The ConfrontationEthan’s boots crunched over the wet leaves as he approached the clearing. Clara stayed close, hand brushing against his arm every so often, a silent reminder that she wasn’t leaving.“Victor,” Ethan’s voice cut through the night, sharp and demanding. “Stop hiding.”From the shadows, Victor stepped forward, hands raised, rain slicking his hair to his forehead. His face was pale, but calm — unnervingly so.“You could have stayed hidden,” Ethan said, lowering his gun just slightly. “I don’t usually give second chances.”“I’m not here for that,” Victor said quietly. “I’m here to give you one.”Clara’s brow furrowed. “One chance for what?”Ethan didn’t answer. He kept his gaze locked on Victor, eyes narrowed, muscles taut.“You can start by telling me why the hell you led Kane to the compound,” Ethan finally barked.Victor took a deep breath. “I didn’t.”Ethan’s laugh was bitter. “Don’t. Don’t even try to play innocent.”“I’m not,” Victor said, taking a careful step close

The WarningThe morning light filtered weakly through the blinds, slanting dust motes across the floor of the safe house. Clara sat at the edge of the bed, phone in hand, rereading the message from last night. Her fingers trembled slightly.“Coordinates tied to… my father’s old facility,” she whispered, tracing the numbers with a fingertip.Ethan stirred from the couch, bandaged shoulder aching but eyes sharp. “You’re still thinking about that message?”Clara didn’t look up. “I have to. It’s connected to Kane. I can feel it.”Ethan ran a hand over his face, then leaned back. “And you’re going alone, right? Just like last time?”“No,” she snapped, irritation and fear mixing. “We go together.”Ethan’s gaze softened, but there was steel in it. “Good. Because I won’t let you run into his trap alone again.”She looked at him, her expression open, her eyes searching. “Then tell me. What do you know about this place? The facility?”He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Not much. Only what

The FileThe forest had gone quiet. Too quiet. Even the insects seemed to know what the chip had shown them — something that rewrote the rules of everything Clara and Ethan thought they knew.Ethan stood by the edge of the dying campfire, staring into the ashes. The faint blue glow from the deactivated chip rested in his palm like something poisonous, a secret you could never unsee. His shoulder still bled from the wound he’d sustained days ago, but he didn’t care. Pain grounded him. It reminded him he was still here, still breathing, still trying to stay human in a world that was trying to turn him into something else.Clara sat a few feet away, her knees drawn to her chest, the wind threading through her hair. She hadn’t spoken since the hologram ended. There was nothing left to say — only questions with no answers. The words “SUBJECT: CLARA BERNETT” still pulsed in her mind like a wound that wouldn’t clot.She turned to him finally.“What aren’t you telling me?”Ethan didn’t look u

The breakout The air was heavy with static and smoke — the kind that clung to the back of your throat, making every breath feel like swallowing metal. The underground facility trembled with each explosion, a wounded beast collapsing on itself. Clara’s fingers tightened around Ethan’s arm as the alarm blared overhead, shrill and merciless.“Move!” she yelled, yanking him down the corridor just as a section of the ceiling caved in behind them.Ethan grunted, his hand pressed to his side where blood seeped through his shirt. “I can still walk—”“You’re barely standing,” she shot back, dragging him toward the exit sign flickering weakly through the haze.Every step echoed against the concrete like a ticking bomb. The sound of boots thudded behind them — Kane’s men were closing in. Clara’s pulse thundered in her ears, the fear sharp and bright, but beneath it was something else — a desperate resolve.They turned a corner and stumbled into a dimly lit chamber — rows of broken test tubes gl

The choice Rain slashed through the shattered warehouse windows as the world dissolved into gunfire. Muzzle flashes flickered like lightning. Ethan shoved Clara behind an overturned table, his body shielding hers. The echo of bullets tore through the metal walls, sending sparks flying into the dark.“Stay down!” Ethan yelled over the chaos, reloading with quick, sharp motions.Clara’s heartbeat pounded in her ears. “They found us—how did they find us so fast?”Victor’s voice came through the smoke. “Because they never stopped tracking her!” He ducked behind a column, clutching his bleeding side, firing wildly toward the windows.Ethan’s jaw clenched. “You set us up again!”“I didn’t!” Victor snapped, panting. “Kane’s men have been on me since I stole that chip! You think I’d bring them here on purpose?”Another volley of bullets slammed into the wall beside Clara’s head. Ethan yanked her closer, their faces inches apart. “When I say run, you run. Don’t look back.”Her voice trembled.