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THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 9
System Intrusion Detected The screen flickered—one moment, a stream of classified data, the next, a flashing red warning.INTRUSION DETECTED. TRACE INITIATED.A wave of panic hit me. I wasn’t supposed to be here. The system wasn’t supposed to react this fast. My fingers hovered over the keyboard as I searched for a way out. Too late. I had been careless. And now, I was exposed.My phone buzzed sharply in my pocket. Expecting a security alert, I grabbed it—only to feel my heart pound harder at what I heard.A low, mechanical voice whispered one word: "Run."Every muscle in my body tensed. Who was this? How did they know? There was no time to think. Instinct took over. I slammed my laptop shut, pulled out the USB, and jumped up.My apartment, once my safe space, was now a trap. If they had traced me, that meant only one thing—they were already coming. No sirens. No warnings. Just a silent execution.I stuffed my laptop into my backpack and grabbed burner phones, hard drives, and every
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 10
The AttackThe first bullet zips past my ear, so close that I swear I feel the heat of its friction as it slices through the air. My breath catches. My pulse spikes. And then—everything slows.The world stretches into unbearable clarity as my enhanced reflexes take over, a gift I never asked for and a curse I can never escape. The system inside me does what it always does: it calculates. Within the span of a blink, a dozen potential escape routes manifest before my eyes. But before I can even act on them, something fractures in my vision—two versions of the same moment unfolding in tandem.One reality: I move too slow. The bullet finds its mark, ripping through my skull.The other: I roll left, just in time, just barely scraping by with my life intact.I don’t get to choose.The system does.I feel my body react before my mind even processes the decision. The muscles in my torso tighten, and I throw myself to the left, hitting the ground with a force that rattles my bones. The impact
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 11
System EvolutionPain. Deep, burning pain.I gasped and forced my eyes open. Blood dripped down my forehead, mixing with sweat and stinging my skin. My vision was blurry, dark spots dancing at the edges. The air smelled like burnt metal and gunpowder. It was thick and hard to breathe. My whole body ached, every movement like fire running through my nerves.But I was alive. Barely.The agent who had almost killed me lay a few feet away, not moving. His body showed the brutal fight we had just gone through. He still held his gun, his fingers limp around it. I took deep, shaky breaths and scanned the room for more danger. The fight was over, but this war was far from finished.A message flashed across my vision.[System Alert: New Function Unlocked – Combat Assistance]Then another.[Reality Override – Locked]What did that mean? My head was spinning, but I had bigger problems. I had to survive first. I forced myself to stand, wincing as pain shot through my ribs. Breathing hurt—a sharp,
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 12
The Overseers’ FootprintThe dim glow of my laptop screen flickered against the walls as I scrolled through the stolen files. Each document felt like a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit. Then, a name caught my eye—Project Nexus. The moment I clicked on it, a chill ran down my spine. It felt like someone—or something—was watching me.The text on the screen was distorted, flickering, and rearranging itself as if the file was actively fighting to disappear. Sentences glitched, and whole paragraphs dissolved into static. My heartbeat pounded in my chest.“This isn’t normal,” I muttered.“What’s not normal?” Alex’s voice made me jump. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, his face half-hidden in the dim light. He had that skeptical look again—the one that meant he didn’t trust my obsession with secrets.I pushed my laptop toward him. “This.”Alex frowned as he studied the screen. “Looks corrupted.”“No. It’s being erased. Someone doesn’t want us to know about Nexus.”His sharp eyes met m
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 13
No Safe PlaceThe dingy basement reeked of burnt coffee and stale sweat, but it was the only place I could think of that was safe—at least, for now. The hum of old servers filled the space, blinking red and green like a pulse in the dark. I sat across from Elias Reed, a gaunt man with wire-rimmed glasses perched on his sharp nose, his fingers drumming impatiently against the desk."This better be worth my time, Tony," Elias muttered, cracking his knuckles before reaching for his keyboard. "I don't usually deal with ghosts.""I'm not a ghost," I said, though lately, it felt like I was. "Just a man being erased."Elias let out a dry chuckle. "Same thing." His fingers flew over the keys, navigating encrypted files like a surgeon working on open flesh. The glow of the monitors illuminated his face, and for a brief moment, I almost believed this was just another job for him. Just another puzzle.Then his hands stilled. His expression turned rigid."That's... impossible," he breathed.My gu
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 14
The Second AttackThe city was suffocating tonight.Rain dripped from rusted fire escapes, slicking the pavement in an oily sheen. The air smelled of burnt rubber and electricity, a metallic tang that clung to my tongue. My pulse pounded in my ears as I moved through the alleys, keeping to the shadows. Every muscle in my body screamed from the last fight, but I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop.Elias was gone. And I was next.I kept moving, listening. Watching. The city had its rhythm, its pulse—but something was wrong. It wasn’t just quiet. It was controlled. Engineered.Then I saw them.Six figures. No, eight. Tactical gear, matte-black armor designed to blend into the night. Their movements were synchronized and precise.This wasn’t a random ambush. This was a kill box.A voice crackled in my stolen earpiece. Cold. Mechanical.“Primary target acquired. Engage.”They moved in perfect unison. Th
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 15
Escape and RevelationSmoke burned my lungs, every breath a reminder that I was running out of time. The alarms screamed overhead, red lights flashing across the steel corridors, casting jagged shadows that moved like ghosts. My boots pounded against the grated floor, every step echoing like a countdown to my own death.Elias was right behind me, bleeding, staggering—but he never slowed. His sharp, silver eyes burned with a determination that almost made me believe we could make it out. Almost.“Left,” he rasped, shoving me forward. “Stairwell—hurry!”The door was just ahead. Freedom was beyond it. And yet, I hesitated. My instincts screamed at me—something was wrong.Elias turned back, lifting his gun toward the security panel, but before he could fire, the metal barrier behind us slammed shut. The sound was final, like the lid of a coffin.His jaw tightened. He knew what this meant.“No,” I said. “We both go.”
THE ASCENSION SYSTEM CHAPTER 16
Hunting for the TruthI had expected this to be easy. A name, a location, and a few well-placed questions should’ve led me straight to Dr. Valeria Kane. Instead, I found nothing.No records. No address. No trace that she ever existed.I leaned back in my chair, staring at the blurry photograph of her that I’d managed to dig up. Short black hair, piercing gray eyes, a sharp intellect written all over her face. A scientist who once worked for Project Nexus before vanishing into thin air. Either she didn’t want to be found, or someone had made damn sure she wouldn’t be.I cracked my knuckles and exhaled. "You’re out there, Kane. I just have to look in the right places."The dingy motel room smelled like old cigarettes and I regretted it. My laptop hummed on the table, a dozen tabs open—government databases, classified reports, underground chatter. But every lead hit a dead end. Whoever erased her did a damn good job.But not perfect
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
