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THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 107
The System’s JudgmentThe moment it happens, I feel it like a tremor in my bones.The air shifts and thickens as if the very fabric of the Nexus is tightening around me. I don’t hear them at first—I feel them. A presence that isn’t bound by a singular form. Something vast and watching, something that has always been there.Then, the voices come.A chorus of overlapping tones, speaking in perfect, unnatural synchronization.“You are the anomaly.”The words vibrate through the walls, through my skull.“You are the one who destabilizes.”My fingers twitch. The Nexus flickers like it’s hesitating like it’s waiting for my answer.“You must be purged.”I let out a slow breath and glanced over my shoulder at Darren. He’s still unsteady, still blinking as if his mind is trying to catch up to his body. I grip his arm, grounding him.Kane’s voice cuts in through my earpiece, steady despite the chaos around us. “Tony, don’t listen to them. They’re trying to break you down. Keep moving.”I don’t
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 108
Through the Gates of ControlThe System Core hums in front of me, a swirling mass of energy so intense it bends the air around it.It isn’t just data. It isn’t just code. It’s power—the beating heart of the Nexus, pulsating with raw potential.And I’m standing at its doorstep, one step away from tearing it all down.Kane’s voice crackles in my earpiece. “Tony, listen to me. They’re about to release Zero.”Zero.A name whispered in hushed, fearful tones. A weapon so dangerous that even the Overseers keep it locked away.My heartbeat pounds in my ears, but I don’t hesitate. I knew this moment would come.I tighten my grip on the disruptor—a small, unassuming device with the power to override the Core. It’s already primed, its interface flashing, waiting for my command.Beside me, Darren stands rigid, his breaths shallow. His hands clench and unclench at his sides, like he’s holding back a storm inside him. He hasn’t spoken much since we escaped the collapsing Nexus corridors. I know why
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 109
The Arrival of ZeroThe air splits apart like shattered glass, a jagged wound in reality itself.Something steps through.A figure, cloaked in flickering darkness, its presence bending the world around it. The Nexus—what’s left of it—shudders beneath its weight. The walls ripple like the entire system is trying to reject its very existence.Zero has arrived.I feel it before I even see it. A pressure in my chest, a deep wrongness that settles in my bones like an ache that won’t leave. I tighten my grip on my disruptor, but my fingers feel numb.Then I see his eyes.And everything stops.A cold realization slams into me like a freight train, knocking the breath from my lungs.Zero is Darren.Not just something wearing his face. Not just some simulation or twisted copy.It’s him.His face is blank, expressionless, his movements unnervingly precise. But I know those eyes. I know the sharp line of his jaw, the way his shoulders square when he’s about to fight. It’s Darren, and it’s not.M
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 110
The Clash of FateDarren’s eyes are empty.Not blank, not confused—just empty.Zero.Not my best friend. Not the guy who used to steal my fries when I wasn’t looking or laughed so hard he’d choke on his own soda.Not the man who once swore he had my back, no matter what.Just a weapon now.And he’s coming straight for me.A cold shiver runs down my spine as I brace myself. His movements are eerily smooth, too precise like he’s operating on a level beyond anything human. No hesitation. No wasted motion. Pure efficiency.Zero lunges. I barely sidestep in time, feeling the sheer force of his movement slice through the air beside me. The distortion ripples through the space we stand in, and the Nexus itself trembles in response. A solid wall of reality cracks open behind me, like glass fracturing under immense pressure.If he touches me—if he lands a direct hit—I won’t just die.I’ll cease to exist.I can’t fight him.But he has no hesitation about fighting me.Zero moves like a nightmare
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 111
Unlocking the PastI slam the data spike into his chest.Zero jerks, his entire body tensing like a coiled wire as the foreign code surges into his system. His head snaps back, a garbled noise escaping his throat—half human, half raw static. His glowing white eyes flicker violently, his form glitching as reality itself fights to hold him together.For a moment, I think it’s working.Then, suddenly—Zero roars.A wave of sheer force erupts from his body, slamming into me like a truck. I’m thrown back, my breath vanishing as I crash against the warped Nexus floor. Pain explodes through my ribs, and I barely manage to roll away before Zero’s next strike shatters the ground where I am lying.I scramble to my feet, my heart pounding. The data spike is in. The memories are inside him now, fighting their way to the surface. But I don’t know if it’ll be enough.His body convulses, the Nexus distorting around him as conflicting commands tear through his mind.He’s resisting.But The Overseers
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 112
The Overseers’ OverrideFor a second, I thought I had him.Darren’s eyes—his eyes—had been staring back at me, clear and real. His smirk, that cocky, infuriating smirk, had made it through. The man I knew was there. I saw him. I felt him.Then, in the space of a breath—He was gone.His body jerked violently, his head snapping back like a puppet on a string. His muscles locked up, trembling as though something ripped through him, rewiring him from the inside out.The Overseers' voices boomed through the Nexus, a harsh, unnatural screech of unrelenting command.“CONTROL REESTABLISHED.”Darren’s entire frame went rigid. His glowing blue eyes flickered—fought—then turned white again.The moment of hope?Shattered.I barely had time to react before he moved.One second, he was standing there—lifeless, motionless. The next—He was on me.I dodged by instinct, barely twisting away as his fist tore through the air where my head had just been. The force alone split the ground open, sending cr
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 113
A War of WillsDarren’s eyes flickered. Blue. White. Blue again.He was fighting.But so were they.The Overseers weren’t about to let him go. Their control was suffocating, pressing into him, dragging him under. I could see it in the way his body shuddered, the way his hands trembled mid-strike.But the worst part?The moment of hesitation was getting shorter.He still heard me, but the Overseers' grip was tightening. I was losing him.I gritted my teeth and dodged another blow, barely twisting in time to avoid his fist. The air cracked apart from the force, the shockwave slamming into my chest like a wrecking ball.I dug my boots into the ground, bracing myself. “Come on, man—I know you’re in there!”Darren staggered, his hands clutching his head for the briefest second. A ragged breath tore from his throat. His lips parted—his voice hoarse—“Tony… I—”His body seized violently, a strangled scream ripping from his chest. The Nexus itself shook, a high-pitched screech echoing through
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 114
The Fractured MindDarren's glowing white eyes bore into me, cold and unyielding. He wasn’t just gone—he was hollow, a vessel for the Overseers’ will. And yet, somewhere beneath that terrifying emptiness, I knew he was still there. He had to be.I clenched my fists, forcing myself to breathe past the ache in my ribs. My mind raced. I needed a way in. A way to reach him.Then Kane’s voice crackled through the comms, rushed but determined. “Tony, listen. Their control—it isn’t perfect.”My pulse spiked. “What?”“It’s layered,” she said quickly. “Think of it like an onion. They’ve built it up over time—buried him under directives, protocols, conditioning. If I can break through enough of it—if I can strip those layers away—”“Then we get Darren back.”“Exactly.”A flicker of hope surged through me, cutting through the fear.“But Tony,” she hesitated. “I need time.”Time.Something I didn’t have.Because Darren—no, Zero—was already moving again.A blur of motion. A strike too fast to bloc
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 220
Old 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
CHAPTER 219
Seeing 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
CHAPTER 218
Echoes 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
CHAPTER 217
Pieces 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
CHAPTER 216
Echoes 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
CHAPTER 215
Putting 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.
CHAPTER 214
Seeing What's Not RealThe memory of the starry ceiling stayed with me, making me feel cold and scared. Our world, the ground, the sky – was it all a lie? It made my head spin.Elias looked at me looking at the metal thing. “You didn’t sleep, Kane.” He knew.I shook my head. How could I explain seeing something that wasn’t possible?Darren looked serious. “Did anything… happen with that thing last night?” He looked at the metal thing carefully.I waited a moment, then nodded slowly. “The ceiling… it changed. For a second. I saw… stars. Not our stars.”The room got quiet. Everyone looked worried. The strange things before were bad, but this was unbelievable.Tony looked confused. “Stars? Kane, are you sure you’re okay? Maybe it was a dream.”“It felt real, Tony,” I said, my voice shaking a little. “Too real. The metal thing… it did something when I was near it.”It was scary to think about. If what we thought was real could change so easily, what else wasn’t true? Our memories
CHAPTER 213
The Enemy's MarkSleep was just seeing glowing eyes and hearing a voice in my head: You are the key. Morning showed tired faces.I walked around, giving tea and saying quiet things. My mind was trying to put the strange things together. The doll, tools, tree… there was a line connecting them. The Old Man looked at the cold fireplace. “The birds, girl,” he said quietly. “They don’t sing right. Like the song is wrong. And some songs… I never heard them before.”It was a small thing, but Hemlock knew the woods well, so it felt important. Another piece.The woman was giving out food and told me something else. “The water, Kane. When I went to get water, it looked shiny. Like oil, but with rainbow colors. Then it was gone.”Rainbow shine. Glowing tree. Light from the ground. Colors that weren’t normal.A pattern was starting: small changes to what was real, weird things mixed in with what we knew. Not just things disappearing; things were changing.Michael, still quiet, pointed at
CHAPTER 212
Strange WhispersThe old woman's face was wet with tears in the flickering light. Her hands shook as she held a mug. "The doll, Kane," she whispered, her voice weak. "Porcelain eyes... they looked right at you. Then... gone. Michael said it blinked."I leaned closer, the table hard under my arms. Outside, the wind howled. The woman, usually strong, was scared. Her fear made me feel cold."And then?" I asked.She swallowed hard. "It just disappeared. Like it was never there. Michael..." I looked at the big mechanic, his eyes empty. He saw a tree with blue leaves that turned to dust fast."Anyone else?" The Old Man nodded slowly, his face full of lines. "My wrench. Right here. I looked away to fix the fire... poof. Gone. Found it in the waters later, dry."A shiver went down my back. Quick pictures, seeing things together, stuff vanishing... it felt like what was real was breaking. We thought it was just stress, but it happened too much, and it was too weird.Yesterday, I saw
