was so busy with my own problems, I didn't see how bad Tony was.I felt a strong loyalty to him. We were friends. I couldn't leave him like this.I took his cold hands in mine. "Tony," I said firmly. "The stars aren't singing. It's just me, Darren. I'm here."He looked
