The Inner SanctumThe door slid shut behind me with a quiet finality, the hiss of its mechanism echoing in the vast chamber ahead. Julian stood at the far end, hands clasped behind his back, poised like a king surveying his kingdom. The room was sleek, metallic, and cold—much like the man himself. I could hear the hum of the machines embedded in the walls, the quiet pulse of something alive yet artificial.Julian turned, a knowing smile carving into his face. His dark eyes gleamed, sharp with something unreadable."You’ve come full circle, haven’t you?"My muscles coiled with tension. I’d fought my way through hell to get here. Fought through guards, through deception, through my own doubts. But the way he said it like he already knew something I didn’t—it sent a chill skittering down my spine."You think this is a game?" I growled, stepping closer.Julian chuckled softly. "No, Nathan. I think this is the end of a very long game. And I think—no, I know—that you don’t remember how it t

Mind vs. MemoryI couldn't breathe.The walls of Julian’s sanctum felt like they were closing in, thick with the weight of truths I wasn’t ready to face. My own voice still echoed from the screen behind me—words I didn’t remember saying, convictions I didn’t remember holding.But there I was. Unshaken. Resolute.A man I didn’t know. A man I used to be."This is what they do, Nathan," Julian said, his voice smooth, assured. "They rewrite history. Make you believe you were always the hero."My hands curled into fists. I could still feel my nails digging into my palms, grounding me in the moment, but my mind was slipping. The room felt too hot. My pulse is too fast.Elias wouldn’t have done this.Would he?"Elias saved me," I forced out. "I was nothing before he found me."Julian scoffed. "You weren’t ‘nothing.’ You were one of the most promising minds The Oath had ever seen. The man on that screen?" He gestured to the frozen image of my younger self. "That man was destined for greatness

Strength vs. ConvictionJulian’s blade pressed against my throat, cold and unwavering. His weight pinned me down, his knee digging into my ribs, making it hard to breathe. I could see the satisfaction in his eyes, that infuriating smirk that told me he thought he had already won.I refused to let him be right.Gritting my teeth, I twisted my body sharply, using every ounce of strength I had left. The sudden movement knocked Julian slightly off balance—a small opening, but it was enough. I grabbed his wrist, forced the knife away from my throat, and drove my knee up into his ribs.He grunted, but his grip didn’t loosen.Instead, he laughed."Still got some fight in you, I see."I used the moment to roll us over, reversing our positions. Now I was on top, pinning him down. My fist connected with his jaw, a sharp, satisfying crack that sent blood spraying from his lip."I’ve got more than fight," I snarled, my breath ragged. "I’ve got conviction."Julian smirked, even as blood trickled f

Elias’ Lie?Julian’s smirk stretched slow and knowing, like he could see straight through me, peeling back the layers of my doubt, my rage, my fractured sense of self. His voice dripped with quiet satisfaction."Now," he murmured, tilting his head, "do you still want to kill me? Or do you want the real truth?"The words slithered into my mind, wrapping tight around the cracks already forming.The real truth.What did that even mean anymore? I had built my war against The Oath on what I believed to be right. I had fought, killed, and bled for this fight. But now, after everything—after the video of Elias, after hearing him say he had to break me, after watching myself on that screen pledging allegiance to the very thing I swore to destroy—Had I been fighting against myself this entire time?My fingers twitched toward my weapon, my body caught between instinct and hesitation. I needed to act, to move, but I didn’t.And that hesitation—It cost me.Julian moved.A whisper of motion, too

Julian’s Last TrickJulian spat blood onto the floor, laughing even as he leaned against the console, his body barely holding itself together after our fight. The dim, pulsating red light of the emergency systems made his bruised face look even more sinister, his sharp smirk unfazed despite the blood trickling from his split lip."You fight like a man possessed," he mused, his voice hoarse but laced with amusement. "Elias really did break you."I towered over him, my chest rising and falling with each labored breath, my fists still tight with the remnants of rage. My body ached, but the adrenaline kept me upright. The alarms shrieked around us, a constant, high-pitched reminder that everything was on the verge of collapse.I ignored them.I grabbed Julian by the collar, dragging him up so our faces were inches apart. His breath was ragged, but his smirk remained."This ends now," I growled.Julian didn’t flinch. If anything, his grin deepened. "I was hoping you'd say that."I slammed