Novels by rita75419

My hands are shaking violently. The red marker I was gripping tightly falls to the floor, rolling under the dark desk. I try to reach for it, but my arm feels as heavy as lead. My breath is ragged, short and sharp, as if the air in this room has suddenly turned to poison.Damn it, why now?My vision blurs. The monitor in front of me, still displaying Julian’s face covered in red scribbles, seems to melt and merge with the darkness. A familiar pain begins to crawl from the base of my spine, cold and piercing all the way to the crown of my head. This isn't ordinary physical pain. This is a thirst demanding to be quenched."[ WARNING: SUBJECT BODY STABILITY BELOW 15% ]"The system's voice echoes in my head, louder than usual. Cold. Uncompromising."[ ALTAR ENERGY REACHING CRITICAL POINT. MOTOR FUNCTIONS WILL BE DEACTIVATED IN 60 SECONDS. ]""Shut up," I hiss, gripping the edge of the desk. My knuckles turn white, digging into the wooden surface until they leave marks. "Give me... recover

The television screen in front of me glowed brightly, bathing the dark corners of the room in a piercing blue light that strained the eyes. There, in the center of a stage decorated with white lilies symbols of purity stood Julian Durnevra. He looked more vibrant than the last time I saw him, when he was lying at death's door. That suit, crafted by the finest tailors, hugged his body perfectly, hiding the surgical scars that, ironically, were made using a part of my own body."Julian, how does it feel to return to the public eye after your battle with that rare illness?" a female host asked, her voice dripping with adoration.Julian smiled the specific kind of smile he always used to get exactly what he wanted. "Incredible. I feel like I've been given a second chance to serve the world through Durnevra Corp.""You are a true hero, Julian. A survivor who inspires so many," the host continued.I snorted softly, my voice sounding dry in the silence of the room. "A hero? He couldn't even

Adrian stared at the monitor displaying Durnevra Corp’s organizational structure. Every day, he felt his humanity eroding further. Hunger remained, but he only ate because of system alerts. He slept only because Altar demanded the restoration of cognitive functions. Happiness, sadness, even exhaustion seemed to have been erased from his vocabulary."Two weeks," Adrian murmured. "Two weeks to get into their system."He opened a file recently sent by one of his new informants. It was internal data regarding the construction tender for a secret laboratory on the outskirts of the city. There, listed as the project lead, was the name Julian Durnevra."So you’re the one holding the reins, Brother?" Adrian gave a thin smile. A smile that didn't reach his dark eyes.He typed a series of commands, infiltrating Julian’s financial server. There, he found something far more interesting than mere numbers. Julian had been embezzling company funds to cover his exorbitant medical expenses, treatments

The small bell above the door of the Black Crow Bar chimed weakly, swallowed by the low thrum of bass vibrating through the smoky room. Adrian stepped inside, pulling his hoodie lower. The pungent smell of tobacco and cheap alcohol filled the air, but to his numb tongue, it all felt like hollow vapor."Aris?" a stout man with a jagged scar across his cheek waved from a dim corner. That was Silas, the information broker who controlled the communication lines of the Gray District.Adrian sat in front of Silas without a word. His cold eyes scanned the bar, noting every exit and the number of potential threats."You look like a lost college kid, boy," Silas chuckled, pouring a yellow liquid into a glass. "Are you sure you want to play here? One and a half million dollars can vanish overnight if you make the wrong move.""I didn't come here to drink, Silas," Adrian replied flatly. His voice sounded like the scraping of metal. "I came to buy a network. I need access to Durnevra Corp’s black

[ OFFER AVAILABLE 'ABSOLUTE MARKET ANALYSIS' ABILITY. ][ PRICE: SENSE OF TASTE. ]Adrian fell silent. His hand, holding a piece of bread, stopped in mid-air. His sense of taste?"You mean I’ll never taste food again?" he asked flatly.[ CORRECT. HUMANS USE TASTE FOR PLEASURE. AN ARCHITECT ONLY REQUIRES NUTRITION. DO YOU ACCEPT? ]Adrian remembered Elena. He remembered how his mother always ordered five-star chefs to prepare Julian's favorite dishes, while Adrian often received only leftovers or was put on a strict diet to maintain the quality of his organs. His tongue had never truly tasted the luxury of affection."Take it," Adrian said without hesitation. "The taste of food won't help me drag Dimitri to hell."Instantly, a sensation like melting ice spread from the base of his tongue to his throat. Adrian felt as if every nerve in his mouth had gone numb. He tried to take another bite of the bread.Tasteless.The bread no longer had the flavor of wheat or yeast. Its texture felt li

Adrian leapt out through the shattered glass window, landing smoothly on the asphalt of the underground parking lot. He moved quickly toward the back gate, dodging the sweep of patrol lights that were beginning to flood the hospital’s front lawn.That night, the world felt different to Adrian. He no longer felt the cold, no longer felt fear. The void in his chest provided a terrifying tranquility. He slipped through narrow alleys, moving away from the city center toward a neglected industrial district.A few hours later, as dawn began to peek over the eastern horizon, Adrian stood atop a crumbling, half-collapsed old building. The sharp morning wind played with his messy strands of hair.[ STATUS: ESCAPE SUCCESSFUL. ][ ALTAR ENERGY: 45%. REST RECOMMENDED. ]Adrian stared at the blue folder in his hand, the one he had stolen from beside his bed the folder that labeled him as Subject B-02. With a slow movement, he tore the papers into small pieces, letting them scatter in the wind."Th