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THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 50
The Overseers SpeakI fell asleep like a man sinking through deep water.But this wasn’t sleep.I knew it the moment the world around me disappeared—replaced by something else.A void.Endless, stretching in every direction. Black, but not empty. It watched me. Felt me. Every cell in my body screamed to run, but there was nowhere to go.Then, it spoke.Not in words. Not in sound.Understanding flooded into me like a tidal wave.I staggered, gasping, my mind cracking under the sheer weight of it. Too much. Too vast. My body wasn’t meant to hold this knowledge, but it forced its way in anyway.The system isn’t just about control.It’s about correction.Reality isn’t a fixed thing. It’s shaped, molded, and curated. And people like me—people who resist—aren’t just rebels.We’re anomalies.And anomalies must be neutralized.Or rewritten.I tried to speak, but my voice was swallowed by the void. My thoughts were ripped apart and stitched back together, rewritten before I could even fully fo
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 51
Kane’s Last OfferThe city stretched before me in an endless sea of flickering lights and shifting shadows, but I didn’t feel safe.Not here. Not anywhere.My breath came in ragged gasps as I weaved through alleyways, my body running on pure instinct. I had been on the move since escaping my apartment, but I wasn’t sure where I was going. I only knew one thing—I couldn’t stop.Because they wouldn’t stop.The Overseers had spoken. Zero had come for me. And now, I was being erased, piece by piece.I turned a corner too fast, my foot slipping on wet pavement. I caught myself against the brick wall, my fingers digging into the rough surface. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, drowning out everything else.And then—A presence.Not the void. Not Zero.But something just as dangerous.I didn’t need to turn around to know she was there.“Kane,” I muttered.Her voice was smooth and patient. “You look like hell, Tony.”I forced a breath through my teeth. “Yeah? Well, h, ell and I are getting rea
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 52
Zero’s Hunt ContinuesThe world was breaking.I could feel it in my bones, see it in the cracks forming around me.Street signs flickered, shifting between names I didn’t recognize. A woman in a red coat crossed the street, only to appear back on the sidewalk seconds later, trapped in a loop that shouldn’t exist. Cars rolled by with an eerie smoothness, their tires barely touching the pavement. I turned to look at a shop window, but my reflection wasn’t right—too slow, too delayed like it wasn’t just a reflection at all but something watching me back.I exhaled sharply, pressing my palm against my temple. Focus. I had been running for what felt like hours, but I couldn’t stop now. Not with the way reality itself was shifting around me, bending to the will of something unseen. The Overseers were tightening their grip. I was out of time.And I wasn’t alone.That cold, creeping sensation crawled up my spine—the feeling of being watched.I turned just as a blur of black moved at an imposs
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 53
A Past Life RevealedI sat in the dim glow of the computer screen, fingers moving in a feverish rhythm over the keyboard. The stolen data was a labyrinth of encrypted files, redacted names, and digital ghosts. Each line of code led me deeper into the rabbit hole, my pulse quickening with every decrypted fragment.Zero wasn’t just a phantom the Overseers had conjured up. He had a past, a real identity—one that they had erased.And I was about to find out who he was.The screen flickered as I bypassed another layer of encryption. A list of names scrolled before my eyes—people who had been rewritten. Repurposed.I clenched my jaw. How many lives had they stolen? How many people had been wiped clean like a goddamn hard drive, stripped of their memories, and turned into weapons?And then I saw it.Subject-07: Active Status – Zero.I hesitated, my hand hovering over the keyboard. A sinking feeling coiled in my stomach, a sense of recognition before I even opened the file.I swallowed hard a
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 54
The Turning PointThe alley was empty except for the distant hum of traffic beyond the concrete walls. A single flickering streetlight cast distorted shadows across the cracked pavement. My heart pounded, but this time, I didn’t run.I had run before. Fought. Escaped. None of it worked.This time, I had to stand my ground.A gust of cold air rushed past, carrying the scent of rain and asphalt. Then, I felt it—the shift in the air, the silent predator in the dark.He was here.I tightened my grip on the gun at my side, but I didn’t raise it. Not yet.Footsteps, light as a whisper, echoed through the alley. A shadow detached from the darkness, moving with the lethal grace of a machine honed for one purpose.Zero.His mask gleamed under the dim light, the sleek black visor reflecting nothing. His stance was unreadable—still, patient, like a wolf sizing up its prey.But I wasn’t prey. Not tonight.His voice, cold and stripped of humanity, cut through the silence. “You don’t run.”I forced
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 55
Who Was Zero?The files weren’t just data.They were memories.I sat in the dimly lit safe house, staring at the stolen tablet on the table. My fingers trembled as I swiped through the decrypted documents. This wasn’t just a kill list. This was a blueprint for destruction.And at the center of it—Zero.Or rather, Ethan Calloway.My stomach twisted. Seeing it in black and white made it real.Ethan had been one of us. More than that. He had been my brother-in-arms.A grainy surveillance image flickered on the screen—two figures ducking behind a ruined vehicle, fire raining down. One was me. The other… him.The memory hit like a bullet.---We had fought together. Bled together.Ethan saved my life that night. Tackled me out of the way just as a drone strike obliterated half our squad. We hit the ground hard, coughing through the debris, faces streaked with blood and dirt.“Next time,” I wheezed, “just let me die standing, yeah?”Ethan grinned, teeth white against the grime. “Next time,
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 56
The Final Confrontation with ZeroThe ruins of the city loomed around me, twisted metal and shattered concrete stretching into the distance like the bones of a dead giant.I moved carefully, my pulse hammering in my ears. He was here.Zero didn’t make mistakes. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t leave unfinished work. And I was unfinished work.I gripped the memory key tighter in my palm. One shot. That’s all I had.A flicker in the distance.I spun—too late.Something slammed into my side with the force of a battering ram. My ribs cracked, pain exploding through my chest as I flew backward. The world tilted, and then I hit the ground hard, rolling through the rubble.Damn it. Too fast.I barely had time to lift my head before Zero was on me.His boot crashed down toward my face. I rolled, gasping through the pain, and scrambled to my feet. His mask gleamed under the dim city lights, a cold and unfeeling specter.“You never stop running, Tony.”His voice was as smooth as ever, but there wa
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 57
A Name That Shouldn’t ExistZero trembled, his body jerking in unnatural spasms as static crackled from his throat. His eyes—human now, not the blank, controlled void they had been before—flickered between recognition and confusion.I knelt beside him, heart hammering. The system was still fighting. Still trying to take him back.He clenched his fists against his temples, jaw tight. Then he whispered something.I almost didn’t catch it. It was distorted, barely audible.But I heard it.My own name."Tony..."The world tilted. No. No, that wasn't possible.I forced a swallow, my mouth dry. "What did you say?"His fingers dug into the dirt, his whole body glitching—stuttering, skipping, as if reality itself wasn’t sure whether he should exist at all.His lips parted, breath shaky. "Tony..."And then something else. Garbled. Twisted by whatever was happening to him.But I knew.It wasn’t just my name.It was—his name.A cold weight settled into my gut. I grabbed him by the shoulders, sha
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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
