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THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 147
Whispers from the VoidThe lights flicker again. Just for a second. Just long enough to send a shiver down my spine.Darren’s grip tightens around my wrist, his skin clammy, his breath uneven. His wide, glassy eyes aren’t just looking at me—they’re looking through me. Past me.“You hear it too,” he murmurs.I do.It’s not a voice, not at first. Just a whisper at the edge of my perception, like wind slipping through cracks in a door. A sensation more than a sound, raising the hairs on the back of my neck.Kane stiffens, scanning the room with sharp eyes. “Electromagnetic interference?”Her fingers fly over the device in her hands, recalibrating. The screen glitches, lines of static crawling across it like fractured veins.“This isn’t interference,” she mutters. “Something’s bleeding through.”Darren flinches. His nails dig into the bedsheet. “It’s not supposed to be here.”Elias, silent until now, steps forward. His usual cool confidence is fraying at the edges. “Define ‘it.’”Darren e
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 148
The System Still WhispersThe voice shouldn’t exist. But it does.It lingers in the air, fractured, stretched thin, but unmistakably real.Darren grips the side of the bed, his knuckles white. His breath comes in shallow bursts.Elias shifts beside me, his stance tense, like a man waiting for the next hit in a fight he doesn’t understand. “Someone explain what the hell is happening.”Darren’s eyes flick to mine, and the look in them—fear, disbelief, something deeper—makes my stomach turn.“It’s him,” he breathes.I frown. “Who?”Darren swallows hard. His voice barely carries.“The other me.”Silence.I feel the words before I process them. They sink into my skin, cold and wrong.“The part that never made it back.”Kane hesitates, fingers hovering over her device. “That’s impossible.”Darren lets out a breath that’s almost a laugh but lacks any humor. “Yeah. Well. So I survived.”The air crackles.And then—The whisper again.“Tony… help…”My spine locks.The voice isn’t just a whisper
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 149
The Shadow at the Edge of RealityWe don’t waste time.Kane’s fingers blur over the screen, calibrating the system with a precision that borders on desperation. The hum of the stabilizer builds as Elias mutters to himself, pacing near the controls. His eyes flick between us, sharp with unspoken frustration.“This is a terrible idea,” he says, for the third time in as many minutes.Darren sits on the edge of the cot, rolling his shoulders as if testing the limits of a body that still isn’t fully his. He’s pale. Tense. But there’s no hesitation in his movements.“If I go back in,” I say, keeping my voice even, “I might not make it out.”Darren shakes his head before I even finish the sentence. “Then I guess we’re both not making it out.”His fingers twitch at his sides, but his eyes are locked onto mine with an intensity that makes my throat go tight. I know that look. It’s the same one I’ve seen when he throws himself into danger without a second thought—when he’s already made up his m
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 150
The New godThe void stretches before me, an endless horizon of shifting dark. It isn’t empty. It never was.I hear the voice before I see him. A whisper threaded through the emptiness, calling my name. It tugs at something deep inside me, a sensation I can’t quite explain—like remembering a dream just before it slips away.And then—I see him.Darren.But not the Darren I know.He stands at the precipice, his body half-formed, flickering between what he was and something more. His edges blur like static, shifting between his usual self and something vast and unknowable. His eyes—once sharp and grounded—hold an unnatural glow now, like something ancient is staring through them.A shiver crawls down my spine.I hesitate.“Darren?”He turns.And smiles.It’s small. Sad.“Tony,” he says quietly. “What have we become?”The weight of his words settles over me like a stone.I don’t know how to answer.Kane's voice crackles through my earpiece. “Tony, I don’t like this. His vitals are—” She s
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 151
Echoes of the Old WorldI woke up gasping. The air felt thick, pressing against my skin like an unseen force. My body ached as if I had been running for days, yet I couldn’t remember why. My mind swam through fragments of memories that didn’t fit together.The ceiling above me was wrong. It was my apartment—wasn’t it? The familiar crack near the window, the faint scent of old coffee lingering in the air—but the walls were a shade too dark, the window frame a little too sleek. My breath hitched.I sat up, my hands trembling as I rubbed my temples, willing the dizziness to subside. The moment my feet touched the cold floor, a wave of something unexplainable surged through me—like stepping into a past that wasn’t mine.Outside, the city hummed with life, but the rhythm was off. I stepped onto my balcony, eyes scanning the streets below. People bustled about, but their faces blurred at the edges, like unfinished sketches. The skyline—God, the skyline. Some buildings stood where there shou
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 152
A Fractured MindI was breathing.It was such a simple thing—automatic, instinctive. And yet, for the first time, I felt it. The air filled my lungs. The slow exhale. The steady rise and fall of my chest.I was breathing, and it was mine.I stood in the middle of an unfamiliar street, the neon glow of the city stretching in all directions. Cars passed, people moved, and life continued. It should have felt normal. Instead, it felt like I was watching from the outside, disconnected from everything around me.A woman brushed past me, mumbling an apology, and I flinched. The urge to reach for a weapon—something, anything—came sharp and fast, but there was nothing there. No blade, no gun. No orders ringing in my ears.I was free.So why did I feel like I was falling apart?I clenched my fists, grounding myself in the sensation of my own skin, my own body. It was mine, wasn’t it? The thought unsettled me. I had lived as a tool, a machine built for a single purpose.But now?Now I was someth
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 153
The Overseer’s AbsenceSomething was wrong.I felt it before I even opened my eyes. The air had weight to it, thick and pressing, like the world itself was holding its breath. My fingers curled against the fabric of the couch, the cheap upholstery scratching against my palm.The apartment was dim, the only light coming from the neon flicker of a sign outside. The city hummed beyond the windows, a quiet, living thing. But it wasn’t the same. Nothing was the same.I pushed myself upright, rubbing at my face before dragging a hand through my hair. The memories of the old world clashed with this one, fighting for dominance. I wasn’t sure which version of reality was winning.The Overseers were gone.The ones who pulled the strings, who dictated fate, who made the world operate under their silent, unseen rule—they had vanished.And yet, the world kept going.It was supposed to fall apart. People should have noticed. But instead, life continued, reshaping itself like the absence of power ha
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 154
Unstable GroundI woke up gasping for air.For a second, I didn’t know where I was. The ceiling above me swayed, blurring at the edges before snapping back into focus. My body felt wrong, like my limbs weren’t entirely mine, like I was occupying space I wasn’t meant to.I pushed myself up, wincing as a wave of nausea rolled over me. The room was spinning, or maybe I was. My hand reached for the nightstand, gripping it hard enough that my knuckles ached. The wood felt solid under my fingers, but something about it felt temporary, like it might vanish if I let go.I needed air.Stumbling to my feet, I pulled on a jacket and left the apartment. The hallway was dim, the flickering lightbulb overhead buzzing faintly. My steps echoed too loudly as I moved, like the world wasn’t sure if I was really here.By the time I reached the street, the morning sun was cutting through the cold air, sharp and golden. The city moved around me as if nothing had changed—cars honked, people hurried past, co
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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
