Chapter: CHAPTER 220Old Meets NewA cold feeling went down my back. It wasn't just cold; it was because everything around us felt wrong. Outside Kane's strong room, the city looked twisted, like a snake moving in a weird way. Buildings leaned at crazy angles, the sky was a purple bruise, and the air buzzed with a power that felt old and very wrong. My head hurt, a slow beat against the loud strangeness of this new world.The world went crazy, and we had to try and fix it.Kane looked hard at the glowing pictures above the table. Lines of code, a language I used to know well but now felt like a lost one, moved on the clear screen. She bit her lip, something she did when thinking hard. Her usual strong energy was still there, like a small fire that wouldn't go out in the dark. But I could see worry lines around her eyes.“Anything, Darren?” Her voice was rough and tired.I ran my hand over my thin hair. I could almost feel the old wires that used to connect to my brain. “Bits and pieces, Kane. L
Last Updated: 2025-04-28
Chapter: CHAPTER 219Seeing Things DifferentlyShaky light on worried faces around the bright map. Red lights flashed, showing trouble spreading. Kane looked hard, telling people what to do, a bit worried.My clear memories showed a scary pattern Kane didn't get. She saw now; I remembered long ago.Kane stopped talking. "Another dark spot, Tony. No why, no answer... gone." Her upset voice made me feel bad. I knew that lost feeling."Kane," I said, my quiet voice was clear. Everyone looked. I usually just helped, but the memories needed saying.She turned, tired but a bit sharp. "What, Tony? No time.""Not just happening, Kane," I said carefully. "It's happened before."People didn't believe me. Petrov laughed. "Before? Nothing like this in the books.""Books not complete," I said back, looking at Kane. She looked unsure. "Some truths hidden. Some things are forgotten.""Forgotten things?" Sarah looked surprised. "What are you talking about?"I went to the map, pointing at a dark spot. "Look ho
Last Updated: 2025-04-28
Chapter: CHAPTER 218Echoes in the GlitchThe cold voice in the small well-house felt like icy fingers touching my skin. Next to me, Kane held my arm so tight her knuckles were white. The strange key in her other hand glowed, making her scared face look even more so."Elias... Darren... they need to see this," she whispered, her voice shaky.My mind was racing. Elias, so quiet but always noticing things, and Darren, who first saw that things weren't right – they had to know about this. We weren't the only ones in this messed-up world, even if it felt like it."We go together," I said, trying to sound brave even though my heart was pounding. Whatever was behind that disappearing wall, we'd face it together.Kane nodded, her eyes looking strong. She was still scared, but she was also determined. We walked towards the shimmering opening. The buzzing sound got louder, and the air felt strange, making the hairs on my arms stand up.When we stepped through the wall, it was like being swallowed by darkne
Last Updated: 2025-04-28
Chapter: CHAPTER 217Pieces of a Lost WorldThe blue mark on Gareth’s arm disappeared, but we were all still scared, Kane. It felt like a cold weight in our stomachs. The strange things happening weren't just whispers anymore; they were shouting at us.I watched Darren. He’d been quiet since the motel, always looking worried, like he was fighting something inside his head. His broken memories seemed to bother him a lot. Now, when Gareth told us what happened, Darren looked far away, like he could see something we couldn’t.“Did it… feel like anything you’ve felt before, Darren?” I asked. Maybe his weird remembering could help us understand this.He blinked and looked back at us slowly. He shook his head, looking confused. “No… not really. But… there’s something… a feeling…” He stopped, rubbing his head.“Like what?” you asked softly, but your eyes were looking right at him.Darren waited, looking around. “Like… a lost rule. Something… broken.”A lost rule? Something broken? That sounded strange an
Last Updated: 2025-04-27
Chapter: CHAPTER 216Echoes of the Past, Seeds of OblivionMy head hurt bad, like something was trying to get inside. Pictures flashed in my mind – faces I didn't know well, cold white rooms, and a scary feeling of losing something important. This remembering… it felt wrong, like they were forcing it. I sat on the bed, my hands shaking. Each memory that came back was like a punch, not a friendly hello. A cold voice giving orders… a big empty feeling inside… the taste of fear. Who was I supposed to be? The me that wanted to keep you safe, Kane, felt weak, like a dream that could disappear.My stomach turned as a strong memory hit me: a bright room, straps holding me down, and a light shining in my eyes. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out in the memory. Had they done this to me before? I felt sure – this wasn't helping me remember; it was taking me back."Darren," Sarah said, her voice not kind like before. She looked worried. "This is hard. Try to stay calm."Calm? How could I be calm when
Last Updated: 2025-04-26
Chapter: CHAPTER 215Putting the Pieces TogetherSeeing Ben’s empty, blue eyes were stuck in my head. Martha, Elias’s kind Martha, moved like a puppet with those strange figures… it was a real nightmare. The ground still shook, and the twisted trees looked like monster hands reaching for the sky. We had to get away, but seeing our lost friends made us freeze, a scary warning of what could happen to us.“We can’t fight them here!” I shouted over the weird noises of the changing world. “We need to go back, get ourselves together!”Tony, looking pale but determined, nodded. “He’s right. They’re too strong for us here.” He pulled Elias, who was just standing there, looking at Martha. “Elias, come on!”We ran back to the part of the woods that still looked normal. The blue light went away behind us, like a bad eye closing. The air here was still, the trees looked like they always did, but we all felt really scared.Back in the mess hall, it was very quiet and sad. Elias sat with his head down, crying.
Last Updated: 2025-04-25
Chapter: CHAPTER 54The Guardian's Special TrickThe System Destroyer's main gun fired, sending a bright blast of energy at the Vault. On our ship's control deck, it was deadly quiet before the hit, broken only by the loud whine of the gun. Rylan got ready, holding onto his controls. I stood firm, watching the coming destruction. I felt a cold certainty: this was the end.But then, a voice, clearer and stronger than before, spoke in my mind. It came not just from the guardian, but from the very heart of the Vault: Turn on the time-bending shield. Full power."Time-bending shield?" I gasped, and the words slipped out. "Rylan, did you hear that? The guardian… it wants us to turn on the time-bending shield!"Rylan's eyes were wide as he stared at me. "What? We don't have a time-bending shield! That's just an old idea, from the Anomaly time! It's not even built into the Vault!"It is always built into the Vault, Shadow. It's for a real purpose. Turn it on, or we are lost, the guardian urged, its voice now ve
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Chapter: CHAPTER 53The Echo's SourceThe Vault of Creation shook and screamed as it was hit again and again. Loud alarms blared, a noisy mix of red warning lights. The System Destroyer's energy blasts hit our shields hard, each blow shaking the ship."Shields at sixty percent and falling fast!" Rylan yelled, fighting his controls. "Their weapons are for bigger ships! We can't take this much longer!"My mind raced, trying to grasp the impossible. "How did they find us, Rylan? How did they break our cloaking?" The guardian was silent in my mind, which was more unnerving than any answer. It was also searching, figuring things out."I… I don't know!" Rylan’s voice broke under the stress. "There's no signal, no sign of a scan that could have found us. It's like they just knew."Another hard hit, and the Vault's lights flickered badly. Sparks flew from a broken computer nearby. We were like a ghost, a whisper in space, yet this raw power was tearing us apart."Move away! Full power to engines!" I ordered, but
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Chapter: CHAPTER 52Echoes in the MachineThe Vault of Creation jumped to Praxus-7, quiet as before. We settled into space around the data hub, hidden and unseen. Unlike the wild gas near Xylos-9, here, space felt empty and clean. Praxus-7 itself was a giant metal ball, twinkling with lights from its data lines and computers."Praxus-7 is a data fortress," Rylan whispered, his face lit by the screen. "Their defenses are thick, and their alarm systems are supposed to be the best." He looked at me, a hint of a challenge in his eyes. "Ready to get inside?""We're not breaking in with force, Rylan," I reminded him, a small smile on my face. "It's about what they believe. We're not trying to smash their systems, but to quietly plant lies in their most trusted friend: their own data."The guardian agreed with my thoughts. They trust their data completely, and that's their weak spot. We'll use it against them.Rylan nodded, already busy. "The 'ghost' program is ready. It's made to act like a small glitch in a d
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Chapter: CHAPTER 51The Shadow PlayThe Vault of Creation drifted silently and unseen, a patient predator within the nebula's churning depths. Outside, the cosmic ballet of gas and dust continued, its wild energy a perfect shield. Our success on Xylos-9 filled the bridge with a quiet sense of triumph, but it was a victory of cunning, not force. The System was stumbling, and we needed to keep them off balance."They're still focused on internal problems," Rylan reported, his fingers flying across the console. The holographic display showed Xylos-9, now marked by a growing web of red lines indicating logistical snarls and rerouted traffic. "Their 'fast-response' team of technicians just arrived. They're scanning everything, looking for a software bug or a hardware failure.""Good," I responded, watching the System's frantic efforts. "Every minute they spend looking inward is a minute they're not looking for us. They believe in their own infallibility too much to consider an external threat like this."The
Last Updated: 2025-07-06
Chapter: CHAPTER 50Small Problems Grow BigAfter our hidden attack on Xylos-9, no big explosions or alarms were going off everywhere. Instead, it was a quiet, growing worry for the System. On our main screen, which showed the System's messages, we saw the first signs of their confusion."They're not finding us at all," Rylan whispered, his eyes wide as he watched the data. "They're blaming problems inside their own system. Their auto-check programs are going wild trying to find out what's wrong. Important messages are still going through, but more and more places are getting frustrated."I watched as reports, usually sent perfectly, started to be a little late. Then those small delays became much bigger. Supply lists from Xylos-9, meant for shipyards far away, suddenly arrived incomplete or with wrong amounts. Orders for special minerals were confirmed, but the actual shipments were stuck in fake waiting lines, or worse, sent to completely different, unimportant places."It's like they're trying to put
Last Updated: 2025-07-02
Chapter: CHAPTER 49Ghost in the MachineThe Vault of Creation moved through the dark, cold space. It was like a silent hunter, hidden by the wild energy of the nebula. Outside the main window, gas and dust swirled like a colorful, angry ocean. Its wild energy kept any System ships from coming too close. We were like a tiny needle in a huge pile of hay, unseen and unheard."Getting close to Xylos-9," Rylan said, breaking the quiet. His fingers flew across his computer. A bright, floating picture of the planet appeared, showing all its mining tunnels and paths. "Putting us at the edge of the nebula's jamming field now, Caden. Their long-range sensors won't see us at all."I felt the Vault gently move, a deep, living shake going through its old body. My link to it grew stronger, a direct connection to the First Architects' amazing technology. This wasn't just about flying a ship; it was about becoming one with it, using its hidden power."Good," I answered, my eyes on the floating map. "Start looking for t
Last Updated: 2025-07-02
SHADOWS OF THE OAT
Nathan has spent the last five years trying to leave his past behind. Once an elite operative of The Oath, a secret organization controlling world events from the shadows, he walked away, seeking peace. But one night, he wakes up in a bloodstained room with no memory of the last 48 hours—only to find himself branded as a terrorist and the target of a nationwide manhunt.
On the run and unsure if he truly committed the crime, Nathan turns to Riley, a skilled underground hacker, for help. As they dig deeper, they uncover a terrifying truth—his memories have been altered. Clues left behind by Elias Graves reveal that Nathan once broke his unbreakable oath to the organization, but someone wiped his mind to keep him from remembering why. The conspiracy leads to Julian, Nathan’s former best friend, who is orchestrating a global web of deception built on manufactured threats and lies.
Determined to uncover the truth, Nathan infiltrates The Oath’s headquarters for a final confrontation with Julian. But the shocking revelation leaves him shattered—Nathan wasn’t framed. He willingly took part in the crime but later chose to erase his own memory to escape the unbearable guilt. A recorded message from his past self forces him to face a critical decision:
Expose Julian and bring down The Oath, risking global chaos.
Take control of The Oath and become the very thing he once fought against.
No matter what he chooses, the cost is high. If he exposes The Oath, the world is thrown into instability, and he is forever hunted. If he takes over, he sacrifices his own ideals, embracing the power he once rejected.
In the end, as Nathan looks at his reflection, he sees Julian staring back—proof that the cycle never truly ended.
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Chapter: CHAPTER 220The Last ThoughtI stare at my reflection, my breath uneven, my eyes hollow. The glass is cracked—thin fractures running like veins across the surface, distorting my face. Fitting.The overhead light flickers, casting brief shadows across the room. It’s cold. Not the kind of cold that bites at your skin, but the kind that settles in your bones, that tells you something is coming. The kind that makes you wonder if it’s always been there, waiting.I press my palms against the sink, fingers curling against the porcelain. The weight in my chest isn’t fear. It isn’t regret. It’s something worse. A question with no answer.Behind me, the door creaks open. A slow, deliberate sound. My hand moves instinctively to my gun, but I already know who it is."That the last time you’re gonna check yourself out, Nathan?" a voice teases, rough with amusement.I smirk, though it feels foreign on my face. "Figured I should see what’s left of me before I walk out that door."Jackson leans against the doorf
Last Updated: 2025-03-08
Chapter: CHAPTER 219The End of the LineThe city is quiet. Too quiet.Not the kind of quiet that comes with peace, but the kind that signals something is about to break. It settles over the skyline, heavy, waiting. The streets are empty, but the ghosts of what I’ve built, of what I’ve destroyed, linger in the alleyways and shadowed corners.I stand at the edge of it all, watching from the rooftop of an old high-rise, the cold wind whipping against my face. Below me, the pieces are moving, each player stepping into position, some thinking they’re the ones holding the strings. They aren’t.They never were.Jackson shifts beside me, his hands buried deep in his pockets. He’s restless. Always is before things go south.“You sure about this?” he asks.I don’t answer right away. Because there’s no easy answer. No right one, either.He sighs, shaking his head. “You always do this. Get in too deep and think you can control every variable. But this—” he gestures to the streets below, to the quiet before the storm
Last Updated: 2025-03-08
Chapter: CHAPTER 218The Final MoveThe city is waiting.It doesn't know it yet, but the tides are shifting. Power doesn’t disappear; it transforms and morphs into something new, something unrecognizable until it’s already taken hold. I’ve seen it happen too many times to count. This time, I’m the one pulling the strings.This time, it ends on my terms.I stand in the shadows of an empty warehouse, the scent of oil and dust thick in the air. The city hums outside, its lights flickering through the gaps in the rusted metal walls. Jackson stands beside me, his body tense, arms crossed. He’s waiting for me to explain, to tell him what comes next.I let the silence stretch before I finally speak.“We’re not burning it down.”Jackson’s head snaps toward me, eyes narrowing. “What?”I meet his stare, my voice steady. “We’re not wiping the board clean. We’re flipping it.”For the first time in a long time, Jackson looks unsure. He shifts his weight, jaw tightening as he processes my words. “You said yourself—this
Last Updated: 2025-03-08
Chapter: CHAPTER 217The Final CrossroadsThe city hums beneath me, restless and alive. From this rooftop, I see everything—the neon glow stretching into the horizon, the winding streets below, the fractured heartbeat of a place that never stops moving. A world of light and shadow, built on secrets, power, and debts that can never truly be repaid.The air is thick with the scent of rain and asphalt, the faintest trace of gasoline lingering in the wind. It’s the smell of something on the verge of combustion, of a city always teetering on the edge of chaos. I tighten my grip on the cigarette between my fingers, watching the ember glow in the dark, a tiny heartbeat against the cold night. I don’t smoke. Not really. I just like the way it feels—holding something that’s burning, something that’s alive for just a little while before it fades into nothing.I should walk away.I should let it all burn.But I don’t.Because no matter how much I tell myself that I don’t care anymore, that none of it matters, the tr
Last Updated: 2025-03-08
Chapter: CHAPTER 216The Last Time He Sees RileyThe air is colder than I expected. Maybe that’s fitting. Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be.She’s already there when I arrive, standing near the edge of the pier, arms folded tight against the wind. The city sprawls behind her, all light and noise, but out here, it’s just the quiet lapping of the water and the space between us.Riley doesn’t turn when I approach.“I wasn’t sure you’d come,” she says, her voice carrying over the water, calm but unreadable.I stop a few feet away. Close enough to feel the weight of her presence. Far enough to know I shouldn’t get any closer.“Neither was I,” I admit.She exhales a slow, steady breath. “You look the same.”“So do you.”A lie.There’s something different in her now. Something more guarded, more distant. Like she’s finally built the walls she should’ve had when we were younger.Like she’s learned.She turns, finally meeting my gaze, and for a moment, it’s just us. No past, no future. Just this one sliver of t
Last Updated: 2025-03-08
Chapter: CHAPTER 215The Fall of KingsThe thing about power is that it never learns.It moves through different hands, dresses itself in new suits, and speaks in fresh voices. But underneath, it’s always the same: greed, arrogance, and the inevitable mistake of thinking you can control what was never meant to be tamed.Ronan believed he could do it differently.I watch from the shadows as he proves himself wrong.---The city is quieter these days. Not because the storm has passed, but because it’s waiting to break.I see it in the way people move, the way deals are whispered instead of spoken. Ronan’s reign is still fresh, but already, the cracks are showing.And he doesn’t even realize it.Or maybe he does. Maybe he’s just too proud to admit it.I’m standing outside a high-rise downtown, watching from across the street. Up there, behind floor-to-ceiling windows, Ronan is playing king. A meeting’s in progress—his men, his allies, his problems.He thinks he has time. He thinks he’s in control.He doesn’t
Last Updated: 2025-03-08
