Suddenly, Kieran’s voice cut sharply: “Evan! Stop! There’s something you don’t know!”“What?” Evan shouted.“The files you’re protecting… they’re not just data. They’re a map. And someone’s already using it.”Evan skidded to the console, slipping slightly. “Using it? Who?!”The operative’s laugh rang over the storm. “Yes, yes… let him hear, Mr. Caelum. The truth is far sweeter when it burns like betrayal.”Evan’s fingers moved over the console, overriding sequences, but his mind raced. “You’ve already done something? What did you do?”The traitor’s voice came from behind, chilling. “You’re about to find out… the city’s fate isn’t in your hands, Evan. It never was.”Evan’s hand froze over the final sequence. His instincts screamed. But before he could act, the operative stepped closer, voice icy:“Tell me, Mr. Caelum… who do you trust more — the city you can save, or the woman you love? Choose, and choose wisely. One wrong move and everything dies.”Evan’s voice was sharp, resolute, an

Evan’s chest rose and fell with fury as he glared at the two enemies in front of him: the cloaked operative, and the traitor who had once stood at his side.Mara’s trembling voice crackled in his ear, broken by static. “Evan—thirty seconds until collapse! I can’t stabilize the pulse alone!”Evan spat rainwater from his lips, eyes locked on the traitor. “You. Tell me why. Out of everyone—why you?”The traitor chuckled, stepping forward with maddening calm. Lightning illuminated his face, sharp and cruel. “Because loyalty is a myth, Evan. Mirevault feeds on obedience, on sacrifice. But me? I chose power. And Jimmy’s promises are worth more than your blind idealism.”Evan’s jaw clenched. “Jimmy… So he’s behind this chaos too?”The operative’s low laughter slithered through the storm. “Of course. Did you think you could resist his shadow forever? Even I serve a greater will, Evan. You’re not fighting us—you’re fighting inevitability.”Evan shook his head violently, rain dripping down his

Rain froze midair, lightning hung like a blade over the skyline, and Evan’s heartbeat drowned out the world. He didn’t think — he moved.He threw himself forward, hands outstretched as the small black device spun off the rooftop edge. The traitor screamed, lunging too late. The operative’s blade slashed through the air, missing Evan by inches.Wind howled as Evan’s body cleared the ledge. For one horrifying heartbeat, he was weightless — suspended above fifty stories of emptiness.His fingers brushed metal.“Got you,” he hissed.The detonator bit into his palm. The shock nearly tore it free again, the pulse core still humming like a heartbeat gone wrong.“Evan!” the traitor bellowed from above. “You idiot! You’ll fall!”“Better me than the city,” Evan spat, his other hand catching the slick ledge. His arm strained violently, muscles screaming as he dangled in the rain.The operative appeared above him, eyes cold, blade gleaming. “You don’t understand what you hold. That core isn’t mea

Vivianne stood a few meters away, her hair moving like it was underwater. “You shouldn’t have followed me,” she said softly.“I didn’t,” Evan answered, voice trembling. “You brought me here.”She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I didn’t pull you in, Evan. You’ve been part of this system all along.”“That’s impossible.” He took a step toward her, the pavement beneath him rippling like liquid glass. “You’re saying I’m not real?”Her silver eyes met his. “Real is a relative term. You were designed to be my emotional anchor—a constant variable in a world built to reset itself. Every time I fragmented, the system resurrected you to bring me back.”Evan’s breath caught. “No. I have memories—childhood, college, you. I remember all of it.”“Of course you do.” Vivianne’s tone was gentle, but it made his stomach twist. “The system gave you those memories so you’d fight to preserve me.”He backed away, shaking his head. “No… no, that’s not true. Travis—Jimmy—they talked to me, they traine

Rain poured harder now, hammering the rooftop like a thousand fists. The wind howled between the towers, tearing papers and fragments of old secrets into the night.Evan stood motionless, the storm washing over him. His breath came in shallow bursts. The name still echoed in his head, carving through every thought like a curse.Seren.Liora watched him carefully. “You feel it, don’t you? The echo. The memory of a thousand lives collapsing into one.”“Shut up,” Evan whispered. His voice was hoarse.“You can’t silence your own past,” she said, stepping closer. “You were the beginning, Evan. Or should I say—Seren Caelum Mirevault.”“Stop calling me that!” he shouted, gripping his head.Travis rushed forward, trying to pull him back from the edge. “Evan, look at me. Breathe. You’re still here, you’re still you.”“I don’t even know who the hell that is anymore!” Evan’s eyes blazed under the lightning flash. “Was any of it real? Vivianne? You? My life?”Liora tilted her head, voice almost g