[THREE YEARS AGO]
[ORGANIZATION BASE – NIGHT]
Rain poured heavily outside. The building stood silent. Most lights off.
A shadow moved through the corridor. Fast. Careful. Aiden.
His steps were quiet. Precise. Like he had done this before. "…This doesn't feel right." His voice low. Barely a whisper.
He stopped in front of a locked door. Restricted access. "…Why would he hide this?" A device clicked softly. Beep. The door unlocked.
Cold air hit him instantly. Familiar, yet wrong. Aiden stepped in slowly. His eyes scanned everything. Glass chambers. Machines. People, not fully conscious.
"…What is this…?" A figure inside one chamber twitched. Weak. Barely alive.
Aiden stepped closer. His hand lifted, almost touching the glass. "…These aren't agents…" A pause. "…They're subjects."
A screen flickered beside him. Data appeared.
Behavior Modification
Memory Suppression
Emotional Override
Aiden's eyes darkened. "…You're controlling them…"
Another file opened. "FAILED SUBJECTS: TERMINATE." Silence. Heavy.
Then, one more file. Aiden froze. His hand tightened slightly. "…No…" The name, blurred. But enough. Enough to understand.
"…You went this far…?" A sound behind him. Footsteps. "…I was wondering when you'd find this place."
Aiden turned. Slowly. Brandon Hansel stood at the entrance. Calm. Unbothered. "…You shouldn't have come here." Silence.
Aiden stepped forward. "…What is this?" His voice is low. Dangerous. Brandon tilted his head slightly. "…Progress."
"…This isn't progress." Aiden's jaw tightened. "…This is control."
Brandon's eyes sharpened. "…Control is necessary." A pause. "…If you want power." Aiden scoffed. "…At what cost?" Silence. Brandon didn't answer. Because to him, there was no cost.
"…You're experimenting on your own people." Aiden's voice dropped.
"…Even children." That was the line. Brandon's expression changed. Just slightly. "…You've seen too much."
The air shifted instantly. Aiden's stance changed. Ready. "…I'm not letting this continue." Brandon's lips curved slightly. "…You don't have a choice."
The screen flickered again. Aiden's eyes locked onto it. The file is still open. He stepped closer. Slow. Careful. The name, blurred. Glitched. Almost unreadable. But not completely.
"…No…" His voice dropped. He reached out, pressing the screen. Trying to stabilize it. The letters shifted. Flickered again. Then, for a split second, it became clear.
"SUBJECT: ALISA…"
The rest is cut off. Silence. Aiden froze. "…Alisa…? " A memory flashed. A girl. Small. Curious. Eyes sharp, always watching.
"…No way…" He stepped back slowly. His mind is racing. "She was here…?" Another file opened automatically.
STATUS: MEMORY ALTERED
TRANSFERRED: FIELD USE
His expression changed instantly. "…You erased her. " A deeper breath. "…You turned her into one of them." His eyes darkened. "…Without her knowing."
Footsteps still echoed behind him. "…Still curious?" Aiden didn't turn this time. "…You used her." His voice is low. Controlled, but burning underneath. "…She was just a child."
Brandon stepped forward. Calm. "…She survived." A pause. "…That makes her valuable." Aiden's fist clenched, "…That makes you a monster." Silence.
[PRESENT – CONTROL ROOM]
Phantom stood still. Eyes on the screen. But not really seeing it. "…You don't even remember…" A whisper. "…what they did to you." His gaze softened, just for a second.
"…That's why…" A pause. "…I saved you." Not for strategy. Not for a game. But because he knew the truth.
Some identities are stolen. Some memories erased. And some people live their whole lives without knowing who they really are.
Phantom is still watching the same files. Years later. His eyes remained cold. But deeper inside, something burned. "…That was the day…" A whisper. "…everything changed."
He wasn't a traitor. He was a witness. And in that moment, he chose to destroy the truth before it destroyed everything.
[RECOVERY ROOM – NIGHT]
The room was quiet. Blitz was asleep, half leaning on the bed. Specter too, head resting close to Vex's arm. Second day both of them still stay sleep in the same room of Vex. Because worried Vex might escape from them again.
Vex's eyes were open. Silent. Awake. She didn't move. Didn't speak. Her gaze fell on Specter. "…Alisa…" A whisper. Soft. Heavy.
Her fingers twitched slightly, as if wanting to reach out. Then, her eyes darkened.
[FLASHBACK – YEARS AGO]
Rain poured heavily. A young girl stood in the shadows. Watching. Hidden. Rania.
Inside the house, voices. A family. Warm. Alive. Then everything changed. Men in black. Breaking in. Dragging someone out. A little girl. Struggling. Crying. "…Let me go!"
Rania's eyes widened. "…No…" She stepped forward, but stopped. Because behind her, stood Brandon. Watching. Calm. "…Don't move." His voice low.
Rania froze. "…She's perfect." Brandon said. "…A brilliant mind." A pause. "…She'll be useful."
The girl cried, reaching out. "…Brother!"
Rania's breath caught. That word. "…Brother…?" She looked closer and saw there is another child. Running toward them. Trying to reach her. A boy. Helpless. Held back. "…Alisa…"
[BACK TO PRESENT]
Vex's eyes closed slowly. Pain not from her wound. But from memory.
"…I saw everything." A whisper. Her gaze returned to Specter. Sleeping peacefully. Unaware. "…You were taken." A pause. "…From your family." Her voice softened. "…From him." Aiden.
Silence.
"…I couldn't stop it." Her fingers clenched slightly. "…I was just a child." A breath trembled. "…All I could do…" Her eyes dimmed. "…was watch."
"…So, I made a choice to stay." A pause. "…Inside that place." Her gaze hardened slightly. "…To protect you…without him knowing."
A slow breath. "…I made sure you survived." A pause. "…I made sure you grew stronger." A faint, bitter smile. "…Even if you never knew it."
Her eyes shifted slightly. "…Aiden…"
"…I got close to you…" A pause. "…not because I trusted you." Her voice dropped. "…But because I needed to watch you."
"…To track you." A beat. "…To see what you would do… when you find out the truth." Silence.
Her lips pressed together. "…I thought everything between us…" A pause. "…was just a lie." Her eyes softened slightly. "…But I was wrong."
Three people. Connected by a past, none of them fully understood. A brother. A sister. And the one who watched it all but said nothing. Because sometimes, protecting someone means carrying the truth alone.
Carefully, Vex shifted her body. Pain shot through her chest, sharp. But she didn't make a sound. Her hand pressed lightly against the wound. "…Not now." A whisper.
She slowly sat up. Every movement is controlled. Measured. She glanced once at Blitz. At Specter. "...Rest." Soft. "...I'll handle this."
Then she stood. Weak but steady enough. Step by step, she moved toward the balcony. The door slid open quietly. Cold air rushed in.
Vex stepped outside. The night stretched wide before her. City lights glowing in the distance. Silent. Endless. She leaned lightly against the railing. Closing her eyes. Letting the air hit her face.
"…It's suffocating…" A whisper. Her mind filled. Memories. Secrets. Truths. All crashing together. Specter. Phantom. Mike. Her father.
Her grip tightened on the railing. "…I can't let this continue." Her voice steadied. Cold now. Focused. "I have to settle this…" A pause. "…before he starts again."
Her eyes opened. Sharp. "…Before he begins his next exploitation in Canada." The wind brushed past her, but this time, she didn't feel it. "…I won't let it spread any further."
Silence. No hesitation left. No doubt. Only decision. A daughter standing against her own father. A leader ready to break her own world. Because this time, she wasn't going to watch. She was going to act.
TBC