2026-08-28 00:13:50
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Survive
The car screeched around a corner.Liam's head hit the window. He didn't feel it. His whole body was numb. He'd just given away his mother's code. The only thing that could save his life. The only thing that could stop Julian.Maya was crying beside him. "You shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't have given it to him.""I had to," Liam said. His voice was hollow. "He would have killed you.""I would have rather died than let him take that drive."Liam finally looked at her. Her face was streaked with tears. She was angry. Not at him. At the situation."I know," he said. "But I couldn't let that happen."Elena was driving fast, weaving through streets. "We need to go underground. They'll be looking for us everywhere.""Take us back to the safe house," Liam said."That's the first place they'll check.""I know." Liam reached into his other pocket. "But they won't find anything there."He pulled out his hand and opened it. Maya gasped.Another USB drive. Identical to the one he'd throw
The grave
The cemetery was at the edge of the city.Old and overgrown, with moss-covered headstones and trees that had been there for centuries. It was the kind of place that felt forgotten. Like even death had moved on and left this place behind.Liam stood at the gate, staring at the rows of graves. His mother was in there somewhere. Buried in a plot he'd never visited. Never even knew existed."Are you okay?" Maya asked softly.Liam shook his head. "I don't know what I'm supposed to feel.""Whatever you feel is okay."He looked at her. She was standing beside him, her face pale in the moonlight. Elena was behind them, watching the shadows."Let's go," Liam said.They walked through the cemetery, following the map Julian had given him. Liam had almost refused to take it. It felt like another manipulation. But he needed to find his mother's grave.The plot was at the very back, under a large oak tree. The headstone was simple. Just a name and a date.Sarah Voss. Beloved Mother. 1972-1999.Liam
Truth about atlas
Liam didn't go back to the safe house.He walked through the empty streets instead. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets and his head was full of noise. The city was quiet around him. Just the hum of streetlights and the distant sound of traffic.His mother created Atlas.She was dying when she gave birth to him.She held him once and then she was gone.Liam stopped walking and leaned against a wall. His legs wouldn't hold him anymore. He slid down until he was sitting on the cold pavement.Everything he thought he knew was wrong. Julian wasn't just a monster. He was a dying man trying to save his son. Trying to save himself too, sure. But also trying to save Liam.The genetic tumor. The one that killed his mother. The one that would kill him too if they didn't find a cure.Liam put his head in his hands.He'd spent five years hiding from Julian. Hating him. Wanting him dead. And now he found out Julian might be the only person who could save his life.The earpiece crackled in hi
Meeting
The next night came faster than Liam expected.He spent the whole day preparing. Going over the documents, checking the USB drive, making sure everything was in place. Maya helped him map out escape routes. Elena cleaned the guns she'd hidden in the safe house.Nobody talked much. There wasn't anything left to say.At eight o'clock, Liam stood at the door of the safe house. He was wearing his janitor uniform. It felt like armor. Like the last piece of his old self he was holding onto."Don't go," Maya said quietly.Liam turned to look at her. Her eyes were glassy."I have to," he said."Promise me you'll come back."He wanted to promise. He really did. But he'd learned the hard way that promises meant nothing."I'll try," he said instead.Maya grabbed his arm. "That's not good enough."Liam looked at her hand on his arm. Then at her face. She was terrified. For him.He reached up and gently touched her cheek. "I'm not going to die tonight. I've survived too much to die now."Maya lean
The call
Liam sat on the floor of the safe house.His back was against the wall and his knees were pulled up to his chest. He looked like a kid who'd just lost everything. Which wasn't far from the truth.Maya watched him from across the room. She didn't know what to say. There was nothing to say. His whole life had been a lie and she'd been part of it. Not the biggest part, but enough. Enough to make her feel sick.Elena was in the corner, her face buried in her hands. She'd stopped crying but her shoulders were still shaking. Nobody had spoken in almost an hour.Liam finally broke the silence."Did you know?"His voice was hoarse and tired. He wasn't looking at anyone. Just staring at the floor like it held all the answers.Elena lifted her head. "Know what?""That he was my father." Liam's voice cracked on the last word. "When you signed that contract with him. Did you know who he was to me?"Elena's face crumpled. She opened her mouth but nothing came out at first. Then she whispered, "Yes
The plan
Liam sat on the steps for an hour.Maybe two. He'd lost track of time.The sun climbed higher, burning off the morning fog. The neighborhood stayed quiet. No cars, no people, no sound except the birds and the wind.He just sat there, staring at nothing.His father was Julian Croft.Elena had been lying to him for five years.Maya was the only one who'd been real.The irony was so painful it almost made him laugh. The girl who'd been sent to spy on him ended up being the only person he could trust.He heard footsteps behind him. Soft. Hesitant."Liam?" Maya's voice was quiet. "Can I sit with you?"He nodded without looking up.She sat down next to him, close but not touching. They sat in silence for a while."I'm sorry," she finally said. "About Elena. About everything.""Not your fault.""I know." She paused. "But I know what it's like. To find out someone you loved isn't who you thought they were. It hurts."Liam finally looked at her. "How do you know?"She gave a small, sad smile.
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