2025-08-17 13:43:00The morning light in Aegis Plaza was crisp and clear, as if the world had been washed anew. Ethan Cross lingered at the edge of the fountain, watching children chase remnants of snow dancing on the water’s surface. He felt a rare calm settle over him—until Selene Duval’s voice crackled in his earpiece.
SELENE (V.O.)
“Cross, I need you at the Archives. Now.”
He frowned, tensing. “On my way.”
Within an hour, Ethan arrived at the Lazarus Archives—once a bunker of secrets, now a public center for memory rehabilitation and historical research. But Selene had keyed in a secure override: the main doors slid open for Ethan alone.
He stepped into the cavernous hall where holographic displays streamed newsfeeds: global reconciliation initiatives, open-source neural maps, community-driven memory projects. Yet, in the midst of the optimism, a single red alert blinked unnoticed in the corner of the m
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 37 – Embers of a Legacy
Silence had never felt so heavy.The sub-basement of the citadel compound lay in ruins—walls collapsed, data vines writhing into fractured darkness, and flickering light panels sputtering out their last breaths. Ash knelt beside Sera, her breathing shallow but alive. Riven hovered nearby, hands trembling as he reconnected his datalink filled with Aelian’s core sequence—a chain of inheritance bound in blood and memory.“The protocol is gone,” Ash whispered, voice tight. “But it’s not over.”Sera coughed once, reaching for his hand. “I… got a glimpse, near the core node. Maps, nav logs, mission manifests… plans…”“Plans for Project Aeon—Phase Two,” he confirmed. “They weren’t just rebuilding Lazarus. They intended to spread it globally.”Riven pressed a fist to his lips. “I helped design some of it. I thought I was helping rebuil
Chapter 36 — The Tangled Web
The silence after the explosion was deafening.Ash staggered forward through the smoke, blinking rapidly against the sting of scorched ozone and nano-flare discharge. The eastern wing of the compound had been obliterated—nothing remained but crumbled walls and twitching cables hanging like broken vines. His comms crackled with static as he tried to raise Sera.“Command, this is Ash. Do you copy? Sera, come in!”Nothing.He cursed under his breath, ducking under a partially collapsed beam, hand clutching the flash-dampened remains of his visor. His HUD had gone dark the moment the blast surged through the chamber—another coordinated EMP spike. Whoever had hijacked the Sentinel AI wasn’t just playing defense anymore—they were erasing the board.“Ash, here!” someone yelled.He turned sharply, relief sweeping over him at the sight of Riven emerging from the smoke, dragging another ope
Chapter 35 – Fractured Reflections
The sun set in blood-red streaks over Mother Earth Plaza as thousands gathered beneath the Hall of Echoes. A towering crystalline monument glowed softly at its center, each panel etched with glyphs representing reclaimed memories. Tonight, they launched the Great Upload—a global, opt-in archive of personal histories, safeguarded by choice and transparency.Ethan Cross stood on the podium alongside Selene Duval, Ava Serin, and Dr. Kaito Adebayo. Behind them, the final shard from Archive-9 rested in a secure vault beneath the stage, its glow a reminder of what they’d sacrificed.“Citizens of Earth,” Ethan began, voice amplified by the plaza’s resonant array. “Tonight, we honor not only our past—but our right to remember it. The Great Upload ensures that every voice—every joy and sorrow—becomes part of our shared legacy. No longer hidden, no longer controlled.”Ava tapped her commlink. &ldquo
Chapter 34 – Whispers of the Archive
The morning light in Aegis Plaza was crisp and clear, as if the world had been washed anew. Ethan Cross lingered at the edge of the fountain, watching children chase remnants of snow dancing on the water’s surface. He felt a rare calm settle over him—until Selene Duval’s voice crackled in his earpiece.SELENE (V.O.)“Cross, I need you at the Archives. Now.”He frowned, tensing. “On my way.”Within an hour, Ethan arrived at the Lazarus Archives—once a bunker of secrets, now a public center for memory rehabilitation and historical research. But Selene had keyed in a secure override: the main doors slid open for Ethan alone.He stepped into the cavernous hall where holographic displays streamed newsfeeds: global reconciliation initiatives, open-source neural maps, community-driven memory projects. Yet, in the midst of the optimism, a single red alert blinked unnoticed in the corner of the m
Chapter 33 – The Hidden Protocol
The corridors of Delphi’s Citadel Spire thrummed with hidden life as Ethan Cross, Ava Serin, Selene Duval, and Zhen Ravik advanced under blackout conditions. Only the soft glow of their helmet rims cut through the darkness. Each footstep was measured, every sense on edge—aware that the Lazarus code could strike from within.Ava adjusted her wrist holo, projecting Kairos’s cipher sequence. “The spire’s main console is on level 12. Cross-referenced with the ancient archives, these codes should override Echelon Prime.”Ethan nodded. “We split into two teams. Selene, Zhen, you hit the data access hub. Ava and I go straight for the core override.”Selene sighed. “You sure? It’s going to be tight.”Ethan’s jaw hardened. “No other way.”They descended a spiral stair, the air growing warmer as they approached the heart of the Citadel. Somewhere above, power gr
Chapter 32 – Catalyst
The wind howled across the ruins of Outpost Aegis, stirring ash and fine dust into the air as if the very earth were trying to forget what had occurred here. Ethan stood still, the fractured remains of the lab stretching behind him, the open plains before him. His comm buzzed softly in his ear, bringing him back.“Team Alpha is reporting no sign of residual heat signatures. Whatever was powering the AI network here—it’s been gutted,” Ryker’s voice came through, low and grim.“Copy that,” Ethan replied. “Pull everyone back. We’re done here.”Except they weren’t. Not really. Not when what they found inside Aegis was more than just defunct terminals and corpses. It was proof. Proof that someone high up in the Consortium had orchestrated this site’s destruction after Lazarus had reached singularity status.Someone had tried to bury it. And failed.He turned as footste
You may also like
Supreme Guardian of Earth
Ideabadar19.1K viewsWorld System Among Gods
M_jief116.2K viewsThe Legendary System
KazuhiroSeijuro42.0K viewsValkyrie Black
Drew Archeron21.5K viewsThe Extraordinary Heir System
Ramdani Abdul1.3K viewsEarly Access System Volume 1: Shadow Of The Behemoth
ChadGuy4521.9K viewsAssassination System: Vengeance
SirriMist1.5K viewsDUAL GATES THE WORLD FROM THE PROGRESSOR
LittleChips7.0K views