《Reborn Heart of Steel》 Chapter 1: Torment鈥檚 Grip ¡°Ugh, see who decided to grace us with her presence.¡± Brittany¡¯s voice cut through the air like a pin. ¡°The loser herself.¡± I felt every pair of eyes burning into me as that insufferable harpy gestured dramatically in my direction. Just keep walking, Lucy. Don¡¯t react. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lucy? Cat got your tongue?¡± Brittany let out one of her shrill cackles that just makes you want to strangle her, you know? ¡°Or are you just too brain-dead to string a few words together?¡± Then her squad of mean girl minions began to giggle and snicker like hyenas. I looked straight ahead as I focused on looking at my steps. I wasn¡¯t going to give them that satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m speaking to you, you freak!¡± Before I could blink, Brittany¡¯s fake-nailed talons shot out and yanked my backpack right off my shoulder. I yelped in surprise as my books and papers went flying everywhere.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oops, my bad!¡± She covered her mouth in an exaggerated shocked expression, those beady eyes of hers glittering with pure evil. ¡°I guess those sausage fingers of yours can¡¯t even hold onto a bag properly.¡± The little witches surrounding her absolutely lost it at that, bending over and clutching their sides like it was the funniest thing they¡¯d ever heard. I felt the mortification burning my cheeks as I crouched down to gather my scattered things. ¡°Need some help?¡± Mark¡¯s voice made my heart skip a beat. Our eyes met for the briefest second as he knelt beside me, and just like that, the whole cruel world seemed to fade into the background. His kind smile was like a lifeline. I opened my mouth, ready to finally speak to him after all this time, but of course, Brittany had to open her big trap again. ¡°Oh my god, please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually talking to this loser, Mark!¡± She clutched Troy¡¯s arm all dramatically, staring at Mark like he¡¯d just grown a third eyeball. ¡°Even someone as pathetic as you have to have standards.¡± You could actually see Mark¡¯s face just crumple as the coven started screeching withughter again. He shoved my books back into my arms without a word and scrambled to his feet, muttering a feeble ¡°sorry¡± under his breath before bolting. ¡°Aw, what¡¯s the matter, Markie?¡± Brittany crooned in that shrill baby voice that makes me want to rip my ears off. ¡°Did I hurt your little feelings by insulting your girlfriend?¡± More hyena cackles from the peanut gallery. I sighed as I packed thest of my things from the floor, wanting to disappear into thin air so desperately. Or perhaps for the ground to open and then swallow me whole. Anything to get away from their shrieking. ¡°Lucy and Mark, sitting in a tree!¡± Oh god, herees the piece de resistance ¨C Troy joining in with the kiddie romance taunts, wrapping his arms around Brittany in a crude mockery of a loving embrace. ¡°K-I-S-S-I-N-G!¡± I squeezed my books tighter, struggling not to cry. I will not give them that power over me. ¡°Oh my god, can you imagine?¡± Brittany spun in Troy¡¯s arms, her eyes lighting up with pure sadistic glee. ¡°Their poor, deformed babies would be such fervent disappointments!¡± That did it ¨C I could feel the hot burn of tears prickling my eyes as their mockingughter crashed over me in waves. Why me? Why am I constantly their punching bag for cruelty? ¡°Leave her alone already.¡± The slightly ented voice was soft, but it cut through the din like a whisper in a quiet library. We all turned to see Chase, the new foreign exchange student none of us had really gotten to know yet, watching the scene with an inscrutable expression. A tiny flicker of hope sparked in my chest as his calm green eyes met mine, giving the smallest of nods. For the few weeks he¡¯d been there, Chase just had this¡­ presence about him that demanded respect. Even the doziest bullies seemed to instinctively back down when he was around. But of course, Brittany sneered at him like he was something gross she¡¯d stepped in. ¡°Stay out of this, Transfer,¡± she spat, her pretty features twisting into an ugly mask. ¡°This is a Westbrook matter. It doesn¡¯t concern drifters like you.¡± To Chase¡¯s credit, he didn¡¯t so much as blink. ¡°I would consider basic human decency to be a matter concerning us all.¡± You could actually see Brittany¡¯s nostrils re at that calm rebuttal, like she was a raging bull, and he was the matador¡¯s red cape. An awkward tension settled over the whole group as they sized each other up through narrowed eyes. For a minute there, I actually thought fists might start flying. Then Troy had to open his big dumb mouth and snicker, burying his face in Brittany¡¯s hair to stifle hisughter. And just like that, the spell was broken as the whole gaggle of harpies joined in, their shrill braying echoing loud enough to rattle the lockers. ¡°Ooh, listen to Mr. World Citizen over here!¡± Brittany rolled her eyes so hard, I thought they might get stuck. ¡°Sorry, Transfer, but the rest of us aren¡¯t obligated to y nice with the school¡¯s resident bottom-feeder.¡± With onest look of pure disdain in my direction, she turned on her designer heel and strode off, her little minions scurrying along behind her like a trail of ugly ducklings. Their cawingughter seemed to ricochet from every surface, bouncing back into my ears in a torturous cacophony I couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Chase¡¯s voice finally pulled me out of my daze. His handsome features were all pinched with concern as he reached down to help gather thest of my books. I could only give him a jerky nod, not trusting my voice at that moment. What could I possibly say? That this soul-crushing ritual was just another day in the life of Loser Lucy, the school¡¯s favorite humiliation punching bag? That each fresh insult and degrading taunt from Brittany chipped away another tiny piece of my spirit until I could scarcely recognize myself in the mirror anymore? Until the sad, hollow person staring back at me was aplete stranger? Chase studied me in silence for a beat, then sighed heavily through his nose. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to endure such mindless cruelty,¡± he murmured, handing me back my books with surprising gentleness. ¡°High school¡­ it can truly bring out the worst in people sometimes.¡± I clutched my things tightly to my chest, catching his deep green gaze with what I hoped was a reassuring look. No more pity, please ¨C I¡¯ve had my lifetime¡¯s supply of that. ¡°Thanks for trying to help,¡± I replied, my voiceing out in a scratchy rasp. Christ, how long had it been since I¡¯dst spoken out loud? A sad little smile yed across his lips as he gave a slight shrug, like he¡¯d expected nothing less from our backward little school. ¡°I merely sought to uphold some semnce of human decency,¡± he said simply. ¡°Sadly, it would seem such a virtue is in short supply in this ce.¡± With that ominous little statement, he turned and continued on his way, leaving me alone in the now-deserted hallway. I watched his retreating form for a long moment, feeling like thest sane person left on an asylum ward. How in the hell did it ever get this bad? This daily torment, this cruel, endless cycle of humiliation and anguish that had be my life ¨C when did I be such an easy goddamn target for the Brittany¡¯s of the world to take their frustrations out on? I didn¡¯t even have the energy left to cry anymore. The tearse far too frequently these days, each fresh wave of emotional agony leaving me more and more hollowed out inside. What few teardrops I had remaining were reserved for the moments I was utterly alone, when I could finally let the full, crushing weight of my destion crash over me in peace. The loud trill of the warning bell cut through the heavy silence, jolting me out of my misery spiral. I straightened up with a shuddering sigh, squaring my shoulders as I mentally prepared to brave another endless day in this unrelenting hell. Just keep your head down, Lucy, I told myself firmly. Chapter 2: Solace in Song I stared at my reflection in the cracked bathroom mirror, gingerly prodding the fresh bruise blossoming along my jawline. Mom¡¯s rings had cut into my skin again when she backhanded me for burning the toast this morning. ¡°Stupid, worthless girl,¡± she¡¯d snarled, her eyes zed over with that dead-eyed drunk rage that always terrified me more than her wrath. ¡± Can¡¯t even do the simplest tasks right. No wonder your useless father finally left. ¡± Though my father had been gone for years, her words pierced me like a knife. I sighed, blinking back tears as I felt the corner of my eyes sting. Can¡¯t let the floodgates open before first period, or I¡¯ll be a runny mess all day. The hallway sharks will smell the blood in the water. Speaking of which¡­ I took a fortifying breath and squared my shoulders, mentally preparing for another gauntlet of torment. Keep your head down, your mouth shut, and for god¡¯s sake, don¡¯t react no matter what Brittany hurls your way. Today was my one escape, my sole respite from this unending nightmare, and I couldn¡¯t risk missing it because of one of that bitch¡¯s petty outbursts. The hallway was already swirling with overstimted teens giddy for another week of adolescent misery as I shuffled through the double doors. Locker doors nged, raucousughter and ovepping chatter echoed off the walls, and the permeating stench of Ax body spray and hormones hung thick in the air. I kept my head down, scanning the linoleum tiles for any potential foot-rted obstacles as I made my way to ss. Just a few more hours until ¨C ¡°Well, well, look who slummed her way in again!¡± The grating nasal tones cut through the cacophony like kernel-studded nails on a chalkboard. I resisted the urge to wince, my shoulders instinctively hunching as Brittany¡¯s posse of jackals converged around me with cruel smiles. ¡°Nice shiner, Loser Lucy!¡± Riley, Brittany¡¯s dumbestckey, pointed a perfectly manicured nail at the bruise along my jaw. ¡°Guess all that ¡®practice¡¯ is paying off in the sack, huh?¡± A chorus of titters and snickers erupted from the harpies. I focused on a scuff mark on the tile between my feet, refusing to meet their mocking gazes. Don¡¯t react, don¡¯t react¡­ ¡°Aw, what¡¯s the matter, Lucy?¡± Brittany crooned in that shrill baby-talk that made my mrs grind. ¡°Cat got your tongu- OOF!¡± Her derisive coo was abruptly cut off as a solid form bumped hard into her shoulder, sending her staggering back a step. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m terribly sorry, I didn¡¯t see you there.¡± The refined, familiar lilt of Chase¡¯s ented voice was seeped in the most insincere contrition. A hush fell over the gathered jackals as he leveled his cool emerald stare at Brittany, one eyebrow cocked in obvious disdain. Brittany¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits, her lips pursing into a petnt moue. ¡°You really need to watch where you¡¯re going, Transfer,¡± she sneered, straightening her designer jacket with a disdainful sniff. ¡°My sincerest apologies,¡± Chase rejoined breezily. His gaze cut toward me briefly, holding just a beat too long before returning to Brittany. ¡°I certainly didn¡¯t intend to interrupt your¡­ morning Constitutional. Please, carry on.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. If looks could kill, Brittany¡¯s withering re would have dropped him dead on the spot. Unfortunately for her, Chase seemed infuriatingly unperturbed, regarding her with little more than vague disinterest. ¡°Whatever,¡± she huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder with an exaggerated toss. ¡°Just stay out of my way, Transfer Kid.¡± With onest contemptuous sneer in my direction, she pivoted on her heel and strode off, her faithful sycophants scurrying along in her wake like beaten dogs. A few cast uncertain looks over their shoulders back at Chase, as if afraid he might pursue them like a vengeful demigod. Chase watched them go with an impassive expression before turning to me with a slight smile tugging at his lips. ¡°Walk with me?¡± he murmured, gesturing with a slight incline of his head. I blinked, taken aback by the unexpected overture. My gaze flickered briefly down the hallway where Brittany and her crew were still casting suspicious nces in our direction. As much as the thought of gaining a reprieve from their relentless torment appealed to me, I couldn¡¯t fathom why Chase would want to be associated with a perpetual punching bag like me. At my hesitation, his smile widened fractionally, crinkling those absurdly longshes. ¡°I assure you, there¡¯s no need to worry. Unlike some, I don¡¯t subscribe to this¡­ antiquated primate social hierarchy.¡± A startledugh escaped my lips before I could smother it. My shoulders rxed slightly as his utterck of concern for teenage posturing put me at ease. This strange, intense boy couldn¡¯t care less about the rigid, self-imposed caste system that ruled Westbrook¡¯s halls ¨C a caste system that had me permanently entrenched at the very bottom. ¡°How¡¯s your day so far?¡± he asked in that low, melodious voice as we continued down the hallway, the suspicious looks and jeers from Brittany¡¯s pack fading into the ambient noise. I felt myself bristling reflexively as memories of my mother¡¯s venomous words and stinging blows resurfaced. To my surprise, Chase¡¯s cid features only adopted a look of concern at my palpable tension. ¡°That troubling, I take it?¡± He arched one eyebrow in a wordless invitation to borate. I opened my mouth, fully prepared to deflect and demur as I always did, the instinctive impulse to retreat behind protective walls nearly overpowering. But there was something about Chase¡¯s calm, steady presence ¨C something that beckoned to be met without preamble or obfuscation. ¡°My mom¡­ she has a bit of a temper,¡± I admitted, the words feeling clumsy and inadequate as soon as they left my lips. I gestured vaguely at the mottled bruise along my jaw. ¡°She doesn¡¯t always intend it, but¡­¡± But Chase¡¯s expression remained imcable, his eyes studying me with an intensity that should have been diforting, yet somehow wasn¡¯t. I trailed off, mystified by how easily I was permitting myself to disclose such deeply guarded personal vulnerabilities. ¡°I grieve that you must endure such abhorrent treatment, Lucy,¡± he said at length, his voice barely above a murmur yet somehow resonating with profound empathy. ¡°You are worthy of far kinder existences than these.¡± His words washed over me, permeating an indelible warmth I couldn¡¯t quite describe. For the first time, my wretched circumstances were being acknowledged not with pity, but¡­ something else entirely. Something more profound, more elemental. Chase regarded me silently for a long moment, seeming to consider his next words with care. ¡°If I may be so bold¡­¡± He paused, exhaling softly through his nose. ¡°I find your stoic resilience in facing such ongoing cruelties to be extraordinary, Lucy. You possess a quiet strength that many would wither without.¡± The sincerity ringing in his voice robbed me of the ability to respond with anything beyond an inelegant blink. I could only gape, utterly transfixed by this strange, intense boy. An infinitesimal smile yed across his lips as he reached out, brushing his fingertips ever so lightly along the exposed skin of my forearm ¨C a simple, innocent gesture, yet it flooded me with a heat that had nothing to do with embarrassment. We came to a halt outside my first period ssroom. Chase withdrew his hand, his expression once again inscrutable. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Lucy,¡± he murmured. I could only nod mutely, rooted to the spot as I watched him continue down the hallway until his form disappeared around the corner. It wasn¡¯t until the tardy bell pierced the air. Chapter 3: A Voice Unveiled The final bell trilled, signaling sweet freedom from the schstic grind. The hallways quickly emptied as students made a beeline for the exits. I lingered behind, wandering the mostly deserted corridors until I reached the music room¡¯s heavy double doors. This ce was my sanctuary ¨C the one spot at Westbrooke where I could just exist without getting ripped apart for once. The old piano waited patiently in the corner, its chipped keys a stark contrast to the sleek electric ones lining the wall. I traced the cool steel reverently as I passed, my fingers tingling with familiar buzzes. God, they were just calling out to me ¨C these beautiful instruments humming with the promise of sweet melodies and an escape from never-ending cruelty. Soft afternoon light filtered through the high windows, casting everything in this warm, dreamy kind of glow. A faint smile tugged at my lips as I settled onto the lumpy piano bench, lifting the fallen board with a contented sigh. That familiar smell of old wood and worn keflets enveloped me like a hug from an old friend. My fingers caressed the ivories almost reverently at first before finding their old grooves. The tentative first few notes rang out, then quickly gained confidence and purpose as they flowed into a melody of my own creation. The raw, dissonant harmonies wove together from somewhere deep down, pouring out in this aching cry that just felt so visceral yet somehow uplifting in its honesty. This was my truth, my secret voice finally able to breathe and scream out unabashedly without fear of judgment or blow back. As my fingers danced across the keys, I tilted my head back and just surrendered to the song. ¡± Shadows veil the morning light, Choking fragile dreams before they take flight. Smothered by the callous night, Still, I ache to live in your warmth¡¯s first light. The cold, it seeps beneath my skin, A million icy tendrils digging deep within. Leeching out my battered will, Freezing up the little hope I struggle to feel. Then I sense your rays divine Peeking past the brutal night¡¯s dark line. In your brilliance, I¡¯ll recline And purge that cruel chill your dawn declines. Blissful thaw to shatter the chains, Quelling bitter shadows, ending their evil reigns. Mending all the wounds and pains With your salve of loving rays that ever remains. ¡± I let the final notes bleed out into silence, my eyes still squeezed shut as the raw anguish of the song hung thick in the air. Every word, every mncholy chord hade entirely unbidden ¨C like a raw, spiritual hemorrhaging of all the pain and torment and suffering my messed-up life had endured so far. Yet in purging all that darkness, I was left with something else¡­ some profound sense of lightness. Of hope, and faith that those brilliant rays of warmth would eventually break through the dense ck fog swallowing my soul. I gradually blinked my eyes open, letting out a shaky sigh as the windows came swimming back into focus ¨C I jumped the moment my eyesnded on a hulking figure under the light. ¡± I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. Forgive me for intruding. ¡± His voice rumbled, the rich baritone echoing through the room as he advanced towards me withzy but calctive grace. My breath caught in my throat as he emerged into the amber light ¨C he had to be pushed seven feet tall, with shoulders spanning wider than the damn piano. Yet the way he moved¡­ there was this fluid, innate elegance that just seemed at odds with that barbaric size. His severe features were chiseled from granite beneath a thick crown of gunmetal gray hair. But it was those eyes, burning with a smoldering intensity that bored straight through me, that rendered me utterly frozen on that piano bench. ¡°That was¡­ extraordinary,¡± the giant rumbled, his words soft yetmanding. ¡°You possess a rare talent, youngdy.¡± My mouth just opened and closed uselessly as he prowled in closer. Every muscle in my body was screaming at me to flee, to get the hell away from this dominant alpha presence. But I remained locked in ce, transfixed beneath that piercing stare. ¡°Derek Thorne,¡± he introduced himself, extending one bear-paw of a hand. ¡± Please, forgive my intrusion. I was drawn in by the sound of your¡­ exquisite performance, and couldn¡¯t resist witnessing it for myself. ¡± My eyes flickered between that outstretched hand and his zing regard,pletely and utterly poleaxe. Derek Thorne¡­ the name pinged something in the back of my mind,den with importance yet ultimately meaningless at that moment. To my surprise, the giant withdrew his hand with a disarming rumble ofughter, taking a respectful step back. ¡°Not every day a student receives a private audience with the President of the District¡¯s Board of Education, I¡¯d wager,¡± he remarked, those harsh features rxing into an almost loving warmth. ¡± But no need for rm, my dear. I assure you I¡¯m quite harmless, even to those not¡­ ustomed to my imposing presence. ¡± The subtle emphasis on thosest few words finally snapped me out of my stupor. I straightened up on the bench, willing my thundering heart to quit pounding in my damn ears. ¡± So¡­ did you like the show, Mr. Thorne? ¡± I blurted out, then immediately cringed at my own sarcastic tone. What the hell was wrong with me? But to my surprise, Derek Thorne let out a deep peal ofughter that rumbled through the whole room. ¡°Ah, the unvarnished audacity of youth,¡± he chuckled with an appraising gleam. ¡°Yes, Miss¡­?¡± ¡°Lucy,¡± I said, pausing briefly before adding: ¡°Lucy Abrams.¡± ¡°Miss Abrams,¡± Thorne repeated with a regal little nod. ¡°Yes, I must confess your personal performance was on an entirely higher ne from what I had initially anticipated¡­ or than, indeed, anything I¡¯ve quite experienced before.¡± My brow furrowed slightly at the weird, circuitous statement. Something about the timbre of Thorne¡¯s voice, some deep, resonant quality beyond the rich baritone reverberation, just seemed tomand your full attention.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°You see, I came here in search of a unique talent,¡± he continued, studying me with that prating thousand-yard stare. ¡°A particr voice capable of conveying profound emotion and baring the raw human soul through its melodies.¡± A hot, squirmy feeling started twisting in the pit of my stomach as his words seemed to burn straight through to my core. He couldn¡¯t possibly be implying what I thought he was, could he? ¡°My dearest grandmother Constance, you see, was the world¡¯s preeminent opera diva in her prime.¡± A wistful smile ghosted across the giant¡¯s harsh features as he uttered the name. ¡°Her voice¡­ a transcendent gift capable of bringing audiences across the globe to a standstill.¡± He drifted in closer again, and I felt my every muscle instinctively seize up as his overwhelming presence seemed to expand around me like a tightening vice. ¡°But time is cruelly indiscriminate in the gifts it revokes,¡± Thorne murmured, regarding me with somber reverence. ¡± Years ago, my grandmother¡¯s voice was savagely robbed from her by a degenerative condition. Yet her passion for her art endures diminished in that immortal spirit. ¡± Thorne¡¯s eyes slid shut then, as he savored the silence like it was the sweetest ambrosia. When his lids lifted again, they shone bright with profound rapture. ¡± Your song, Miss Abrams¡­ it resonated with the same searing emotional authenticity of my grandmother¡¯s most transcendent arias. In that achingly rawment, I sensed the kindred spirit and passion that so defined the legacy of Constance Thorne. ¡± Was this really happening right now? Was this towering, distinguished giant, this bastion of quiet power and authority, really suggesting what I thought he was? ¡°It would be the greatest honor¡­¡± Thorne murmured, his impossibly gentle timbre seeming to caress my very essence. ¡°If you might allow me the privilege of sharing your extraordinary gift with my grandmother.¡± I could only gape up at him,pletely and utterly transfixed and unable to speak a single damn word. Somewhere in the background, thete bell for detention rang shrilly, but I barely registered the sound beyond the thunderous pounding of my own pulse in my ears. ¡°Think about it, Miss Abrams.¡± Chapter 4: Envy鈥檚 Cruel Shackles The music room door burst open with a ng, jolting me violently out of my stunned reverie. Mr. Henderson, our barrel-chested music teacher, came waddling in with his trademark scowl firmly in ce. ¡°Abrams! What are you still doing here?¡± he barked, his brusque tones shattering the weighted silence like a sledgehammer. ¡°I¡¯ve got a ssing in two minutes, so get a move on.¡± I blinked dazedly, struggling to snap back to reality as the rest of the motley crew of music students traipsed in behind Henderson including, of course, Brittany and her cackling harpies. Suddenly remembering I wasn¡¯t alone, I whipped my head around toward Derek Thorne¡­ only to find the imposing giant had vanished as inexplicably as he arrived. So it hadn¡¯t been some wild hallucination, then. ¡°Miss Abrams was just providing me with a¡­ private audition, if you will,¡± a disembodied baritone quietly rumbled from the shadowy wings of the room. Mr. Henderson jumped nearly a foot in the air as Derek Thorne reemerged from the depths, his formidable presence now somehow contained in the confines of the small stage. Even Brittany and her posse of harpies fell into an uncharacteristic, stunned silence a reaction that would have been richly satisfying in any other circumstance. ¡°M-Mr. Thorne!¡± Henderson sputtered, looking flustered as he hastily smoothed back hisb-over. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you¡­ that is to say, what an honor to¡± ¡°Yes, yes, the pleasantries,¡± Thorne waved off the flustered teacher with a brusque flick of his wrist. ¡°We were simply having a brief discussion about¡­ future opportunities, shall we say.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. His smoldering gaze found mine again, holding it with that same maic intensity that rendered me utterly immobile in its grip. I could only stare back, dumbfounded, as the rest of the ss collectively held their breath around us. ¡°Now then,¡± Henderson cut in, seeming to regain his blusteryposure as he pped his meaty hands together. ¡°If you¡¯ll all take your seats, I have an exciting announcement to make about the uing showcase at the end of the semester!¡± A murmur of interest rippled through the group as the other students hastened to find open chairs, chattering amongst themselves. Brittany, however, remained standing with her harpies clustered behind her, fixing Thorne with a haughty re. ¡°Oh we¡¯re just supposed to sit here while the famous Chairman auditions his opening acts?¡± she called out in that shrill nasal whine that made me want to grind my teeth. ¡°Some of us might actually have talent beyond Loser Lucy over here.¡± Henderson shot her a scathing look, but there was an unmistakable flicker of deference in his eyes nheless. From the heavy silence that nketed the others, it was obvious no one was keen to stand up to Brittany¡¯s bald provocation. Well, almost no one. ¡°While I have no doubt the arts curriculum at Westbrook is enriching for all pupils,¡± Derek Thorne¡¯s molten baritone cut through the tension like a broadsword, his eyes glittering dangerously as they raked over Brittany¡¯s scowling features, ¡°I fear the¡­ uncultured temperaments of certain students may be tragically ill-suited for truly appreciating the finer aspects of the craft.¡± You could have heard a pin drop in the ringing silence that followed. Brittany¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of their sockets, her pouty mouth working uselessly as a splotchy flush crept up her neck. ¡°After all,¡± Thorne continued, his voice rich with undisguised derision, ¡°genuine artistic expression demands a visceral emotional rawness that would no doubt be¡­ quite beyond the limitations of the cosmetically enhanced.¡± There were a few muffled snorts and titters at that final barb, which seemed to be thebustible spark that reignited Brittany¡¯s sputtering rage. Rounding on me with undisguised venom, she stabbed one crimson talon in my direction. ¡°You think you¡¯re so special, Loser Lucy?¡± she hissed, her eyes zing with affronted fury. ¡°You¡¯re not even worth the gum on the bottom of my shoe! What could this old pervert possibly see in a used up, trailer trash skank like you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite enough from you, youngdy!¡± Henderson bellowed, his face mottled with rage as he jabbed a stubby finger towards the door. ¡°Office, now! And I¡¯ll be speaking to your parents about your vile disrespect as well!¡± Brittany didn¡¯t even seem to register the teacher¡¯s words. Her entire being was focused on me with such scathing, unbridled loathing that I instinctively shrank back on my piano bench. I could practically feel the ragged fingernails of her jealousy wing at my skin, vicious and feral. ¡°You better watch yourself, trailer trash,¡± she spat through gritted teeth, punctuating each vile word with naked savagery. ¡°You¡¯re not going to just waltz in here like some rags-to-riches Cindere fantasy and take what¡¯s mine. We clear? This school, this showcase, all of it belongs to me!¡± With that parting snarl, she whirled on her heel and stormed out, her faithful sycophants scrambling in her wake. The rest of the ss stared after her in wide-eyed shock, the stark silence seeming to reverberate against the walls. ¡°Well then,¡± Henderson huffed, valiantly attempting to rally the room with a tight smile. ¡°Let¡¯s make a start on those showcase details, shall we?¡± But as the lecture droned on in the background, I couldn¡¯t focus on a single word. My mind kept reying Brittany¡¯s vicious outburst over and over, her jealous, territorial rage branding itself into my psyche like a white-hot brand. Long after the final bell mercifully sounded, those hate-filled eyes still bore into me, bitter and caustic and utterly inescapable. The creak of the front door seemed to reverberate through the deste house as I slipped inside. My shoulders sagged as the familiar dank, stale reek of mildew and cheap whiskey washed over me just another pungent olfactory harbinger of the grim despondency awaiting within. ¡°That you, girl?¡± My mother¡¯s smoke-ravaged bark shattered the oppressive silence like a gunshot. I flinched as her hulking silhouette emerged from the living room gloom, already bracing for impact. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there gawkin¡¯ at me like a brain-dead cow,¡± Janine sneered, nting her hands on her broad hips as she loomed over me. ¡°Get in here and fix me another drink. Lord knows I need it after the day I had.¡± With a resigned sigh, I trudged into the dimly-lit living room and made for the teetering card table serving as our dining surface. Empty beer cans and liquor bottles congregated in small shanty towns littered across its scarred surface the only hint that this ce had been upied while I was away. ¡°Some son of a bitch let the new Westinghouse inventory go tits up at the line today,¡± Janine grumbled, sinking back down onto her ratty recliner with a resigned grunt. ¡°Had to stay behind putting out fires ¡¯til past seven just to unfuck the mess.¡± I bit back the automatic impulse to question why she was home so early then as I mixed her another ss of cheap-ass rail whiskey. Asking for any semnce of consistency or reason from the loose collection of chaos ruling my mother¡¯s sad life would only invite fresh anguish. ¡°I met¡­ someone today,¡± I ventured softly as I ced the drink on the battered milk crate beside her chair. ¡°A man who¡­ who said he saw something in me.¡± Janine snorted derisively at that as she knocked back half her drink in one gulp, sloshing a bit down her front in the process. ¡°That right?¡± she slurred with a sneer, wiping her mouth sloppily with the back of her hand. ¡°What¡¯d he see, the way your tits finally stopped sagging after growin¡¯ a pair of teenage mosquito bites?¡± My cheeks med, but I refused to take the crude bait. I pressed on, channeling every ounce of desperate courage I could muster. ¡°Mr. Thorne¡­ he heard me singing. In the music room after school. And he seemed to think I had¡­ talent.¡± She tensed once she heard the name. The words tumbled out in a breathless rush before I could think better of it. A weighted pause hung in the stale air as my mother regarded me through narrowed, beady eyes ¨C the only sounds were the muted strains of a talk show ying on the cracked TV and her fingers drumming against the ss tumbler. ¡°Talent, huh?¡± She finally broke the tense silence with a harsh bark ofughter, taking another swig of whiskey. ¡°That what this fancy man told you? That Lucy Abrams has got some big talent he wants a piece of?¡± She shook her head slowly, her stringy blonde curls swayingnguidly as that cruel smirk stretched wider. ¡°Well aren¡¯t you just a regr old diamond in the rough?¡± she sneered, leaning forward to fix me with those hollow, dead eyes. ¡°A true rags-to-riches Cindere story in the making!¡± ¡°This wasn¡¯t like that, Mom!¡± I insisted, feeling my cheeks flush deeper under the caustic mockery saturating her tone. ¡°He wasn¡¯t¡­ hitting on me or anything. He just appreciated my singing, that¡¯s all!¡± ¡°Oh is that all?¡± She took another cavalier swig, swallowing it down with an exaggerated grimace before licking her lips with unconcealed relish. ¡°Well in that case, by all means! After all, when some rich prick decides he wants to make use of you, you just jump at the chance, right?¡± My mouth snapped shut with an audible click as shame and anger swirled in my gut. Of course this was how she¡¯d react ¨C deflecting my even the faintest glimmers of hope with her own bitter cynicism. ¡°I¡¯m sure this perv had nothing but the noblest intentions in scoping out the public school¡¯s music program,¡± Janine barreled on with that mocking sarcasm practically dripping from her tongue. ¡°Lucky thing he was there to appreciate your¡­ assets before they got too run down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± I finally snapped, balling my fists at my side as that wounded, embarrassed rage finally boiled over. ¡°For once I¡¯m thinking maybe there¡¯s a chance at something good happening for me, and you just-¡± The backhanded p caught mepletely off-guard, whipping my head to the side with a sharp crack. I stumbled back a step, clutching the fresh sting blossoming across my cheek as my mother loomed over me with wild, drunken fury zing in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare raise your voice at me, you ungrateful little c***!¡± She snarled, sloshing whiskey over the sides of her ss as she jabbed a finger in my face. ¡°After everything I sacrificed putting food on the table and keeping a roof over that worthless head of yours!¡± I stared back at her, trembling, as the familiar sense of broken despondency once again washed over me in thick, suffocating waves. This was the same, inescapable cycle we¡¯d been locked in since before Dad walked out all those years ago ¨C any tiny flicker of ambition or hope on my end inevitably crushed beneath the bitter weight of my mother¡¯s boundless resentments and regrets. ¡°So some gross old man heard you singing and suddenly you think you¡¯re a star?¡± Janine hissed, her lips curling back in a sneer. ¡°That¡¯s thest goddamn mistake you¡¯ll be making.¡± She lurched forward suddenly, using her considerable bulk to easily back me up against the wall. I shrank back as far as I could, but there was no escaping the hot whiskey fumes on her breath as she leaned in with wild, bloodshot eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what really would¡¯ve happened if I allowed you to go running off chasing pipe dreams with that pervert, Little Miss Talent.¡± Her voice was little more than a guttural rasp,ced with bitter venom. ¡°He would¡¯ve used you up and tossed you right back into the goddamn gutter the second he got bored or your looks faded. Just like your old man did to me when I was dumb enough to buy into his pretty little promises.¡± Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as the jagged shrapnel of her words sliced into me, raw and caustic. Any lingering defiance bled out in the wake of her harsh, unrelenting tirade. ¡°This life is all you and I get, Lucy,¡± Janine breathed, her cruel smirk an ugly rictus gash. ¡°So you¡¯d better get real goddamnfortable being another neglected has-been like me. ¡®Cause I¡¯ll be damned if I let you keep dreaming those sweet little white picket fantasies, just to end up discarded on the junkpile too.¡± With that, she shoved off from me with a grunt, knocking back thest of her drink before copsing onto the recliner in a sprawl. My entire body sagged against the wall, a husk of shattered hopes and wounded defiance as the hate-soaked diatribe continued ringing in my ears. Janine¡¯s rasping snores soon filled the squalid air, mingling with the obsceneugh track ring from the TV. But as I willed the free-flowing tears to abate, clutching my throbbing cheek, I could still feel the ice-cold weight of her embittered wrath burrowing beneath my skin. No matter how I longed to finally escape this suffocating purgatory of poverty and abuse, the shackles anchoring me here always seemed to grow tighter and more inescapable with each fleeting glimpse of freedom on the horizon. And so the cycle continued, unyielding and unbroken ¨C my dreams and spirit slowly corroded until they were as cold and discarded as every other lost promise littering the ruins of my wretched existence. Chapter 5: Cruel Hierarchy Look, I don¡¯t know who started the rumor that Chase was Derek Thorne¡¯s son, but that little nugget of gossip hit Westbrook High like a fucking nuclear bomb. It was absolute pandemonium after that first whisper made its way around the hallowed halls. Within a couple ss periods, everyone and their second cousin was buzzing about how the tall, mysterious new kid was actually the heir to one of the biggest fortunes in the entire country. Of course, this was red meat to a piranha like Brittany. The second she caught so much as a whiff of Chase¡¯s newly-minted status as eligible billionaire bachelor, she was all over that poor guy like flies on roadkill. I¡¯ll never forget the sickly-sweet False Start sheid on him that day in the quad during lunch. The girl practically oozed up to Chase, batting her eyshes and sticking out her surgically-enhanced cleavage for everyone to gawk at. ¡°Why, Chase! There you are!¡± She purred in that shrill baby-talk that made my skin crawl. ¡°I simply must get to know the newest most eligible young man on campus better!¡± Chase, bless his unppable soul, didn¡¯t even bat an eysh at the tant ego-stroke and flirtatious draped all over him. Dude just calmly closed the book he¡¯d been reading and looked up at her with an expression of polite indifference. ¡°I fail to see how my alleged pedigree should impact whether or not I¡¯m considered eligiblepany,¡± he remarked evenly. It was like there was this current of amused disdain underpinning his words, however inoffensively worded they might be. Like Brittany¡¯s whole practiced spiel of vapid flirtation and transparent ambition was more pitiful than it was offensive. She blinked twice at the thinly-veiled rebuke, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly like a stunned fish. Looking back, the whole scene was probably the first time the poor deluded harpy had ever encountered someonepletely immune to her shrill siren song of fake ttery and feigned interest. That¡¯s when Brittany¡¯s gazended on me ¨C just standing there like an idiot and observing the whole mortifying disy up close. Her dark eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as she registered my close proximity to her prized target. ¡°Oh, Loser Lucy¡¯s creeping around your heels again?¡± She sneered, shooting me a look of pure venom. ¡°I¡¯d be careful if I were you, Chase ¨C who knows what kinds of desperate delusions they¡¯ve nted in that depraved little mind.¡± ¡°Actually, I invited Lucy to join me,¡± Chase smoothly interjected before I could so much as open my mouth. An anticipatory hush fell over the gathered crowd of onlookers as Brittany¡¯s head whipped back to him in shock. You could practically see the gears grinding behind her heavily made-up eyes as she rapidly reevaluated this newest obstacle in her sights. ¡°I find herpany to be restorative, you see,¡± Chase borated, his tone deceptively light ¨C almost yful, even. ¡°Unlike others who seem intent on cultivating artifice, Lucy embraces authenticity with humbling grace.¡± With those softly murmured words, he slid off the bench and moved to stand by my side. My heart felt like it was about to burst clean through my ribcage as he caught my gaze and held it with that same molten, mesmerizing stare. ¡°She speaks earnest truths through her art,¡± he breathed, cradling my reddened cheek with the tenderest caress of his fingertips. ¡°Truths that slice straight through the white noise and awaken the spirit anew.¡± Before I could even process what was happening, Chase leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. I wentpletely rigid as the electric shock of that intimate contact flooded through me. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear Brittany¡¯s petnt shriek and the roar of the scandalized crowd. But the cacophony of chaos seemed to bleed away, muted and distant. The only sensations that registered were the dizzying blend of Chase¡¯s rich, earthy scent and the molten imprint of his kiss searing into the very core of my being. All too soon, the moment was broken as Chase withdrew, though he remained close enough that I could still feel the scorching heat radiating off his tall frame. Those forest-green eyes smoldered down at me, twin smolders of rapturous intensity. ¡°Your light outshines any artifice or grandeur, Lucy Abrams,¡± he murmured, the words dripping like warm honey from his lips. ¡°Remember that when lesser beings seek to extinguish your brilliance out of bitter envy.¡± With that, he brushed past me and strode away, leaving me standing there reeling and rooted to the spot while the world exploded around me in shocked pandemonium. Even Brittany seemed rendered temporarily mute by the audacious spectacle, her mouth working open and closed like a gasping fish. It wasn¡¯t until study hall that the ominous weight of what had transpired finally crashed over me. I should have known Brittany would never let Chase¡¯s open defiance and humiliation slide ¨C especially not in front of every braying spectator in the quad. ¡°Look who finally graced us mere mortals with her presence,¡± came that grating, nasal sneer as I made my way to my seat. ¡°Hollywood¡¯s newest starlet, folks! Be sure to get her autograph before she hits it big.¡± The cackling harpies erupted into raucousughter and hoots, leering at me with undisguised schadenfreude. I kept my gaze locked on the ground, carefully avoiding eye contact as I moved to my desk and sat down. ¡°Aww, what¡¯s the matter, rich girl?¡± Brittany crooned in that shrill, condescending tone she knew grated on everyst nerve. ¡°Too good to acknowledge your lowly subjects now that you¡¯ve upgraded to royalty?¡± More jeers and mockingughter followed that barb. I tried to calm myself down, breathing in and out as I tried to drown all the noises around me. Don¡¯t react, Lucy. Don¡¯t give them the satisfaction. A sharp sting suddenly cracked across the side of my face, whipping my head to the side. Brittany loomed over my desk brandishing a balled-up piece of paper like a makeshift weapon. Her eyes shed with tant resentment as she smirked down in undisguised contempt. ¡°You really must have a magic pair of lips if you could bewitch the great Chase Thorne that easily,¡± she simpered, her lips curling in a cruel sneer. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve just finally found your true calling after all ¨C as society¡¯s oldest profession.¡± I flinched as another spitball struck its mark, exploding off my cheek in a gooey burst. The harpies howled like a pack of demented hyenas, practically choking on their own rapturous glee at the disy. Brittany leaned in closer, her expression twisting into a sadistic mask of undisguised revulsion.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Let me make one thing crystal clear, trailer trash,¡± she hissed, low and dangerous. ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m letting you outshine me at this showcase, you understand? Over my dead body will I let some disgusting, gutter-dwelling cock-sleeve steal my rightful spotlight.¡± The ensuing cluster of fresh spitballs and projectiles struck in furious, stinging waves as the taunting jeers reached deafening levels. I sat there, feeling helpless as I shielded my head from their cruelty. And for a moment, it seemed as though it would never end. Just when I thought my spirit might finally shatter beneath the weight of their gleefully sadistic torment, a thunderous bellow cut through the crazed bem like the st of divine retribution. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± The single barkedmand ricocheted off the walls, dousing the fevered chaos like a bucket of ice water. We all whipped around to see Mrs. Wilson, the study hall monitor, standing in the doorway. The older woman¡¯s bespectacled face was pinched into a rictus of smoldering outrage as she raked her gaze over the scene before her. ¡°That¡¯s quite enough of that disgraceful disy!¡± She stabbed an usatory finger towards Brittany, her entire frame trembling with incandescent fury. ¡°You and your little coterie will be reporting directly to the principal¡¯s office. We¡¯re getting your parents involved if that¡¯s what it takes to put an end to these depraved bullying antics!¡± Chapter 6: Drill The ringleader opened her mouth, no doubt to unleash another litany of fragrant protests and indignant deflections. But one withering re from Mrs. Wilson¡¯s smoldering eyes seemed to rob Brittany of her bravado. ¡°I want you reprobates out of this ssroom and in the principal¡¯s office within the next sixty seconds,¡± the older woman intoned, her voice low and dangerous. ¡°Otherwise I¡¯ll be pursuing an extended suspension for the lot of you. Is that clear?¡± You could have heard a pin drop in the ensuing silence. Even Brittany wasn¡¯t dumb enough to openly defy direct administrative action at this juncture. With onest hate-filled glower in my direction, she jerked her head towards the door in a silentmand. Her minions hastily followed, scurrying after their disgraced ringleader like a pack of scalded rats. The tension in the room didn¡¯t dissipate until thest echoing footfalls retreated down the hallway. I slowly unfurled from my hunched protective posture, taking stock of the fresh welts blooming across my exposed skin. ¡°Miss Abrams, kindlye with me.¡± Mrs. Wilson¡¯s no-nonsense bark shattered the terse quiet. I wordlessly obeyed, wincing as I rose stiffly from my chair and joined the dour-faced instructor by the door. She kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, resolutely refusing to meet my gaze as we marched in terse silence towards the nurse¡¯s office. The walk seemed to stretch into a small eternity, the muffled sounds of ssroom activity buzzing in the periphery. I kept my eyes trained on the scuffed linoleum beneath our feet, concentrating on shoving down the panic and humiliation churning in my gut. I knew the drill all too well a brief respite to lick my wounds until the next inevitable storm of derision and degradation crashed over me once more. An inescapable riptide that threatened to pull me under for good if I didn¡¯t steel myself against its relentless pull. The click of the nurse¡¯s office door swinging open jarred me back to reality. Mrs. Wilson ushered me inside with a gentle but firm hand between my shoulder des. Nurse Bailey nced up from her paperwork, her grandmotherly features pinching into a frown as she took in my disheveled appearance. ¡°Another incident with those awful Holbrook girls, I presume?¡± she tutted, already rising to gather supplies from the cab. Mrs. Wilson simply nodded, steering me over to the cot with a guiding hand. I sat stiffly upright on the firm mattress, my shoulders slumped and eyes downcast as the veteran nurse got to work, gently dabbing at the stinging abrasions dotting my skin. ¡°You poor dear,¡± Nurse Bailey murmured, her voice a throaty coo of sympathy as her aged hands moved with deft surety. ¡°I swear, if I were forty years younger, I¡¯d march right down to that principal¡¯s office and give Brittany Holbrook a piece of my mind myself. Rotten behavior like that should never be tolerated in a ce of learning.¡± I offered a nomittal shrug, too exhausted and emotionally wrung out to formte a proper response. The events of the day Chase¡¯s emboldened disy in the courtyard, followed by Brittany¡¯s vitriolic retaliation had sapped me down to the dregs. ¡°Now you just hold still while I get this fixed up proper,¡± Nurse Bailey soothed, swapping out ointments as she moved on to a lurid welt on my cheek. ¡°I won¡¯t have that nasty little brat¡¯s venom leaving any permanent marks on that pretty face.¡± Her kindly words washed over me, providing a brief salve against the hateful onught still reverberating through my psyche. However fleeting, it felt like a tiny tether to my battered humanity in that moment.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°There now,¡± she breathed at length, stepping back to inspect her handiwork with an appraising nod. ¡°All patched up and good as new. Though I¡¯d give that one a little time before singing again, hmm?¡± Thest part was uttered with a conspiratorial wink and tender pat on my shoulder. A lump swelled in my throat, and I averted my gaze before the tears burning in my eyes could betray mepletely. ¡°Mind if I have a word?¡± The familiar, softly resonant timbre caused my heart to stutter. I snapped my head up to see Chase standing in the open doorway, concern etched into his striking features as his gaze roamed over the mottled bruises and scrapes dotting my skin. ¡°Of course, dear,¡± Nurse Bailey replied, bobbing her head. ¡°I¡¯ll just leave you two alone for some privacy.¡± She gave my arm onest supportive squeeze before tottering out, pulling the door closed behind her with a soft click. For several endless heartbeats, silence stretched between Chase and I like a taut bowstring as our eyes met and held across the small exam room. When he finally spoke, his deep voice was soft andced with simmering intensity. ¡°Brittany¡¯s pathetic intimidation tactics against you will not be tolerated any longer,¡± he murmured in that same hushed fervor that made the tiny hairs on the back of my neck prickle. ¡°Of this, I can assure you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I heard the hoarse whisper leave my lips before I could think better of it. ¡°Just another day in the life, you know? I¡¯ve gotten pretty good at dealing with her bullshit by now.¡± The corners of Chase¡¯s lips twitched at that, like my toss-away gallows humor had inadvertently amused him. But his stare remained as intense and unwavering as ever. ¡°Nevertheless,¡± he intoned quietly, ¡°no light as brilliant as yours should be subjected to such wanton cruelty. You are too exquisite, too transcendent to wallow perpetually beneath the bitter jealousies of stunted, mundane souls.¡± My breath hitched in my throat at the unbridled reverence, the naked sincerity ringing in his tone. Chase took a purposeful step closer, then another, until his powerful frame seemed to loom over me where I sat frozen on the cot. ¡°Lucy Abrams¡­¡± He reached out, cupping his palm along the undamaged side of my jaw with exquisite tenderness. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t surrender your radiant spirit to this rancid darkness, no matter how viciously it ws. The world would be poorer for the loss of your luminescence.¡± Every fiber of my being thrummed and resonated in harmony with the profound truth imbued in his murmured plea. My heart, my very soul recognized the unbearable uracy of his impassioned words at a primal, cellr level. Before I could even begin formting a coherent response, Chase leaned down and captured my lips in another scorching, soulful kiss. This time there was no hesitation, no split-second paralysis as I instinctively surrendered myself over to the profound intimacy of that connection. Our mouths moved in sensuous tandem, stoking the simmering heat between us into a smoldering congration that threatened to consume me whole. I drank deep the ambrosia of his taste, his scent, losing all semnce of reality beyond the zing ecstasy of this forbiddenmunion. All too soon, he tore himself away with a ragged exhtion, straightening to his full, towering height once more. His eyes those depthless emerald pools glittered with naked reverence and yearning. ¡°Soon, my radiant muse,¡± he rasped, shing the barest glimpse of a wolfish grin before turning on his heel. ¡°The time of your deliverance is nigh.¡± With that enigmatic promise lingering in his wake, Chase swept from the small exam room, leaving me swaying dazedly in the ringing silence. The lingering fire from our kiss still smoldered in the hollow of my breast, a seed of rapturous yearning threatening to blossom into an all-consuming devotion. Outside the office windows, thunder cracked ominously across the roiling gunmetal sky, as if in portentous prelude of the storm toe. Chapter 7: Smoldering Reverence Okay, the days leading up to that big audition showcase were justpletely insane. The hallways were like this buzzing beehive of hairspray fumes and glitter everywhere you looked. Not that I paid Brittany and her vapid minions much attention as they flitted around like manic preeners, though. I was way too focused on my own prep to get caught up in their shallow drama for once. Now that it was confirmed Derek Thorne himself ¨C yeah, billionaire big shot Derek Thorne ¨C had a personal stake in our rinky-dink high school talent show, it was like every desperate theater kid with an ounce of ambition kicked their efforts into overdrive. This wasn¡¯t just someme year-end recital anymore. It was a literal once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get on that dude¡¯s radar. Oh, and there were also whispers that the big man himself nned to bring his hoity-toity prima donna grandmother to the show. You know, the one who used to be this world-renowned opera singer back in the day? Apparently Granny Thorne would be scouting the whole shebang to maybe pluck the most extraordinary talent and take them under her stuffy wing for private mentoring or some shit. Needless to say, every sycophantic little song-and-dance nerd was practically creaming themselves at the prospect of getting discovered by musical theater royalty. It was pretty much like the ultimate wet dream for every dweeb theater kid that still hadn¡¯t managed to pull the costume tail out of their asscrack.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Me, though? I did my damndest not to buy into all the hype and delusional fantasies swirling around. Don¡¯t get me wrong, just the mere idea of getting to perform for the legendary Constance Thorne herself sent intimidated little tremors racing up my spine. But after thatst nasty run-in with Brittany and her vicious cronies, I knew I needed to keep my head down and avoid any unnecessary drama. That¡¯s why I stuck to lurking in the empty music room after hours to go over my stuff in private. Even with the rest of the auditorium overrun by those fame-thirsty theater tryhards polishing their choreography and line readings, the old music room always remained this weirdly tranquil little ind of peace and quiet. Least for me, anyway. Thosete golden afternoon sunbeams would stream in through the high windows as I settled onto the beat-up piano bench, just soaking in the warm silence for a few moments before lining up my lyrics. Then I¡¯d let my original song just freely pour out of me ¨C a raw, aching spiritual howl of all the unspoken agony and yearning my sorry ass life had endured until that point. Singing it always felt like this weirdbination of excruciating yet cleansing. Like I was ripping these jagged barbs of brokenness and torment straight out of my soul, but leaving behind a profound catharsis and sense of¡­ I don¡¯t know, rebirth or some deep shit like that. Every time, I just sort of got lost in the whole exquisitemunion,pletely zoning out until thest soulful notes faded away. ¡°Your performances remain as transfixing as ever, I see.¡± Chase¡¯s low, syrupy voice sliced through the silence in that moment like a hot de, causing me to actually jolt a little in shock. My breath hitched as my head whipped around to find his tall, powerful frame silhouetted in the doorway, those green eyes glittering intently in the fading amber rays. ¡°Shit, I ¨C I didn¡¯t hear youe in at all,¡± I stammered out, suddenly feeling weirdly flustered and self-conscious at having been caught in such an exposed emotional state. ¡°My humblest apologies for the disruption,¡± Chase murmured in that smooth, melted caramel tone that curled deliciously in my ear. The dude prowled into the room with thatnguid, predatory grace of his until he was looming over me by the piano ¨C a towering column of quiet power and scorching intensity. ¡°I merely wished to convey my most reverent appreciation to you before your rightful unveiling to the world.¡± His voice dropped to a breathless rasp that made every fine hair along my arms prickle upright in anticipation. ¡°You¡¯ve no conception of the singr privilege it shall be to bear witness when that transcendent light of yours is finally revealed for all to bask in, Lucy.¡± My pulse immediately kicked into a gallop as he closed thosest few feet between us ¨C an intoxicating mixture of bravado and raw vulnerability surging through me in alternating swells. I had to actually tilt my head back fully just to maintain our smoldering eye contact as Chase crowded intimately into my personal space. ¡°I can only hope my modest abilities somehow measure up to such elevated expectations you seem to have for me,¡± I found myself murmuring back, utterly transfixed by the scorching heat and undisguised reverence zing in those pretty emerald eyes. The corner of Chase¡¯s full, sensuous mouth quirked up in this sly little half-smirk as he slowly reached out, trailing the calloused tips of his fingers along the column of my throat with torturous tenderness. I couldn¡¯t quite stifle the tremor that shivered through me at the electrifying sweep of his touch, that delicious frisson of simmering longing blooming white-hot and insistent beneath his teasing caress. ¡°Such endearing humility,¡± he practically purred, his tone dropping into this gravelly baritone that washed over me in sultry waves. ¡°And yet your lyrical gifts speak to an indomitable spirit, as if the two aspects exist in perfect, harmonic symbiosis within you.¡± The featherlight caress trailed up along the tender curve of my jaw then, rendering mepletely mute and motionless beyond feeble gasps escaping my parted lips. Chase drank in my reactions with obvious relish, those burning emerald eyes following each spasm and tremor his cially ponderous touch set rippling across my hypersensitized skin. ¡°Tell me¡­¡± That low, velvety rumble seemed to reverberate through my very bones, stoking the building ache in my core into an insistent ze. ¡°Does this vibrant spirit of yours only ze so bright when surrendering to the throes of your passionate lyrical professions, I wonder?¡± And then ¨C before I could so much as suck in a breath to respond ¨C Chase abruptly dropped down to one knee before me in a fluid, startling movement. I damn near convulsed as he bowed his head mere inches away from where my thighs parted, his silken chestnut waves brushing along the sensitive skin of my inner legs. ¡°Or perhaps it merely lies in dormant reserve¡­¡± he husked, those burning emerald eyes pinning me in ce like a moth transfixed to ss. ¡°Awaiting the proper reverence to thoroughly rouse it from its smoldering slumbers?¡± Holy mother of christ, was this really happening right now? The humid ghost of Chase¡¯s exhtions danced across the delicatece of my undergarments as he pressed his beautifully sculpted face closer and closer. The vivid mental image of him earnestlything his reverence upon the lush petals of my feminine pearl made my entire body spasm with searing arousal. I sucked in a shuddery gasp as those smoldering eyes of Chase¡¯s tracked upwards, burning into mine with naked reverence. Jesus, it was like the paragon of every lurid, X-rated fantasy I¡¯d ever secretly nursed was ying out in high-def surround sound right before my stunned gaze. Close enough for me to trace the sharp, elegant lines of his cheekbones with trembling fingers, to get utterly drunk on the crisp, masculine scent of him enveloping me in its irresistible pull. ¡°I must confess¡­ it¡¯s be a source of endless intrigue for me, this dichotomy,¡± Chase rasped, and I nearly whimpered at the viscous syrup of his words dripping across that scant, charged space between us. ¡°Determining on which fevered ne your transcendent spirit yearns to burn most brilliantly aglow, Lucy Abrams.¡± Oh God. Oh my God. I probably should¡¯ve recoiled then. Then he gripped my neck and smashed his lips on mine again. Chapter 8: Competition I was riding high after my session with Chase, my steps light as I headed down the corridor towards the audition room. This was it-my shot at something big, something that could change everything. But I should have known better than to leave an opening to myself to be trapped. I was walking down the corridor, and while I thought I was safe, I was suddenly smashed unto the locker, the breath almost knocked out of me. ¡°Think you are quite the sexy thing now, Lucy?¡± She spat at me, clutching my shoulders in a vice like grip with her talon like finger nails. You really thought you could barge in here and just steal whatever was rightfully ours you perverted scum. I attempted to say something and out came a weak rasp. Behind Brittany I could see her two sidekicks Amber and Zoe standing in front of the hallway. A sudden spark of fear struck me when I came to the realization of my situation and how much of a prisoner I had be. There was sadistic relish in Brittany¡¯s voice when she said, ¡°Listen up, little miss nobody. ¡± ¡°This is our space, this is our spotlight You even think about outshining us out there I swear on everything, I¡¯ll make you wish you never grabbed a mic ever¡± I wanted be defiant, yelled at her for causing all this, but fear had its choking grip on my neck. The only thing I could do was to nod and I immediately regretted doing so. Looking at Brittany, lip curled into an incredibly smoky sneer. Smart girl. ¡± And if you dare beat us¡­ then just wait for your big break, sweetheart. ¡± She pushed me and walked off with Amber and Zoe giggling behind her. I leaned against the wall and was choking causing me to make a gagging sound. My mind was reeling. How had this happened? Why me? I hadn¡¯t done anything to them, had not attempted to take someone¡¯s focus away from what they were doing. I was just here to follow my passion as everyone else, to sing and perform and do what I wanted. As I tried to breathe through the hardness of my chest, fear started to slowly enter my mind. Maybe they were right. Perhaps, I shouldn¡¯t be here. Who was I to think that I could go head to head with beautiful girls like Brittany or Jessica whose fathers might have had them singing lessons since they were in the womb? For a minute I considered that and then my mind shifted to my motherboring in the diner all through the single shifts and overtimes, in order to make me buy a suitable dress for this audition. I ended up thinking of my little sister, Mia who would gaze at me lovingly whenever I sung her to sleep. And I thought of Chase, of how happy he was when he listened and sang at the same pitch as me. No. I couldn¡¯t give up. Not now. Not when I was so close. Sliding to the floor, I tried to stand up, conscious of the dull pain in my back. I had to whisper to calm my nerves so, I adjusted my clothes andbed through my hair with both my hands. This meant that I had to gather myself and stand firm. The judges wouldn¡¯t wait and I could not sit back let this chance slip out of my hands. Slowly gathering my courage I walked towards the door of the audition room. I certainly could not move like I usually did, my legs felt like they were made of jell-O, my heartbeat was intensely loud. But I kept movin¡¯ one small step at a time. That moment when I stepped out into the spotlight the stage was very blinding and that is why when my sight was somewhat normal I saw them. Chase¡¯s father and the great-grandmother among the other judges. He had a stern look on his face but did not flinch, Chase¡¯s great grand mother, Nana Rose as they refer her to her looked at me and smiled gently. ¡°Hello there, what is your name, and what song would you like to sing?¡± Another judge asked, holding a pen above his note book. ¡°Lucy Abrams.¡± I stated stunned at how firm my voice was. ¡°I¡¯ll be performing Rise Up by Andra Day.¡± I took in a deep breath as I listened to the notes. And then I opened my mouth and sang. ¡°You¡¯re broken down and tired Of living life on a merry-go-round And you can¡¯t find the fighter But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out And move mountains¡­¡± As I sang, something shifted inside me. The fear, the doubt, Brittany¡¯s threats-they all faded away. In that moment, there was only the music, only my voice rising and falling with each powerful line. ¡°I¡¯ll rise up I¡¯ll rise like the day I¡¯ll rise up I¡¯ll rise unafraid I¡¯ll rise up And I¡¯ll do it a thousand times again¡­¡± I poured everything I had into those words. I poured every dream, every struggle¡­ I sang for myself, my future¡­ Chase. On thest note, I opened my eyes and noticed the judges with a smile on their faces. Was Nana Rose crying? ¡°Thank you, Lucy,¡± Mr. Ryder said, his voice softer than I¡¯d expected. ¡°That was¡­ quite something.¡± I let out a quake breath as I realized¡­ I¡¯d done it. A soft ¡®thank you¡¯ escaped my lips. Despite everything, I¡¯d gotten up there and given it my all. Whatever happened next, they couldn¡¯t take that away from me. Chase appeared out of nowhere, slinging an arm around my shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s my partner!¡± he said loudly, steering me past the mean girls. ¡°How¡¯d it go? Bet you knocked their socks off.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile, grateful for his perfect timing. ¡°I think it went okay,¡± I said, allowing myself to rx a little under the safety of his arm. ¡°Okay? Please,¡± Chase scoffed. ¡°I heard you from down the hall. You were amazing, Luce.¡± As we moved on, I could feel Brittany was eyeing me up and down. But for once I was able to just let it roll off my back I had faced my fears and knew I would be fine. Whatever was next I was prepared for it. The rest of the day was somewhat of a blur. The auditions continue, more waiting time, more moments of nervous conversations among the show¡¯s participants. I was somewhat a loner after the mini concert, not saying much to anyone and was still in my own world thinking over the oue of my performance. It was not until theter part of the afternoon that they notified us all to gather back in the auditorium. I felt much nervous as we all entered the reception and looked round for any familiar faces to fix our eyes at. I saw Chase sitting a few seats forward and he gave me a thumbs up gesture. At the center of the stage was Mr. Ryder and due to his authoritative aura, everyone was effectively dominated by him. ¡°First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your efforts and passion.¡± He started, ¡°Today I could witness a fantastic level of people¡¯s skills. ¡± I fidgeted with my fingers, nervous because I wanted to win so badly. ¡°There are only few people who have made it to the next phase. I¡¯ll be listing them out.¡± Fear enveloped me and I could hardly hear a thing when he started to read out names. I saw a few-some of them were our local performers, others that came from other cities but had performed in well-known theaters¡­ Brittany got called and she gave me a look of ¡®you can¡¯t outdo me.¡¯ I¡¯d already given up, believing the Chase¡¯s father was done with them list and I didn¡¯t make it. ¡°Lucy Abrams. ¡± For a minute, I thought I¡¯d misunderstood what has been said. But then Chase was turning around, grinning and giving me a silent cheer, and the girl next to me was nudging me to stand up. Still in shock I slowly got up from the floor and did not even hear the apuse. I¡¯d done it. I¡¯d actually done it. When I entered the stage with the other selected participants, I nced at the facial expression of Brittany in the audience. Her face had the bitter disappointment of a woman who had been forced to choke down something undeniably sour, her ce seething with barely contained rage. But for once I did not look away from her scowl; I had earned this, I had earned it legally and squarely. Finally up on stage, Chase¡¯s father was congratting us and shaking our hands. He hesitated when he was at my side. ¡°What a show, Miss Abrams,¡± he murmur intelligently. ¡°I can hardly wait to see what you are capable of. ¡± I could only say ¡°Thank you sir¡± before I moved, and the feeling of pride washed over my face. While we were led off the stage to receive our packets of information, we started to realize the true nature of the show.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. I hugged my notes to myself when I fell to the ground. Someone had pushed me. ¡°Hey what did we tell you huh?¡± Brittany gripped my cor, her eyes filled with disdain. ¡°I earned this Brittany.¡± For the first time, I spoke up for myself, not withstanding the fear in my chest. She sized me up with her gaze, and I sized her up too. I wasn¡¯t going down without a fight. Chapter 9: Agony At It鈥檚 Peak She let out a very loudughter. ¡°I see loser Lucy grew some wings here. Perhaps we should chop the off so you can know your ce.¡± I kicked and trashed against her but her friends gripped me as well, trapping me between them. Brittany stepped forward and gave me a p, a very, profound p, my neck almost cracked at the impact. I found myself cackling, my voice echoing in the corridor. ¡°I see what you¡¯re afraid of. You¡¯re not even all that, and yet here you are making others feel less epted because you believe they¡¯re better than you. Why wouldn¡¯t they be? When your whole life is a joke.¡± Another p came to my cheeks and I spat out blood. ¡°Bring her with me. You¡¯ll regret what you said to me today.¡± She growled while they dragged me with them. I struggled in their grip. ¡°Where are you taking me? Let me go!¡± But they were too fast, until we got to the locker room. I noticed Brittany walk to her locker before bring out a whip and medicine. ¡°You¡¯re so going to regret this. Hard drug isn¡¯t allowed in the school premises is it? Now watch as I ruin your reputation.¡± My eyes widened as she got a sack of cocaine out of her bag pack. I was shocked they carried this around with them everyday. Then I watched as she put it all into my back pack. ¡°Stop.¡± I tried yanking myself off their grip before Brittany gripped my chin and rubbed cocaine on my nose. ¡°That post you so badly want, you sure are going to get it.¡± Tears dropped from my eyes. ¡°Please stop this. Please.¡± But they allughed like this was nothing. ¡°Aww, did loser Lucy just plead with us? You were so bold about a second ago.¡± Tears dropped from my eyes. ¡°Avi, now.¡± Brittany said before Avi ran out of the room. Brittany took out her phone and a bottle of tequ. ¡°Say another word.¡± Sheughed, recording my vulnerability, making it seem like I was the guilty one here. ¡°Say cheese.¡± I gritted my cheek, trying desperately yank myself away from their clutches. I trembled with sobs, ring at Brittany who had a smug look of satisfaction on her face. It changed to a scowl. ¡°Who said you can look at me that way?¡± Before I could process her question, I felt a painful impact on my face once more. And instantly tried rose from the chair to attack her, but all the same I was held back. ¡°I¡¯m not done with you yet baby girl.¡± She stroked my hair. ¡°Oh you thought I was?¡± As if on cue Avi walked into the room with¡­ Mark? ¡°What is he doing here?¡± ¡°Oh he came here to bear witness of something.¡± ¡°You threatened him didn¡¯t you?¡± I gritted out. ¡°Would it take a threat for a horny guy to have a release?¡± My face dropped. ¡°What?¡± I nced at Mark who didn¡¯t seem at all affected by all these. When¡­ he had helped me when Brittany¡­ why was he suddenly so different¡­ ¡°They threatened you didn¡¯t they?¡± He stepped closer to me. ¡°Mark please don¡¯t do this.¡±I tried to shift back but they were able to get me to remain stable. Tears dropped from my eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t you. Mark please¡­¡± He gripped my neck. ¡°You have no idea how long I¡¯ve waited for this day.¡± I stared at him with weak disbelief. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that do you?¡± I questioned, my voice barely above a whisper. He only smirked. ¡°Help!! Help me!!¡± I cried out and they all began to panic before someone hit a nerve on my neck. Wounded, I fell back and lost consciousness. A few momentster I woke up¡­ looking down at myself, feeling a bit sore. When I looked around, it was really quiet, I almost did not understand where I was. I tried to move but noticed something was off. I rose up and looked at myself in the mirror, my outfit was ripped. And my trouser¡­ I tucked my hand in to feel myself and felt¡­ sore. I blinked, not wanting to believe that was what happened. It couldn¡¯t be. Maybe I was just taking it too far. My eyes blurred with tears. If anybody finds this out I was doomed. I ran to my locker and opened it to take out a flower dress outfit. I hated wearing sunflower dresses and I¡¯d flung this cloth into the locker because I didn¡¯t want it. Fortunately, it came in handy. I stepped out of the locker room, conscious of myself and my environment. The first thing that came to my mind was home¡­ I needed to be home. My strides were quite fast until I bumped into someone. Stumbling back a little I raised my gaze, to notice it was Chase. ¡°Where are you going, walking so fast like that?¡± He questioned teasingly, but I didn¡¯t say anything, I was in severe pain. His face softened into that of concern. ¡°Hey are you okay?¡± He gripped my shoulder a little.From N?velDrama.Org. I didn¡¯t want too start exining myself to anyone. ¡°Step aside.¡± I told him and it was then he decided to step right in front of me. I nced up at him. ¡°Step asides Chase.¡± ¡°They hurt you. Again.¡± He cupped my face. ¡°I can see it in your eyes, I can sniff it.¡± I looked away in embarrassment wanting to cry. ¡°Hey hey, look at me, don¡¯t look away from me. There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of when you¡¯re with me Lucy please, I want you to feel safe and secure. I¡¯m here for you okay? Just let it out.¡± I broke down, sobbing into his chest. My body trembled in his arms in tears as I let every out. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± He hugged me tighter, kissing my forehead. ¡°Let it out.¡± We stayed there for about an hour with him just trying to calm me down, until I was ready to head out. ¡°What me to take you home?¡± ¡°No there¡¯s no need.¡± I was about walking away when he pulled me back and scooped me up like a child. My eyes widened. ¡°What are you doing, people will see us?¡± ¡°And so?¡± He cocked a brow. I looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to look down on you.¡± ¡°Let them. That¡¯s the worst they can do.¡± He said and walked down the corridor, I buried my face into his chest. ¡°If only they knew it wouldn¡¯tst long. And it only you knew, this wouldn¡¯tst.¡± The huskies of his voice sent shivers down by spine. I heard murmuring of students and gasps. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this.¡± I found myself saying barely above a whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t, I want to.¡± He stated before everything went into oblivion. Chapter 10: Marred And just a single photo, turned my life upside down. I stood there, staring at my phone with ultimate disbelief. The videos and photo revealed when I was in the locker room. But I noticed they had edited the background into making it seem as though I was at a party. And of me sniffing cocaine and drinking alcohol. I looked high and the video¡­ oh my gosh¡­ I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing. I thought it was a dream, and it wasn¡¯t real but it was. They recorded what Mark did to me while I was unconscious. Tears trickled from why eyes. That was the reason I felt so sore. He had absolutely no mercy on me and they all made it seem as though I was enjoying the entire process. The news had spread wide and my reputation was ruined. I gasped, my shoulders trembling as I sobbed. But what did I do wrong? What did I do to be bullied this way? To be underestimated? To be taken as nothing? What did I do, to deserve such an abusive life? I huped as I read through. ¡°Lucy Abrams, star student by day, party animal by night?¡± The caption reads like a cheap tabloid headline. I want to scream that it¡¯s not true, that I was just tired and the cup was filled with soda, but who would believe me now? The likes andments are piling up on the university¡¯s unofficial social media page. Each notification feels like a tiny dagger to my heart. How did this happen? My image mattered to me, I worked so hard to gain a schrship, I worked so hard to maintain that schrship but now¡­ I¡¯m jolted from my thoughts by a sharp knock on my dorm room door. ¡°Lucy! Open up!¡± It¡¯s my locker mate, Jade. I hesitate for a moment before letting her in. Jade bursts into the room, her eyes wide with concern. ¡°Have you seen it? The photo? It¡¯s everywhere!¡± I nodded, trying to hold back tears. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it too. And I swear to god it¡¯s not what it looks like.¡± ¡°And you expect me to believe that you bitch?¡± She gripped my hair and I yelped at how tight her grip words. ¡°Mom I swear to you I didn¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°I knew right from the start that I shouldn¡¯t have had you as a daughter. You¡¯re so stupid! What name do you want the media to call this family after the video of you sniffing cocaine.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± I sobbed. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, call me mom. You¡¯re not my daughter.¡± She growled. ¡°Let this moment be thest time you ever set a foot into this house.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Mum, mum you don¡¯t mean that do you?¡± I blinked tears away. ¡°I¡¯ve never been more serious in my life.¡± I knew my mother had always been uncaring and unkind towards me, but this side of her, was different. It was as though she hated the day I was brought into this earth, like I was too much of a burden. Her eyes burned with hatred as she stared at me, and I could feel the slow tears that rolled down my eyes as the reality dawned on me. Without another word, I turned, triggered and stunned, I walked out of the house into the rain. Not caring that I got wet. My mother¡¯s words¡­ struck me hard¡­ I was abandoned. It was cold and the rain wasn¡¯t making it any better. The memory of this day would never leave my head. I continued to walk down the street till I couldn¡¯t anymore, shivering in the cold¡­ I looked anywhere for shelter but found none. I stumbled over to a bench, and sank down, clutching my chest as I cried. This couldn¡¯t be happening. How did everything end up going wrong within such a short time? ¡°Lucy?¡± I nced up quickly, blushing and surprised to have Chase standing there, sincere concern reflected in his features. That had to happen right now out of all the people I was gonna meet out here. ¡°Hi,¡± I was barely able to say, hurriedly trying to erase the traces of tears away. ¡°Are you here for?¡± He settled beside me but to not touch me, maintaining a measure of space. ¡°I was walking home from band practice. But hey, it¡¯s not about me. What happened? Are you alright?¡± I sighed and my voice came out bitter. ¡°Okay?¡± I echoed stupidly before shaking my head and replying, ¡°No, I am far from okay. ¡± Chase listened well, and his eyebrows became even more knitted as he listened to every word. I then paused and to my surprise, he did not utter a word for a few seconds after I stopped talking. Next, he said, ¡°Come on. ¡± I blinked at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come on,¡± he said getting up and making a gesture with his hand as if inviting her to take it. ¡°You areing over to my ce. ¡± ¡°Chase, I can¡¯t-¡± ¡®Yes, you can,¡¯ He said it loudly. ¡°You cane and stay at our house until we work something else out. ¡± I hesitated. It can be said that this was a kind offer, perhaps overly so. That is why in my ns there is one important limitation I do not want to impose on people¡¯s kindness and generosity. ¡± Chase rolled his eyes. ¡°No, Lucy, you are not bothering me at all, you are my friend and you do need my help, nowe on it is getting cold here. ¡± I got fed up with his stubbornness and just epted his hand and went with him to his car. The ride to his house was silent, but not awkwardly so. Chase was staring at me as if I would vanish away from his sight the moment he would blink his eyes. His house was muchrger than I thought it would be, a two story home in one of the better parts of town. When we entered I felt awkward or as if I was somehow tainting the clean floors and wall of the reception area by my mere presence. ¡°Well, make yourself at home,¡± Chase said before throwing the keys on the side table. ¡°Hey are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat. ¡± I shook my head. ¡°No thank you¡± I¡¯ll still stick to my NO food policy, I don¡¯t think I could eat right now. He nodded, understanding. ¡°Ok, well then, let me take you to the guest room; you look like you could use some sleep. ¡± My old room was not asfortable as the guest room they provided and they had left it more spacious than a guest room . The words produced a new pang through me like a sharp knife. Chase must have seen the reaction, for he added hastily, ¡°Bathroom is over there, you will find some spare toiletries under the sink. As for the sleeping, here, if you¡¯d like¡­ I can give you some clothes. ¡± ¡°I¡¯d love that, thank you,¡± I replied, forcing a smile on my face. He went to the back for a moment only to return with a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. ¡°They will berge on you, but they should do for tonight We will find something more suitable for tomorrow¡± I took the clothes and our hands touched for a split second. ¡°Chase, I¡­ thank you. Really. ¡± He looked at me and seemed a bit shy, then simply shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. That¡¯s what friends are for, isn¡¯t it not?¡± Friends. Right. I suppressed the little sinking feeling inside me each time he spoke to me like that. I was not free to indulge in such thoughts at the moment. ¡°Rest a little,¡± Chase stated, walking toward the door. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more tomorrow morning, alright?¡± I opened my mouth to say something, but he merely nodded and exited the room shutting the door gently after him.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. For a while, I just stood on the spot clutching the borrowed clothes to me tightly. As per the norm, I moved in a robotic manner and engaged in the activities associated with bed preparations. My muscle tension eased slightly in the shower, the hot water proving to be quite soothing. But even the water could not cleanse them of the urrences of the day, or so it seemed. As I finallyy in the unfamiliar bed dressed in Chase¡¯s clothing, I felt the reality of my situatione crashing down on me. I was homeless. My mother had evicted me from the house was so heart wrenching for me. My reputation was already damaged beyond recognition. I had no idea of how I was going to repair any of it. Laying my head in the bed again, I cried on to the pillow as if the situation was too much for me to handle. Finally, the weariness prevailed, and I slept with utmost difort and woke up to face another dreadful day. Chapter 11: Damaged The next morning I woke up with confusion probably due tock of sleep. Suddenly the penny dropped and I found myself sitting on a benchte one Saturday afternoon with clothes that didn¡¯t belong to me. This was followed by a sudden rey of all that had transpired and I woke up with a groan, burying myself under the duvet. A gentle tapping on the door somehow pulled me out of the room. ¡°Lucy?¡± Chase¡¯s voice sound came from behind the wooden door. ¡°Are you finally awake? I cooked something to eat if you feel like eating it. ¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. My stomach suddenly rumbled, it was only then I realized I¡¯d not eaten since yesterday. ¡°Yeah¡­ please give me five minutes¡­¡± A blush grew on my cheeks as I got nervous. Taking a deep breath and preparing myself, I walked down the stairs. Chase was in that kitchenying tes of pancakes and bacons. It¡¯s quite surprising to see things get back to normal after such events. ¡°Morning,¡± Chase greeted me politely, though he also shed his teeth in what could be best exined as a smile. ¡°How¡¯d you sleep?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I said as I took out a stool and sat. ¡°I guess.¡± Ipleted before eyeing the pancakes on the table. ¡°Thanks for the breakfast. It looks, delicious.¡± I smiled sincerely. We ate inpanionable silence for a while. I was grateful that Chase didn¡¯t immediately start grilling me about what had happened. But I knew we couldn¡¯t avoid the topic forever. Sure enough, as we were finishing up, Chase cleared his throat. ¡°So, uh, I was thinking. About your situation.¡± I tensed, but nodded for him to continue. ¡°I did some diggingst night,¡± he said. ¡°That photo? There was no party, I know it happened in the locker room.¡± I nodded again. ¡°Yeah, but I swear, Chase, I wasn¡¯t drinking. I wasn¡¯t taking drug and I swear I didn¡¯t sleep with¡­ I was¡­¡± Tears stung my eyes realizing I became a victim of rape. He held up a hand. ¡°I believe you, Lucy. But here¡¯s the thing. I was at that party too, remember? And I distinctly recall seeing Brittany messing with your drink.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± Chase¡¯s face was grim. ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t take much significance into it then-thought it was just her normal intolerable self again! But with this photo and all that history, I think she didce your drink. ¡± The truth in the things that he was saying knocked me out something like a truck. ¡°Oh my God¡±, I murmured. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then. .. ¡± ¡°Then we can demonstrate your innocence,¡± Chase concluded. ¡°Well, you know it will not be that easy, right? Her father sits on the school board and Brittany is quite influential person too But we have the facts on our side. ¡± My soul ached to trust him but cold, bitter words flowed through my mind, ¡°Even if we sue, the harm is done. The world has that photo out there. My mom kicked me out. How do Ie back from this?¡± Chase extended his arm across the ind and slowly grabbed my hand. It was an unexpected move that did not make me wince back. ¡°Let¡¯s do this one step at a time,¡± He said in a calm and determined tone. ¡°First we will visit the school. I will join you in visiting the school¡¯s principal. Try and convince him to remove that photo because what happened was not as it was portrayed. ¡± ¡°And then what?¡± I wondered, gulping and hating how quiet I was. ¡± ¡°Then we deal with your mom,¡± he said. ¡®When she starts knowing the truth she will have to listen and if she doesn¡¯t¡­¡¯ He clutched my hand tightly. ¡°Well, you are wee here anytime you want or for as long as you would require a home¡­¡± He stared back, an unmistakable glimmer of triumph under the cold surface. Chase had never been unkind to me but this was different, the guy cared about me. Some of them were at the cost of his reputation as he was willing to put his reputation on the line just to aid me. ¡°Why are you doing all that?¡± I whispered. He looked at me in a challenging manner. ¡°Because, Lucy, you deserve it; you are one of the best people I know and I would not allow Brittany, or anyone else to ruin your life; and because¡­¡± There was a momentary pause where he blushed slightly. ¡®Because I care about you. A lot. ¡® I would like to say that it made my heart flutter when he said that. But before I could respond, suddenly, Chase¡¯s phone vibrated. He looked at it and his scowl deepened. ¡°It is from Tyler,¡± He told me. ¡°Well, it seems that Brittany is not finished. She continues to start rumors. ¡± Sense of hope faded away, as it was rather shortsting. ¡°What now?¡± Chase¡¯s jaw clenched. She¡¯s saying¡­ she¡¯s saying you¡¯ve been selling drugs on campus That is how you¡¯ve been affording all those expensive cloths and paying for your good grades. I squeezed out augh that sounded like something from a horror movie, it was that pathetic. ¡°Pretty dresses? Has she seen my closet? And I¡¯ve been ¡®maintaining my grades¡¯ by stressing over and acing every damn test. ¡± ¡°I know, I know,¡± Chase stated reassuringly. ¡°But this is good, in a way,¡± I tell her. ¡°This way she¡¯s hungry for attention and she starts making stuff up. In this case, it will be very easy to make her look like a liar. ¡± Part of me wanted to trust him, but it seemed too difficult when put into perspective. ¡°I can¡¯t do this, Chase,¡± I said with a new round of tears welled up. ¡°I can not defeat her. She is too strong, too influential. Perhaps¡­ perhaps it is time for me to go. To move somewhere and try to build anew. ¡± Before I knew what was happening Chase was by my side, sweeping me into his arms like I had never seen before. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± he growled out, those stern features pinning him and making it impossible for me to look away. ¡°You seem to forget I¡¯m also very influential and if she dares to cross me, she won¡¯t hear thest of it.¡± His jaw clenched. ¡°You belong here, Lucy. This is your home, your school. You worked to belong here, and that won¡¯t go down the drain because of someone¡¯s else¡¯s selfishness.¡± I rested my head against his muscr chest and felt the heat of him as if he was trying to help me heal, and for the first time, since all this started, hope flickered in my veins. Perhaps now that I had Chase by my side, I could manage it. We stood like that for a long moment, not really wanting to separate at all. Lastly, I gently moved away slightly and met his eyes. ¡°Okay,¡± I said softly. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s fight. ¡± Chase¡¯s expression was simr to a sudden warm spring day with blossom and lively sunbeams: there was a feeling of life and joy with nothing oppressive. ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± he stated and then visibly turned red as he probably realized what he has just said. ¡°I mean, uh. .. ¡± Iughed, a real one this time. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said. ¡°You know what, I kind of like that sound. ¡± He flushed even deeper but did not shift his gaze. Rather than saying that, he tilted his head ever so slightly to the side, looking at my lips. Suddenly my breathe was left halted at the back of my throat. Was this really happening? But before any of us could move nearer, there was a shrill sound of the doorbell and we both sprang apart. Chase shifted in his seat ufortably and attempted to clear his throat. ¡°I should, uh, get that,¡± he said. I gave him a nod that I tried my best to cover my nervousness together with the rapid beating of my heart. Before Chase could go open the door, I inhaled a deep breath. Whatever wasing next, whatever battles we had to face, I knew one thing for certain: It felt like I didn¡¯t have anyone when I lost them; however, that was not the truth now. But I was in, for a shock. It was just the beginning. CHAPTER 12: Shattered The journey to school seemed endless. The previously known trail appeared to continue endlessly in front of me, with each step feeling like a huge undertaking. The murmurs began quietly, a suppressedugh here, a meaningful look there. However, as I approached the school building, the whispers transformed into a chaotic and harsh noise. ¡°That¡¯s her, the drug addict!¡± ¡°See her fancy outfits purchased with ill-gotten gains!¡± ¡°Would you think she has the nerve to appear in this ce?¡± Tears filled my eyes, making my vision blurry. My heart pounded frantically against my chest, on the verge of breaking free. Chase¡¯s words reverberated in my thoughts, a crucial strand of hope in a sea of pessimism. ¡°He told her not to pay attention to them,¡± his voice filled with anger. ¡°They¡¯re simply envious.¡± More difficult in practice than in theory. The corridor was lined with contemptuous expressions and derisive chuckles. Brittany, sitting on a makeshift throne of clustered desks with her group of friends, presided over the group. Her impably groomed nails drummed a wicked beat on the wooden surface, directing the escting suffering with a cruel touch. ¡°Very well,¡± she drawled, her voice oozing with sugary sweetness. ¡°See who has finally chosen to join us.¡± The drug dealer who lives in the school. She was surrounded by a chorus of gasps and disgusted snorts. I felt intense shame, as if my soul had been branded by searing heat. I desired to vanish, to blend into the linoleum floor and disappear. ¡°Do you not have any particr packages to deliver?¡± Brittany kept going, her smile stretching into a distorted representation of joy. ¡°Perhaps you could distribute some of your¡­ goods among your peers?¡± Theughter that ensued felt like a punch in the gut. I tripped over, my backpack sliding off my shoulder and making a loud noise when it hit the ground. Papers and textbooks tumbled out, spreading all over the floor in front of me. ¡°Oh, so clumsy?¡± Brittany pretended to care, fluttering her eyshes towards the spectators. ¡°Perhaps the substances you are selling are impacting your ability to coordinate.¡± I cried as tears flowed down my cheeks, causing the image of myself in Brittany¡¯s cruel eyes to be even more distorted. My voice, when I eventually spoke, was a quiet murmur. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± I whispered hoarsely, my words sounding harsh and rough. ¡°I¡¯m not a drug dealer!¡± ¡°Please,¡± Brittany said with a scoff. ¡°Do not pretend to be innocent, Lucy. We are all aware of the truth. How could you possibly afford those fancy clothes and maintain your perfect grades? Unless¡­¡± she murmured in a secretive tone. ¡°You¡¯re, you know, willing to provide¡­ special favors in exchange for good grades.¡± A simultaneous gasp went through the audience. The usation, fueled by the circting rumors, hit like an explosion. A blend of embarrassment and anger caused my cheeks to flush. ¡°That is not true!¡± My voice cracked as I shouted. I put in a lot of effort for my grades, and I would never¡­ ¡°What is it that you never do, Lucy?¡± With mock sympathy in her voice, Brittany issued a challenge. ¡°Never lower yourself so much? Do not fret, my dear, weprehend. Being in desperate need of attention is surely challenging.¡± Thest insult was excessive. I made a sudden forward movement towards her, driven by intense anger that briefly overshadowed the feelings of fear and embarrassment. But before I could get to her, powerful arms embraced me from behind, dragging me away. ¡°Brittany, stop now!¡± Chase¡¯s jaw was tight and his eyes were filled with anger. He looked at me, his tone bing gentler. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I could barely muster a feeble nod, tears continuing to flow down my cheeks. Brittany, on the other hand, was not finished. ¡°Oh, so adorable,¡± she mocked. ¡°The shining armor-d knightes to save his distressed damsel. Do not say you trust her deceitful stories, Chase? Or are you also involved in her little n?¡± Chase paid no attention to her, facing away from the growing crowd. ¡°We¡¯re departing,¡± he stated firmly. He guided me away from the hallway, with the taunts and jeers trailing behind us like hungry wolves. Chase provided reassurances while they made their way to the car through choked sobs. Upon entering the car, the dam finally gave way. I covered my face with my hands and cried. The usations¡¯ weight, their sheer cruelty, was close to crushing me. ¡°I choked out between sobs that it wasn¡¯t fair. What is the reason for their actions?¡± Chase enveloped me in his arms, providing a quiet shelter from the storm. ¡°They¡¯re just envious. They dislike the fact that you are intelligent, skilled, and kind-hearted. They attempt to rip you apart¡­¡± My phone vibrated in my pocket, rudely disrupting the delicate peace of being held by Chase. I removed it, gasping as I noticed the notification. The sender was the principal of the school. My heart beat wildly against my chest. ¡°Lucy, please open it,¡± Chase urged as he detected my distress. Shaking fingers, I opened the phone and tapped the message. I felt a knot in my stomach as I saw the blunt, detached words ring at me. ¡°Lucy Karen. You are being kicked out of Northbridge High School with immediate effect.¡± ¡°Kicked out?¡± I took a sharp breath, the word resounding emptily in the car. ¡°This is not correct!¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Chase inquired with a worried tone in his voice. I pushed the phone into his hand, tears causing my vision to blur. His jaw clenched tightly as he scanned the message disyed on the screen. He eximed, ¡°That is extremely unfair!¡± We must have a conversation with the principal. Presently.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I have no time,¡± I said, frantically wiping away my tears. ¡°I must return to school and rify everything.¡± Chase exited the parking lot with a somber expression on his face. ¡°We will go as a team.¡± However, destiny had different intentions in store. Just as we approached the school, my phone vibrated once more. The message was from an unknown sender. ¡°Meet me on the rooftop. This is your sole opportunity.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Chase inquired, giving me a curious look. I was uncertain, caught between the importance of the message and the necessity to talk to the principal. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± I fibbed, my voice trembling. ¡°Simply a mistaken phone call.¡± However, I had a feeling inside me that it was not true. A glimmer of hope, a desperate longing for a resolution, burned inside of me. Perhaps this was the exit, the path to vindicate myself. ¡°Lucy, are you sure?¡± Chase¡¯s tone expressed uncertainty. ¡°I need to,¡± I murmured, my voice almost inaudible. ¡°Could you just leave me at the school entrance? I will take care of this.¡± For a brief moment, he paused, his gaze scanning my eyes. Ultimately, he let out a sigh of eptance and parked by the curb near the school gate. ¡°Watch out,¡± he warned, his voice tense. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to give me a call if you need help.¡± I nodded, trying to smile. Upon exiting the car, a desire arose within me to have confessed everything to him. However, my fear of imposing on him and my fear of showing vulnerability prevented me from speaking up. I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders, and walked into the school. The familiar corridors now seemed unfamiliar, oppressive, and unfriendly. Rushing towards the office, I ignored the inquisitive gazes and quiet gossip that trailed behind me. There was no one in the office. I felt a heaviness in my chest. The principal¡¯s whereabouts were unknown. Right at that moment, I was surprised by a familiar buzzing noise. It was a different message. I felt desperation eating away at me. Could this be a trap? However, what other option did I possess? Feeling heavy-hearted, I made the decision to take a risk. Ascending the squeaky staircase to the rooftop, a cold sense of foreboding draped over me. The rooftop door opened with a creaking sound as if it was protesting. I exited, my gaze sweeping the empty area. The breeze tousled my hair, bringing with it the slight fragrance of rain. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± I called out cautiously. Silence. My heart beat wildly against my chest. A small amount of fear, intense and genuine, broke through the fragile hope that led me to this point. As I started to turn around, a shadow separated from the corner of the building. I couldn¡¯t make out the identity, yet a strong feeling of fear twisted inside me. ¡°Who is there?¡± I stuttered, speaking in a barely audible voice. No one responded. The shadowed figure stayed quiet, concealed in darkness. With panic mounting, I slowly retreated, scanning my surroundings for a way out. ¡°Show yourself!¡± Tears fell as my voice trembled with emotion. However, by the time they acted, it was already toote. My shoulder was grabbed firmly and I was spun around. I was pushed over the edge of the rooftop before I could let out a scream The Earth shifted on its axis. I felt the grounding closer towards me. I was silenced mid-scream as I plummeted towards the harsh concrete below. The final sound I heard before everything faded to ck was a cold, victorious chuckle. Chapter 13: Unspoken ¡®Did she kill herself because of the rumors being spread?¡¯ ¡®Young girlmits suicide after being rumored a drug addict¡­¡¯ I groaned¡­ rubbing my dishevelled hair as I reached out for the ss of water on my table. I had the worst dreamst night about getting pushed off a rooftop. The news was doing absolutely nothing to help that. I opened my eyes a little to see a girl, bloodied, with blonde hair like mine¡­ being wrapped in a cloth. Confused, I looked closer at the screen. Why did she look like me? I gently got down from the bed. My eyes widening each second¡­ no¡­ she was me. Then¡­ I looked at my hand and my environment. This wasn¡¯t my room, I precipitately dashed into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. This isn¡¯t me. I know this girl, I know her, but she¡¯s not me¡­ ¡°Brianne!¡± My head jerked to the side when I heard someone enter the room. ¡°Brianne?¡± That was me? I¡¯m Brianne? I stepped out of the bathroom¡­ I couldn¡¯t say anything. This was a secret I couldn¡¯t tell¡­ ¡°Brianne, are you there?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± The woman¡¯s worried tone of voice brought me out of the mental downward spiral I had been caught in. ¡°I-I mean, yeah,¡± I stuttered, putting on a smile that felt strange on my new face. ¡°Perhaps it was just a strange dream.¡± Nurse Wilson, identified by her name tag, touched my forehead. ¡°Sweetheart, you¡¯re not running a temperature. Are you still feeling a little unsettled from the crash?¡± Crash? What happened? Fear gripped my throat. I had no recollection of any ident. I muttered, hoping she wouldn¡¯t ask more questions. ¡°Feeling slightly achy.¡± Nurse Wilson gently squeezed my hand. ¡°Take some time to rx and recover.¡± Your parents areing soon. ¡°They will be d that you are now conscious.¡± Parents? My heart beat rapidly within my chest. Which parents? What was happening in this ce? The worried-looking couple was revealed once more as the door creaked open. Thedy hurried to my bedside, tears filling up in her eyes. ¡°Brianna, I¡¯m so relieved you¡¯re awake!¡± she eximed, wrapping me in a strong embrace. ¡°We were extremely anxious.¡± With worry lines etched on his face, the man ced a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Sweetheart, how do you feel?¡± I attempted to speak, but no words emerged from my mouth. I was trapped in a whirlwind of confusion within my mind. These people showed genuine concern but it feltpletely unfamiliar. ¡°She¡¯s slightly disoriented,¡± Nurse Wilson added calmly. ¡°Likely due to the trauma. Allow her some time.¡± The woman, wiping away her tears, shed me a mncholic smile. Naturally. ¡°Feel free to take as much time as you require, my dear.¡± As Nurse Wilson led them out of the room, countless questions circted in my mind. Who were these people? Where did I leave off? The response gazed at me from the television screen hanging on the wall. A news article featured a of me , being taken away on a stretcher. The horrifying deja vu flooded back as I remembered the gruesome scene from my dream. I felt my breath catch in my throat. My hands shook as I grabbed my phone, themon gadget causing another wave of unease in me. This phone didn¡¯t belong to me. However, without thinking, I decided to unlock it and entered ¡®Lucy Abrams¡¯ in the search bar. The results were immediate. Media reports, social media updates, all depicted a narrative of a girl excluded, harassed, and ultimatelypelled to end her own life. Afterward, a picture grabbed my attention. Lucy stood next to a boy with dark hair who was smiling. Beneath was a caption saying: ¡®Lucy Abrams and Chase Thorne. #RtionshipGoals.¡¯ Chase. At that moment, the door creaked open once more. It was the woman from before, her eyes showing redness around the edges. She presented a tray with a bowl of soup and a ss of milk. ¡°Hey, honey,¡± she whispered gently. ¡°Here¡¯s some food. You haven¡¯t been eating well enough.¡± I paused before giving a slow nod. ¡°Thank you¡­ mum?¡± The word felt ufortable in my mouth, like wearing clothes that are too small. However, a brilliant smile illuminated the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Yes love. I¡¯m d you remember.¡± I need to leave for work now. ¡°I can¡¯t recall a lot,¡± I confessed in a barely audible voice. ¡°What happened?¡± Mom sat down in a chair next to the bed and held my hand. ¡°You were in a crash, dear. A terrible tumble. ¡°A tumble?¡± I felt dizzy. Did she do this to shield me from the truth? ¡°You don¡¯t need to know it all. I don¡¯t even want to recall the incident. But you would have died if not we found you fast. You were unconscious. Had be sick worried.¡± Looking down at myp, I felt overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation. I was not Brianne. I was Lucy, stuck in another person¡¯s physical form. How could I possibly convey that information to her? ¡°Mom,¡± I started to say, but then hesitated. The term felt like a deception, a lie. ¡°What is it, my dear?¡± ¡°Who¡­ who was Lucy? Can you tell me more about Lucy¡¯s identity?¡± She paused. ¡°Mom,¡± I started, my voice trembling with anxiety. ¡°Who¡­ who was the young girl in the news story?¡± Mom¡¯s forehead wrinkled, a hint of sorrow passing over her face. ¡°Oh, dear, it¡¯s not the right time for you to be watching the news. ¡°It¡¯s all very negative.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s only¡­¡± I paused, then blurted, ¡°That girl¡­ she¡­¡± My mom¡¯s grip on my hand grew stronger. ¡°Sweetie, I understand how you feel, but there¡¯s nothing that can be done about her death.¡± However, I was more knowledgeable. The simrity was striking. ¡°What was the name of the girl?¡± I murmured quietly as I pushed the button. Mom looked away, her face showing a pained expression. She whispered ¡°Lucy¡± atst. Lucy Abrams was her name.¡± I felt a chilling fear knotting in my stomach. Lucy Abrams. The girl in my dream, the girl in the news, the girl who resembled me perfectly. ¡°Do you know her?¡± I inquired, barely able to hear my own voice. Mom shook her head, a lone tear making its way down her cheek. ¡°No sweetie. It¡¯s tragic really.¡± A horrible experience. The words reverberated in my thoughts, tinged with a chilling reality. It wasn¡¯t a true tragedy for them, to be honest. It was a form of getaway, a harsh stroke of luck that ced me in the body of a stranger. All of a sudden, the burden of responsibility rested on my shoulders. I was leading an artificial existence surrounded by individuals who adored Brianne, a stranger to me. ¡°Mum?¡± I dared, speaking so softly it was barely audible. ¡°Sure, dear?¡± ¡°Could you provide me with additional information on Lucy?¡± The question loomedrge in the atmosphere. There was a moment of uncertainty in Mom¡¯s gaze, a quiet deliberation on how much information to disclose. However, she ultimately breathed out heavily, disying a sense of surrender in her expression. ¡°She had a promised future. As she already won thepetition to Derek Thorne¡¯s grandmother¡¯s birthday.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± I had to ask, the words just spilled out uncontrobly. Mom¡¯s eyes wandered, a whirlwind of feelings simmering underneath. ¡°Rumors were circting at school,¡± she said, her voice tense. ¡°Harmful gossip that escted beyond belief.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What sort of rumors?¡± My heart throbbed rapidly within my chest. After a lengthy silence, Mom looked directly at me, her eyes reflecting both sadness and anger. ¡°They leveled allegations against her for¡­ for trafficking drugs.¡± I knew these things. ¡°However, she did not, did she?¡± I murmured, already aware of the solution. ¡°I can¡¯t say. But she seemed like a really sweet girl. People can be¡­ ¡°Cruel.¡± The room was filled with a weighty silence, charged with unanswered questions and a dreadful understanding. I was not only Lucy confined within Brianne¡¯s body. I was also Brianne and the weight of her life that had been taken from her. The question that ate away at me, the question that required a response, was this: What should I do with it? Chapter 14: Reborn Now the question weighed heavy on my shoulders, who¡­ who could have pushed her off the roof? Thest thing I could remember was the principal calling me up¡­ was it him? ¡°Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s acting weird?¡± ¡°You know she hit her head yesterday night. I thought she was dead. She may just be struggling to remember somethings just like the doctor said.¡± The man said. ¡°What about this marriage thing?¡± Marriage? My eyes widened. ¡°You know how strongly she disagreed with the marriage. And we feel he¡¯s the best for her right now.¡± My new dad sighed. ¡°We have no choice princess, we have to make sure she marries him.¡± Marries who? ¡°Besides she¡¯s finally resuming her new school.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯m scared, you know how badly she handles things.¡± Mum said. ¡°She¡¯ll learn. Plus, they know quite well nobody can mess with her. I¡¯ll take the school and everything that concerns it to the ground.¡± His growl sent shivers down my spine. I had never felt so much protected by anyone before. ¡°Mr. Salvatore.¡± I heard a man say from downstairs. ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± Mum said and I knew that was my cue to leave. I hurried down the stairs, and much to my dismay I hit a wall¡­ I mean person. I looked up and saw the most handsome man I¡¯d evere across. He had his head slightly titled. I¡¯d seen his face few time inmercials and from the way he was dressed could tell he was a man of influence and aura. A CEO. Why else would they want him to marry their daughter? He didn¡¯t looked so pleased to see me¡­ I mean Brianne though. It made me wonder, did anything transpire between them in the past? Or was it the fact that she was spoilt? ¡°Mr. Salvatore. Goodness, what are you doing on the floor Anne.¡± That was my mum¡¯s voice. I quickly scrambled up. ¡°Nothing.¡± I said quickly, dusting myself. She turned back to Mr. Salvatore. ¡°Please Tessa, let¡¯s drop the formality. Call me Daren.¡± ¡°Daren it is then. How well have you and Anne gotten along?¡± He gave me a side look then looked back at my mother. ¡°She¡¯s better.¡± Tessa gave me a look. ¡°I told you to be nice Anne.¡± I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I noticed he cocked a brow at me. ¡°The marriage is taking ce in just two days. You can¡¯t keep acting like this.¡± I was overwhelmed by everything and didn¡¯t even know what to think at the moment. The fact that I was killed by someone I had no idea about even though I was quite suspicious of the principal and then my bullies, the fact that I was in Brianne¡¯s body and now I was getting married the the most handsome man in the world without even knowing who he is? It was all to overwhelming. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I heard gasps. Which confused me. They were stunned that I apologized? So Brianne was never one to apologize. I didn¡¯t even say anything more and ran up the stairs. ¡°Anne!¡± I didn¡¯t look back and just entered my room before sliding down to the floor. Who was Brianne? What did she do? Was she someone I could learn from because I was tired of being the victim. She seemed to get away with a lot of things. If I could just act like her, then maybe things would be better for me. My face was wet with tears as I looked at the now-unfamiliar wallpaper in this room. Brianne. Who was that girl? What sort of life did she live to end up with a fiance like Mr. Salvatore and parents so eager to arrange her marriage? Marriage. The term feltpletely unfamiliar in my mouth, a harsh irony in this strange scenario. A part of myself, the part that is Lucy, reacted negatively to the idea. However, a different section of the individual, driven by a urgent desire to stay alive, perceived a faint chance of hope. Being married to this influential man could protect me and help me. Could I sessfully execute that? Can I transform into Brianne, the fierce and seemingly invincible girl I hardly understood? I was startled by a knock on the door. ¡± Anne?¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± Mom¡¯s voice could be heard, filled with worry. I quickly dried my tears, trying to appearposed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m okay.¡± Simply a headache. ¡°Can you confirm? You seem as if you were on the verge of passing out down there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, honestly.¡± For a brief moment, Mom paused, her eyes scanning my expression. After that, she let out a sigh and slightly opened the window. ¡°Okay, dear. Call me if you need help.¡± When she left, I shut my eyes, trying to concentrate on the task at hand. I wanted answers. Details about Brianne, her connection to Mr. Salvatore, and the circumstances surrounding Lucy¡¯s ¡°incident.¡± A notification made my phone on the bedside table vibrate. The text was from someone saved as ¡°Queen B¡± in the contacts. Hello Bri! Are you going to the pre-wedding party tonight? Queen B. Who is that? A friend? Feeling unsure, I decided to reply with caution, thinking it was a suitable starting point. ¡°Feeling a bit unwell. Possibly not in the mood for it this evening.¡± A response was sent back almost immediately. ¡°Are you kidding? Don¡¯t say you are already backing out! Let¡¯s go, Bri! This is going to be incredibly grand. Salvatore has reserved the entire club exclusively for our use!¡± I raised my eyebrows. This Mr. Salvatore appeared to have a significant amount of influence, an influence that I could potentially leverage for my own benefit. ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I replied, attempting to sound like a teen eager for a party. ¡°I will be there. However, no guarantees.¡± ¡°Incredible!¡± Make sure you arrive on time! ¡°We have a ton of fun ahead of us!¡± The phone¡¯s screen turned off. I gazed at the monitor, slowly developing a n in my thoughts. Perhaps, attending this party could potentially be the initial move in uncovering the enigmas surrounding Brianne¡¯s life. Perhaps, only perhaps, it might take me to the person who pushed me from the rooftop.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. I looked through the photos on her phone, examining each one closely. Brianne appeared to be a character from a teenage drama, always wearing designer clothes and sporting a cocky smirk with perfect blonde hair. There were photos of her with a bunch of girls, likely her friends who were just as privileged. Pictures of her were taken at sports games, where she was seen supporting the team with a disinterested look on her face. There were numerous photos of her with Mr. Salvatore, their faces pressed together in forced smiles. The further I searched, the less I understood. Was there any substance behind the illusion of riches and privilege? I let out a sigh as I closed the photo gallery. Tonight, I will put on Brianne¡¯s mask and act as her. However, deep down, I would still be Lucy,mitted to uncovering the truth. As the sun started setting and creating long shadows in the room, I realized it was time to stop introspecting. Tonight, I entered the lion¡¯s den not as fearful Lucy, but as fearless Brianne. The club throbbed with pulsating music and flickering lights. The scent of sweat, alcohol, and a faint chemical odor filled the air heavily. A bunch of girls, wearing attention-grabbing clothes, noticed me as I approached the entrance. ¡°Brianna!¡± cried one of them, running towards me to embrace. ¡°We thought you wouldn¡¯t make it!¡± Chapter 15: The Lion鈥檚 Den Lucy (Now Brianne¡¯s) Pov ¡°Brianne! A girl with bright pink hair and a dress sparkling like a disco ball cried out. ¡°We were not sure if you were going to be able toe!¡± She wrapped me in a tight embrace, the overpowering fragrance of inexpensive perfume overwhelming me. I had the urge to push her away, but an unexined instinct told me it was not the right moment. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± added another girl who had a nose ring and was wearing ripped jeans. ¡°The men are reserving a ce for us near the VIP area.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re a VIP, huh?¡± I stated, attempting to sound casual. This was uncharted territory for me, but I was unwavering in my dedication to finding my way through it. The group of girls, with a mix of blonde highlights, designer purses, and wlessly groomed nails, guided me through the crowded dance floor. Heads swiveled, whispers trailing behind us. This world belonged to Brianne, a world of shallowness and temporary focus, and for tonight, I was adopting the role. Upon arrival at the VIP section, we encountered a bouncer, arge man with a shaved head and a constant scowl, who was eyeing me suspiciously, while a velvet rope separated the area from the rest of the club. ¡°Hang on,¡± he muttered, barring our path. ¡°List of attendees?¡± ¡°Chill out, Thor,¡± Chloe said in a soothing tone, grinning at him with a smile that could thaw ciers. ¡°This is Brianne Salvatore.¡± Mr. Salvatore¡¯s fiancee. The bouncer¡¯s eyes grewrger. Recognition mixed with a touch of fear briefly appeared on his face. ¡°Oh, absolutely, Ms. Salvatore. This way.¡± He moved out of the way, almost bowing, as we walked into the VIP section. The atmosphere had changed in this ce, now feeling cooler and carrying a noticeable vibe of exclusivity. Luxurious sofas were ced on an elevated surface, with a view of the dance area beneath them. A cluster of youthful males, adorned in stylish attire and unting pricey timepieces, were assembled around a table filled with bottles of champagne. As we walked closer, a tall, broad-shouldered individual with impably styled dark hair rose to their feet. He looked at me, and there was a brief hint of surprise in his expression. He drawled as he extended a hand to me. ¡°I¡¯m happy you were able to attend.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I hesitantly took his hand.¡± The sensation caused a shock in me, a peculiarbination offort and unease. ¡°Just call me Alessandro,¡± with a slight smile appearing on his lips. ¡°Everybody else does.¡± I gave a nod, unsure of what to say. This was the man Brianne was meant to wed, the man who possessed great influence in this world. But, the question that lingered in my mind was ¨C was he reliable? ¡°Who are these beautiful women?¡± Alessandro made a gesture towards my friends, looking at them with a practiced charm. Names were exchanged after introductions were made. I was stuck between Chloe and Tiffany, who only seemed interested in discussing the newest designer handbags. I made an effort to join in, adding the asional shortment from Brianne¡¯s memories, constantly on the lookout for any hints about what caused Lucy¡¯s death. ¡°So, Brianne,¡± Chloe mumbled, her voice heavy with drunkenness. ¡°All of us are aware of the incident that urred. What a horrible disaster.¡± I felt a sudden pause in my breathing. ¡°Yeah,¡± I murmured, attempting to appear casual. ¡°It happened.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Another girl added, ¡°We were very worried about you.¡± The news broadcasts were terrible. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered softly. I felt nauseous. Is it possible that this is a test? Did they attempt to assess how I would respond? The discussion veered towards different subjects, with the ident bing a distant memory. However, the feeling of uncertainty had taken root. Did people who were close to Brianne even know about the rumors that caused Lucy to feel so hopeless? Or was everything brushed under the carpet, another ufortable reality concealed by a mask of riches and advantages? As the night progressed, the music grew louder and the lights pulsated quicker. Alcohol was abundant and inhibitions disappeared. I got entangled in a dance with Alessandro, feeling a shiver run down my spine as his hand grazed my back. ¡°You seem different this evening, Brianne,¡± he whispered in my ear, his breath feeling warm on my skin. The music throbbed around us, an unstoppable rhythm that echoed the frantic pace of my heart. ¡°How are they different?¡± I seeded in speaking, my voice barely heard amidst the noise. ¡°He told me to be more¡­ considerate,¡± he said while his hand moved in a slow circle on my lower back. A ufortable warmth ignited inside me, a peculiarbination of disgust and a mysterious attraction I couldn¡¯tprehend. This wasn¡¯t the Lucy who would avoid attention; it was a different Lucy. This person was Brianne, and this evening, I had to perform the role. ¡°I have a lot of thoughts running through my head,¡± I mentioned, attempting to appear casual. I had a strong desire to break free from the overwhelming stare, but my body, Brianne¡¯s body, had different ns. ¡°Is there anything on your mind that you would like to discuss?¡± He moved nearer, speaking in a persuasive whisper. I noticed a sudden movement out of the corner of my eye near the VIP entrance. A dark figure appeared to pause briefly before retreating back into the shadows. I felt a sudden surge of difort. Did I imagine it, or was there someone observing us? ¡°I actually need some fresh air,¡± I said, gently moving Alessandro aside. He made a frown, showing a touch of irritation on his attractive face. ¡°You only arrived recently.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± I replied, mustering a grin. ¡°The music is somewhat overwhelming. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± I left the VIP section without waiting for his response, feeling the cool night air as a pleasant contrast to the stuffy indoor atmosphere. Walking down a poorly lit hallway, I emerged onto an empty rooftop with a view of the city skyline. The breeze tousled my hair, bringing a slight hint of rainfall. An eerie deja vu feeling created a sense of unease, sending chills down my back. Is it possible that this is the same rooftop where Lucy¡­ All of a sudden, I was startled by a voice. ¡°Brianne, are you there?¡± I whirled around, feeling my heart racing in my chest. A shape appeared from the darkness, the bright city lights creating elongated, misshapen forms. ¡°Chase ?¡± I took a breath, feeling a mixture of disbelief and a hint of relief. He appeared more mature with a faint stubble on his chin, yet his eyes carried the familiar worry from my nightmares. ¡°What way did you¡­¡± I started, but he interrupted me. ¡°I noticed you came with Salvatore.¡± He spoke with tension in his voice. ¡°I needed to have a conversation with you.¡± ¡°What is it about?¡± I inquired while moving closer carefully. ¡°Lucy,¡± he spoke with a voice full of emotion. ¡°The incident¡­ it wasn¡¯t idental.¡± I felt a sudden stop in my breathing. That was all. This was the validation I had been anticipating. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± I murmured, with my voice barely rising above a quiver. Chase imed she didn¡¯t stumble, his eyes fixed on mine. ¡°She was pushed by someone.¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± I insisted, the word raw with a blend of fear and anger. ¡°I am unsure,¡± he stated as he shook his head. However, I will discover the truth.¡± And I understand that you also want to help.¡± I felt a sudden rush of resolve within me. I became Brianne after getting reborn. The reality of her demise became my reality, a weight I had to bear. ¡°I do.¡± I said. We stood together briefly, in silence, making an unspoken agreement on the rooftop illuminated by the moon. Suddenly, I noticed a swift motion out of the corner of my eye. A quick shimmer of silver, a reflection of metal catching the lights of the city. Chase, who was facing the other way, missed it. However, I did. A sh of a de, wielded by the silhouette stepping out from the darkness at his back. Chapter 16: A Fragile Alliance Brianne¡¯s Pov The sound of my scream tore through the night sky, a raw expression of fear that reverberated against the urban structures. Chase spun around in surprise, his eyes widening as the figure attacked him. They wrestled, tangled up in limbs and grunting. My heart felt constricted by the icy grip of fear. This was not supposed to ur. A knife-wielding attacker on a deserted rooftop was not part of the n. A rush of adrenaline coursed through my body, overpowering the immobilizing fear. There was no room for doubt. I needed to take action, regardless of what it was, to assist Chase. By the railing was a decorative nter that I faintly recognized as a heavy object I had seen earlier. Using a sudden surge of intense force, I knocked it down, causing it to fall loudly to the ground.From N?velDrama.Org. The noise briefly interrupted the fight. Surprised, the assant staggered backwards, holding onto the knife tightly. Chase seized the chance to escape, rolling and quickly getting back on his feet. He yelled, infused with a dangerous edge, asking: ¡°Who are you?¡± The silhouette stayed hidden in the dark, enveloped by shadows. The sole noise present was the wheezing sound of his breath. ¡°By whom were you sent?¡± Chase pushed down, his voice getting louder. There is no response. The form barely moved, the knife¡¯s sparkle under the moon resembling an evil stare. Terror gripped my throat, on the verge of suffocating me. I needed to remove both of them from this ce. Run after! I let out a loud, high-pitched scream. ¡°We have to leave this ce! Right now!¡± His face showed concern as he looked at me. ¡°Leave! I¡¯ll keep him distracted!¡± I was gripped by panic. It was inconceivable to leave him alone with this assant. However, a quick scared look at the knife in the assant¡¯s hand strengthened my determination. I was unable to afford being another target. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± I yelled loudly. ¡°We are together.¡± Before I could move any further, a chilling scream filled the dark night. I stood still, my eyes filled with fear. The assant had made a sudden forward movement, the shine of the de cutting through the atmosphere. An rming vision of Chase tumbling with a dark spot spreading on his clothing overwhelmed my thoughts. I couldn¡¯t see clearly because of tears welling up in my eyes, and I let out a choked sob. However, a surprising event urred. The attacker staggered backwards, letting out a cry of his own. Clutching his arm, he watched as a dark stain spread on his sleeve. Chase sessfully blocked the attack and retaliated with a punch. The assant, muttering angrily, ran away, vanishing into the maze of fire escapes that interconnected the structure. I quickly made my way to Chase, feeling my heart beat rapidly in my chest. ¡°Is everything okay with you?¡± I stuttered, my voice trembling. He grimaced, clutching his arm where he had been cut by the attacker. ¡°Just a minor injury,¡± he muttered, his voice sounding tense. ¡°He really got me, though.¡± With shaky hands, I assisted him in taking a seat at the rooftop¡¯s edge, while the city lights glimmered ominously beneath us. ¡°We have to take you to a hospital,¡± I uttered, my voice filled with concern. He whispered angrily, his facecking color, ¡°There are no hospitals. They can¡¯t be aware of any of this.¡± ¡°You are bleeding!¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not so terrible. A first-aid kit can be found in the janitor¡¯s closet down the hallway. I can fix it up myself.¡± His eyes showed a resolute determination that brooked no debate. Additionally, the idea of entering a hospital with a bloody stranger, especially given my supposed identity, was enough to make me shudder. ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed, assisting him to his feet. The adrenaline was beginning to fade away, reced by a deep-seated exhaustion. ¡°I¡¯ll help you get cleaned up,¡± I whispered, guiding him through the poorly lit corridor, feeling the burden of the attack heavy on me like a suffocating mist. The janitor¡¯s closet was a disorganized, dusty area packed with cleaning supplies and unused equipment. Chase discovered a first-aid kit hidden on a dusty shelf, moving carefully because of his injured arm. While I assisted him in cleaning the wound, numerous questions filled my mind. Who was the person? And who sent him? And, above all, how did he find out about the ¡°incident¡±? ¡°Who was that man?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back my curiosity any longer and finally eximed. Chase stopped, pressing down on the wound using a gauze pad. ¡°I have no idea,¡± he finally stated. ¡°But, he was aware of Lucy. And he was aware of that night.¡± ¡°¡­ Lucy,¡± Chase trailed, speaking in a barely audible voice. I felt a chill go down my back. Was he suspicious of something? ¡°What is the situation with Lucy?¡± I said in a sessful casual tone. Chase said he talked about quieting the sole witness, his eyes fixed on the injured arm. My heart pounded against my chest. ¡°There could be a possible witness.¡± ¡°Which witness?¡± I spoke in a raspy whisper. He eventually nced at me, his eyes brimming with a curious intensity. ¡°Do you not recall, Brianne? You were present with her on the rooftop that evening.¡± I was engulfed by a wave of confusion. Me? On top of the building with Lucy? Brianne was on the roof that night? How then did she get into an ident? All of a sudden, a memory sparked, a small beam of light shining through the thick haze of history. An intense battle, a shriek abruptly silenced. A horrifying of a girl dropping and a nauseating thud reverberating in the vacant area. I felt a sudden halt in my breathing. The memory, while fuzzy, was rmingly vivid. ¡°I¡­¡± ¨C ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± I stumbled over my words, my speech hindered. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t recall.¡± Chase¡¯s eyes became gentler, a glimpse ofprehension appearing on his face. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said in a soft manner. ¡°That¡¯s something trauma can cause. But, Brianne, you were present. You witnessed the events.¡± His assumption was incorrect. I was not Brianne. However, I had witnessed the events unfold. I, Lucy, had seen the cmity that caused my death. But was unaware of the culprit. Or could it have been Brianne? The sudden awareness hit me hard, like a tsunami. The gossip, the solitude, thest desperate gesture everything resurfaced suddenly. And this evening¡¯s assant, his rmingments about quieting the witness¡­ He was under the impression that Brianne, had witnessed something? Or could this have just been a cruel coincidence, a terrifying repetition of history? I started with a barely audible voice. ¡°Chase. There is something important that you must be aware of.¡± He nced upwards, a hint of excitement in his gaze. Before I could say anything else, a loud noise from the lower floor broke the delicate quietness. ¡°What is that noise?¡± Chase made a hissing sound, quickly looking towards the door. The sound of footsteps reverberated down the hallway, drawing nearer with every second that passed. Next, there was a shake of the doorknob, and then a rough voice was heard. The voice boomed, demanding, ¡°Unlock the door!¡± Fear twisted in my gut. Whoever the person was, they were not friendly and I knew I had to get out of here¡­ now. CHAPTER 17: Don鈥檛 lie to me Brianne¡¯s Pov As I descended the fire escape, my legs shook and my heart pounded in my chest, while the sunrise colored the sky a bright orange. The assault, the frantic getaway it all seemed unreal, as if a bad dream blending with actuality.From N?velDrama.Org. However, the adrenaline was diminishing, being substituted by a profound tiredness and an unsettling feeling of anxiety. To where was I expected to travel? Returning to that oppressive mansion, to a existence that didn¡¯t belong to me? With a sigh, I took out my phone, its cracked screen taunting my situation. At that moment, a shiny ck vehicle arrived, abruptly stopping right in front of me. The window of the driver was lowered, showing a face marked with worry. ¡°Brianne?¡± Alessandro¡¯s voice echoed loudly with concern evident in his tone. ¡°What are you up to out here?¡± I felt a wave of relief so strong that it nearly knocked me down. ¡°Alessandro!¡± I shouted excitedly as I hurried towards the car. ¡°I¡¯m so grateful that you are here!¡± He stepped outside, his eyes scanning me, noticing my untidy look and the lines of tears on my face. He inquired, his voice quiet and pressing, about what had urred. I paused, the recollection of the assant, of Chase¡¯s unconscious body hidden behind the door, restraining me. Can I rely on Alessandro? Did he have a role in this terrifyingwork of hidden information? However, a mental image of Brittany¡¯s victorious grin suddenly appeared in my thoughts. How she enjoyed causing torment to Lucy, me? There was no way I was letting that slide or giving her another opportunity. This had be Brianne, and I wasmitted to living it ording to my own wishes. ¡°I was in an argument with some girls.¡± I lied, my voice shaking a bit. ¡°They were bothering me, and I just¡­¡± I stopped speaking, hoping the exnation would be enough. Alessandro¡¯s jaw clenched in fury. ¡°Who were they?¡± he snarled, his voice tinged with a menacing tone. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I muttered as I got into the car. The sumptuous leather seat offered a sanctuary in contrast to the chilled brick alleyway. A quiet tension settled between us as Alessandro began driving again, merging back into the busy street. He continued to nce at me, a mysterious feeling swirling in his eyes. Was it worry, or possibly something more malicious? All of a sudden, he uttered softly with a strong tone. ¡°Brianne, regardless of what transpired this evening, it is imperative that you be honest with me.¡± Locking eyes with him, my heart was a jumble of fear and defiance. ¡°Aren¡¯t I?¡± I dared, a tinge of Brianne¡¯s characteristic conceit creeping into my tone. Alessandro¡¯s mouth formed a slight grin, a hint of what seemed like amusement shimmering in his gaze. ¡°Yes,¡± he murmured in a husky voice. ¡°In this marriage, we must bepletely transparent with each other, without keeping any secrets.¡± The words he spoke caused a shiver to run down my back. Matrimony? I was struck by the harsh truth of my circumstances once again. This was more than just a game of imitating Brianne. I was tied to this man, to this life, by an unseen connection. ¡°Okay,¡± I admitted, the rebelliousness melting into a tired eptance. ¡°On one condition only.¡± A flicker of interest took over his eyes as he raised an eyebrow, recing the worry. ¡°What condition?¡± ¡°I need you to vow to pay attention,¡± I stated, my voice unexpectedly steady. ¡°Without judgement.¡± A smile crept slowly onto Alessandro¡¯s face, causing a peculiar warmth to bloom in my chest. ¡°Agreed,¡± he conveyed, his voice full and deep. _________________ While the city lights rushed by outside the car window, illuminating his attractive face with an orange hue, I realized that this was only the start of a risky game. A game in which truth and deception, fear and desire, were on the brink of dangerously blending together. School was a whirlwind of activities and events. Walking through the grand oak doors felt like stepping into apletely different realm. During lunch, Brittany, my previous bully, came up to me with a fake sweet smile. ¡°Hi, Brianne,¡± she said cheerfully, her voicecking its typical spite. ¡°The party at the clubst night was crazy! How did it go?¡± I suppressed a burst of rage. The life Lucy had experienced was filled with constant gossip and obligatory friendships. ¡°Interesting,¡± I murmured, trying to embody Brianne¡¯s characteristic casual attitude. ¡°How about Alessandro?¡± Brittany pushed the button, her eyes shining with interest. ¡°Was he¡­?¡± ¡°Brittany¡¯.¡± Chloe, Brianne¡¯s friend stood with a self-satisfied smile behind Brittany. ¡°Please refrain from being impolite. Ms. Salvatore is not obligated to respond to your inquiries.¡± Brittany¡¯s smile wavered briefly, but she swiftly regained herposure. ¡°Take it easy, Chloe. I was simply attempting to have a conversation.¡± I stared at Chloe. I had never had anyone defend me before. Then I realized, I was Brianne. The bell chimed, indicating lunchtime was over. I left the cafeteria feeling bitter after interacting with Brittany. Even with everything that happened, there was a part of me that longed for the Lucy who was unnoticed, who didn¡¯t have to face the ongoing judgment and stress of being Brianne Salvatore. All day long, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the events from the previous night. I went over Chase¡¯s words in my head, attempting to understand everything. Was the mention of silencing a witness by the attacker just a coincidence, or was it somehow connected to Lucy¡¯s ¡°ident¡±? The overwhelming urge to confide in anyone was strong. But whom could I rely on? Alessandro? The man, mysterious despite his charm, continued to puzzle others. Was Chloe more focused on the benefits of being Brianne¡¯s friend rather than building a true rtionship, despite her loyalty? My phone vibrating in my pocket snapped me out of my thoughts. A message from a number I don¡¯t recognize: ¡°Come see me in the park after school. Keep this information to yourself.¡± I caught my breath. Could it be Chase? My heart raced anxiously within my chest, a blend of fear and urgent optimism churning inside me. However, the idea of experiencing another situation simr to the one on the rooftop made me pause. After thest bell sounded, I stayed seated, the text heavy and silent in my hand. There was a strong inclination to go back to the mansion, to the overwhelming security of myvish cage. Nheless, the potential for responses, no matter how dangerous, exerted a strong influence on me. The choice ate away at me while I gathered my belongings. Atst, I exhaled deeply. Escaping from this new reality was impossible, despite my yearning for the peaceful life that I could never attain. I quickly texted Chloe, making up an excuse about needing extra tutoring. The park, once aforting refuge for Lucy in her solitary moments, now seemed changed. Shadows grew longer as the light faded, bringing a spooky silence to the yground. I anxiously looked around, searching for any indication of Chase. Right when uncertainty started to appear, a silhouette came out from the back of a tall oak tree. It was Chase, his face marked with a blend of relief and unease. ¡°Lucy?¡± he murmured, speaking with caution in his voice. My breath hitched. How did he¡­? The heaviness of the circumstances, the unusual urrences in recent days, weighed on me as heavily as a suffocating fog. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was Lucy,¡± I eximed quietly, my voice almost a whisper. ¡°However¡­ however, I can provide an exnation.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± He questioned. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Chapter 18: Truth BRIANNE¡¯S POV ¡°It¡¯s not Lucy,¡± I blurted out, speaking just above a whisper. The words lingered in the air, revealing the truth atst. Chase¡¯s eyes widened in shock, then a moment of realization passed over his face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Brianne?¡± I shook my head, unable to articte clear words. The heaviness of the deception, the hijacked identity, was overwhelming. ¡°Then who are you?¡± He spoke with a quiet, cautious tone tinged with curiosity. I paused to take a deep breath in an attempt to collect my thoughts. ¡°I have no idea how to describe it,¡± I started, my voice shaking a bit. ¡°I¡¯m Lucy.¡± Chase¡¯s eyes became thin slits, his facial expression impossible to interpret. ¡°Lucy¡­ like Lucy Abrams?¡± I nodded, finally revealing the truth openly. The revtion felt extremely heavy, as if a huge stone had been removed from my chest. ¡°How on earth?¡± Chase sounded confused. ¡°I watched the news. The burial ceremony¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused too,¡± I whispered, barely able to hear my own voice.¡± I found myself in her body upon waking up. I now exist in her world, but I am not her.¡± A lengthy pause lingered between us, interrupted only by the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze. Chase¡¯s thoughts were quickly running through his mind, evident in his eyes. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± he muttered atst, his voice tinged with disbelief. ¡°I understand,¡± I whispered in response. We remained quiet for an extended period, feeling the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on us. Atst, Chase uttered words. ¡°We have to solve this,¡± he stated, his voice filled with determination. ¡°We must uncover the truth about Lucy¡¯s¡­ your situation and how you came to inhabit Brianne¡¯s physical form. It¡¯s like some kind of sorcery.¡± I nodded, thoughts racing through my mind. There were numerous inquiries left unaddressed, numerous parts to this mystery. Who was after my life, or rather, who was trying to end Brianne¡¯s life? What part did Alessandro y in all of this? Or could it be that¡­ ¡°We must be careful,¡± Chase said quietly. ¡°The person responsible for what happened to you will do whatever it takes to conceal the truth.¡± A cold fear settled in my stomach, making me shiver. I had not fully realized the level of danger I was facing. This wasn¡¯t solely about uncovering the truth about Lucy¡¯s death; it was also about staying alive. ¡°We need a n,¡± I said. ¡°A strategy to ensure safety, and a strategy to uncover the truth.¡± Chase nodded, his expression serious. ¡°We could involve the authorities.¡± I had doubts. The authorities? The idea of getting the authorities involved filled me with fear. However, Chase was correct. This was not a task I could manage independently. ¡°Good,¡± I whispered quietly. ¡°But we need to proceed with caution. We need to keep the switch of bodies a secret though.¡± Chase nodded, his face showing a strong and serious determination. ¡°I understand,¡± he stated. As we left the park, it felt like the burden of the world was on our shoulders. The future was unpredictable, teeming with hazards and mysteries. However, it was evident that we were united in this experience, both strangers connected by a sad destiny. Walking through the deserted school halls felt like carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Chase¡¯s arm lightly touched mine, silently assuring me of his support. The halls I knew so well suddenly felt strange, every footstep echoing as a reminder of the life I had abandoned.From N?velDrama.Org. Chase said in a low voice that we had to head to his house. ¡°There, it is more secure.¡± I gave a nod, my thoughts were moving quickly. The grand estate, with its high walls and tight security, appeared to be the least desirable location for me. However, faced with the imminent threat, it was the sole choice avable. Upon reaching the parking lot, a smooth ck car arrived. Alessandro exited with a worried expression. ¡°Brianne, what happened? You¡¯ve arrivedte.¡± Chase advanced, his posture defensive. ¡°We must have a conversation.¡± His voice was strong. Alessandro¡¯s gaze narrowed, a glimmer of doubt appearing on his face. ¡°Alone,¡± he answered, speaking softly. Chase paused briefly before nodding in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡± He faced me. ¡°Stay here.¡± I observed the two men involved in a tense discussion, speaking quietly and urgently. I was engulfed by a feeling of loneliness. I was by myself in this situation, a foreigner in an unfamiliar country. After what seemed like forever, Alessandro came back, his expression showing no emotion. ¡°Come inside,¡± he murmured quietly. I entered the rear seat, my thoughts swirling with confusion. What was their conversation about ? The car raced along the urban roads, the breeze tousling my hair. The colorful city lights merged together, standing out against the dark background that surrounded me. We reached the mansion faster than ever before. The impressive building towered above us, representing prosperity and authority. Upon entering, the luxurious surroundings immediately overwhelmed me. This world belonged to Brianne, a world where there was abundance and entitlement. However, it also acted as a jail, a luxurious cage that confined her to a lifestyle that wasn¡¯t hers. Alessandro showed me into his study, a space crowded with dark wood and books covered in leather. There was a palpable sense of tension in the air. ¡°Share all the details with me,¡± he whispered softly. I gasped, feeling the heaviness of reality bearing down on me. I informed him about everything, even Lucy and the fact that I wasn¡¯t Brianne. He muttered under his breath. ¡°That exins the change of behavior.¡± With intense focus, he listened, his expression showing deep concentration. After Ipleted my task, there was a prolonged period of silence from him. He then mentioned with a slightly cautionary tone that the game we are participating in is risky. ¡°Regardless of who is responsible, they will continue until our voices are silenced.¡± I agreed, understanding the importance of what he was saying. I was no longer simply a piece of someone else¡¯s n. I was viewed as a target that needed to be removed because I posed a threat. ¡°We must find the real culprit behind your death¡­ and the reason behind it.¡± I nodded in agreement, speaking barely in a whisper. The path ahead was filled with risks, but there was no going back at that point. The truth had been revealed, and there was no turning back. Chapter 19: Awakening LUCY IN BRIANNE¡¯S BODY The morning sun filtered through the grand windows of the mansion, casting a soft glow on thevish furnishings. As I sat at the breakfast table, the knowledge of my new reality settled over me. I was originally Lucy Abrams, but after I was murdered, I found myself in the body of Brianne Karen, who turned out to be a spoiled billionaire heiress. My life had been stolen from me, and now I was being forced to navigate this new world, figuring out the mystery of my own death all the while pretending to be someone I was not. Chase, as vignt as ever, sat across from me, his eyes scanning the room as if expecting danger at every corner. Alessandro had left early to follow up on some leads, leaving us to our own devices. ¡°We need to be careful,¡± Chase said, breaking the silence. ¡°Whoever did this to you won¡¯t stop until they know you¡¯re no longer a threat.¡± I nodded, my mind racing with questions. How had I ended up in Brianne¡¯s body? Why had my life been taken? How had I managed to offend anyone? The answers seemed totally bleak and out of reach, but I knew we had to keep pushing forward. ¡°We need to understand Brianne¡¯s life better,¡± I looked into Chase¡¯s eyes as I spoke. ¡°There have to be clues about her past that can help us.¡± Chase nodded in agreement. ¡°We will start with her closest connections. Darren Salvatore, her fiance, might be a good ce to begin. He should know something, even if they weren¡¯t close.¡± The mention of Darren sent a cold shiver down my spine. He was an enigmatic figure, powerful and intimidating. The prospect of meeting him was daunting, but necessary. ¡ª Almost immediately, Chase and I made our way to Darren¡¯s office, a sleek, modern building in the heart of the city. The receptionist, a polished woman with a strict and professional demeanor, greeted us and led us straight to his office. Darren Salvatore was as tall as ever, with sharp features and those piercing blue eyes still seemed to see right through me. He rose from his desk as we entered, his expression unreadable. ¡°Brianne, Chase,¡± he greeted us, his voice cool and controlled. ¡°To what matter, do I owe the pleasure?¡± I took a deep breath, trying to steady my shaky nerves. ¡°We need to talk, Darren. About some recent¡­ changes in my life.¡± His eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°What changes?¡± Chase stepped in, confident as ever. ¡°Brianne¡¯s been acting differentlytely. We think it might be rted to something that happened recently. We need to know if you have any information that could help us.¡± Darren¡¯s expression remained unreadable. ¡°Brianne and I were never close. Our engagement is a mere business arrangement and nothing more. If she¡¯s been acting strangely, I don¡¯t see why I would know the reason.¡± I felt a sharp pang of frustration. Darren was a dead end, at least for now. We thanked him and left his office, more determined than ever to uncover the truth. ¡ª As we drove back to the mansion, a message from Alessandro popped into Chase¡¯s phone. ¡°I have a lead. Meet me at the old warehouse by the docks.¡± We exchanged a nce. This could be the break we needed. The drive to the docks was tense, the city¡¯s lights blurring past us as we sped towards our destination. The warehouse loomed ahead, a dark and foreboding structure that seemed to hold the answers we sought. Alessandro was waiting for us, his expression grim. ¡°I found out who might be behind all this. A man named Victor. He runs a lot of shady operations in the city. If anyone knows why this happened to you, it would be him.¡± ¡°How do we find him?¡± I asked, my heart pounding with anticipation. ¡°He¡¯s known to frequent a club downtown. It¡¯s very risky, but if we want answers, we have to confront him there.¡± He turns pointedly to me. ¡°Dress low-key¡± ¡ª The anticipation burned in my chest until nighttime. That night, Chase and I headed to the club. It was a small, seedy-looking establishment with heavy music and dim lighting. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol and sweat, and the crowd was a mix of dangerous-looking individuals and unsuspecting partygoers. We made our way to the VIP section, where Alessandro had told us Victor could usually be found. As we approached, a burly guard stopped us, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Who are you?¡± he demanded. ¡°We¡¯re here to see Victor,¡± Chase said, his voice steady. ¡°It¡¯s important.¡± The guard looked us over before nodding and stepping aside. Inside, Victor sat in a plush booth, surrounded by a group of equally intimidating men. His shadowed gaze locked onto us as we approached. ¡°What do you want?¡± Victor asked, his voice cold. I took a deep breath, stepping forward. ¡°I need some answers. About Brianne Karen and Lucy Abrams.¡± Victor¡¯s eyes flickered with recognition, and for a moment, I thought I saw a hint of fear. ¡°Brianne and Lucy? What do you know about them?¡± ¡°I know that Lucy Abrams was murdered,¡± I said, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at my insides. ¡°And I know that Brianne Karen had something to do with it. I need to know why.¡± Victor leaned back, a cold smile ying on his lips. The scar above them made it look like an ugly sneer¡±You¡¯re treading dangerous waters, little girl. Some secrets are best left buried.¡± ¡°I need answers, and I¡¯m not leaving until I get some,¡± I replied, hoping that my determination showed more than my fear. Victor studied me for a moment before nodding. ¡°Fine. But know this the truth you seek will change everything.¡± He leaned forward, his rough voice dropping to a whisper. ¡°Brianne witnessed something she shouldn¡¯t have. Something that powerful people would kill to keep hidden. When Lucy died, Brianne saw it happen. She was there, at the scene of the crime.¡± My heart raced. This seemed like the most important piece of the puzzle. ¡°Why was she there?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Brianne was involved with some very dangerous people,¡± Victor continued. ¡°She got in over her head, and when she tried to back out, they came after her. Lucy was really just coteral damage.¡± A cold shiver ran down my spine. Lucy had been in the wrong ce at the wrong time, and now I was caught in the crossfire. ¡°Who are these people?¡± Victor shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. It¡¯s too dangerous. But if you want to survive, you need to stay hidden. They¡¯ll stop at nothing to keep their secrets.¡± ¡ª Back at the mansion, Chase and I retell everything to Alessandro. The pieces were starting toe together, but the danger was greater than ever. We had to stay vignt, and we had to find a way to protect ourselves. ¡°Brianne witnessed the murder,¡± Alessandro said, his voice grim. ¡°That means whoever is behind this knows she saw them. We need to find out who they are before they find us.¡± ¡°We also need to figure out why I ended up in Brianne¡¯s body,¡± I added. ¡°There has to be a connection.¡± Alessandro agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll continue to dig. But remember, we must keep this quiet. The fewer people who know the truth, the better.¡± I felt a small glimmer of hope. We were finally on the right track. The investigation was far from over, and the truth was more elusive than ever. But with Chase and Alessandro by my side, I also felt a renewed sense of determination. We will uncover the truth, no matter the cost. ¡ª Chapter 20: Confrontation LUCY IN BRIANNE¡¯S BODY A knife could cut the tension that was in the air as we gathered in Alessandro¡¯s study. The revtion that Brianne had witnessed my murder was a shocking twist, one that raised more questions than it answered. We needed to find out who these dangerous people were and why they wanted to silence Brianne, even though it was now me in her body. Alessandro paced the room, his brows furrowed in deep thought. ¡°We seriously need to identify these individuals before they realize we¡¯re onto them. Victor¡¯s information was vague, but it¡¯s a start.¡± ¡°Do you have any contacts within the city who might know more about these powerful people?¡± I asked. Alessandro nodded in the positive. ¡°I have a few connections who might be able to help.¡± Chase leaned forward, his expression serious. ¡°I think we should split up. I¡¯ll reach out to some of my father¡¯s business associates and see if they know anything. Brianne or rather, Lucy, you should lie low for now.¡± I nodded, knowing that staying hidden was the best course of action for me right now ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and go through Brianne¡¯s things. Maybe there¡¯s something we¡¯ve missed, some clue that could lead us to these people.¡± With our n for the day set, we all went our separate ways. Alessandro left to meet with his contacts, while Chase headed to his father¡¯s office. I stayed behind, delving into Brianne¡¯s personal belongings in search of answers. ¡ª Hours passed as I sifted through Brianne¡¯s drawers, closets, and boxes. Most of it was the usual teenage clutter, clothes, makeup, school supplies, but then I found a small, locked box hidden in the back of her closet. My heart raced as I retrieved it, wondering what secrets it might hold. I searched the room for the key and finally found it taped to the underside of her desk. With trembling hands, I unlocked the box and lifted the lid. Inside were a few pieces of jewelry, a stack of photographs, and a small, leather-bound journal. The photographs showed Brianne with various people, some of whom I recognized from school, but others were strangers. One picture, however, stood out, a photo of Brianne with a man who looked eerily familiar. My heart skipped a beat as I realized who it was: Victor. Why did Brianne have a photo with Victor? What was their connection? Was he not totally honest with me and Chase? I set the photographs aside and opened the journal, hoping to find answers within its pages. ¡ª As I read through the journal, a chilling picture began to emerge. Brianne had been involved with Victor and his associates, though not by choice. They had coerced her into working for them, using her father¡¯s influence and connections to their advantage. When she tried to back out, they threatened her life. One entry, in particr, caught my eye: _July 12th_ ¡®I saw something I shouldn¡¯t have. I was supposed to meet them on the school rooftop to discuss our ¡°arrangement,¡± but when I got there, I saw one of the students in my school. I don¡¯t know her name. I was about to call out to her when it happened. A shadowed man pushed her off the top. They killed her. I ran before they could see me, but now I¡¯m terrified. What if they knew I was there?¡¯ The date matched the night of my murder. Brianne had witnessed it, but she hadn¡¯t known it was me. My mind raced as I pieced together the events. Brianne had also gone to the rooftop to meet someone but instead, she saw my murder. She had been caught up in something far bigger than either of us had realized. As I closed the journal, a sense of dread settled over me. We were dealing with dangerous, ruthless people who would stop at nothing to protect their secrets. I needed to warn Chase and Alessandro. ¡ª Just as I was about to call them, the door to the study burst open, and Alessandro rushed in, his face pale and drawn. ¡°We have a problem,¡± he said, his voice urgent. ¡°Chase is missing.¡± My heart skipped a beat. ¡°What do you mean, missing?¡± ¡°He was supposed to check in an hour ago,¡± Alessandro exined. ¡°I went to his father¡¯s office, but no one had seen him. I think they¡¯ve taken him.¡± Panic surged through me. If they had Chase, it meant they were one step ahead of us. We had to act fast. ¡°Do you have any idea where they might have taken him?¡± I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. Alessandro nodded grimly. ¡°Victor¡¯s warehouse. It¡¯s the most logical ce. We need to move now.¡± We hurried to the car, fear and determination propelling us forward. The drive to the warehouse felt like an eternity, every second filled with the weight of absolute uncertainty. When we arrived, the area was eerily quiet, the warehouse looming ahead. ¡°Stay close,¡± Alessandro whispered as we approached the entrance. ¡°We don¡¯t know how many are inside.¡± We slipped through a side door, our footsteps echoing softly in the empty space. The warehouse was dimly lit, shadows dancing across the walls. We moved cautiously, listening for any signs of Chase. As we rounded a corner, we heard muffled voices. We crept closer, peeking around a stack of crates. There, in the center of the room, was Chase, tied to a chair, with Victor and two of his men standing over him. ¡°You should have stayed out of this,¡± Victor was saying, his voice cold and menacing. ¡°Now you¡¯ve put yourself and everyone else in danger.¡± Chase red up at him, defiant even in captivity. ¡°You¡¯ll never get away with this. We¡¯ll expose you for what you are.¡± Victorughed, a harsh, grating sound. ¡°And who¡¯s going to believe you? You¡¯re just a spoiled rich kid ying detective. No one will listen.¡± Alessandro motioned for me to stand back as he drew his gun. I nodded, my heart pounding as I watched him step forward, weapon raised. ¡°Let him go, Victor,¡± Alessandromanded, his voice steady. ¡°This ends now.¡± Victor turned slowly, a sinister smile spreading across his face. ¡°Alessandro. I should have known you¡¯d be involved. Always meddling in things that don¡¯t concern you.¡± ¡°Let him go,¡± Alessandro repeated, his grip on the gun unwavering. Victor¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Or what? You¡¯ll shoot me? Go ahead. But you¡¯ll never leave this warehouse alive.¡± As they faced off, I knew I had to act. I couldn¡¯t let Alessandro and Chase face this alone. Summoning all my courage, I stepped out from behind the crates, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me. ¡°Victor, it¡¯s over. We know everything. Brianne witnessed the murder, and now you¡¯re trying to cover it up. But we won¡¯t let you.¡± Victor¡¯s eyes narrowed as he turned his attention to me. ¡°Brianne. Or should I say, Lucy? You¡¯ve caused quite a bit of trouble.¡± ¡°Let Chase go, and we¡¯ll leave,¡± I said, pretending not to be shocked at his revtion. ¡°We won¡¯t say a word to anyone.¡± Victor shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s toote for that. You¡¯ve seen too much.¡± In a split second, everything changed. Victor lunged at Alessandro, trying to wrestle the gun from his hand. A shot rang out, echoing through the warehouse. Alessandro stumbled back, blood blooming on his shirt. ¡°No!¡± I screamed, rushing forward. But before I could reach them, one of Victor¡¯s men grabbed me, holding me back. Victor stood over Alessandro, a cruel smile on his face. ¡°You should have stayed out of this.¡± But Alessandro wasn¡¯t done. With a final burst of strength, he swung his arm, knocking Victor off bnce. The gun ttered to the floor, and I seized the opportunity. Breaking free from the man holding me, I grabbed the gun and aimed it at Victor with shaky hands. ¡°Let him go,¡± Imanded, my voice shaking but determined. Victor hesitated, then raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Alright, alright. You win. But this isn¡¯t over.¡± I kept the gun trained on him as I moved to untie Chase. His eyes met mine, filled with gratitude and determination. ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± Chase said, helping Alessandro to his feet. ¡°Now.¡± Together, we made our way to the exit, leaving Victor and his men behind. As we emerged into the cool night air, the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. We had faced down a dangerous enemy ande out alive, but the fight was far from over. ¡°We need to find out who Victor¡¯s working for,¡± Chase said. ¡°And we need to stop them before theye after us again.¡± I nodded, my heart pounding with a mix of adrenaline and fear at the realization of what had just happened. ¡°Yeah, but first, we need to get Alessandro to a hospital.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡ª Chapter 21: Revelations LUCY IN BRIANNE¡¯S BODY Back at the mansion, the air was thick with anxiety. Alessandro had refused to go to a hospital so we had hastily bandaged his injury We were all on edge. We knew Victor and his associates wouldn¡¯t rest until they silenced us for good. We needed a better n-and fast. Alessandro leaned back in his chair, his face pale. ¡°We need to strategize. We can¡¯t let them catch us off guard again.¡± Chase nodded. ¡°Yes. We also need to find out who Victor is working for. They¡¯re the ones pulling the strings.¡± We all fell silent, thinking about away when I remembered the Journal and Photographs I quickly pulled out Brianne¡¯s journal and the photographs I had found. ¡°These might help. Brianne wrote something about witnessing the murder and being involved with dangerous people. And this is also photo of her with Victor.¡± Chase took the journal, his eyes scanning the pages. ¡°This is a good start. If Brianne was documenting everything, there might be more clues here.¡± Alessandro leaned forward, wincing slightly. ¡°We need to be methodical about this. Start with the people Brianne mentioned in the journal and work our way up the chain. Whoever is behind this has a lot to lose, and they¡¯ll do whatever it takes to protect themselves.¡± As we pored over the journal, a pattern began to emerge. Brianne had been forced into Victor¡¯s world by, and she had seen too much. The entries became more frantic as she described the fear and paranoia that had gripped her. ¡°Here¡¯s something,¡± Chase said, pointing to a passage. ¡°Brianne mentioned meeting someone named Vincent at the Grand Hotel. She seemed to think he was important.¡± ¡°Vincent,¡± Alessandro mused. ¡°That name keepsing up. He might be another key to solving all of this.¡± We decided to follow up on this lead immediately. The Grand Hotel was a luxurious establishment in the heart of the city, a ce where high-profile meetings could happen without drawing too much attention. We needed to be careful, but this was our best chance at finding answers. ¡ª Later that evening, Chase and I arrived at the Grand Hotel. I was wearing a wig and contact lenses. So that Vincent would not recognize me. The lobby was opulent, with crystal chandeliers and marble floors that spoke of wealth and power. We approached the front desk, trying to appear casual. ¡°We¡¯re here to see Vincent,¡± Chase said, his voice steady. The receptionist gave us a polite but curious look. ¡°Good Day, sir and ma¡¯am, please do you have an appointment?¡± ¡°No,¡± Chase replied smoothly, ¡°but it¡¯s urgent. Tell him it¡¯s about Brianne Karen.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. The receptionist nodded and made a quick phone call. After a brief conversation with the person on the other end, she turned back to us. ¡°Mr. Vincent will see you in the lounge. This way, please.¡± We followed her to a private lounge area, where a man in an expensive turquoise blue suit sat waiting. He was middle-aged, with sharp features and a calcting gaze that made my skin crawl. This had to be Vincent. ¡°Mr. Vincent,¡± Chase cut to the point as we sat down, ¡°Good Day Sir. We need to talk to you about Brianne Karen.¡± Vincent¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°And who might you be?¡± ¡°Friends,¡± I said, my voice steady despite the fear I felt inside. ¡°We¡¯re trying to help her. She¡¯s in danger, and we need to know what you know.¡± Vincent studied us for a moment before nodding. ¡°Very well. Brianne was¡­ involved in some delicate matters. She witnessed something she shouldn¡¯t have, and now powerful people want to silence her.¡± ¡°Who are these people?¡± Chase asked, leaning forward. Vincent shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. It¡¯s too dangerous for even myself. But I can tell you this: the people Brianne was dealing with are connected to a muchrgerwork. They¡¯re involved in illegal activities that reach far beyond this city.¡± My heart pounded as I absorbed his words. We were up against a powerful organization, one that would stop at nothing to protect its secrets. ¡°Is there anything you can give us?¡± I asked. ¡°Anything that can help us find out who they are and what they¡¯re nning?¡± Vincent hesitated, then reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, ck notebook. ¡°This belonged to Brianne. She gave it to me for safekeeping. It contains names, dates, and locations. It¡¯s dangerous to have, but it might be your only chance.¡± I took the notebook, my hands trembling slightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± Vincent warned. ¡°These people are ruthless. If they find out you¡¯re looking into this, they won¡¯t hesitate to eliminate you.¡± ¡ª Back at the mansion, we gathered in the study to examine the notebook. It was filled with cryptic notes and references to meetings, payments, and locations. As we decoded the entries, a clearer picture began to form. ¡°This is a list of transactions,¡± Alessandro said, his brow furrowed in concentration. ¡°Money being moved around, bribes being paid. It looks like Brianne was documenting their activities.¡± ¡°She was building a case,¡± Chase added. ¡°She must have nned to use this to expose them.¡± As we continued to decode the notebook, one name stood out: Victor. Again He was mentioned several times, often in connection withrge sums of money and secret meetings. It was clear that he was a key yer in thiswork. ¡°We need to find Victor,¡± I said, my voice filled with determination. ¡°He¡¯s the link between Lucy¡¯s murder and this organization.¡± Alessandro nodded. ¡°But we have to be careful. If we go after him directly, he¡¯ll know we¡¯re onto him. We need a n.¡± ¡ª The next few days were a whirlwind of nning and preparation. We mapped out our strategy, deciding to confront Victor at one of his known meeting spots. ording to the notebook, he had a scheduled meeting at an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. We arrived at the warehouse under the cover of darkness, our hearts pounding with anticipation. The building was dpidated and looked abandoned, its windows were shattered and its walls covered in graffiti. We moved cautiously, listening for any signs of activity. As we entered, we saw Victor standing with a group of men, their voices low and urgent. We hid behind a stack of crates, watching and waiting for the right moment. ¡°Everything is set for the shipment,¡± one of the men was saying. ¡°The boss wants it to go smoothly.¡± ¡°It will,¡± Victor replied, his voice cold. ¡°Just make sure there are no loose ends.¡± This was our chance. Chase and I exchanged a nce, then stepped out from behind the crates, our guns drawn. ¡°Victor, it¡¯s over,¡± Chase said, his voice steady. ¡°We know everything.¡± Victor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in anger. ¡°You think you can just walk in here and threaten me? You¡¯re seriously out of your depth.¡± ¡°Drop your weapons,¡± Alessandromanded, stepping forward with his gun raised. Victor¡¯s men hesitated, then slowly lowered their guns. Victor, however, remained defiant. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re dealing with. This goes far beyond me.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± I said, my voice firm. ¡°Now, tell us who you¡¯re working for.¡± Victor sneered. ¡°You really think I¡¯ll just give up my associates? You¡¯re more naive than I thought.¡± ¡°We have the notebook,¡± Chase said. ¡°It has all the information we need. You¡¯re finished.¡± For a moment, Victor looked genuinely afraid. Then, with a sudden, desperate move, he lunged at Chase. The room erupted into chaos as shots rang out. I ducked behind a crate, my heart pounding as the fight unfolded. When the dust settled, Victor was on the ground, wounded but alive. Chase stood over him, his gun trained on Victor¡¯s head. ¡°Tell us everything,¡± Chase demanded. ¡°Or this ends now.¡± Victor¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred, but he knew he was beaten. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll tell you. But it would only kill you.¡± As Victor began to speak, the pieces of the puzzle finally started toe together. The organization he worked for was vast and powerful, involved in everything from drug trafficking to political corruption. They had eyes and ears everywhere, and they wouldn¡¯t stop until Brianne-now me-was silenced for good. ¡ª Back at the mansion, we sat in silence. Our minds reeling from the revtions. We had a clearer picture of what we were up against, but the danger was greater than ever. ¡°We need to go public with this,¡± Alessandro said. ¡°It¡¯s the only way to protect ourselves.¡± Chase nodded. ¡°Agreed. We have enough evidence now. If we expose them, they¡¯ll be too busy dealing with the fallout toe after us.¡± As we prepared to go public, I couldn¡¯t help but think of Brianne. Her bravery had set all of this in motion, and now it was up to us to finish what she had started. I vowed to honor her by seeing this through to the end. Chapter 22: Uncovering the Truth LUCY IN BRIANNE¡¯S BODY The next morning, the mansion was a flurry of activity. Alessandro, Chase, and I had decided to take the evidence we had gathered to the authorities, but we knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy. The organization we were up against was powerful, and they had their tentacles spread in every corner of the city. As I packed up the little notebook and other documents, my mind was racing with thoughts of whaty ahead. We were walking into the lion¡¯s den, and there was no turning back. Chase entered the room, his expression a mix of determination and concern. ¡°Ready?¡± I nodded, trying to suppress the fear gnawing at my insides. ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡± He walked over to me, his hand gently touching my arm. ¡°We¡¯ll get through this, Lucy. Together.¡± His touch sent a jolt of warmth through me, and for a moment, the world seemed a little less daunting. I looked up at him, seeing the same determination reflected in his eyes. ¡°Thank you, Chase. For everything.¡± He smiled, a small but genuine smile that made my heart ache with unspoken feelings. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡ª We arrived at the police station, a nondescript building that belied the importance of what we were about to do. Alessandro had arranged for us to meet with a trusted contact within the force, someone who wasn¡¯t on the organization¡¯s payroll. As we waited in the small, dimly lit room, the tension was palpable. I could see the worry etched on Alessandro¡¯s face as he paced back and forth, while Chase sat next to me, his hand resting reassuringly on mine. The door opened, and a stern-looking man in a suit entered. He introduced himself as Detective Martinez. ¡°I¡¯ve been briefed on your situation,¡± Martinez said, taking a seat across from us. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite a story to tell.¡± ¡°We have evidence,¡± Alessandro began, sliding the notebook across the table. ¡°Names, dates, transactions. It¡¯s all here.¡± Martinez flipped through the pages, his expression growing more serious by the second. ¡°This is solid. But you need to understand, going public with this will put a target on your backs. These people don¡¯t y around.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°We know,¡± Chase said firmly. ¡°But it¡¯s the only way to stop them.¡± Martinez nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll start the process. We¡¯ll need to secure you in protective custody until this blows over. It won¡¯t be easy, but it¡¯s the best shot you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡ª As we left the station, the gravity of our decision began to sink in. We were taking on a powerful enemy, and the risks were immense. But there was no turning back now. Back at the mansion, we began preparing for our move into protective custody. It was a whirlwind of packing and making arrangements, but in the midst of the chaos, there was a moment of calm. Chase and I found ourselves alone in the study, the weight of everything we had been through hanging heavy in the air. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Chase said, breaking the silence. ¡°About us. About how this all started with you as Lucy and now Brianne.¡± I looked at him, my heart aching with the confusion of my dual identity. ¡°Chase, I don¡¯t even know who I am anymore. I¡¯m stuck between two lives, and it¡¯s tearing me apart.¡± He moved closer, his eyes locking onto mine. ¡°I know it¡¯splicated. But what I feel for you, it¡¯s real. Whether you¡¯re Lucy or Brianne, it doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re you.¡± His words struck a chord deep within me, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a glimmer of hope. ¡°Chase, I¡­¡± Before I could finish, the door burst open and Alessandro entered, his expression grim. ¡°We need to leave. Now.¡± ¡ª The next few days were a blur as we were moved to a safe house, a secluded cabin in the woods far from the city. The istion was both a blessing and a curse. It gave us time to regroup and n, but it also left us alone with our thoughts and fears. One evening, as the sun set over the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. Chase and I found ourselves on the porch. Alessandro had gone to meet Martinez The silence of the forest wasforting, a stark contrast to the chaos of the city we had left behind. ¡°Do you ever think about what life would have been like if none of this had happened?¡± Chase asked, his voice soft. ¡°All the time,¡± I replied, gazing at the trees swaying gently in the breeze. ¡°But then I remember that everything happens for a reason.¡± He turned to me, his eyes filled with emotion and everything else seemed to fade away. Slowly, he reached out and took my hand, his touch sending a warm shiver down my spine. ¡°Lucy,¡± he said, his voice barely a whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t care what name you go by, or whose body you¡¯re in. You¡¯re the bravest, most incredible person I¡¯ve ever met. And I¡­¡± Before he could finish, I leaned in and kissed him, a kiss that was filled with all the words we couldn¡¯t say. It was a one of hope, of promise, and of a future that we would fight for together. ¡ª The next morning, our resolve was stronger than ever. We knew that going public with our evidence was the only way to bring down the organization and find justice for Brianne and for me. Detective Martinez had arranged a press conference, and we were ready to reveal everything. As we stood outside the Congress hall, the media swarmed around us, their cameras shing and microphones thrust in our faces. Once we got in, Martinez took the podium, his expression was solemn. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± he began, ¡°we are here today to expose awork of corruption and crime that has gued our city for far too long. These brave individuals have risked their lives to bring this information to light. Today, we take a stand against those who believe they are above thew.¡± As Martinezid out the evidence, the crowd listened in stunned silence. The names, the transactions, the details of the murder-they were all there, irrefutable and damning. When he finished, Chase and I stepped forward. My heart pounded as I faced the sea of faces, but I knew this was our moment. ¡°My name is Lucy Abrams,¡± I began, my voice steady. ¡°I was murdered, and my life was taken from me. But through a twist of fate, I was given a second chance. I now inhabit the body of Brianne Karen, and I have witnessed firsthand the corruption and evil that these people are capable of. Today, we stand together to say enough is enough.¡± Chase squeezed my hand, his support giving me strength. ¡°We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated. We will fight for justice, for Brianne, for Lucy, and for every innocent life that has been affected by this organization. The truth wille to light, and those responsible will be held ountable.¡± The crowd erupted in apuse, the weight of our words resonating through the air. As we walked away from the podium, I felt a sense of relief and empowerment wash over me. We had taken the first step towards justice, and there was no turning back. ¡ª Back at the safe house, we watched the news coverage of the press conference. The public¡¯s reaction was overwhelming, with support pouring in from all sides. But we knew the fight was far from over. As night fell, Chase and I sat by the fire, the warmth of the mes a stark contrast to the chill in the air. We talked about the future, about what we wanted and what we hoped to achieve. For the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of peace. I didn¡¯t know what the future held, but I knew that as long as we were together, we could face anything. ¡°Thank you for believing in me,¡± I said softly, my head resting on Chase¡¯s shoulder. He smiled, his arm wrapping around me. ¡°Always. We¡¯ve got a long road ahead, but we¡¯ll get through it. Together.¡± As we sat there, watching the mes dance, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. ¡ª Chapter 23: The Journal Brianne¡¯ Journal¡­ While exploring the hidden room, my heart raced and I felt like I was uncovering a secret meant to be kept hidden. The smell of antiquity and decay permeated the air, as flickering candles created spooky shadows on the walls. I felt like an outsider, an invader in a realm not meant for me to investigate. However, I needed to discover the reality. I needed to find out the secret he was keeping. The papers were spread out on the table, a few with unfamiliar symbols and codes that I couldn¡¯t understand. However, the pictures¡­ ah, the pictures. They were the most dreadful. They disyed individuals whom I didn¡¯t recognize, with expressions of agony and dread on their faces. And next came the videos. I couldn¡¯t bear to see them, but the noises¡­ the noises sent a chill down my spine. I realized at that moment that I needed to escape. I needed to get away from this world, from him, from the overwhelming darkness enveloping me. However, when I tried to go away, I noticed it. A photograph of myself, captured without my permission or awareness. I was grinning, chuckling,pletely unaware that my life was on the brink of a significant change. And he was next to me with his arm around me. The man I believed I was in love with. I suddenly realized I didn¡¯t know the man at all. While staring at the picture, doubts and fears were whispered by a persistent voice in my mind. ¡°Brianne, what are you up to? Why are you prying?¡± It was a voice that I was very familiar with, the voice of my own conscience. However, the sound had changed, bing more pressing and demanding. I tried to dismiss the sense of unease by convincing myself that it was merely a product of my imagination. But, the voice continued, resonating in my thoughts like a repetitive chant. ¡°You¡¯re unaware of the situation you¡¯re getting involved in. You are unaware of the truth.¡± I experienced a wave of frustration and nervousness. Who did I think I was fooling? I was fully immersed and aware of it. But the voice inside my mind continued to persist. ¡°Leave now before it¡¯s toote. While you are still able to¡­¡± I inhaled deeply and attempted to rx. I had to focus, to understand the situation. However, the voice refused to be quiet. It felt like a persistentpanion, a lingering presence in my thoughts that I couldn¡¯t rid myself of. And suddenly, the voice ceased as abruptly as it had begun. The silence was overwhelming. I was left standing there, feeling unsettled and bewildered. What was happening to me? Was my sanity slipping away? * I was seated at the kitchen table, going through Brianne¡¯s journal entries, attempting to decipher the cryptic messages and bizarre events. Did Brianne hear voices? I couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that something was not quite right. As I began to drift into deep thinking, Chase entered the kitchen and our eyes met, causing my heart to race. He beamed a delightful grin at me, his eyes creasing at the edges. ¡± Hmm, interesting. See what we¡¯ve got here,¡± he remarked with a tone full of conceit. ¡°The tiny investigator, busy on the case.¡± I rolled my eyes, attempting to disregard the fluttering sensation in my chest. ¡°I was simply trying to understand the situation with Brianne,¡± I stated, trying to appear nonchnt despite my heart racing. Chase casually walked towards me, disying smooth and assured movements. ¡°What have you found out, hmm?¡± he inquired, his gaze moving over the documents before me. His tone irritated me, but I couldn¡¯t ignore the growing attraction between us. ¡°I believe she may have been hearing voices in her head,¡± I whispered quietly. Chase¡¯s demeanor quickly became grave as his eyes narrowed. ¡°Continue,¡± he murmured in a deep, rough voice. I moved closer, feeling my heart beat rapidly in my chest. ¡°Her writing style could mean she was having a mental debate with someone.¡± Chase¡¯s face was now only a few inches away from mine, his breath warm and causing shivers to run down my spine. ¡°You¡¯re close to something. I can sense it.¡± He extended his arm and moved a piece of hair away from my ear, causing a sensation of sparks to race through me. I experienced a surge of adrenaline,bined with a feeling of excitement. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I murmured, attempting to move back. Chase¡¯s intense gaze met mine, locking our eyes together. ¡°I¡¯m close to the truth. And I won¡¯t let you stop me.¡± He ststed. A chill raced down my back as he moved nearer, his lips almost touching mine. ¡°I can¡¯t handle the truth,¡± I murmured, attempting to project confidence amidst the rising tension. Chase¡¯s smirk was both conceited and endearing. ¡°I can handle it,¡± he stated. ¡°And I can handle you.¡± I flushed as Chase¡¯s words lingered in the air. A surge of adrenaline,bined with a feeling of excitement, swept over me. I was aware that I should resist him, but my body had different intentions. Right as we were about to kiss, a loud sound startled us, causing both of us to flinch. The lights flickered and decreased in brightness, causing a shiver to travel down my spine. ¡°What did I just hear?¡± I murmured, attempting to move back. Chase¡¯s intense gaze met mine, locking eyes in a fiery moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± All of a sudden, the lights turned off entirely, engulfing us in darkness. I listened to the sound of deliberate and heavy footsteps approaching from the hallway. ¡°What is happening?¡± However, he remained silent. Instead, he drew me near, his arms enveloping me tightly like a vice. ¡°Be patient.¡± He hushed. I experienced a rush of anxiety, blended with a feeling of anticipation. What was going on? What information did Chase have that I wasn¡¯t aware of?Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. While we stood in the shadows, the sound of footsteps increased,ing nearer. I could sense my heart beating quickly in my chest as Chase¡¯s arms wrapped around me tightly. And suddenly, just like how it began, everything came to a halt. The sound of footsteps stopped, the lights turned on again, and the room fell silent once more. When I nced up at Chase, I noticed something in his eyes that sent shivers down my spine. A warning. A warning that spoke danger. Who was after Brianne really? Chapter 24: The Mysterious Note As I stood there, wrapped in Chase¡¯s arms, I couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of unease. ¡°What was going on? And what did Chase know that I didn¡¯t?¡± Just as I was about to ask him, his eyes flickered to something behind me. I turned to see what it was, and that¡¯s when I saw it. A note, scribbled on a piece of paper, lying on the kitchen counter. Chase¡¯s eyes narrowed as he read the note, his expression growing darker by the second. I felt a surge of fear, wondering what it said. But before I could ask, Alessandro walked into the room, his eyes scanning the space as if searching for something. ¡°Ah, Chase, Lucy,¡± he said, his voice smooth as silk. ¡°I see you¡¯re getting cozy.¡± Chase¡¯s arms tightened around me, his grip possessive. ¡°Alessandro, anything you want?¡± He asked obviously not happy Sandro interrupted our moment. Alessandro smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. ¡°Oh, I just wanted to check in on you two. See how the investigation is going.¡± I felt a surge of annoyance at his tone, but before I could say anything, Chase spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re making progress,¡± he said, his voice tight. ¡°But we could use some help.¡± Alessandro raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? What kind of help?¡± Chase hesitated, his eyes flicking to the note on the counter. ¡°We need to know more about Brianne¡¯s past,¡± he said. ¡°See if we can uncover any secrets she might have been hiding.¡± Alessandro nodded, his expression thoughtful. ¡°I can help with that,¡± he said. ¡°But first, let me ask you something.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What is it?¡± Chase growled, his patience wearing thin. Alessandro¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°What do you know about the Phoenix Club?¡± I felt a surge of fear at the mention of the name. What did Alessandro know? And what did it have to do with Brianne¡¯s death? But before I could ask any questions, Chase¡¯s phone rang, shrill in the silence. He hesitated, his eyes flicking to the note on the counter before answering. ________________ I was still attempting to understand what had recently urred when Chase¡¯s gaze quickly shifted to an object on the table behind me. He went from being worried to bing startled, and promptly released me. ¡°What is that?¡± I inquired, looking to see what had grabbed his focus. Before he could respond, Alessandro entered the room with a resolute expression. ¡°Chase, we have to have a conversation,¡± he stated firmly. Chase paused, keeping his gaze fixated on the object on the table. Reluctantly, he nodded and followed Alessandro out of the room. I found myself standing by myself, confused about the situation. However, when I was about to go, I noticed a sheet of paper on the table with my eyes. It was a hastily written note, scribbled in a hurry. ¡°Let¡¯s meet in the garden at midnight,¡± the message said. ¡°Come by yourself.¡± I felt my heart race as I acknowledged that this was likely what Chase had witnessed. Who authored the text, and what was their intention? A chill ran down my back as I contemted whether or not to go. However, there was something about the note that caught my attention. Perhaps it was the excitement of the unfamiliar, or perhaps it was the prospect of solutions. No matter what it was, I was aware I needed to leave. I folded up the note and ced it in my pocket, my thoughts filled with various scenarios. As I walked out of the room, I couldn¡¯t ignore the sense that someone was watching me. I pondered if I was heading towards a hazardous situation. Chase spoke in a hushed and pressing manner when he picked up the call. ¡°Right?¡± I was unable to hear the response from the other person, however, Chase¡¯s expression became more gloomy as time went on. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± he snarled. ¡°At what time did this ur?¡± Alessandro¡¯s eyes narrowed, intrigued. He silently asked me, ¡°What is happening?¡± I shook my head, not knowing what to answer. Chase nced at the note on the counter before looking back at Alessandro. ¡°I have to leave,¡± he said suddenly. ¡°Now.¡± Alessandro gave a nod, his face showing deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Chase paused, showing doubt about whether he wanted Alessandro¡¯s assistance. However, he then gave a nod, his jaw tight with resolve. Leaving the kitchen, a wave of fear surged through me. What was happening? What was the connection to the Phoenix Club? My heart raced as I nced at the note lying on the counter. In red ink, there was only one sentence scribbled. I grabbed it, my heart pounding. It was a different message, this time directed towards me. ¡°Do not rely on Chase. He isn¡¯t as he appears.¡± A wave of fear washed over me, mingling with bewilderment. What did this signify? Who was responsible for these messages? While I was standing there, attempting to understand everything, I heard a sounding from behind me. I looked over and saw Alessandro in the doorway, his eyes shining with amusement. ¡°You appear as though you have seen a ghost,¡± hemented, in a quiet and velvety tone. I attempted to grin, yet my heart was beating fast. ¡°I¡¯m just a little scared,¡± I stated. Alessandro nodded thoughtfully, his expression deep in contemtion. ¡°You ought to be. Lucy, you¡¯re in a situation that is beyond your abilities.¡± And then he turned around and vanished into the darkness, leaving me with a multitude of questions and very few answers. I remained in ce, attempting toprehend Alessandro¡¯s words. What was his implication that I was out of my depth? What information did he have about Chase? I nodded my head, attempting to regain rity of mind. I had to concentrate on uncovering the Phoenix Club¡¯s link to Brianne¡¯s death. I chose to conduct my own investigation, beginning with the note left on the counter. I entered ¡°Phoenix Club¡± into myptop and a bunch of results appeared. While browsing the pages, I discovered that the Phoenix Club was a confidential group renowned for its select members and enigmatic ceremonies. As I continued reading, a chill went down my back. This was bing stranger with each passing minute. Right as I was going to click on a different link, I heard a sounding from behind me. I looked and saw Chase standing in the doorway, with his eyes narrowed. He inquired, with a low and urgent tone, ¡°What are you up to?¡± I paused, not certain about how much information to disclose. ¡°Simply conducting some research,¡± I finally stated. Chase nced at theptop screen, causing his face to be somber. ¡°You should not do that.¡± I was ovee with fear. What was Chase keeping secret? All of a sudden, the room lights started flickering, and a weird humming sound caught my attention. ¡°What is happening?¡± I inquired in a barely audible voice. Chase¡¯s intense gaze met my eyes and held them. He stated that he was unsure. I believe we are at risk. With that, the lights turned off, casting us into darkness. I listened as footsteps, weighty and purposeful, approached from the hall. Chase enveloped me in his arms, drawing me near. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. And then, everything went ck. Chapter 25: Revelations In The Dark As the night closed in on us, I grasped onto Chase tightly, my heartbeat thundering so fiercely that it seemed audible. The footfalls approached, each one echoing threateningly through the hush of the surroundings. Chase¡¯s embrace intensified around me as his warm breath tickled at my earlobe. ¡°Stay near,¡± he murmured, his voice almost indiscernible amidst my thumping heart. Although he couldn¡¯t see me, I still nodded. My mind was flooded with unsettling questions and fears that were bing increasingly rming. Who wasing? What did they want? And most importantly, what on earth is happening right now? A faint light seeped through the creaking door, illuminating a narrow strip of darkness. My eyes strained to discern who was standing at the entrance ¨C their form tall and imposing enough to cast an elongated shadow across the chamber. My spine shivered as Alessandro¡¯s familiar voice called out, ¡°Chase? Lucy?¡± Remaining tense, Chase fixed his gaze upon the figure before him. ¡°Alessandro, why are you here?¡± he growled out in a low voice. As Alessandro entered the room, his features were illuminated by the hallway light. His expression was ambiguous ¨C abination of amusement and something more ominous. ¡°Chase,¡± he said coolly, ¡°I could inquire as to what you are concealing?¡± Chase¡¯s jaw clenched as he narrowed his eyes. ¡°I have nothing to hide, but it seems like you are withholding information.¡± Alessandro¡¯s eyes twinkled mischievously as his smile broadened. ¡°Chase, you¡¯re always so wary,¡± he said. ¡°But you are correct; I possess more knowledge.¡± His attention then shifted towards me, and a shiver of unease crept down my back. ¡°Lucy, it seems that the same holds true for you too.¡± Feeling my throat tighten, I made an effort to control the waver in my voice. ¡°Could you borate?¡± Without averting his gaze, Alessandro moved a step closer and disclosed,¡± The Phoenix Club is more than just an undisclosed organization. It¡¯s a system built on authority and dishonesty, which you¡¯re caught in whether or not youprehend it.¡± Chase¡¯s hold on me became firmer as anger infused his words. ¡°Quit fooling around, Alessandro. What information do you have regarding Brianne¡¯s demise?¡± Alessandro¡¯s countenance turned grim, and in a fleeting moment, I detected an elusive hint of an emotion ¨C terror? Remorse? It vanished as swiftly as it manifested. ¡°Brianne was bing perilously close to uncovering the truth: ssified details about our organization and its affiliates.¡± Anger and fear surged inside me, as I asked ¡°What is your involvement in all of this?¡± Alessandro ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose to be part of the club,¡± he said, ¡°it¡¯s been in my family for generations. When Brianne stumbled upon our secrets, I did everything in my power to keep her safe ¨C but it was already toote.¡± Chase¡¯s fury zed through his eyes as he demanded, ¡°Why have you kept this information from us for so long?¡± Alessandro¡¯s expression softened, and he appeared genuinely regretful for the first time. ¡°I was unsure of whom to confide in because the club has surveince everywhere. A single error could result in me meeting a fate simr to Brianne¡¯s.¡± After taking a deep breath, I attempted toprehend everything before asking, ¡°What¡¯s the next step? What should we do now?¡± ncing at Chase first, then turning to me, Alessandro stressed the urgency of identifying the culprit within our club who had caused Brianne¡¯s demise. ¡°We must do it swiftly,¡± he warned, ¡°lest they turn their malicious intents towards us.¡± Chase¡¯s expression turned grim as he nodded. ¡°I concur, however, we require additional information ¨C a tangible lead.¡± Alessandro retrieved a small, tattered notebook from his pocket and disclosed its sender. ¡°This was possessed by Brianne, who took note of everything she discovered. Though limited, it should serve as an initiation point.¡± My hands trembled as I took the notebook from him and uttered a soft ¡°thank you¡±. Determination filled Alessandro¡¯s eyes as he nodded in agreement. ¡°Caution is key here. No one can be trusted, especially since the club wields immense power and will stop at nothing to silence us if they perceive any threat.¡± Chase¡¯s hold on me rxed a little, and he examined me with a blend of worry and determination. ¡°Lucy, do you believe that you¡¯re prepared for this?¡± As I locked eyes with him, a wave of newfound strength washed over me. ¡°Absolutely. Discovering the truth is crucial for Brianne¡¯s sake and our own.¡± Alessandro smiled, but his eyes didn¡¯t reflect the same emotion. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯smence our work.¡± As we delved into Brianne¡¯s notes, the gravity of our predicament dawned on me. The peril posed by the Phoenix Club was far graver than I had envisaged, and we found ourselves caught up in its midst. Nheless, with my allies Chase and Alessandro beside me, a spark of optimism ignited within me ¨C no matter how high the stakes were set against us; veracity would triumph atst. As we toiled through the night, the obscurity appeared marginally less formidable. Our faces were lit by the dim glow of a solitarymp as we pored over Brianne¡¯s notebook, feeling the palpable tension in the air. Scrawled notes, perplexing symbols and halfpleted trains of thought covered every page. It was obvious that she had been working on an important project¨Cone which would ultimately lead to her demise. ¡°Whispering, I directed their attention to the page describing a shadowy entity identified as ¡®The Raven,''¡± asking for spection on its identity. As Chase read, he leaned in and narrowed his eyes. ¡°The Raven could be a pseudonym for someone prominent within the Phoenix Club,¡± he mused. With a solemn expression, Alessandro affirmed, ¡°I¡¯ve caught murmurs regarding The Raven. An elusive personality who maniptes things from behind the curtain. If Brianne had been on their trail, it could justify why she was silenced.¡± My mind raced as I shivered at the thought. ¡°The notebook is a good start, but it¡¯s inadequate. We require more information.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. After looking at his watch, Chase turned to me and took up the note we discovered on the kitchen counter. It said something about meeting in the garden at midnight. I felt my heart skip a beat as I asked, ¡°Do you believe it could possibly be a lead?¡± Chapter 26: The Whisper In The Garden Alessandro¡¯s gaze flickered with a blend of eagerness and prudence. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try, but let us take precautions; this could be an ambush.¡± I affirmed firmly, my determination strengthening. ¡°We must proceed. We cannot risk overlooking any possible leads.¡± As we walked towards the garden, I felt the cool evening breeze brush against my skin. The sprawling garden was abundant with towering hedges and meandering paths that seemed to stretch into infinity. A strangely quiet atmosphere enveloped us as all we could hear were leaves rustling in gentle waves caused by the wind. Chase¡¯s hand rested on my arm as he whispered, ¡°Remain nearby. We¡¯re not certain of the situation ahead.¡± Silently traversing the garden, we scanned the shadows with watchful eyes. As our destination grew near, a cloaked figure emerged from within its murky depths sporting a lengthy coat and broad-brimmed hat. ¡°Who goes there?¡± Chase yelled, his voiceposed yet apprehensive. As the figure advanced, a recognizable visage came into view. It was none other than Marcus, Brianne¡¯s longtime pal. I gasped with a mixture of relief and confusion when I saw Marcus. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Nervously ncing around, Marcus¡¯s eyes darted from side to side as he spoke urgently. ¡°Lucy, I came because I have vital information that could be dangerous for us both. Let¡¯s make haste.¡± Marcus was asked by Chase, ¡°What information do you possess?¡± as he held onto my arm tighter. With a small tremble in his voice, Marcus took a deep breath and said, ¡°Brianne has uncovered something massive. For years now, The Phoenix Club has been involved with illegal affairs such as moneyundering, ckmailing people and evenmitting several murders. Although Brianne did find the evidence needed to end their misdoings once and for all, she couldn¡¯t decide who was trustworthy enough to share it with. She only ever wanted you out of harm¡¯s way, Lucy.¡± The gravity of his words hit me hard, causing tears to well up in my eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she inform me?¡± ¡°She was frightened,¡± Marcus responded in a calming tone. ¡°Concerned about your safety, she chose not to involve you directly. However, she did leave behind hints for you purposefully.¡± With his sharp gaze, Alessandro moved closer and asked, ¡°Are you familiar with The Raven?¡± After some hesitation, Marcus ultimately agreed by nodding. ¡°The individual known as The Raven is the one pulling all the strings. With fear and maniption tactics, they operate from behind-the-scenes to run the club while keeping everyone under their control. Brianne was on track to discovering his or her true identity until she lost her life.¡± ¡°The only way to stop this is by finding The Raven,¡± Chase dered, his jaw clenching and eyes filled with unwavering determination. Looking around nervously, Marcus expressed his apprehension. ¡°Tomorrow night¡¯s meeting is taking ce at the old mansion located on the outskirts of town. The Raven and other influential members will be present, making it our prime opportunity to collect evidence and unveil their activities.¡± A mixture of hope and dread surged within me. ¡°What¡¯s the way to enter?¡± ¡°Take this intricately designed key,¡± Marcus gave it to Chase. ¡°It will grant you entry into the mansion, but exercise caution as The Raven has tight security measures in ce and won¡¯t hesitate to eliminate anyone posing a threat.¡± With a determined expression, Chase epted the key and asserted confidently, ¡°We¡¯ll be prepared.¡± With a look of concern, Marcus gave a nod. ¡°I wish you luck and pray for your safety.¡± We stood in the garden, our task looming over us with great weight as Marcus retreated into the shadows. The Phoenix Club proved to be even more perilous than we had initially anticipated, and facing it felt like entering a den of lions. With a look of unwavering resolve in his gaze, Chase addressed me. ¡°Lucy, we have what it takes to aplish this ¨C locating The Raven and ensuring they are held ountable.¡± My resolve took over my fear as I nodded. ¡°This is for Brianne.¡± With a solemn look, Alessandro rested his hand on my shoulder and advised, ¡°We have to be strategic and cautious. The Raven is known for its ruthlessness; we can anticipate formidable resistance.¡± While heading towards the house, the garden appeared bleaker and eerie. However, even though there was fright and doubt lingering within me, a ray of optimism glinted through. With a solid n in ce, we would follow it topletion. The following day flew by in a flurry of readiness and unease. With scant details at our disposal, we conceived an idea that hinged on optimism more than assurance. By nightfall, I was fraught with jitters as my thoughts raced through all possible oues and worst-case predicaments. Standing outside the ancient mansion, Alessandro, Chase and I were greeted by a somber facade concealed in darkness. A sense of excitement hung thickly in the air as every shadow invoked an impending danger. The key that had been handed to us by Marcus was a grave reminder of how risky our actions were going to be ¨C its weighty presence felt within my pocket. Chase asked if everyone was ready with a steady voice, despite the tension present in the air. Swallowing my fear, I nodded confidently. ¡°Let¡¯s go for it.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. With deft speed and silent movements, we turned the key in the lock effortlessly. The door screeched as it cautiously opened, illuminating a shadowy hallway ahead of us. Eerie stillness lingered within the mansion¡¯s walls; its deafening silence sent shivers down our spines. Alessandro whispered to stick with the n. He emphasized on getting in, gathering evidence and leaving without taking any unnecessary risks. Moving deeper into the mansion, we nodded in agreement while breathing in the thick scent of old wood and stale air. The smell seemed to stick to our clothes and skin with every step. As each floorboard creaked beneath us, my senses heightened, causing my heart rate to increase rapidly. A pair of double doors stood before us, and the muffled sounds of voices emanated from behind. Chase motioned for us to halt our approach as he leaned towards the door, listening intently. With a subtle nod, he confirmed that we had arrived at the designated meeting location. He silently mouthed, his gaze fixated on mine, ¡°Are you set?¡± Taking in a deep breath, I nodded my head. Alessandro mirrored my actions and his countenance was steely with resolve. As Chase forced the doors apart, we tiptoed into the room and took cover in its shadows. The space was majestic, embellished withvish furnishings and intricate trappings. Positioned at its core were several individuals sitting around a vast table wearing masks that concealed their faces. ¡°One of them wearing a mask mentioned that the Raven would arrive soon and urged us to make decisions on our ns,¡± they spoke with their voice distorted. Signaling us to remain concealed, Chase scanned the room warily for any potential threat. We observed in silence as the meeting proceeded, every passing second drawing us nearer to uncovering reality. Eventually, the entryway on the opposite side of the room became utched, and an individual entered through it. This person was exceedingly tall and held a significant presence that caught everyone¡¯s eye ¨C The Raven. As The Raven spoke, his voice silky andmanding, a shudder coursed through my body. ¡°Greetings all. On this night, we shall fortify our influence and secure our dominion over the city.¡± Chapter 27: The Leaked Information Chase advised, ¡°Maintain yourposure. Keep to the darkness and be attentive.¡± Alessandro eximed in disbelief, ¡°It¡¯s astonishing that we are so near. The Raven is within our grasp.¡± Lucy reminded everyone to concentrate on the task and collect as much as possible. ¡°We have achieved sess in our operations thus far. This evening, we will deliberate on future endeavors and guarantee that there are no unfinished tasks.¡± Member 1, asked: ¡°Do the recent investigations warrant any concerns on our part?¡± The Raven dered, ¡°Worry is a sign of vulnerability. Our surveince spans far and wide, leaving those in power at our mercy.¡± Masked Member 2: ¡°What about Brianne? Her death has caused curiosity and uneasiness among some members.¡± ¡°We saw Brianne as a minor obstacle, and her removal was imperative to safeguard our anonymity and authority,¡± stated The Raven. Chase whispered, ¡°Were you able to listen? They confessed to murdering Brianne.¡± ¡°We require additional substantial evidence,¡± whispered Lucy. Alessandro whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s check the table for a briefcase. It could contain important documents.¡± ¡°We need to strengthen our hold. The mayor is our next objective as he has been openly opposing our interests.¡± ¡°What¡¯s our next step?¡± asked Masked Member 3. ¡°We need to get rid of them discreetly. Let it appear as an ident. Further investigation is thest thing we want.¡± Chase asked, ¡°Alessandro, could you approach nearer? Those documents are necessary.¡± Alessandro said he would attempt it and asked for someone to cover him. Lucy cautioned, ¡°Please watch out.¡± Alessandro (edging nearer): ¡°I¡¯m getting close¡­¡± ¡°Our financial situation is still strong due to ourundering activities that keep our funds untraceable.¡± ¡°What about our opponents?¡± asked Masked Member 4. ¡°We shall handle them in the customary manner. Fear and force are ourpanions.¡± Chase suggests, ¡°We should step back since he has the briefcase.¡± Lucy urged, ¡°Please pause and pay attention. Their scheme is significant.¡± The Raven dered, ¡°We aspire to achieveplete dominance. Operating in secrecy, we shall govern with absolute authority. The Phoenix Club will be invincible.¡± Member 1 wearing a mask: ¡°We shall be guided by The Raven.¡± ¡°Absolutely. Let¡¯s conclude our next actions.¡± Alessandro said, ¡°I¡¯ve got it. We should leave this ce.¡± Chase suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and listen further. It could be our sole opportunity.¡± The Raven stated that the agenda for tonight is unambiguous, and emphasized on executing ns with the utmost uracy while avoiding mistakes. Member 2 wearing a mask: ¡°Acknowledged. We will follow the given instructions.¡± Chase said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start moving.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be quiet so we don¡¯t alert them,¡± whispered Lucy. Stealthily moving backward towards the entrance, theymence their retreat. The Raven spoke gravely, ¡°Finally, there is one more matter to address. We have a betrayer in our midst who has been disclosing sensitive information.¡± Masked Member 3: ¡°Whom do you mean?¡± The Raven stated, ¡°Soon enough, the truth will be uncovered. ce no trust in anyone.¡± Chase urgently stated, ¡°We must depart immediately.¡± Alessandro eximed, ¡°We¡¯re nearly there!¡± Lucy eximed, ¡°Hold on! There¡¯s someone approaching!¡± As Marcus entered the room, he announced: ¡°I¡¯ve got some news.¡± ¡°Utter your words,¡± said the Raven. Marcus remarked that the authorities were getting closer as they had obtained new information. ¡°We are constantly one step ahead; let them arrive.¡± ¨C The Raven Masked Member 1 asked, ¡°What will happen if they discover us?¡± ¡°They will not resist. Our control is absolute. Proceed with ensuring wless execution of our ns.¡± Chase said, ¡°We have run out. We need to act fast.¡± Exiting the mansion, they backtrack through the garden. Lucy eximed, ¡°It was dangerously close.¡± Alessandro expressed, ¡°Our mission has been aplished. This briefcase possesses the potential to bring them down.¡± Chase suggested, ¡°We should relocate to a secure ce and examine everything.¡± After locating a secluded area, the group inspects the briefcase. Lucy eximed, ¡°We have everything we need ¨C financial records, names and dates!¡± Chase eximed, ¡°We¡¯ve got them. This is the moment.¡± Alessandro stated that the next step was to deliver it to the authorities. Lucy cautioned that we should remain cautious as the Raven¡¯s impact was widespread. Chase suggested that they approach someone whom they have confidence in and who can execute their ns without arousing suspicion. Alessandro concurred, stating the potential danger of allowing it to fall into improper hands. Lucy stated, ¡°This is for Brianne and all the individuals they have harmed.¡± Chase eximed, ¡°We must hurry, since time is crucial.¡± With determination, the group hastens towards meting out justice to The Phoenix Club. ording to Lucy, we must stick with it because what we are doing is correct. ¡°We¡¯ll make it happen in cooperation.¡± Alessandro advised him to stay alert as the Raven would resist fiercely.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Lucy confidently stated, ¡°We are prepared for any challenge that lies ahead.¡± With their determination heightened, the group presses forward towards their intended location. Chase eximed, ¡°We have arrived. This is our destination.¡± Lucy suggested, ¡°We should put an end to this conclusively.¡± As they gear up to dismantle The Phoenix Club, their unwavering bravery in the face of danger is evident as the scene fades. In a tucked-away safe house, the group huddles around a table bathed in low light. The surface is overflowing with paperwork and tools. ¡°We must act swiftly. The longer we dy, the greater the chance that The Phoenix Club will be aware of our intentions,¡± urged Chase. ¡°I havepiled a roster ofw enforcement contacts who may be reliable. Our selection process must be thorough,¡± Alessandro said. Lucy suggests that Detective Harris should be our go-to person as he has been investigating corruption for years and can be of great assistance to us. Chase agrees, saying ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We should bring him in.¡± Alessandro takes the receiver and punches in a phone number. After several rings, a husky voice responds. Detective Harris said, ¡°This is Detective Harris speaking.¡± Alessandro introduced himself to the detective, stating that they had met previously. Detective Harris inquired, ¡°Alessandro, can you please update me on the current situation?¡± Chapter 28: The Final Shutdown Alessandro pleaded, ¡°We¡¯re in possession of crucial evidence implicating The Phoenix Club. Your assistance is indispensable.¡± Detective Harris instructs: ¡°Come to the abandoned warehouse located on 5th Street. Ensure that youe alone.¡± Chase suggested that everyone should go together, as it is not safe for anyone to be alone at the moment. Lucy said, ¡°I agree. We should get ready.¡± Under the shroud of darkness, they expeditiously collect their equipment and proof before setting off. Upon arriving at the warehouse on 5th Street, the group approaches hesitantly as it appears ominous with its dim and shadowy atmosphere. They enter cautiously, sensing an impending sense of dread looming over them. Harris, the detective: ¡°Come this way.¡± With a stern and serious expression, Detective Harris emerges from the shadows. Chase stated, ¡°Our evidence isprehensive. It includes financial records as well as names and dates of events and lots more.¡± Harris receives the briefcase from Chase, unlocks it and quickly surveys its contents. Detective Harris expressed the urgency of the situation by saying that with this critical piece of evidence, they can bring down The Phoenix Club swiftly. ¡°What is the n?¡± Alessandro asked. Detective Harris proposed, ¡°Tonight we will initiate a synchronized operation. I¡¯ll summon my team and rely on your testimony and statements.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Lucy said, ¡°We are prepared for anything. Let¡¯s do this task for Brianne.¡± While the group waits anxiously, Harris conducts a sequence of phone calls to arrange for the raid. Detective Harris announced, ¡°Our n is in motion. We¡¯ll make our move within an hour. Remain nearby and prioritize your safety, so everyone should keep their guard.¡± The ticking seconds seemed to drag on forever, each moment feeling like an endless eternity. At longst, Harris motions that it is time to depart. The mansion, where The Phoenix Club is conducting their meeting, bes the converging point. Detective Harris instructed, ¡°Take your positions. Wait for my cue.¡± Silently, they encircle the mansion. At Harris¡¯s signal, the raidmences. The police officer in the SWAT team: ¡°Attention! Get down on the ground now!¡± As the masked members scramble to flee, chaos erupts in the mansion. The Raven remainsposed yet vignt while attempting to slip away from sight. Chase eximed, ¡°Look! The Raven is attempting to flee!¡± The Raven is pursued by Chase, Alessandro, and Lucy through the twisting corridors of the mansion. The Raven dered, ¡°I have been invincible for years. There is no way to hinder me.¡± Chase dered, ¡°Tonight is the end. No more.¡± Following their determination to catch The Raven, the group follows as it darts into a concealed passageway. Alessandro cautioned, ¡°Keep a close eye on them, they are not going nowhere!¡± Lucy remarks that she spots a light ahead, indicating the possibility of them making their way towards an exit. After a pursuit through the slender passage, they eventually reach an underground tunnel. ¡°You have persistence, I cannot deny it. However, your efforts are in vain.¡± Chase suggests, ¡°You could have a fair trial if you surrender now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re naive to think it¡¯s fair,¡± said the Raven. An underground chamber filled with remnants of The Phoenix Club¡¯s operations can be essed through the tunnel. Lucy eximed, ¡°Their whole operation is on disy here.¡± Raven, this is where it all ends,¡± said Alessandro. With a cold smile on their lips, the Raven faced them. ¡°Do not think your victory is assured. The Phoenix Club transcends my existence and magnitude. For even if I am defeated, others shall emerge.¡± Chase responded, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± The Raven is surrounded, and the chamber secured as soon as the authorities arrive. Detective Harris deres, ¡°You are being detained. The situation hase to an end.¡± Could this be the start of a new chapter rather than an end? The Raven is handcuffed by Harris, who leads them away while the group exhales amunal sigh of relief. Lucy eximed, ¡°We have aplished it. Brianne¡¯s disappearance will hold significance.¡± Chase stated that the battle isn¡¯t finished yet, and we must remain watchful, even though it won¡¯t be easy. Alessandro suggested, ¡°We have dealt them a setback for the moment. Let¡¯s ensure that it has a significant impact.¡± As the sun crests on a brand new day, the group departs from the mansion. The burden of their travels lessens as they move forward towards a future that requires significant effort to achieve. Chase vowed, ¡°Our battle has just begun. We will persist in fighting for Brianne and all those harmed by them.¡± Lucy suggested that they could defeat their opponents if they worked together and took it one step at a time. Alessandro stated that the mighty can be brought down, and it¡¯s essential to ensure they remain defeated. The group moves forward with a unified purpose as the rising sun casts its illuminating glow upon their path, fueled by determination. Several weeks have psed since the epic dismantling of The Phoenix Club. Now, in a warm and snug cafe, the group reunites with an ongoing sense of their journey¡¯s significance although apanied by newfound hope. ¡°It¡¯s a surreal feeling, isn¡¯t it? To see The Raven imprisoned,¡± said Lucy. Chase acknowledges that progress has been made, but reminds us of the impending trial and stresses the importance of being ready. Alessandro has gathered all the evidence we acquired. Detective Harris believes there is sufficient proof to guarantee a conviction, but it¡¯s crucial that we prepare for any unexpected circumstances. Lucy expressed regret that Brianne could not witness what they had achieved, but believed she would have been proud of them. Chase reassures Lucy that their motives have been driven by the spirit of their deceased loved one and all the victims they seek to honor. The door chime sounds off as Detective Harris strides in, exuding an air of urgency andmanding presence. Detective Harris greeted everyone and inquired about their wellbeing by saying, ¡°It is great to see you all. Are you managing well?¡± Alessandro asked, ¡°How are things going? What¡¯s the most recent update?¡± Chapter 29: The Aftermath ¡°The trial date has been scheduled, and while the prosecution presents a strong case, it¡¯s important to note that The Raven¡¯s defense team is just as formidable. We can expect them to pull out all the stops in their fight against us,¡± stated Detective Harris. Lucy stated confidently, ¡°We have made it this far and are not going to give up now.¡± Detective Harris eximed, ¡°That¡¯s the way to go! I have brought some extra files that you should examine profoundly. We cannot afford to miss any detail.¡± Sifting through documents and preparing their testimonies, they gather around the table. Chase said it was an opportunity for them to unveil everything, bringing The Phoenix Club¡¯s actions to light. Eventually, the entire globe would be informed of their wrongdoing. Alessandro affirmed, ¡°We¡¯ll guarantee their incapacity to resurface. This trial marks merely themencement.¡± Lucy said she had been reviewing her statement and wanted to ensure it was wless. Lucy, Detective Harris encourages you to speak confidently and honestly. The truth can be our most powerful tool. The group toils incessantly over the next couple of days, honing their testimonies and scrutinizing every detail of the evidence. The trial day finally materializes, and they assemble in solidarity outside the courthouse. Chase asked, ¡°Are you ready? This is the moment.¡± Lucy says that she is as prepared as possible. ¡°We can handle this. It¡¯s for Brianne.¡± ¨C Alessandro As the court proceedings begin, a palpable sense of tension fills the air. Leading off with their argument is the prosecution whoys down evidence surrounding The Phoenix Club¡¯s illicit activities and uwful doings. ¡°The Phoenix Club operated without fear for years but their terrorizing era concludes today as the evidence against them is incontrovertible,¡± stated by the prosecutor. With a cold, calcting expression on his unmasked face, the Raven sits as the defense counters by trying to discredit both witnesses and evidence. ording to the defense attorney, their client is a victim of false allegations and unreliable witnesses who are targeting them in an unjust pursuit. Each member of the group is summoned to give testimony, recounting their individual experiences and presenting the evidence they uncovered. ¡°We have witnessed the extent of The Phoenix Club¡¯s merciless actions and they must be put to an end,¡± stated Chase. Alessandro stated that the documents they discovered provide aprehensive ount of their actions, and there is no disputing this reality. Lucy said that Brianne had sacrificed her life to reveal the truth about them, so it was our responsibility to follow through with her mission. The words they speak carry great weight, and the courtroom remains attentive. With each passing moment of the trial, tension builds. The judge stated that they had listened to persuasive arguments from both parties and would now consider them before announcing a judgment. Outside the courtroom, the group anxiously waits as minutes seem to stretch into hours. Lucy asked, ¡°Is it sufficient?¡± Chase stated, ¡°We have exhausted all efforts, it must be the solution.¡± Alessandro believes that justice will prevail and therefore encourages us to trust the system. As the doors of the courtroom swing open, everyone makes their way back inside. The judge assumes their position as a heavy sense of anticipation fills the room. Having scrutinized the evidence thoroughly, we have arrived at a definite decision ¨C said by the judge. An eerie stillness ovees the room, with an almost tangible sense of tension. The defendant has been convicted of all charges by the judge. A blend of feelings and a sense of relief fills the room as The Raven is finally taken away in handcuffs, putting an end to their tyranny. Chase eximed, ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Lucy presented the item to Brianne, saying ¡°This is for you.¡± Alessandro stated that although justice had been served, their work was not yetplete. Detective Harris conceded, ¡°You¡¯re correct that there¡¯ll always be individuals striving to exploit authority. Nevertheless, we¡¯ve demonstrated today that they can be halted.¡± After exiting the courthouse, the group pauses to contemte their expedition and confrontations that still lie ahead. Chase stated that taking down The Phoenix Club was merely the start and advised for continued alertness. Lucy stated that collectively, there is nothing they cannot aplish. Alessandro dered, ¡°Our fight shall persist; for Brianne¡¯s sake, for the cause of justice and in support of all those who are incapable to fend off their own battles.¡± Detective Harrismended, ¡°You have achieved an impressive feat. Always keep that in mind.¡± As the sun starts to dip beyond the horizon, it nkets a stirring glow over the metropolis. Shoulder-to-shoulder, the cohort fortifies their determination and prepares themselves for any challenge ahead. Chase raised his ss and proimed, ¡°Let us celebrate a future where truth prevails and justice is served.¡± Lucy solemnly expressed, ¡°Let us honor and remember those who have left our journey.¡± Alessandro stated that they will maintain the spirit of those individuals in all their actions. Leaving the courthouse behind, as city lightse to y, the group walks away with hearts brimming in hope and drive. While they acknowledge that their path is lined with challenges ahead, they are prepared to confront them hand-in-hand towards amon goal of making this world an improved ce. (The city is gradually recovering from The Phoenix Club¡¯s transgressions, several weeks following the trial. The group persists in its endeavors but with an emphasis on reconstruction and preventing a resurgence of corruption ¨C the very issue they had previously battled against. Their meetings now take ce at a well-litmunity center that exudes an aura of careful hopefulness. Lucy expressed amazement at the sight of people uniting as it made the city feel altered, now teeming with optimism. Chase acknowledges the incredible impact that transparency and ountability can have. However, he emphasizes that there is still much work to be done and urges againstcency. Alessandro concurs, insisting on the need to implement robust systems capable of thwarting any potential resurgence of The Phoenix Club. Detective Harris walks in with an infrequent grin on his typically severe countenance.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Detective Harris stated that the city council has authorized the establishment of a new oversightmittee, and he mentioned with delight that they have requested our participation. Lucy eximed, ¡°This is fantastic! We can ensure that the reforms have significance and endure over time.¡± Chase said that being vignt was necessary, but acknowledged that this represented a significant progress. Chapter 30: A New Dawn ¡°I have begun drafting proposals aimed at promoting transparency and ountability. While it is a good beginning, we will require input from themunity.¡± Detective Harris mentioned that there will be a town hall meeting tonight and emphasized how important it is for people to hear from all of them, as they have be symbols in the struggle against corruption. ¡°We will definitely attend. It is crucial to demonstrate our dedication to this cause, just like they are doing.¡± He said. As they make arrangements for the town hall meeting, time flies by rapidly. Once night descends upon them, an enormous crowd of enthusiastic citizens fill up themunity center to engage in discussions about reconstructing their area. ¡°Greetings, all. We are honored to have here with us this evening the valiant individuals who yed a crucial role in bringing The Phoenix Club to justice. Let us extend our warmest wee to Chase, Lucy, Alessandro and Detective Harris.¡± As the group takes their ce on stage, High apuse erupts throughout the room. Chase expressed gratitude and appreciation for being considered and given the opportunity to be present at this momentous asion where arge number of individuals are prepared to participate in shaping the future of their city. Lucy stated that despite all the challenges they have faced, it is evident that collective efforts can surmount any obstacle no matter how difficult it might be. She views this as an opportunity to reconstruct and guarantee a more positive future ahead. Alessandro emphasized the importance of developing systems that exhibit transparency and ountability. He exined how it is not only about punishing offenders for their actions, but also about preventing any instances of corruption from re-emerging in the future. Citizen 1 inquired, ¡°What particr actions do you suggest in this situation?¡± Lucy suggests considering various options such as strengthened protections for whistleblowers, frequent audits conducted by external organizations, and disclosure of government contracts and expenses to the public. As citizens, what measures can we take to provide assistance in these endeavors? Chase reminds us to remain involved in the democratic process by actively participating, raising inquiries and expecting answers from our representatives. Teamwork is a crucial strategy for a sessful democracy and can only be achieved if individuals work together for a greater goal! Detective Harris stated thatw enforcement agency is present to serve and safeguard individuals, urging them to speak up if they spot anything amiss. He assured the listeners of their dedication towards scrutinizingints and responding promptly. The assembly carries on, with residents expressing their apprehensions and rmendations. Themittee meticulously records all opinions to ensure inclusivity. The moderator expressed gratitude for the participants¡¯ involvement and stated that it was evident that their city is prepared to progress with unity and increased resilience when having patriotic citizens like them. Following the meeting, the cluster congregates outdoors amid a refreshing and cool night breeze. Lucy expressed her satisfaction, stating that the event was sessful and people were enthusiastic about offering their assistance. Chase finds it inspirational that they have established the foundation and now need to expand upon it. Alessandro stated that he would initiate the creation of ultimate proposals following tonight¡¯s input. He emphasized on maintaining this speed and continuing to move forward with it.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Detective Harrismended the team for their outstanding efforts and encouraged them to persevere, reminding them that they have allies in this battle. As they bid farewell for the night, a palpable feeling of satisfaction and resolve permeates their surroundings. The uing weeks blur into an endless stream of discussions, outlining schemes, and coborating with members from society. Several months pass and a ceremony is organized by the city to remember the transformations made possible through fighting against The Phoenix Club. Once again, standing united on stage, they survey an audience brimming with hope and unwavering determination. The Mayor pays tribute to Chase, Lucy, Alessandro and Detective Harris by acknowledging their courage and unwaveringmitment towards their achieved goal worth . Their contribution towards upholding justice has not only been a key milestone but is also vital in shaping the future of our city with more optimism. Proud yet humble smiles are exchanged among the group as they bask in the apuse of the crowd. Chase stated that this is not the conclusion of their expedition, but rather amencement. If they work as one, they can guarantee that their city sustains its justice and honesty. ¡°We have proven that solidarity enables us to triumph over adversities. Let us persist in our pursuit of a brighter tomorrow, one where each person¡¯s voice counts and every life holds importance.¡± Lucy said Lucy: ¡°Our city can progress with the support of transparency, ountability andmunity- these are its fundamental pirs.¡± Detective Harris urged, ¡°Let us all stay united and persist in our fight for justice any time, anywhere for the peace and order of our city and country.¡± As the ceremony ends, members of the group intermingle with those in attendance, exchanging handshakes and anecdotes. The descent of sun casts aforting aura over the urban terrain; an emblematic representation for fresh starts. Chase dered, ¡°Our journey may have been lengthy and shady, but we have undeniably had a positive impact.¡± Lucy affirmed, ¡°We will persist in effecting change ¨C for the sake of Brianne, our own selves and all those who consider this city their abode.¡± Alessandro toasts: ¡°May our future always be abundant with optimism and fairness.¡± As the darkness falls, the group huddles together and gazes at the city that they have put in so much effort to safeguard. Theyprehend that obstacles will always arise, but their resilience and solidarity enable them to confront any obstacle head on. Chase proposed a toast, saying ¡°Here is to fresh starts.¡± Lucy raised her ss and toasted, ¡°Here is to justice.¡± Alessandro proposed a toast saying, ¡°Here is to us.¡± The sses are raised by the group, silently pledging to persist in their struggle for a brighter future. Chapter 31: Finally Apprehended I was half-lying in my chair, my fingers lightly drumming on the arm of it, and my eyes fixed on the heading across the top of the front page of the morning talkshow. There, in bold letters, the headline screamed: ¡± ¡®The raven caged; city¡¯s most notorious criminal mastermind finally behind bars. ¡® Next to me was Chase twitching on the chair, his feet rested on the table and he had the same grin on his face. ¡°We did it, Brianne,¡± he mimed throwing back coffee in what he hoped was a victorious manner. Silent stars, as everyone calls us, we have cracked what people refer to as the case of the century. I smiled, and then shook my head. ¡°Oh you watch it, Chase, don¡¯t you. We had a lot of help. ¡± ¡°Yeah, right but we were the ones who saw the links and got The notorious organisation eliminated. The Phoenix Club¡± The Raven. Even to mention the name of the criminal mastermind gave me the goose bumps. He had been pulling the strings for virtually all the significant crimes in the city for years. Robberies of banks, thefts of artworks, embezzlements of firms, you could bet bottom dor, The Raven was at the back of them all. For many years he had been quite clever in avoiding policemen¡¯s traps; he was always one step ahead of them.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Until now. I permitted myself half an hour of pride. For, this proved to be an arduous mission, a process of weeks, if not for quite months, of vigil, blind alleys, and narrow squeaks. But thank God we had finally done it. In a way, we had unmasked ¡®The Raven¡¯ and had brought him to justice. ¡°So, Brianne. ¡°People normally ask, ¡®How does it feel to be the hero of the hour?''¡± Before I coulde up with an answer my mobile phone rang. On the phone screen, it depicted ¡®Agent Harris, FBI¡¯. Perhaps just phoning to congratte us, I remarked to myself as I picked the call. ¡°Agent Harris¡±, I said, It almost became a game for me but hearing the next words that just made me shake in my boots. ¡°Brianne,¡± Harris¡¯s voice was stiff, and although he was clearly biting back hysteria, I could still hear it ringing in his voice. ¡°The Raven has escaped. ¡± My world moved off its axis in what seemed like a fairly innocent ident. I had my hands on the edge of the desk and my knuckles were white. ¡°What? How? When?¡± With this, Jack could feel something was off and he immediately set up in a more alert position, leaving happy-go-lucky Chase behind. ¡°It happened about an hour ago,¡± Harris went on to say. The woman nodded. ¡°We are still trying to unravel some of the things but, as far as we can tell, he had inside assistance. ¡± The policeman sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. ¡°We arepletely locked down, but the bastard is walking around free, Brianne. ¡± My mind was reeling. The Raven, free again. All our efforts and grueling mors shot to the dogs in just a snap of a finger. ¡°I need your help¡± I said this, begging my voice not to crack. ¡°We are transferring to amand centre at the precinct immediately,¡± the officer of higher rank said and then continued, ¡°I want you, Chase and Assandro there together with all the officers who were involved in the case. ¡± ¡°Right,¡± I said and put down the telephone. I turned to look at Chase who was concern looking at me. ¡°Lucy? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I exhaled, preparing myself for the situation which was going to happen in the next few moments. ¡°The Raven¡¯s escaped. ¡± It is an espresso that though Chase is fully intending to move the mug away slightly, his hand shakes heavily and he drops the mug to the ground. It was preceded by silence in our office and it seems like the sound amplified in this dead-like silence. They looked at each other and Paul muttered something that the others did not quite hear him say, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s impossible¡±. That is exactly what we did to him and this is told and shown through the words; ¡®We just put him away. ¡® The security-¡± ¡°He had inside help,¡± I interrupted him; I was already on my feet and putting on my jacket. ¡°Harris needs us at the precinct. He is establishing an operation center. ¡± Leaving the office we immediately started to try and find out how such a thing could have happened. The Raven was our white whale; in fact, it was the case that had taken over our lives for the past one year. And then, as the worst seemed to be over, the game had started all over again all the same. There was rtive activity in the precinct when we got there. Call bells chimed, officers went to and from, and the atmosphere was filled with pent up tension. The moment we entered the building Captain Reeves recognized us and waved for us to follow him to a conference room that had been transformed into a war room. ¡°Brianne, Chase,¡± he said and looked at both of us as stern as stone. ¡°Pleased to see you. ¡± Someone said as Harris proceeded to brief all the members. Upon arriving to the room we realized that almost everyone we encountered during the time we worked on the task force to arrest The Raven was there. Agent Harris stood front in the room, his seemingly always clean shaven face and neat hair unkempt. ¡°Now that we are all here,¡± he said, over the voices that began to rise and merge into a low hum, ¡°I will tell you what is known. ¡± He pressed a button on a remote, and the video feed of the interior of the building filled the screen at the back. It brought The Raven or, specifically, the man we¡¯de to call The Raven, being led down a prison hallway by two guards. ¡°This was taken about 90 minutes ago,¡± Harris managed to say. ¡°Dr Finch has been transferred to another ward; this is because this is the time he goes out for activities. ¡° Chapter 32: Unveiled Secret The video recorded them making a particr turn, then all the screen went off. Once the image stood still the corridor waspletely deserted. ¡°What happened?¡± someone asked. ¡®That,¡¯ Harris said after a moment¡¯s thinking, ¡®we are yet to establish. ¡® ¡®The camera feed was lost for a full, precise 47 seconds,¡¯ Enoch said when thetter returned from hunting down Finch and the guards. They all looked round at each other and an unspoken current of tension passed through the hall. My heart skipped a beat or two; I was very much concerned. This was bad. Very bad. ¡®What about the guards?¡¯ I said. Harris¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°This man was found unconscious in a supply closet,¡± he said, his fingers steepled in front of his mouth, ¡°They¡¯re being questioned now, but preliminary ounts indicate they don¡¯t recall anything between leaving Finch and waking up in the closet. ¡± ¡°Memory-altering drugs?¡± Chase suggested. ¡°Possibly,¡± Harris nodded. ¡°Many of us are running tox screens now. ¡± As Harris went on to exin the escape and the goings on in that investigation, I find myself reminiscing our case, up to the moment we caught The Raven. ¡°Detectives,¡± he had said, and his tone was very different from that of themon people around him it was cultured. ¡°Holding back and phoning instead?¡± But even in that loss, he had been graceful, almost of royal bearing. when we¡¯d cuffed him he¡¯d looked at me and his eyes were so ck I felt like he was gazing into my soul. ¡°This isn¡¯t the end, Brienne,¡± he had said. It is only the onset of a fresh round in a continuous struggle. ¡± This, I had, at the time, written off as bluster from a criminal daring the police to catch him. Now, those words made me shudder. ¡°Brienne? You with us?¡± Chase voice brought me to the reality where nt was just about to absorb Alessandro with his dragon fire. I realized the briefing was over and people start moving into groups, each of which was supposed to deal with the manhunt from a particr angle. ¡°Yeah, sorry,¡± I muttered. ¡°Just¡­ processing. ¡± Chase agreed to the statement of the young man and there wasprehension in his gaze. ¡°It is a lot toprehend. But we will catch again, Lucy. We have done it before and we can do it again. ¡± I would have loved to believe this, but I could not wish for the same kind of courage he boasted of. Part of me knew this was not generally the way it was supposed to be. The Raven had always been so three steps ahead of the team. And just in the present scenario, his capture seemed to be a part some or other big picture. ¡± Brienne?¡± It was Harris, waving me over to him. ¡°A word?¡± I then apanied him to an area that wasparatively less crowded, to get better privacy. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say this in front of everyone,¡± he murmur, ¡°but I¡¯m worried The way The Rav n escaped was to too clean, to too perfect. ¡± I merely gave a nod to him and a tight feeling was on my heart. ¡°You expect that he intended this from the start and that being apprehended is of his design?¡± Seeing this, Harris raked a hand through his already ruffled hair, something he did very rarely to show how much bothered he was. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I do know that The Raven is not just another criminal. He is¡­I can¡¯t even put a finger at it. ¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± After a moment, he frowned and patted at his jacket, fishing out a crumpled piece of paper. ¡°This was in The Raven cell when he escaped,¡± Bailey said, tossing an envelope across the desk to her, who opened it and realized it was intended for her. As I was shaking, I opened up the piece of paper. In elegant, flowing script, it read:In elegant, flowing script, it read: ¡°My dear Brienne, I hope you will not mind me fleeing like that but trust me; our little ¡®game¡¯ is only just beginning. The best thing I can say to you is that you have been a worthy opponent, and I will be waiting for our next tango, figuratively, of course. In mind, such bold and risky moves as the checkers of the Queen does not qualify her or even the King as unbeatable forces can be given up with check-mate. Until we meet again,Content ? N?velDrama.Org. The Raven¡± Reading the note, a shiver ran down my spine and I could guess the color of my face was white. The implications were quite obvious it¡¯s personal now. But the Raven wasn¡¯t just trying to escape he was goading me in an almost personal vendetta. ¡®We¡¯ve got to get you security¡¯, Harris was saying, but the words sounded as if they came from far away, turned into echoes. ¡°If The Ravin is searching for you you will be able to notice this immediately, so you should be very careful. ¡± ¡°No,¡± I said interrupting him my voice was stronger than I was inside. ¡°I will not run to cover my face; that is his end game to get us running around scared thus preventing us from getting on with things.¡± I was proud of myself, I had moved from an ordinary school girl who was always being bullied to the center piece in trying to nab the most notorious criminal in the city. Harris seemed like he wished to protest, but took one look at my face, and decided against it. ¡°What do you rmend then?¡± I have inhaled deeply before adopting a assertive posture. They go to work and track him down as the previous reptilian had ordered but this time round they don¡¯t take him lightly; rather they presume that he is always a head forward and they aim at being two heads forward. For a moment there was a silence; Harris looked at me, his face betraying no emotion. Then, slowly, he nodded. ¡°Fine, Brianne. We¡¯ll do it your way. But I¡¯m telling you, He is dangerous, may be even more than he was before. ¡± Turning back to Chase and the others, I could not help but feel that we were getting ourselves into much more than we could handle. The Raven was free, and he was only toying with the situation, and the rest of them did not understand it. At that moment one thing became crystal clear there was not going to be a possibility of him to beat me. At whatever the cost and in whatever way necessary I would have The Raven while she was the most notable fugitive of them all. Again. As I rejoined the bustling war room, I silently vowed: This time the cell would be a permanent structure well, at least the open structure that would remain for the rest of The Raven¡¯s life. Chapter 33: Another Sad Day at School I had mixed feelings when I smelled the floor wax and the anxiety thates with going back to school as I entered thepound of Westbrook High School. I felt a slight churning in my tummy. This I attributed to butterflies on the first day at school after the news had been circted of The Raven¡¯s escape from prison. And the grip of my hand in Chase¡¯s hand told me that I was not alone in this. ¡°Ready?¡± he inquired, and could hardly speak above a whisper. I simply bobbed my head up and down, unable to emit a sound. It was already time to interact with others, time which we spent all weekend nning how to address our ssmates after all that had transpired. But now that we were here, all our careful nning and strategy appeared to have flown out of the window. The noise in the hallway stopped immediately as the crowd parted to make way for us and any of the usual sound of mming lockers and people talking was gone. It was as if the daggers of people¡¯s eyes were piercing through our skin and focusing on us, and I was suffocating. ¡°Don¡¯t stop,¡± Chase whispered, pushing me, and we began to move again. I attempted to force my mind on the sound of the constant footsteps, the mild grip of Chase¡¯s hand interlocking with mine. But there existed the rumor, a subtle hum that followed us like flies one is trying to swat, but they were too far out of reach. ¡°Is that her?¡± ¡®He said, ¡®I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s back. ¡® ¡±You think she knows where he may be?¡± Every whisper that came out of her lips seemed like a jab to my flesh. I expected this, had offered myself up for it, but the feeling was so much graver than expected. There was the reciprocation? No there was rejection, hostility, and suspicion in some ces around the students of this school. We stopped in front of my locker, and I twisted the dial with my hands, unsure, and slow. Chase was by my side again, shielding me from the urges of the hundreds of people who were now free to stare at me. I was already used to it, but it just felt different in another person¡¯s body. ¡®Don¡¯t let them get to you,¡¯ he told me softly but angrily. ¡°They don¡¯t know anything. ¡± I wished I could believe him, but the truth was, they knew enough. Everyone had heard of the Raven¡¯s break-out from Jail. It had been the talk of the country and the world, taking up the headlines of newspapers and radio broadcasts, creating excitement. It goes without saying that all the people familiar with the matter knew I was indeed part of the people that captured him. The Raven. The man who has be a nightmare to our town for many years, the man who has destroyed many lives. The man who had almost killed me and now is hell-bent on making my life a living hell, The Man who even now had the power to toss me into nightmares. And now he has been free for a while, definitely plotting. I closed my locker with a bang and the sound of the banging reverberated across the hall. Several of the students who stood close to me leaped up, definitely eyeing the door and me with suspicion. Their reaction gave me some sense of satisfaction for once, then it was immediately reced by a guilty feeling. This I did not want it was the opposite of my desire; I did not want to be viewed as a person to be afraid of. ¡°Come on,¡± I told Chase, trying to bring out a smile that actually felt like a grimace. ¡®It¡¯s already almost homeroom time. ¡® Down the corridor, the sea of students opened before us as if we were the vectors of some infectious pathogen. I saw some acquaintances people who used to be friends, people from my school I had known who tried to be friends with me after they heard about my engagement to a rich dude. Approaching our ss, I noticed a number of girls standing close to the drinking fountain. In it was Britanny, my Nightmare. I purposefully turned to face her and, for what felt like only a second, our eyes locked: she looked happy, Joy appeared on her face before she shifted her eyes and said something to the others. The rejection had affected me more than I thought, although I was fully prepared for it.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Even though it did notst for a while, there was a time when everyone was very serious and people were always eager to be associated with me, but I had slowly alienated that feeling and everyone else I was afraid and too ashamed to face. Now, however, the distance was immutable. Chase and I gracefully settled into our chairs at the very right moment the bell rang. Another man was our homeroom teacher and, raising his eyes over the ss, decided to focus on me for a second, clearly shocked, before delivering a standard first-day wee speech. I did my best to give an attentive ear to her, to pay attention to all the routine of schedules and school regtions, but for some reason I simply could not stop my thoughts from wandering. A not umon question is ¡®what was The Raven doing right now¡¯. Where was he hiding? Would he attempt tomunicate with me? These questions crowded my mind, fear and confusion bent around me and all that I had known. I clutched the rim of the desk to steady myself, my fingers whitening as I tried to keep as present as possible. Chase¡¯s hand came to rest on my thigh under the desk and started to draw circles in the palm of my hand. I wriggled an arm back, holding his hand tightly. ¡®We¡¯ve been through worse than this. ¡® We¡¯d survive this too. The rest of the morning remained rather tense, as we both had nothing to say to the other, yet could not help stealing nces at the other. In each ss, I had a sensation of many unspoken questions in the room. The roll call was awkward; teachers tripped on my name as they pretended to be happy to see me. Friends also avoided me as if being associated with The Raven was some kind of social disease that could spread through the school. Before lunch, I simply could not get out. I was very tired indeed. The constant watchfulness, the work of putting up a facade, was exhausting me. Finally, Chase and I got a table at the far end of the cafeteria so that none of the neighborhood gossips coulde up with a reason to linger near us. Aloha,¡± he said sincerely, opening his sandwich, ¡°Are you doing okay?¡± I toyed with my sd and I had no appetite at all. ¡®I¡¯m alright,¡¯ I replied, although I was far from it, still avoiding his gaze. Okay,¡± Chase sighed, and he slowly reached his hand across the table and touched mine. ¡®Bri, you do not owe me any pretenses, I know it is not easy for you¡¯. I looked my eyes at him; at the worry in his eyes, at the furrows on his forehead and felt all the barriers I had built unravel around me. I couldn¡¯t say anything at first; I just stammered, ¡°I just¡­ I didn¡¯t think it would be this bad. ¡± On speaking to them as a group, one of them said: ¡°It¡¯s like they all believe that I will one day go on a rampage and kill people. ¡± ¡®They are afraid the same as everyone, and they are seeking a scapegoat,¡¯ Chase said rather severely yet calmly. ¡®It is unfair, but that does not matter since it is not about you, but him. ¡® In particr, I understood that he was right, though it did not make me feel any better. Depression followed me as the inexorable weight of the whole Phoenix Organization. If the believers were right to be afraid, then what? What if I too was as evil as those identifying themselves as ¡®pure¡¯? Someone must have read my mind because Chase squeezed the hand that I held. ¡®You are not him, Brianne. And you will never be,¡¯ It¡¯s just going over the length one has to go to against all hope to achieve what you want. Some part of me ached to trust him and craved that he was telling the truth as much as the next person. But even as I shook it off, as much as I could, the doubt remained stuck in my psyche like a wormy seed. Chapter 34: The New Kid Suddenly, there was a ruckus at the side of the cafeteria and by the door that distorted our conversation. I could nce up to realize that several students were gathered about a boy I did not know that was a transfer student, most likely. He was a rather tall and thin young man with rather bushy dark hair falling down nearly to his eyes. Just as I was observing him, he said something that opened the floor forughter. At this point, I wanted to have a seat somewhere nearby and envy them deeply. Part of me wishes I could start anew like them, to be able to join a new school can be easypared to knowing what it feels to have the past holding you back. The boy then looked at us, turning his attention directly on me. I panicked and thought I would see the same look of fear and suspicion I had seen throughout the day. What I expected was him to scowl or even look at me in annoyance, but he only smiled and I do mean genuinely smiled at me. Before I could even say ¡®STOP,¡¯ he was advancing towards us carrying the tray. ¡°May I sit here with you?¡± he inquired, the words having a slurred tone that I could not identify the nationality of. Chase looked at me and I said ¡®We both just got caught off guard¡¯. ¡®Er, okay¡¯, I was able to say as I pointed at the remaining vacant chairs. He smiled, then took a seat with serious looking faces. ¡®I¡¯m Aiden,¡¯ he told me, offering his hand for a shake. It is as if one says: ¡®Just moved here from Chicago. ¡® I asked him to shake my hand and I could see him registering who I was, though the handshake was a reluctant one. But it never came. ¡®Hello guys, I am Brianne,¡¯ I introduced myself, barely recognizing my own voice. ¡°And this is Chase. ¡± Aiden nodded, aggressively attacking his lunch. ¡®Hello there, you too, I presume? So, tell me the story of this ce. Everyone looks tense, somehow. ¡® I braced myself and waited for Chase to brief him to have the kindness disappear from Aiden¡¯s gaze. Chase simply nodded, he had a smirk that could be interpreted as a cocky smile on his face. ¡°Small town,¡± he said. ¡°This is big news. You will be caught up soon. ¡± Aiden blinked but didn¡¯t pursue it any further. Instead, he began this long, protracted story about getting himself lost, or as he put it lost at school and how he had to find his way around the school area, all the while panting and mimicking with such wild overacting that Chase and I were practically rolling on the floor withughter. And the excitement, the sense of being alive, the knowledge that De had two crosses and I had one cross and everything was going to be all right for a few minutes at least made me feel almost like a normally constituted person again. It felt as if a burden lifted off my shoulders, thements I heard and the gazes turned on me disappearing. It was the representation of life before the war, before everything and everyone they once knew was crumbled to ashes. But how long does itst? The moment could not ¡­ About an hour until lunch break, I noticed two police officers in uniforming into the dining hall. Everybody froze and then turned to watch them as they headed for the office secretariat. I was getting nervous, my pulse increased; the palms of my hands were getting wet. Was it because of me that they were present? Had something happened? Have they any News of the Raven?¡± Chase¡¯s hand found mine under the table and gave a tight-lipped smile of acknowledgment. ¡®Breathe,¡¯ he said softly and without any hint of nervousness in his tone. ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing. ¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Probably they had good news about The Raven¡± I said with all full hope ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± I simply put my head up and said yes, hoping my panting would slow down. But I remained overwhelmed by that feeling that something dreadful was about to ur. Aiden looked between us, and although he wore a smile, it was obvious he was worried. ¡®Is everything okay?¡¯ he asked. I did not get the chance to answer that as the inte came to life. Upon which a teacher¡¯s voice over the inte announced ¡°Brianne, you are required at the principal¡¯s office. ¡± Everyone in the cafeteria dropped their utensils, trying to engage in hushed conversation and giving each other knowing nces. I remained still, heart-beating in my chest, unable to speak or to draw breath. This was it the moment I had been longing for with horror since I woke up to the news that my father had escaped. As he spoke, Chase got up, making the chair scrape on the floor startlingly loudly. ¡®I aming with you,¡¯ he replied, an assertion that did not brook any dissent. I was still weak at the knees, and so I nodded my thanks before standing up. Aiden looked at us with a kind of shock and concern. ¡®Good luck,¡¯ he said quietly, and I forced a grin, ¡®Thank you. ¡® And as Chase and I left the cafeteria, I could feel the energy, or rather, theck of it, drain from the room and all the attention cast in our direction, as if a thousand questions were being whispered at once. My thoughts. They went mad; each thought worse than the next; just the thought of it was enough to make one spin. Perhaps they had located The Raven. No one knew when he left. We were devastated. Going up to the office of the principal was one of the most tortuous experiences of my life. Every move I made led me to a truth that I was not certain that I wanted to deal with. Chase¡¯s hand never left mine, which felt like a protection against my anxiety and the swirling storm of it all. Every time I was nearing the office, I was able to see two police officers standing outside the door. Both of them had rather serious looking faces. The principal was also there; she, at least, had the grace to look somewhat sorry for me. ¡°Miss Brianne,¡± she said softly. ¡°Come in please, we must sit and chat. ¡± I had a deep inhale and then nced at Chase and gave him one final hand grip before releasing it. In any case, I knew that whatevery behind that door would be a game-changer of sorts. Again. Ast nce at Chase, where I found my strength based on thepassion with which he looked at me, I entered the office. The door shut again, and I was in darkness and silence, away from the murmurs and nces, thefort of being in the dark. And in the middle of a police and my principle, that¡¯s exactly how I felt so alone. Or more afraid of what the future has in store for itself; not one but many you, all mine. Chapter 35: The Letter The principal¡¯s office had never been veryrge, but at the moment it felt as if it were narrowing in on me, as the walls seemed to be slowly inching in with each pained inhtion that I drew. Principal Reeves looked at me and waved me toward a chair, her expression invariably professionally serene. The two police officers stood next to her desk. The fact that they had apanied her to the door made her allergic to such type of school meeting. ¡°Miss Brianne,¡± said Principal Reeves, and her tone was something close to gentle, not at all characteristic. That is, unfortunately, a nice way of saying we have what the Americans call a ¡®situation. ¡® ¡± There was a sudden burst of heat and my breath, which felt as if each rise and fall of my chest were a symphony of pain, told of how afraid I was. Suddenly I had to speak, to shout at her, to ask why she was doing this to me but fear had rendered me incapable of speaking. One of the officers Detective Ramirez, I remembered him from the countless times the media had interviewed him since The Raven¡¯s arrest moved forward, because he was one of the Police officers at the forefront that Apprehended the Raven. He clutched a simple white envelope in his hand for anyone to see, he did not even attempt to conceal the shaking of his hand. ¡®This was delivered to the police station this morning,¡¯ he replied, his voice neutrally police-like. ¡°It is written for you, Brianne. ¡± I looked at the envelope for a long moment, my brain unable to register what was going on. ¡®From¡­ From him?¡¯ I was barely even able to whisper, and my throat felt as parched as if I¡¯d been rolling in the sand. Detective Ramirez nodded grimly. ¡°We¡¯ve ascertained that it is from The Raven.¡± As much as I despise the feeling of faintness, I experienced the room¡¯s clockwise spin from where I sat so vividly that I felt dizzy. It is just as well because having Principal Reeves notice it was not on my list of goals today, she hastened to pour a ss of water and handed it to me. ¡®Well, we have checked for any hazardous materials,¡¯ the other police officer chimed in, his tone was rough, but he was not rude. ¡®It is clean,¡¯ I told him; ¡®we have not broached it. ¡® That is your decision, Brianne . My choice. There has always been something about this situation there which, as far as I know, I have no control over. I had the urge to burst intoughter or shout a protest at thepletely illogical situation. But because of the shock, I took a sip of water, in an attempt to quivering hands to calm down. ¡®What? What does he want from me?¡¯ I stammered, I was afraid of this man and sounded sickly timid. Detective Ramirez then shook his head. ¡°We have no idea. But you have to mind the fact that he escaped and he¡­ you were part of his capture¡±. We are taking this seriously. Were you to read it, we would have to record the contents. ¡± I merely managed to nod my head as the shock paralyzed me at the letter that was in my hands¡­ Even now, it seemed quite innocuous and even unprepossessing, the way it was wrapped up. But I knew better. Taking a stab, I stretched out my hand and grabbed the envelope as it was tendered to me. It was solid, dense and dangerous in my hands, as if it was full of things and events. Better to leave unsaid. For a long moment I kept just holding it and running my finger over the neat, familiar handwriting which on the sheet said ¡°Brianne¡±. Then, before I could lose my nerve, I ripped it open. The letter inside was a single page, and it was written in the neat cursive style that was utterly beautiful. But the words¡­ These words were toxic to the extreme. It started with: ¡®My dearest Brianne,¡¯ and I had to swallow hard to keep the disgust from my voice. I wanted to start with a good wish, so: ¡®I hope this letter finds you well¡¯. By now I¡¯m sure you have heard of my little ¡®prank¡¯ at the theater the other night. Indeed, liberty is the way I¡¯d prefer to go. It has provided me with the opportunity for me to think about us, about the connection we have. It goes without saying; the bond of blood is stronger than the bond of water, as the proverb goes. Or in our case, perhaps I should say blood is thicker than water they have washed your brain with. That¡¯s why I wanted you to hear from me that I don¡¯t hold you any responsibility for that, or anything that urred along the line. You have been so lost, and acted like an idiot to people who know nothing about you. Yes, the past is gone, but there is something you have got to do now; you have got to wake up to who you really are. Of course, thement that you are ¡®more like me than you know, Brianne¡¯ is actually quite profound. And it is always, in the very heart of who you are, darkness, energy. These things never go away, you know; you can pretend they are not there and run away from them, but they never go away. Since my leaving that aforesaid delightful and fanciful establishment I¡¯ve not had time to rest. The Phoenix Organization never sleeps, not even when its head is¡­ indisposed. Preparations have been made, in essence, consolidating and building up. And so, sweetheart, it is high time to proceed to the next level. I am giving this as a friendly reminder. There are strings I have pulled which no man will be able to turn around in your world. You, Chase, your adorable idiot, and that interfering Alessandro¡­ your days of being a damsel are numbered. Watch closely, Brianne. Every shade could arise from one of my people. Each smiling man and woman could be the identity of one of my faithfulpanions. This is the end for you, unless you do this. Love yourself, be confident about who you are. Come with me, we could control and dominate an empire. Apart¡­ well, I believe you understand what is happening to those willing to oppose me. Choose wisely. ¡°With love, The Raven¡± Thus, I put the paper down and my hands trembled as Iid my hands on the table: the sound reverberated in the calm of the office. I had never known such hate and bitterness with the creamy brown vomit rising in my throat as The Raven¡¯s words curled themselves around my heart like vipers. ¡®Brianne?¡¯ It sounded as if from a distance: ¡®Brianne,¡¯ repeated Principal Reeves. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I looked at him, not able to say anything because of my disbelief. Well, how could I be alright? What happened to my lucky day? How could I ever be in a position that would be alright again? ¡®Okay. ¡® Detective Ramirez slowly took the letter from my hands, reading its contents quite intently. Brows furrowed, the color growing paler on his face, every word that came across his line made his jaws tighten. ¡®This is a direct threat¡¯ he said, staring at his partner. ¡®We have to raise the security level as soon as possible and let Agent Haris and the rest of the team know¡±. ¡® It was never clear which way the officers looked at each other, but they did. ¡®Brianne,¡¯ Detective Ramirez said softly, ¡®it is not about you anymore, The Raven is endangering Chase and Alessandro. ¡® ¡®You don¡¯t get it,¡¯ I said, practically stammering. ¡®If you report it to them, if you make it formal, He will realize it was me. He will¡­ he will do something worse. Please¡­ just¡­ give me some time. ¡®Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Ms. Reeves, the principal, tilted forward and put on a serious expression on her face. ¡®Brianne, I understand you are afraid, but we cannot turn a blind eye to this matter. ¡® You are our priority your security is our security. ¡® I shut my eyes and tried hard to use others faculties to get out of the mental cage that fear had put me in. That was also true, or our predecessors would not have produced such systematic literature. This was more than about me, but the idea of bringing Chase and Alessandro into this mess, into a position of having people on their backs¡­ it was unbearable. ¡°One day,¡± I murmured after some seconds, long enough for Ramirez to bring my attention back to him. ¡®Just allow me one day to tell them myself¡¯, she pleaded, ¡®they have the right to hear it from me and not a police report¡¯. The three officers were having their quiet discussion as they were looking at the car, and they were using the kind of gestures that are reserved for partners with whom one has served for many years. Finally, Detective Ramirez nodded. ¡°Twenty-four hours,¡± he said firmly. ¡®But we will be enhancing patrols around the school and your homes right now. And to you Brianne: do not try to confront your father alone He is deadly, even more than before¡¯. I just quickly bobbed my head, probably with some kind of empty reassurance. I already understood that if necessary, I wouldy down my life for my friends and thus meeting my father all alone did not frighten me. The remaining part of the meeting was filled with safety measures and directions that could be strictly followed. I gave all the signals of a good listener, said ¡®yes¡¯ in all the appropriate ces, told the officers that I would be checking in frequently and that anything that looked suspicious would be reported. But inside I was doing a thousand somersaults, trying to put together a strategy from the broken fragments of mental order. These fears emerged as I left the office and was immediately assaulted by the sensation of sound and motion. Coming to the corridor, I found myself in the middle of packed students studying and chattering noisily, mocking each other as they changed sses. For a moment there, I just couldn¡¯t move, I was stupefied by the general ¡®ordinance¡¯ of the situation. And how could the world just continue as if it did not know that it was sitting on the precipice of demise? Chapter 36: A Way Forward ¡°Bri!¡± Chase¡¯s voice sounded in my ears and out of the blue he was at my side hugging me tightly. I hugged him tight, pressing my face closer to his chest so that I could smell him. ¡®What happened?¡¯ he wanted to know, sounding anxious and rmed. ¡°What did they want?¡± I retreated a step, making myself look around alertly at the streaming throng lining the hallways. There are too many people who stare at us, too many whose ears are inclined towards the ground, waiting to hear something juicy in passing. ¡°Not here,¡± I whispered. ¡®During or after school I will tell you everything I promise¡¯. Chase only nodded, but his eyes were painted with questions and worry. But he trusted me indeed, had always trusted me even when there was reason enough for him to do otherwise. That level of trust fell on myp, which was one more burden that I did not know I could handle. The rest of the day at school was murky, as if he were moving through hazy fog. Aside from that, I was mechanically moving my body around while my mind was in a constant state of worry. Every stranger I met in the hallway made me nervous as anything, every sound gave me a start. Even before that, by the time the final bell rang, I was too nervous to keep my eyelids open and was expecting danger with every shadow. Chase was loitering by my locker when I got there, his expression one of concern. ¡°Ready?¡± he asked softly. I nodded, although I seldom felt so unprepared. We walked in silence to the car park and as we reached the car we could hardly look at each other. In the course of closing in with Chase¡¯s car, I noticed that there was a familiar figure leaning against it. Alessandro stood up as we approached and when he noticed our faces, his dark eyes clouded up. ¡°Chow, what is it?¡± he said abruptly. ¡®I¡¯ve been messing around all day! Now, Brianne, you tell me, what is the real story?¡¯ The more I turned my gaze over the bustling lot, the nearer I felt to bing a victim of my father¡¯s numerous warnings. For the second time that day, I said,¡± Not here. ¡°Come to the clearing, I will exin your question there. ¡± The boys looked at each other but did not bother to dispute the statement. Barely had, sentence been uttered when we called up Chase¡¯s car and, in silence, dropped him and drove off filled with many unasked questions. By the time we cleared the town and were driving through the woods, to the small isted spot we used to frequent most times, my mind was still trying to grapple with what was said. How could I possibly try and convey the sheer scale of what was now facing us?Content ? N?velDrama.Org. The clearing was exactly like the one in my mind a little piece of sanity in the mad, mad world of my existence. And then Chase turned into a car park, we all stepped out,. The sweet smell of pine trees and flowers did not have a calming effect on my nerves. ¡°Okay, we are here,¡± Alessandro eximed and folded his arms across his chest. Can I just ask, Bri, what is all this then? In a bid to prepare myself for the event, I was forced to take a deep breath. Then, very quietly, hesitatingly, I said all that had happened, from beginning to end. The letter, the threats of The Raven, the time which the police were giving me. As I spoke, I saw their expressions shift from disbelief to hatred, then to the hint of terror, then to a resolve they could not hide the same look my own face must have had many times in the past. When I had done speaking, no sound could be heard in the entire clearing. Chase was the first to break it, his words clipped and furious. ¡®I will kill him¡¯, he said calmly. ¡±But if he dare approach you, which I know he is nning to do, let me assure you, I will shoot him dead. ¡± Alessandro agreed with her, his rxed and friendly attitude turned into a look of determination and menace. ¡°You tell that sick person he ain¡¯t going to touch you Bri, you tell him ain¡¯t none of us going to let him hurt you, and we¡¯ll work this out. ¡± How can I doubt what they know, their backing that was so strong, it seemed to threaten to strangle me? Heat filled my face, and I dashed the tears that had filled my eyes back into them. ¡®You are not wise to this,¡¯ I answered weakly. ¡°That¡¯s what I have been saying all along. He is using you against me. As long as you are still with me, you are in the firing line. ¡± Chase moved closer, and taking my face into his palms, he looked deep into my eyes. ¡°Please, look at me,¡± he told them, in a tone which could not have been moremanding. ¡°We are in it, Bri. We have been from the start. Do not use the shield you have put up to keep us at a distance. We are better when united. ¡± Alessandro got closer to me, and ced his hand on my shoulder. It was hot. ¡®Chase is right. The Raven wants to make you so lonely, and that¡¯s why he wants you toe home alone. We are not going to let that happen. ¡® I looked between them, these two boys, who had be my brothers, who had epted the worst of me and stayed. So, at that instant, a decision was made. That is not to say that I would not continue to push them away. But I also wouldn¡¯t let them die for me, a cause that could be far from their concern. ¡®Well,¡¯ I said, standing up straight, ¡®If that¡¯s the case, then we will fight. ¡® But we will do it smartly. We will do it on our own and not as he wanted it to be done. ¡± Chase¡¯s eyes brightened with something more like a battle-lust. ¡°That¡¯s my girl!¡± He went on to hug me very tightly. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡± I stopped immediately, and my brain was alreadyputing the many options that coulde from it. ¡®First, we require intelligence,¡¯ was what he said about the Phoenix Organization expanding, plotting, ¡®We need to gather more details about what they are up to and who is participating. ¡® Alessandro nodded thoughtfully. ¡°There has to be something I can do for you. I could try to contact some of my rtives to see if there¡¯s any talk about new yers in town. ¡± ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°You think you can get through to your old man, Chase? Ask him if he¡¯s seen any form of irregrity at the factory new faces, weird shipments, anything like that. ¡± Chase grimaced but nodded. He and his father had never been close at the best of times, but he would do it. For me. ¡®And what about me?¡¯ Alessandro asked. ¡°What¡¯s your move?¡± I did not feel like I was ready for what I was prepared to do, so I inhaled as deeply as I could. The boys looked at each other worried. They knew what it was like between my mother and me, what suffering there was in that rtionship. But the demons also understood that I was on the right side. Chase took her hand and looked directly into her eyes, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡®If that is the case, I can go with you,¡¯ I replied gracefully. I shook my head. ¡°Oh, no, this I will have to do myself,¡± But as she said this she was quite polite and was in the act of saying thank you gracefully when she was interrupted. Right at the twilight when the shadows started to stretch across the clearing, we decided our strategy. We had agreed to reconnoiter and reconnect at this ce in the evening after school and discuss what we had gathered and how to proceed. That was not much, but it was a way, and a beginning of something. A way to regain some measure of control in a circumstance that was totally beyond one¡¯s control. This was further evident when we were walking back to the car; there was a new feeling that we gave each other. That was my encounter with the man who was to be my husband a man who existed in a constant state of terror, a man of whom the fear and the threat have never entirely gone away. But there also lies something more: purposiveness the impelling andpelling big ¡®we. ¡® No matter what The Raven had intended, no matter what other atrocities they had in store for us and for him, I would be there for him. The ride back into town was spoken in quite as far as the rest of the car, but the general still held a tense silence. Not weighed down with the things that are not said but filled with the desire to push forward. That was the thought I had as Chase was driving me home, and I looked at myself in the mirror. There she is, the girl looking back at me, scared. But she was also aggressive, warlike that girl, she would not back down without a fight. Chapter 37: An Unfruitful Visit The next day seemed to be the longest a day had ever been and time seemed to move at a snail¡¯s pace. sses felt like hours and every conversation in the hallway felt like a sin to be punished. When thest bell had sounded, my nerves jangled, I was all ready to burst with the information I had received and the prospects that the future held in store. Chase and Alessandro were waiting for me at my locker, and their jaws were clenched in the same resolute look I must have worn. As we walked towards Chase¡¯s car, neither of us had said much; the magnitude of what we were about to do was apparent. ¡°Is everyone on the same page with what we are going to do?¡± I asked Chase as he backed out of the parking lot of school. Still, Alessandro had nodded at this from the backseat. Crystal. We act in unity, tell him what we¡¯ve discovered and persuade him that we are more helpful than harm. ¡°But what if he does not take the bait?¡± I asked Chase, turning round to check his face in the rear-view mirror. I forgot to breathe and stood up straight, preparing myself for whatever trouble the day may bring. ¡°Then we do what we have to do,¡± I repeated, or ¡°With or without his approval. ¡± The drive to the local FBI field office was rather strained, each of us stuck in our own head. Recalling the conversation with my mother that I hadst night, I was trying to find something else in her worn-out words and her terror-stricken eyes. These were Chase¡¯s and Alessandro¡¯s glimpses of the puzzle the mystery stirs different types of crime going on a daily basis thanks to the Phoenix Organization and the new yersing into town. Alone, even the best of them probably does not signify much. But side by side, they described a rather grim picture of The Ravens¡¯ ns bing operational. What you don¡¯t know can never harm you. I wish I had just been Lucy, the young girl who was always bullied and knew nothing about The Phoenix Organization and their leader, The Raven, who is hell-bent on making my life a living hell. When we arrived in the parking lot of the Police Station, I had a second thought. Were we wrong? Can we just leave this to the experts and let them get on with it? But I quickly recalled that The Raven had written me a letter with unsubtle warnings about the people I care for. Well, no, we could not just sit and twiddle our thumbs for events to unfold. We had to act. ¡°Ready?¡± Chase asked, as he ejected and killed the engine. Alessandro and I just agreed and proceeded into the building. The lobby was rather cold and utilitarian with beige paint on the walls and some worn out chairs which were ced in a waiting area. A sleepy looking security contractor gave a nod for us to walk past what appeared to be a metal detector, then gestured at a line of lifts. ¡°Fourth floor,¡± he grunted. ¡°Agent Harris is expecting you.¡± We did not say anything to one another in the elevator, but the atmosphere was charged with electricity. I stood up and as soon as the doors opened, a business-like woman in a formal business suit rushed towards us. ¡®Miss Brianne?¡¯ she said, her little eyes shifting back and forth between us triplets. As soon as I signaled okay she said, ¡°I am Agent Chen. Come with me,¡± and led us to the door. She took us through a hot corridor with a number of simr doors and came to a halt at the door which was one of thest ones in the hallway. She rapped the door once before moving it open, and she beckoned us in. The office waspact, and as a result, clean, with arge substantive desk and papers scattered on it. Agent Harris looked up as we entered and, after taking in both of us, looked more troubled than I had ever seen him. ¡°Miss Brianne,¡± he said and stepped forward to shake hands with us. ¡°Alessandro, Chase. Good day. Have you been nning to have a seat?¡± We sat down in the chairs in front of him, and his businesslike demeanor suddenly made me feel like a rather callow college student. Agent Harris leaned back and looked at me and then, at Alice, his eyes narrowed a bit. ¡°I heard you have some things that you want to tell me,¡± he said in a tone that was as controlled as could be. I looked at Chase and Alessandro and drew my strength from them. Finally, after some time, I was ready and so started to talk as I breathed in. I shared all of this with Agent Harris, including the letter from The Raven containing our worries about him and the morsels of information we had. When I was talking, I noticed that the facial expression of the agent was gradually bing more and more hostile, and the deepening furrows on his forehead were telling me this. When I did, there was an ensuing silence in the office. Agent Harris slumped back in his chair with only my face to stare down. Turns out, I am grateful for the tip,¡± he said atst, in sorrow, ¡°but I trust you will realize that what has just gone is something far too perilous for the untrained eye to get involved in. I was overwhelmed by the impulse to get a little angry. With due respect, Agent Harris, we are already in this up to our necks. The Raven to me ensured that with the letter. ¡°I get your point,¡± Harris said quietly but as ifputed, which further angered all of us. ¡®But the best thing you can do right now is to stand down and let us deal with it as we have the training and equipment that you don¡¯t. ¡® ¡°Handle it?¡± Alessandro eximed, ring at both of us ¡°As if you ¡®dealt¡¯ with it when he fled a maximum security mental hospital? Or as if you ¡®dealt¡¯ with it when he almost murdered Brianne.¡± This to you but-¡± ¡®Upset doesn¡¯t begin to cover it¡¯, Chase interrupted him, feeling a connection with me and grabbing my hand. ¡®This isn¡¯t just some case for us. This is our lives. Our families. We cannot just sit back and wait for you toe to your senses in the end. ¡® I could sense that Harris was reaching the end of his tether. ¡°I get it,¡± he muttered stiffly. ¡®But the fact remains that you are teenagers,¡¯ said Haris ¡®You are not professional police or detectives and being involved in this case can be fatal for all of you and spoil the work of all of us. ¡® ¡®We¡¯re already in danger,¡¯ I said, taking a forward position, stretching my hands on the table. ¡®With The Raven out there plotting, who knows what for every second we¡¯re endangered,¡¯ I said, ¡®At least we¡¯re doing something about it. ¡® The cubicle was, as far as Harris was concerned, utterly andpletely frustrating and Harris sighed, pinching the bridge of his nostrils to show just how much. ¡®Miss Brianne, I realize that you wish to do something. But you have to rely on us. We have sources we suspect, orders we have put through, proceedings I cannot disclose. Your impulsiveness mightpromise everything we have nned for. ¡® These remarks of his somehow brought about in my breast a glow of all the sunshine. It is all nice and quiet: ¡®Well, do you have a n then? Are you near to catching him?¡¯ The agent¡¯s expression shut down. :In my capacity I am unable to talk about live cases, but I can guarantee that everything is being done to arrest The Raven and dismantle his cartel. It hardlysted some seconds, and the usual disappointment followed to bring the curtain down. The usual vague cebo words, the usual triumphant attitude. ¡®I was sick of it. ¡® ¡®You can¡¯t do that,¡¯ said I, not unkindly but firmly. ¡®We are here as a courtesy, ready to help you,¡¯ the man said, ¡®but if you are not going to listen to us, if you are not going to provide straight answers, then we will do it ourselves. ¡®Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 38: Agreeing to Stand Down Harris¡¯s eyes narrowed. Agent Haris said fiercely: ¡°That sounds dangerously close to a threat, Miss Brianne. ¡± ¡®It¡¯s not a threat,¡¯ Chase said tersely, no shake in his words. ¡®It is the truth. We don¡¯t need permission. We are informing you of what is going to ur. ¡® A queer look crossed the agent¡¯s face, and then he took in the resolute looks on the faces of all three of us. Suddenly I thought, I saw something like a spark, a twinkle of momentary respect or surrender in him. But it did not take long for thetter to be reced by determination. ¡®Let me make a clear statement,¡± he began intently, ¡±I want to be very clear on this¡¯. ¡®There will be severe penalties if you put a wedge in a federal investigation, if you do anything that threatens our operations, you will be charged with obstruction of justice and may end up in jail¡¯ is something that the protagonist is willing to part with. This threat left an overshadowing feeling within the vicinity of me and such-and-such. I could sense Chase and Alessandro bristled with the desire to continue the argument. But before they could speak, I made a decision, ¡°You are right, of course,¡± I stated as I could feel the erotic storm within me, ¡°We are not trained to handle this, we are no more thanmbs left to embark on a journey each year, in waters we don¡¯t know. ¡± I could feel the boys¡¯ shocked stares at me, but I maintained my sight on Agent Harris whilst asking, ¡°We will withdraw. Allow you to work. But in return, let us not be kept in the dark. ¡± Harris¡¯s bodynguage eased slightly, and an expression of mild relief appeared on the man¡¯s face. ¡°That is a good idea, Miss Brianne I assure you that we will do all we can to protect you as well as get your father to face justice. ¡± I nodded, standing up. This Chase and Alessandro did, both looking genuinely bewildered and agitated. ¡°That¡¯s okay, Chase,¡± said Agent Harris, smiling at me in return, and I thanked him for his time. I thought this over and said to him: ¡°We will hear back from them if we hear anything else. ¡± I could sense the boys¡¯ looks boring into me once we were out of the office, but I allowed myself no retreat and briskly walked till we got into the lift. The second the office¡¯s doors shut, Alessandro turned on me. ¡°And what the fu- was that, Bri? Did we just, like, give up?¡± ¡°Of course not. But arguing with Harris wasn¡¯t getting us anywhere. Sometimes you have to appear to retreat in order to advance. ¡± The realization of the situation finally set in Chase¡¯s face. ¡®You were leading him,¡¯ he said, having returned the slow smile. I nodded. ¡®Harris was never going to give us his blessing. But now he thinks we are out of the game, he will let his guard down and focus on his so-called real investigation. ¡® ¡®Well, we got to do what we have to without the FBI on our backs,¡¯ said Alessandro, and he nodded appreciatively. ¡®You sneaky, Brianne, he said before pausing and adding, ¡®I didn¡¯t expect you to be this cunning¡¯. After we stepped outside the building, and back to Chase¡¯s car, I found a fresh determination inside of me. We were exclusively on our own now, as it were, for better or for worse. But perhaps it was exactly what we had to be. ¡°So what¡¯s the n now?¡± Chase wanted to know as we exited the lot. For a moment, my head was spinning with the number of things that the three words could imply if not the obvious ones. ¡®Weck information. ¡® The Ravens letter spoke of ¡®loyal followers. ¡® ¡®We need to identify these people, where they operate from. ¡® Alessandro leaned forward and looked into the backseat of the car. ¡°I might have an idea about that. There is an old warehouse at the outskirts of the town where sometimes people unknown to the town inhabitants are seen going in and out. ¡± That prickling sensation you get at the back of your neck? I got that. It was thin; it was almost nothing but a head start at best. ¡°That is something to look at though. ¡± ¡°But we need to be wary. If it was one of the Phoenix ces, it would be deadly. ¡± Chase looked at me and nodded, his face set in a grim line. ¡°We would require things like food supplies, and video cameras, for instance. We should choose an appearance for the outside world just in case we are captured. ¡± While Chase was driving, we tried to create the initial outline of the strategy. It was reckless despite being the kind of decision that could have been regarded as reckless to the point of foolishness. But it was action, and after days of doing nothing but waiting for the other shoe to drop, as it were, it was fine to finally get a chance to be active. After that, we agreed to assemble the following day after ss to firm up our strategies and prepare necessary materials. As Chase dropped me at home, he grabbed my hand before I alighted from his car. ¡® ¡®Are you alright with this, Bri?¡¯ he inquired, his gaze probing my face. ¡°It¡¯s not toote to back out,¡± said the man abruptly, ¡°to let the professionals handle it. ¡± I was d that I could be at his side tofort him and I gave him a gentle smile before reciprocating our grip with both my hands. ¡°I¡¯m sure. This is our battle, Chase. It has been from time immemorial. How can we leave the field now?¡± He nodded, and then he hugged me and gave me a brief kiss. ¡°Very well. Then we¡¯re on the same team. To the end. ¡± As the car pulled out and disappeared round the driveway, there was fear that it was a cocktail of something else. Fear of the unknown or what tomorrow holds for the individual and the world. But also a feral drive, a righteousness. Here was our opportunity to seize the initiative, to go after the ckness instead of always cowering before it. I pondered family, I thought of The Raven, of the things he threatened in his letter. He believed that he had me figured out, that he knew every next step that I would take. But he was wrong. I wasn¡¯t the scared little girl that he remembered and deep inside I know that it pleased him. I was stronger now; I was smarter. I had one thing he could neverprehend. That was true loyalty, that was true friendship. When I got into my house, my brain was already geared up thinking of what preparations to make on the following day. However, terrible The Raven and his Organization was. However vile the things he had in store for us were, we would not be powerless. We will fight. And this time, we would not lose and this did not die before being heard in our camp.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Chapter 39: An Unwanted Visitor The next morning there was only blue sky and sunshine, which was quite the opposite to what I felt within my soul. Then it was time for school when they were not in ss, we would devise the best course of action to discover The Raven¡¯s plots. Yet always, underlying every single cerebral process, every single physical movement, the ever-present undertone of fear. Chase arrived to pick me up as he has always done, and he seemed to be putting on an act, forcing smiles andughter to cover the nervousness that emanated from his demeanor. During our way to school, we did not talk much, but rather were both immersed in our own concerns. We were out of the parking lot, and there waited Alessandro, not looking jovial but rather serious and determined. ¡®Are you ready for this?¡¯ he greeted us as we neared him. ¡®Well, as ready as we¡¯ll ever be. ¡® We had decided that in school we were to conduct ourselves in the most natural way possible. This we had not wanted any suspicions raised. Nevertheless, as we moved through the main front doors of the building, there was only one thing that came into my mind: everything had altered. Walkways that had been walked through countless times felt strange, and even every corner could be a possible danger zone. The morning psed mainly betweenrge and small lecture rooms and hushed chats. Sometimes, we would sneak a nce at each other in other sses, and give looks that said so much. To everybody else, it probably appeared as typical adolescent melodrama. If only these individuals knew how urate the information avable to them actually was. Thus, with the time for lunch looming, I was getting more nervous. We were to have used the break to fine tune details of our after-school surveince early in the following week. But as I was walking to the cafeteria, I heard someone shout at my back, ¡®Brianne¡¯ ¡°Brianne! Wait up!¡± I half turned to see who was approaching me and found the new guy, Aiden, running at a pace with me, though, to be perfectly honest, we had not been on the best of terms before. Was it only the day before when he had joined all of us at lunch and seemed so utterly ignorant of the hate that was festering in Westbrook¡¯s heart? ¡®Hi,¡¯ I greeted him as I tried to smile. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I nced down at him and sighed in relief before turning back toward the school, Aiden falling into step beside me but with his eyebrows pulled together slightly. ¡°Hey, just figured I needed to talk to someone this morning. You looked a little stressed out yesterday after the meeting with the principal. Is everything alright?¡± For a sh of seconds, I nearly disclosed it to him. For some reason, the youth, and thepleteck of pretense in Aiden¡¯s features made me believe in what he had to say. But I couldn¡¯t afford to do that. Did not want to bring an innocent person into this experience. ¡°Everything is good¡±, I said, knowing that it was far from the truth. I figured maybe if I said so for a long time maybe I would convince myself that I was fine, or was it a lie? This is one conversation that they had: ¡®It¡¯s just some family issues I had,¡¯ Finally I responded; ¡®nothing big that you need to concern yourself with¡¯. Aiden looked as if he wanted to prove deeper, but as you would expect, we arrived at the cafeteria doors at that time. I saw myself noticing Chase and Alessandro at our regr booth, their faces close to each other while talking. ¡°I should go,¡± I said, waving in the general direction of my friends. ¡°But thank you for calling. I do feel grateful for it. ¡± Aiden looked at him, his own gaze slightly concerned. ¡°Yeah, I got that,¡± he said softly. ¡°Anytime. ¡± He said, knowing that I could always get him when I needed someone to talk to. Managing to refrain from thoughts of Aiden, as I approached our table. We certainly had other issues to attend to. ¡°Any issues?¡± Chase inquired softly as soon as I joined her. I shook my head. >¡±Everything is OK in this end. You three?¡± Alessandro moved closer to me and I could hardly hear him. I heard some of the office staff discussing the situation as I walked by; they said there had been more youngsters absent from work this week. I scowled and shivered at the same time. ¡°You think it¡¯s connected?¡± ¡®Chase only took off his cool gaze, but he looked like he wanted to kill someone. ¡±Could be nothing,¡± he says, ¡±But given everything else¡­. ¡± We proceeded to discuss the new information given to us for the rest of lunch break as we attempted to fit the pieces that they presented to us. When the bell went off after lunch, students and teachers felt more pressured to take action. That basically sums up arge part of recent year, and knowing that we needed to move quickly, it was 11:19 AM. The hours in sses in the afternoon seemed to be the longest, and one could not afford to even blink. Each second, each minute was a torture: I tensed every time I heard something that was not part of my nightmare. I could have hardly stood the tension, all my nerves being strained to the utmost by the time the final bell nged. Since I had to go to my locker, I attempted to slow down the fast beating of my heart. Five more minutes and I would be out. So, for the first time, we¡¯d begin substantiating our allegations and presumably begin to act against The Raven¡¯s schemes.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. In fact, I was daydreaming so much that I nearly did not catch it. And just doing it with a raise of curtains, with a hint of something that, looking sidelong, I wouldn¡¯t recognize as being part of my environment. I looked around, and immediately my blood chilled at the sight that I saw. Three middle-aged men dressed in dark clothes were single-mindedly navigating a crowded hallway. All the others seemed to be normal, healthy students, among whom these two strange men were looking too tense and their eyes were scanning the area very nervously and suspiciously making all the signals in my head ring. Then I noticed a lump under the jacket of one of the men. The undeniable form of a concealed weapon. Strangely, time rubber-stamped slowly, as though it wanted to give us a first, second and third chance at looking at the object. My heartbeat was loud in my ears, as if in a countdown, as if in a moment all would be over. My gaze met Chase¡¯s across the hall, and saw the minute he realized what that meant. We broke down momentarily in shock. Then instinct kicked in. ¡°Everyone down!¡± I yelled at the top of my lungs, instantly silencing all the talking that was going on as students would be released from school. ¡°They have guns!¡± Chaos erupted. One rolled on the floor, or others ran towards the end of the ss in protest, screaming. The armed men, now exposed, relieved themselves of their weapons. I hurried behind a row of lockers trying to understand exactly what was going on in my head. Our main goal was to get as many of the people out as possible to reduce the number of losses. But how? I felt a hand on my arm, and I was almost ready to swift at him before I knew that it was Alessandro. ¡°Fire rm,¡± he said, struggling to catch his breath, there was a red box on the wall, close to the door. An understanding shed between us. I nodded, and Alessandro ran off, dodging through people who were clearly in a hurry to get to the rm. This is what the sound of gunshots sounds like in the movies. I cringed and threw myself more tightly on the lockers. This can¡¯t be happening. Not here, not now. Trying to get a better look at my enemies, I slowly leaned around the edge of the lockers. Some of the armed men began to peel off, their unpleasant gazes turned now to the students gathered before them. Looking for someone. Looking for me. The fact suddenly dawned on me, physically. That was my fault. They were here because of me, because of my tie with the Phoenix Organization. CHAPTER 40: Tragedy Lurking Just as I stood shocked, the fire rm exploded into action to worsen the scene. The high pitch of the sound intensified the confusion, but it served the purpose of the buzzer. Finally, students and teachers who had been scared stiff of the gun and the gunmen now rushed animatedly towards the the door exit. I saw Chase rushing lower grade students to safety across the hall. We locked eyes for a moment and I could see the desire to be brave, fighting to be seen in his eyes. Some part of me wanted to flee and get to him, to protect him from everything that¡¯s out there. But I knew I couldn¡¯t. I was the target. I had to make them turn their gaze away from the escaping students. I took a deep breath and came out from behind the lockers. ¡®Hello!¡¯ I yelled, or tried to and yet my voice could be heard remarkably well above the noise. This one has an exmatory effect: ¡®I¡¯m the one you want!¡¯ The armed men looked at me and seemed somewhat surprised, but the zing of their eyes gave them a grim satisfaction. Losing them would mean recognizing that their group no longer existed, and I didn¡¯t wait for them to recover from the heavy burden this realization imposed on them. I dashed in the opposite direction of the exits in the hope that they would chase me while leaving the rest of the people alone. I could feel that somebody was following me. I could hear loud voices saying ¡®Stop!¡¯ and ¡®Freeze!¡¯ but I kept on rushing. I ran as fast as I possibly could, perhaps for the first time in my life, relying on in adrenaline and desperation. A pair of double doorster, I was in the deserted gym. I could hardly think straight as ideas about how best to handle the situation surged in my head. But I could not think of anything before the doors at the back suddenly burst open. I whirled around, my heart in my throat as two of the gunmen stepped in both holding guns on me the third gunman was not present. ¡°Brianne,¡± one of the men said, and his voice was as cold and lifeless as the color of his eyes. They said a couple of courtesies: ¡°The Raven sends his regards. ¡± I stepped backwards with my hands raised and sweat trickling down my forehead as I looked for the best way out. ¡±What does he want?¡± I questioned as I attempted to disguise my anxiety. The man raised his lips at the corners in a sneer. ¡°He wants you to learn how it feels to rebel, to realize that the people you love will pay the price. ¡± I had goose pimples up my spine all over my body. It was never just me they wanted. They were here to make a statement, to attack the people that mattered to me. ¡®Please, ¡® I uttered coldly, and, looking at the empty entrance of the house, my voice trembled. ¡®Don¡¯t involve my friends in this. I will do whatever you want me to do, but please do not harm them. ¡® The men exchanged a nce, and for a factional instant, I allowed myself the indulgence of expecting them to do the right thing. But then the second man shivered and shook his head. ¡°Sorry kid,¡± he said, without an ounce of apology in his voice. ¡°Orders are orders. ¡± He took up his gun, and there was a split second as if the bullet had slowed in midair. I observed his finger clinch round the trigger, saw the spurt of the muzzle. I shut my eyes then prepared to get hit. But it never came. But then all that reached me was a groan, and the thud of someone falling on the floor. I snapped my eyes open and saw what Aiden did he managed to wrestle the gunman to the ground, had to do it at thest moment. The other man lifted his gun, hesitated for a moment betweening to his partner¡¯s aid and keeping the gun trained on me. Seizing the opportunity that he was momentarily disoriented, I jumped at him and gave him a blow on his abdomen with my shoulder. Together we went down in a heap of arms and legs with the gun slipping from between us on the slippery polished floor. For all the fight I could muster I would scratch, w and attempt tond any punch that I could. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aiden with the other man trying to restrain him. He wasn¡¯t small and wasn¡¯t to be messed with either. I was punched with my fist on my jaw and my headnded back. Stars went off in my eyes and I found coppery taste in my mouth. The man took good advantage of my confusion and overturned me onto my back andy on me. They kept it up until he growled, ¡®Enough games,¡¯ and began to draw something out of the pocket of his jacket. I fought even more desperately, fear served as good fuel for me. But it wasn¡¯t enough. I couldn¡¯t break free. The man produced a syringe that had a ck substance with a frightening look inside it. I suddenly got a pale feeling in my stomach as I thought it could only be one thing. Some kind of sedative or worse. ¡°The Raven wants to talk,¡± the man said, as he moved the needle closer to my neck. Of course, just as there are numerous types ofughter, there are also various ways in which one can be wounded, and I had to learn it the hard way: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this won¡¯t hurt. Much. ¡± Slowly, I shut my eyes and whispered my apologies to Chase, Alessandro, and all the other people I was leaving behind purposely. In my mind I was screaming that I had failed them all. Overhead pressure that was on me lifted, and vanished immediately. My eyes wrenched open and that was when I noticed Aiden standing over me drenching the fire extinguisher. The man who had been about to drug mey crumpled on the ground, not moving assuming he hadn¡¯t been killed by Aiden in the struggle. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Aiden inquired, his tone tense as he pulled me up to my feet. I nodded shakily, I searched for the second attacker in the room but failed to find one. He was lying near the stands on the pitch, also fainted. ¡°How did you¡­¡± I started saying and Aiden interrupted me. There was no time, he said, panicked. ¡®We have to leave this ce, they were three of them. ¡® That statement ced such a reality check on me like a bucket of ice water. Third man. He was missing. As if in answer to my unspoken question, the major¡¯s gymnasium opened, and we stepped into it. Thest of the attackers looked defiant, he was furious as he looked around at the carnage he had helped to create. ¡®Get out,¡¯ Aiden ordered, shoving me towards the door , ¡®Run!¡¯ We ran over to the gym, hearing gunfire in the distance. Standing up, I got to the door first, flung it open and staggered out to the bracing brightness of the afternoon sun. I wanted to make sure Aiden was right behind me, and as I saw him get out of the building I felt a load off my shoulder. But then I noticed the increasing red blotch on his shirt. ¡°Aiden!¡± I shouted, moving quickly to get him aside because he tripped. He fell up in my bosom and passed out, clutching his abdomen as if in deadly pain. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± he muttered, thereby denying the fact that his voice had a shake to it. I slowly ced him down on the ground, my hands trembling while I tried to diagnose the injury. It was bad. It would be a waste of ink and paper to even attempt to describe the amount of blood that was there. ¡®Help!¡¯ I began shouting, turning around in circles. ¡°Somebody help us!¡± I could make out police sirens in the distance as my breathing started to grow irregr. But would they arrive on time? I mped my hands on the side of the chest and applied pressure to attempt to stop the bleeding. Aiden was already zoning out, and his breathing was getting ragged. ¡®Please, don¡¯t go¡¯ I said, kneeling at his feet crying my eyes out. ¡°I was trying to kick, but he covered me again and started moving up and down ¡®Please, Aiden. Stay with me. ¡®¡± He was able to force a small smile, his handing up to rest on my face, touched my cheek. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he whispered. ¡°It¡¯s enough you are safe. That is what is important. ¡± I hurried to shake my head violently. ¡°Stop it,¡± I told him and shook him a little, ¡°You will be okay. You have to be. ¡± But even as I said the words, I could feel him slipping away from me. ¡± His eyes rolled, and after that, he went stiff, his head resting on the curve of my neck. ¡®No,¡¯ I cried and shook him softly. ¡®No, no, no¡¯ I said, looking at Aiden. ¡®Aiden, please!¡¯ Because of the footstep sounds I heard, I had to look up. Chase and Alessandro were running towards us, their faces white with fear. Oh God,¡± Chase said softly once they got to us. ¡°Is he. .. ¡± As I was about to respond, more ambnces arrived at the scene, and the medical workers immediately eased me out of the way. I stood there like an idiot as they resuscitated Aiden, the shouts and the sounds abination of a y on words, which did not register in my mind. Lifting him onto a stretcher, they began to hurry, their movements panicky. Yet as they wheeled him hastily towards the waiting ambnce, one of the paramedics looked at us. ¡®We¡¯re taking him to Mercy General,¡¯ she told me. This is heart in the mouth. All that can be done will be done. And that was the end of the show, they got off, concluded the program, and we were all left standing there feeling like we had been mmed with a washing pole. The truth of what had just urred was gradually dawning on me, the implication of which smashed me to the ground. Aiden saved my life. And now he might die because of it. When more police cars and additional ambnces pulled up in response to the tragedy, when students and teachers who had been inside the school started toe out in small groups and stood in disbelief around us, I got inexpressibly cold. That was my fault. All of it. His strong arms pulled me closer, and I hid my face in Chase¡¯s chest. Tears escaped me and I could not control it. Alessandro was beside me, holding my shoulder gently, standing like a rock that never moves.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. But even thepany can keep the cold, hard facts from seeping in. The Ravens game had gotten to a higher level than what any of us could have thought. And we had no idea if Aiden would survive till the end of the series. As the chaos swirled around us, as questions were asked and statements were taken, only one thought echoed in my mind: As the chaos swirled around us, as questions were asked and statements were taken, only one thought echoed in my mind: What have I done? Chapter 41: Life on the Line The mechanical sounds of various machines that are used in the hospital were apparent, and asionally, there was a beeping sound which was a clear warning that we were in a hospital. I found a rather rigid molded chair and arranged it in front of the hospital bed on which Aiden remained motionless. It had been two days since the attack at school, but it felt like it had been two weeks. Chase and Alessandro stood on my right and left, respectively, as if guarding me. Since Aiden was admitted to the hospital, we have only gone out a few times and that is taking turns to relieve each other and sit with him. His parents, stunned and relieved, had embraced our watch. ¡°Any change?¡± Chase whispered as he came back from getting coffee. I shook my head, and though speech was just now returning to me, my vocal cords had been ruined. Nothing. The doctors say it¡¯s still a delicate bnce. ¡± Alessandro cares for his hair, and he otherwise looks tired and drawn as he then gives a sigh. ¡°He is a robust guy,¡± he noted, saying that he has confidence in him to survive the ordeal. Part of me wanted to just trust him, to somehow ept what he was saying as the truth, which was crazy, because why would there be any doubt? But the feeling of guilt which lurked within me did not let me cling to hope. That was my fault. Because of me, because of The Raven¡¯s psychopath games, Aiden was struggling for his life. Those were truly magical words that were heard very few times in a day as everyone looked up at the door that was just opened. But it was just another nurse, who came to check on Aiden; to monitor the manner in which the body responded to the new drugs. She worked with such precision and grace that only a well-rehearsed professional could exhibit while attending to her tasks; and I had be well acquainted with those movements over the past forty-eight hours. Before she walked out, I saw the police officer who was posted at the door of the room. Yet another warning that it was still possible, that The Raven¡¯s men were still around. ¡°I think it would be wise for us to go to bed,¡± Chase said softly, and his hand closed over mine. ¡®Well, we cannot help Aiden by tiring ourselves to an extent that we cannot get back on our feet. ¡® Of course, I understood he was right, but I could not stand the mere idea of not being there when something would happen. The rest of the group instinctively looked at me and smiled, knowing that I would never join them because this ¡®You chap go,¡¯ was my response. ¡°I will be around for a little longer. They looked at each other and with the nce that passed between them words were said and understood. Finally, Alessandro nodded. ¡°Okay,¡± she said, ¡°But you tell me if there are any changes as well and please, try to sleep a little. ¡± I forced myself tough, and I believe he realized that I was tired because she let me be. When they went out, the hall seemed vaster, vacuum-emptier. I sat in the chair closer to Aiden¡¯s bed, holding his hand in mine. Tables two and three were filled with young couples on a romantic dinner date. It looked like we were interrupting their intimate conversation. Putting on a fake smile and trying to mask my embarrassment, I apologized to the couple. So sorry,¡± I said in a very low voice. ¡®It¡¯s all my fault that you¡¯re here. You should not be here, and you should not have had to save me. ¡® Recalling that day made my heart race the attack itself, the interference of Aiden I had never thought was possible, and the sight of him copsing. I still recall having many questions running through my mind, generic and unanswerable. How had Aiden known he was there? Why was it that he had been willing to die for me, when we had hardly any acquaintance? Given my answer, the steady beep of the heart monitor was the only reply that I got in return. I must have drifted off to sleep at some point because the next thing which was obvious to me was that sunlight was flooding the room. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again I was surprised that my neck was so unbearably stiff that I had to blink because it was hurting me. ¡°Brianne?¡± I went back around to find Aiden¡¯s mother standing at the door with a tray of coffee cups. She was a kind-faced woman with Aiden¡¯s same warm brown eyes, but currently the lines of worry, and loss of sleep, were etched on her face. ¡°I brought coffee,¡± she said, holding a cup at me. ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± I replied. She handed me over the napkin I gratefully took. Having my cup of the ck and strong coffee, I took a pause and Sarah sat beside me. We stood for a few moments, side by side, both watching the ttening and expanding of Aiden¡¯s chest. Finally, Sarah spoke. ¡®Speaking of you,¡¯ she continued quietly, ¡®he was saying this and that about you. ¡® ¡®But he told me he had known you for only a few days and yet was sure that there was something special about you,¡¯ There was an instant ache behind my eyes, guilt and sadness shing through me. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I managed to say. One constant plea that I, the research student, was likely to hear was ¡®If it weren¡¯t for me-¡® The same Sarah, this time, ced her hand upon my hand, stopping me in my tracks to say, ¡°You are not to me for this, Brianne; Aiden made his own decision; he is always the one who has not shunned away from defending others, even if the price is his own life¡± Her soothing words only made the guilt that was already making a real mess out of him even worse. She could not know all the circumstances, could not know that her son was there, lying in the hospital because of the blood of my ancestors. The moment I could start making an answer, the door opened again. This time Taylor S. , also known as Aiden¡¯s primary physician, Dr. Patel. His face was stone-cold when he got nearer the bed. ¡®Good morning,¡¯ he replied in an equally polite tone which did not have a hint of recognition. ¡°If it¡¯s okay I¡¯d like to run a few tests. ¡± Both Sarah and I agreed, which was then followed by shifting to create some more space for him. When he inspected Aiden¡¯s pupils, the response of the patient¡¯s reflexes, and all the devices that were used to control his condition, we sat tense. ¡°Well?¡± Sarah asked when Dr. Patel was taking the notes on the chart she didn¡¯t know was there until now. There was a small change in the doctor¡¯s otherwise stony face. ¡®There are some positive indications,¡¯ though, the doctor continued, ¡®His intracranial pressure has eased up; also, in the most recent scans we have observed enhanced activity in his brain. ¡® ¡®But,¡¯ he quickly added when we looked relieved, ¡®I must warn you, the next twenty-four hours are possibly going to be a crucial juncture for him. ¡® Looking at Sarah, Aiden¡¯s Mum, nodding at her, Dr. Patel went out of the room and only then Sarah breathed out, nervously. ¡®It¡¯s something,¡¯ she said as she looked at me with a tremulous smile. ¡°It¡¯s hope. ¡± ¡°But I am not sure if he will make it¡± he said. My heart skipped a beat. If Aiden doesn¡¯t make it, then The Raven ising for another of my friends, either Chase, Alessandro or Me. Either way, we are all going down.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chapter 42: A Fair Warning I only managed to nod because those were the only words I could say at that moment. Hope was dangerous. Hope could be crushed. The day was slowly passing as the best people were going to the nurses and doctors to get checked. Soon Chase and Alessandro came back, carrying with them a tray of food that, quite frankly, no one of us felt like eating. Most times, we whispered and reminisced about Aiden, or I just apanied him in silence. When it was getting dark, the tension in the room was rising. We need toe out of the status quo and apply ourselves, as the next twenty four hours would be crucial, as said by Dr. Patel. Each one of the monitors beeping, each movement of Aiden¡¯s fingers, has the effect of racing our hearts. ¡®Well, maybe we should try tomunicate with him,¡¯ Alessandro proposed. It wasn¡¯t the appearance of the lynching that troubled me; it was the headlines masquerading as news ¡®I¡¯ve heard thata patients can sometimes hear what¡¯s going on around them. ¡® Still, it is still worth the try. We told tales to Aiden, gossip at school, funny incidents at school, and even humorous stories to him that he should be prepared for great adventures when he wakes up. His parents chimed in, telling a story that had us in stitches one moment, while wiping our tears the next. As it turned out, the night arrived and one of the nurses came to me and offered to help me get some rest. We all squeezed onto the fold-away couch and extra chairs, which were not especiallyfortable. But sleep was rare; there was always too much to worry about and to hope for and to fear. It struck me that there is not much more to the narrative because I must have dozed off at some point: there is no indication that I did so, but there is also a sound that woke me up. First, I did not quite pin it down a sort of whispering, which is not the same as the sounds one hears in a hospital during the night. And then again, a louder note, then a several tensed note and then, an ugly groan. I shot up so fast that the room spun, following the direction of their gaze, which settled on Aiden¡¯s bed. This is a piece of pure fiction, but sometimes I think that in the night he is not still I saw the rustle of hair against the pillow, the restless hands clenching the sheet. ¡®Aiden?¡¯ I asked again, more to myself than to anyone else, my voice so faint I might not have spoken at all. And one more groan, somewhat deeper or longer at least. It sufficed to wake the others. And there we stood, around the bed, with our hands on our chests that felt like bursting as Aiden¡¯s eyes opened. ¡°Come on, honey,¡± said Sarah sobbing loudly. ¡®Open your eyes. You can do it. ¡® It was as if, in answer to his mother¡¯s entreat, Aiden¡¯s eyes gradually flickered open. And they were initially dazed, their eyes shielding against the rtively dim ambient lighting here. Then he looked fixedly at each individual¡¯s face. ¡°W-water,¡± he said, his voice sounding more like a rasp. A lot of activity urred when Alessandro hurried to get a cup of water, Chase dashed to call the nurses, and Sarah and her husband were dashing to embrace and kiss their son. I waspressed with a myriad of emotions as I stood still like a statue. tion, relief, the lingering fear, but most of all, guilt. Beside him, Aiden looked up into my eyes from over his mother¡¯s head. In spite of the fact that memory was beginning to fail him, and he looked at me through a veil of pain, I noticed the flicker of understanding in his eyes. He attempted to say something else, but it was painful and he recoiled. ¡®Try not to speak¡¯, I told him, and I stepped closer to where he was lying on the bed. ¡°You¡¯re okay. You¡¯re safe. ¡± He nodded his head a little and then his face creased into a frown of deep thinking. ¡°Bri. .. anne,¡± he managed. ¡°You. ¡­ okay?¡± New drops rolled all over my face. Even now, even after all this, his primary concern was me. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I told him. ¡°Thanks to you. ¡± A perfunctory smile, if it could even be called such, appeared on his lips and his eyes once again shut, probably the movement taking much out of him. The sudden addition of several people in scrubs and stethoscopes around the bed caused the room to be more rambunctious without bing out of hand in its excitement. Afterward, we were led out into the hallway and, in a very funny situation, hugged one another and cried in relief. It was as though he was in a daze Chase could only utter the words ¡®he¡¯s awake¡¯ repeatedly. ¡°He did it. ¡± I nodded and felt a weight lift off of me, my heart felt less heavy than it had in days. But even on this ount, one concern lingered on the minds of the families or at least that¡¯s the impression one gets from reading the article. The Raven was still out there. Thus, his men have not aplished the intended goal and, as such, they are likely to attempt it again. The thing with the disease was none of us were safe, not really. In an as if in response to my thoughts, Alessandro squeezed the shoulder. ¡°Hey,¡± he said softly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just fight one battle at a time, all right?¡± ¡°Okay. ¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just be thankful for this,¡± he said, pointing to the board. He had died because of me. In a way, the least I could do was not to follow him into the abyss, and so I forced myself to focus on more lighthearted thoughts. Alessandro was right. But there was no way we could dwell on that Aiden was alive, and he was awake. But at some level he was going to be okay. Days went by in a whirl of doctor¡¯s visits and police questions. Again, we were allowed to enter Aiden¡¯s room when the sun was rising, by 07:00 AM. Aiden was an indistinct figure in bed, lifted slightly so he could breathe, and appeared to be deathly ill, but unmistakably conscious. His parents beside him could not stop touching him, as if they wanted to pinch themselves to check if he was real. ¡°Hi,¡± he said when we got in; he previously was still groggy, but his voice improved this time. ¡°Hi back at you,¡± Chase said, giving a young man a grin in return. ¡®You gave us quite a scare man. ¡® Aiden could only mutely smile slightly. ¡°Apologies for that folks. Did not intend to cause such a ruckus. ¡± I went over the railing to the foot of the bed and my hands tightened around the bar. ¡°Aiden, I-¡± He interrupted me with a swing of his head sideways. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he said softly. ¡®I can only guess what you will say, and you don¡¯t have to; I would do it again, in a heart beat. ¡® He spoke kindly and without reproach, and I was almost undone; then Dr. Patel came in. ¡°I am sorry to intrude,¡± he started, ¡°but I need to do some tests now that Aiden is awake. It shouldn¡¯t be more than an hour or so. ¡± We both nodded and started to leave the room. Just as I was about to walk, Aiden caught up and called out. ¡®You okay there Brianne? Do you have time to talk for a minute?. ¡® Stunned, I turned to the man from whom I expected disapproval, Dr. Patel, to refuse my statement. ¡°For the space of a moment,¡± he said. The others left, and this left Aiden and me alone. He pointed at me toe closer, and he flinched as a result of the gesture that he had just made. ¡°What is it?¡± I inquired and sat on the edge of his bed. Even with the painful expression still written all over his face, Aiden¡¯s eyes hardened up, he looked serious. ¡®I think there is something you do not know,¡¯ he said, looking at her gravely. It wanted to know ¡®something about The Raven, and why exactly I was in Westbrook High in the first ce. My pulse quickened, a shiver down my spine. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aiden looked at the door, as if to make sure nobody was within the room to overhear our conversation. Then he took a deep breath, his next words shattering everything I thought I knew. ¡®Brianne, I¡¯m not who you think I am, but you need to understand that you are royalty, and I was assigned your protection¡­ The Raven ¨C he isn¡¯t the only one with an organization, and you are right in the middle of a war you cannotprehend and for friendly advice from someone who just took a bullet for you, you need to run far, far away¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Then the lights of the hospital went dark. ¡°They are here¡± Aiden said. Chapter 43: The Dangerous Plan The ill-lit passages of the hospital made my eyes water as I listened to Aiden¡¯s story. My heart thumped in my chest and I could feel the beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I knew The Raven wanted revenge, but this was on another level, because The Phoenix Organization was more than one could Fathom. He wasing for me. He seemed to leap along the hall like a panther. Just before the lights went off, I called in Chase and Alessandro to listen to what Aiden had to say again. I then looked at Chase, my boyfriend, who was seated beside the hospital bed still looking concerned. His hand went for the one opposite his, and we locked hands; he held it with a soft grip. On the other hand, Alessandro kept walking. From one ce to the other, usuallyposed, Alessandro was visibly agitated. ¡°I think it is time to go. ¡± I am still whispering. ¡°If what Aiden said is true, then we are all not safe. ¡± Chase was shaking his head, his jaw muscles tensing up in the process. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to a nurse, try to get you out of here. ¡± Thest image I saw before the lights went out was him leaving. As I sat down, the lights went off, off again and stayed off. Fear lodged itself in my throat and I realized that I hadn¡¯t breathed since she¡¯d said his name. Since it was pitch dark on the boat, I could hear Alessandro grumbling to himself. ¡®It is happening,¡¯ I said, my voice shaky. ¡°They¡¯re here. ¡± Hand still in my hand, Chase clenched it into a fist. ¡®We need to go, now. ¡® I tried to sit up and slipped a hand under my back, which made the sore muscles in my abdomen twinge in protest. Chase pulled me to him, his arm around my waist to keep me upright, which, now that I could acknowledge, was quite wobbly. Alessandro felt around in his pocket, the lighting from his phone¡¯s shing light shining on his face as he switched it on. ¡°This way,¡± he said in a stage whisper, pointing at the door. Thus, we moved as silently as possible, and entered the hallway using the light of Alessandro¡¯s phone. In many ces it was as if life had been beaten out of the building; the only noises I did hear were the asional shout of curses from far away and hurried footsteps. My heart was thumping so violently I thought people would hear the noise ande for us. Casting a nce around me the next moment, I nearly ran into a group of men d in ck. One could not see their faces because they wore ski masks, but there was no doubt in my mind who they were. The Raven¡¯s men. It was quite warm when one of them said: ¡®There she is!¡¯ And pointed at me. Chase sprang into action, pushing me out of harm¡¯s way, and I saw Alessandro winding up to strike. What urred next was quite a spectacle of activity. Chase and Alessandro shed at each other with great intent, hitting masked faces with fists, which became increasingly fruitless, as I found myself backed against the wall, filled with fear, and utterly useless. Chase growled as the man tried to punch him, ¡®Brianne, run!¡¯ For a fleeting moment, I stood still before me, extending my arm behind me and running in the direction of the hall. I dashed along the corridor, being barefoot, my clothes trailing after me, pping and snapping against my legs; the sounds of fighting receding into the background, the noises ofrge feet thundering in my rear. I flung open a pair of swinging ss doors, and was in a corridor that contained a staircase. Blindly, I began to ascend the stairs and started running at every flight even though my body was protesting in pain. I could feel that my chasers were gradually advancing, and I could hear theming closer and the sound of their footsteps was a familiar sound of an enclosed space. After that, I thought I would copse on the floor and just as my legs were about to give way, I came across a door that said ¡®Roof ess. ¡® There was only one hope that the door was not locked. Thank God, it began to creak unbolting, and I stumbled out onto the heater of the night. The rooftops opened in front of me and were decorated with the signs of air conditioning units and satellite dishes. I rushed to the edge, and I saw. It had seemed a long way down and there was no fire escape visible. I was trapped. Suddenly, the door at my back flew open, and I turned around to see two of the masked mene on to the roof. They moved forward gradually, the way hunters do to their quarry. ¡®Now that you are cornered, little girl, where do you think you can go now?¡¯ one of them said in a sneering tone. Once again, I was on a rooftop. Thest time I was on one I loosed my life and my soul transferred to this body, a mystery I haven¡¯t gotten the chance to even think about.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. I had to step back until I could sit on the low wall at the roof perimeter. My thoughts quickly shed on the inner search for an escape from this horror. I considered it closed and barely had time to take it in when the door opened again. Suddenly, Chase and Alessandro rushed in. They attacked the two men on the roof from behind. ¡°Brianne,e on!¡± Chase yelled, taking my hand as he pulled me along with him while he ran. ¡°Not today¡±, I whispered to myself. We hurried down the stairs with great good speed, Alessandro bringing up the rear as usual. In one way or another, we managed to get inside the parking garage without being osted by any more of The Raven¡¯s thugs. We rushed into Chase¡¯s car panting. It was only as Chase drove out of the parking garage making donuts that I could finally let myself let my guard down a little at least. We had run away, but I was fully aware now that this was not even the beginning of the end. We drove inplete silence for what seemed like hours, Chase being extra careful not to be followed, so he got lost several times. And then we drove to the parking lot of a small motel on the outskirts of the town that looked more like a slum. ¡°We will be safe here now for some time,¡± Alessandro said, barely recognizing his own voice. ¡®I¡¯ll get us a room. ¡® As Alessandro went to check in, Chase looked at me and said, ¡®I hope you can handle it today¡¯, his eyes revealing a lot of concern. ¡®Did they touch you? Are you alright?¡¯ I shook my head, immediately tears filled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡± he asked, fear evident in his voice. ¡°Yeah, just scared Chase, what are we going to do?¡± He hugged me so closely that I could barely breathe, and his chin was leaning on the top of my head. I will say: ¡®We will think about it,¡¯ and most importantly, I will guarantee you that no harm wille to you, or we will see about it. I asked for water and Alessandro came back with a key; we climbed the stairs to the second floor to a dirty room. The moment Rob got up from the door and closed it, I copsed on the bed because I began to feel the need to withdraw after the long rush. ¡®We need a n!¡¯ said Alessandro, walking across the small room. ¡®The Raven is not going to leave Brianne alone, they are not going to quit searching for her, and we cannot keep running all our lives¡¯ Chase nodded, the corners of his mouth pulled down in a frown. ¡°You¡¯re right¡±, agreed Alessandro, but what can we do? We¡¯re just kids going up against a criminal organization. ¡± I shut my eyes and reap through the possible events that put us in the state that we are currently in. The corruption I¡¯d uncovered, the evidence that I had finally collected, and which had put The Raven behind bars. But now, he was bent on making me regret it. I stopped suddenly and, out of the blue, an idea urred to me: it was both irrational and risky, and so likely unwise. But it could be the only opportunity to try it. ¡®We will fight back,¡¯ I said, my words more conviction than I actually felt. Chase and Alessandro looked at me, and they were both surprised. ¡®I don¡¯t understand¡¯, replied Chase. I straightened up, and immediately my mind came up with a n. ¡°The Raven wants to kill me, right? So let¡¯s kill him first. Clearly, we know The Raven heads the Phoenix Organization. What if we could strip him of that?¡± What?? Alessandro said. Chapter 44: Execution of the Plan Alessandro¡¯s eyes opened wide and got the drift of it. ¡°You want to go after his properties? The real estate belonging to the Phoenix organization?¡± I approved this line with a dry smile on my face as I said. ¡°Really,¡± They ask how do we eliminate them? We locate them and then raze them down to the ground; like the Phoenix, let¡¯s see how they rise again from the ashes. ¡± Chase sat before us now, staring at both me and Alessandro, and he looked equally amazed and worried. ¡°That¡¯s it. . That¡¯s crazy ! We could be arrested, or something !¡±. ¡®Well, do you have a better idea?¡¯ I asked. ¡®We can¡¯t just continue to run for the rest of our lives; we have to prove to The Raven that we are, in fact, not scared of him and that, hey, we too can cause him as much pain as he causes us. ¡® I was pretty sure that the proposal I just made was the most drastic one they¡¯d ever heard in their lives, or at least in the past day. Finally, Alessandro spoke up. There was a hint of a snarl on his lips and he simply nodded and said, quite definitively, ¡°I¡¯m in¡±. ¡°The Raven has over time won a lot from all of us, and it is time we defended ourselves against it. ¡± Chase put his hand through his hair and then released a deep sigh. ¡°You two are insane,¡± but there was a hint of amusement in his voice, ¡°but yes, I am insane too. I agree. ¡± The sight of relief for us was that we had a n of transport back home. It was risky and probably lethal; yet it was something. ¡°Okay,¡± I replied, getting more upright. ¡°The first step is to get information; we have to identify the whereabouts all properties of The Raven are.¡± Alessandro took out hisptop, and he started typing furiously. ¡®I can start digging. The Phoenix Organization is not very secretive about its investments. It should not be difficult to make a list. ¡® While Alessandro wasing up with a n, Chase and I sat on the bed, bent under the sheet and whispered about the details. Obviously, supplies but we would also need transportation as well as methods to guarantee that nobody would get into trouble in the process. ¡®We are not killers,¡¯ I retorted asid back as I could manage. ¡®The purpose of this is to send a message, not to endanger innocent lives¡¯. Chase nodded, pulling me closer to him gently. ¡°On that we can both agree, let¡¯s try not to get caught, and the ce needs to be uninhibited before we interfere. ¡± Late at night, the general strategy was starting to form in our minds. Alessandra was able to put together a list of the properties owned by the Phoenix Organization warehouses, offices and even a few luxury apartments. ¡®So let¡¯s begin with the warehouses¡¯, I proposed. ¡®They will have fewer people inside, and they will be way more attention-grabbing when they burn down. ¡® The next few days were spent getting ready in any way that one can possibly imagine. As preparation for the fire making and other things like gasoline, matches, and other things that we would require were collected. Chase was able to borrow his uncle¡¯s old van, making our transport more discreet. Alessandro provided us with somemunication equipment to enable us to have contact while avoiding beingpromised. All in all, I felt exhration and fear at the same time. What we were nning was far from harmless, and I think we both knew well that we were likely to get ourselves into serious trouble at best, and possibly killed at worst. But the opposite was out of the question: to live with constant fear, to constantly look behind one¡¯s back. And so it was on the night of the first strike that we were ready for the operation. As stealthily as we could, we left the van a few blocks away from our location; this was a huge warehouse on the outskirts of town which the Phoenix Organization had used in the recent past for storing its prohibited items. Looking at each other and smiling, we collected our things and I whispered ¡®Remember the n¡¯. ¡°we go in, we ce the explosives, and we vacate the area. No second-guessing, no blunders. ¡± Chase squeezed my hand. ¡°We have that one. Just mind your step inside all right?¡± I simply said, ¡®yes¡¯ with an assurance that I knew I wasn¡¯t very confident about. ¡®But you too, both of you. ¡® As we walked, we were all dressed in ck to camouge with the night as we operated. Alessandro had turned off the security system, and so we entered the building without many problems. The warehouse wasrge, and it mostly had crates and boxes stacked from one end of the warehouse to the other. We agreed to work in sections, each of us choosing the area in the building which would suit us best. I hurried, so I sshed the gasoline on the crates and on the walls of the building. With this aroma alone for several minutes, my eyes teared, and my head began to spin. But I kept up, fully aware that we could not get away with such a ruse for a very long time before someone starts getting suspicious. By the time Ipleted what I had to say, I could barely hear Chase murmur into the earpieces we had to wear. ¡°All set here. Alessandro?¡± ¡°Done,¡± came the reply. Let¡¯s get out of here. ¡± We convened behind the main entrance; our hands smelt of gas and our feelings weird. I inhaled deeply because I knew what wasing after that statement. ¡°Ready?¡± I questioned, looking at Chase and Alessandro. They all simply nodded their heads; they were serious now. I lit a match, and in the glow of the small me. In a moment, I was overwhelmed, realizing what it was we were doing, what it was I was a part of. Then I remembered The Raven, and the grief and suffering he brought not only to me but to so many others, like Aiden. My mind was made up, I decided to throw the match on the gasoline-moistened crate. It red up at once, which was incredibly rapid, with the fire quickly engulfing the whole area. We had to flee and, as we moved away, none of us dared to look back at the raging fire that seemed suddenly to have engulfed the entire area. And that¡¯s exactly what we did; run to the van and get in as Chase revved up the engine. Having the chance to look back, I did it only when we were already driving away. The petrol was ignited, the wires short-circuited, and the whole ce was a ball of me, a colossal column of fire rising to the heavens. It was very graceful and very creepy and all at the same time.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We did it,¡± Alessandro said in disbelief. Chase looked at him in disbelief and then breathed out, shaking as heughed. ¡°I tried not to think about it until now, but I think we actually managed to pull it off. ¡± I settled back into the chair, feeling an odd amalgam of feelings relief, fear, exhration, and just a ssh of guilt. But over it ally, for the most part, a feeling of satisfaction. We had fought to get back at The Raven, proved to him that we were not mere easy preys. When we started driving at night, leaving the burning warehouse behind, I was sure that this was only the beginning. We had more targets, more properties which were to be wiped out. It would be risky and, what is more, I actually didn¡¯t believe we would not get caught one day. For the first time, I felt a little bit of hope after this nightmare of a journey that I was on. We weren¡¯t running anymore. We were fighting back. Still, no matter the next step, The Raven would understand that interfering with us was a colossal misjudgment. I would turn to my two colleagues, Chase and Alessandro, who were also involved in this insane and rather reckless undertaking. Nevertheless, I got back a stream of fondness towards both of them. That means we are both in this ¡¯till the better or till the worst, doesn¡¯t it? ¡®One down,¡¯ I said, d to feel the grim smile spreading across my face. ¡®Round two, anybody?¡± Their answering smiles were enough to let me know everything I had to know. It was just beginning, and The Raven had no idea how the events were going to roll him out. Until my phone chimed, a message from an unknown number, ¡°Game on, Baby girl¡± CHAPTER 45: Hitting The Bulls Eye The heat driving through my body, I could hardly contain myself as Chase elerated up speed and drove away from the burning casino, the oranges and reds of the night sky reflected in the mes behind us. I did not think we were capable of it, tounch a second attack and this time to bring down The Raven¡¯s empire. The casino had been arger target than the warehouse, and more dangerous too, but it had gone like clockwork. For the first time I saw Chase taking a roundabout route, twisting through county roads as a way of losing a tail, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Alessandro shot me a look from the driver¡¯s seat and nodded before smiling back at me; I rarely saw him animated, but he was clearly excited. ¡°We really proved it to them this time,¡± he said in a tone of both astonishment and triumph. Chase simply nodded, keeping his gaze to the front. The Raven will be feeling that one for sure. A casino, you know, is a real money-spinner. ¡± I put my head back on the headrest to catch my breath: We had been about it, avoiding the presence of persons in the building whilst setting our fires. There had been no casualties, but we had eliminated a number of The Phoenix Organization and disrupted their operations. It was pleasing to be the one to go out there doing something and not merely fighting for your life. At that point, my phone vibrated, which was in my pocket. I pulled it out thinking that I would find a news alert on the fire. Well, instead of doing that, my blood froze when I received an SMS from an unidentified number. Clutching the text in my hands, I started shaking and opened it. Four words glowed on the screen, sending a chill down my spine: Four words glowed on the screen, sending a chill down my spine: ¡°Game on, baby girl. ¡± Perhaps sensing my difort, I made a noise and the moment I did, Chase looked up in the mirror and caught my eye. ¡°Brianne? What¡¯s wrong?¡± My heart raced as my hands shook while I tried so hard not to be tense when I read the message out loud. This change in behavior silenced the car and the festive disposition was reced by cold as frost. It¡¯s him, isn¡¯t it? ¡°The Raven,¡± Alessandro said, his lips turning into a thin line. ¡± I just looked at them and dropped my jaw for a moment before I could grasp the situation though deep down we had been expecting this. We were needling one of the most dangerous men in the city. But to see his words on my screen, being aware that he was out there, watching, waiting, in some sense, made me feel almost alive again. . . It made everything suddenly, terrifyingly real.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. At this, Chase grasped the wheel even more enthusiastically, his fists white-knuckled. ¡°That¡¯s all that he wants, Bri, is to intimidate you. Don¡¯t allow him to do so. ¡± I couldn¡¯t help tensing up a little, so I inhaled deeply to calm down. Chase was right. This, of course, was exactly what The Raven wanted he aimed to bring fear into my life, to unbnce me. I just could not have him win. ¡°You are right,¡± I stated more confidently than I felt. ¡°This does not alter anything,¡± he said, ¡°We were aware that he would respond, sooner orter. ¡± Finally, I noticed Alessandro twisted in his chair and looked at me, his face grave like a health officer. ¡°I guess it is about time we lie low for some time now, he will be anticipating an early attack from us. ¡± I looked at him, and in my eyes he must have seen the re for battle in me because he nodded grimly and said, ¡°No. No, that¡¯s why we need to strike him again, and the sooner, the better. He thinks he¡¯s got us on the run, that we¡¯ll flee and hide from him. Chase looked me straight in the eyes through the mirror and I could see that there was concern but also respect in his eyes. ¡®Are you certain, Bri? If he has be aware of us, it is going to be even riskier from now on. ¡± Good!, I thought, my mind already plotting ways of how I was going to win him over. ¡®Yes we are sure. We cannot stop now. What next?¡¯ Alessandro took out hisptop, showing me the list of Phoenix Organization affiliate properties that we had managed to put together. ¡®They have a strip club downtown, the Red Phoenix, and it¡¯s one of theirrgest facilities, lots of uwful conduct behind the scenes. ¡® ¡°Yes,¡± I told him, moving closer to study the screen and adding, ¡°Perfect. ¡± ¡°That¡¯s where we will strike next¡± Chase said, looking like a man with a n, ¡°Tonight. ¡± Chase raised an eyebrow. ¡®And do it tonight? That sounded a bit on the fast side. ¡® ¡®Well, that is the point,¡¯ I said quickly, I was getting more and morefortable sharing my opinion with him. ¡°The Raven will be tearing his hair trying to defend his property, but he won¡¯t be expecting us to move again so soon! This is the time to capitalize on him. ¡± Chase and Alessandro looked at each other and the silence filled the room for some few seconds. Finally, Alessandro nodded. I¡¯m in. We¡¯ve seen the potential and reasonable profit that is possible in this market. Shaking my head, I continued, Chase just groaned, smiling faintly. ¡®You are both out of your minds,¡¯ Chase said, but then he thought about it and agreed ¡®Alright, let¡¯s go. ¡® The next few hours were used for preparation as well as assembling items needed and re-strategizing. The strip club would be far moreplex to set aze than the casino or the warehouse. It would remain open veryte into the night when people would be working, as well as customers, inside the business. We had to be very cautious so as not to cause any person an ident. Being nighttime, we parked the car a few blocks from The Red Phoenix. The neon was red-colored the street in a rather sickly hue and the bass was audible even from here. I drew in the air, confronted with what I was yet to be faced with. ¡°Do you people understand the n?¡± I asked Chase and Alessandro. They all agreed as their stiff jaws indicated that they were determined to do the job. This time we¡¯d have agreed to go separately. Alessandro was to make a noise at the entrance of the club, whilst Chase and I went round the back to put our pyrotechnic devices in. ¡°You be careful in there,¡± Chase smiled softly and gave me a slight kiss on the lips. ¡°I love you. ¡± ¡®I love you too,¡¯ I murmured softly, which made me cringe thinking of how, perhaps, this might be thest time I¡¯d be telling him that. CHAPTER 46: The Devil is Closer We exited, Alessandro leaving for the area in front of the club and Chase and I went to the back side of the club, to the rear yard. It was evident that the music was louder and getting closer; the bass as if resonated with the pounding of my heart. Chase worked the lock on the back door and we entered the building in a rush. The hall was poorly illuminated: the smell that reigned in it was of cigarette smoke and low-quality perfume. We advanced stealthily to and fro and, in our attempt to avoid being detected by the enemy, we remained on the lookout. We got to the main social part of the club and I slowly looked around the corner. It was quite crowded, there were gyrating Americans on the dance floor and there were half-nakeddies dancing on a pole being tipped by white men with dor bills. That provided me with a rather creepy feeling, knowing that The Raven was running all sorts of illicit business here behind the scenes. At that point, there was a row in front of the club¡¯s entrance. Alessandro¡¯s distraction was working security guards were running towards the entrance, which made it very easy to ess the back areas. ¡®Here is our moment,¡¯ Chase breathed softly, pulling me towards a door that said ¡®Private¡¯. We managed to gain entry, and we were now in what appeared to be the reception area of a small office. I moved to put the homemade incendiary devices Chase and I had made in various strategic areas in the room and gave Chase a sharp poke on the arm so that he stood watch by the door. When I was done, I heard Chase muttering under his breath. ¡°They are here now, we have to leave, ¡± We hurried back to the office only to be confronted by two muscled security officers. For a moment, none of us moved we just looked at each other in disbelief. Then the gloves went off. Chase was quicker, and he attacked one of the guards,ying him out on the floor, immediately. I bent to avoid the punch that the other guard tried tond on my face; the blow was but an inch away from me. I charged at him and instead of punching, which I had wanted to do, I kicked him on the knee. He growled in agony, making him lose bnce and fall back. ¡°Brianne, run!¡± Chasemanded, as the first guard he was fighting with somehow still pinned him against the wall. I still remember the moment when it took me half a second to get up and not stay with him. But I realized we would both get caught if I were to stay. By way of an apology, I quickly fled down the corridor by jogging. I could hear some shouting in my rear as I used my back to throw the door open and stepped out to the onset of the alley. The night breeze felt as if it was a punch to my face, and I was panting as I was running with my heart thumping vigorously. By the time I was at thest house in the alley, a man emerged from the doorway. I was preparing tounch a punch at him only to find out that it was Alessandro. ¡®Chase where?¡¯ His face was full of worry. Before I could say anything, Chase ran through the hall cursing, there was blood on his lip and his shirt was half torn. ¡®Start the fun,¡¯ he shouted. We rushed, especially not slowing down until we got to the van. Alessandro backed off the curb and howled rubber as several red-faced men came out of the club. As we moved through the night, I struggled with the handle of the detonator for our gadgets. At the moment of one of the strongest petitions, I cautiously pushed the button. He stood therepletely still for a second, and perhaps for a second more. After that, when I cranked my head around and looked through the driver¡¯s side mirror and then the passenger side mirror-I saw an explosion of light, then a puff of gray smoke in the direction of the club. ¡°We did it,¡± I said, falling back on the seat. Chase slid over to me and grabbed my hand and held it firmly. Though I had just escaped from such a mishap, I could note a pride in his eyes. ¡°You were great back there, Bri,¡± Alessandro jumped for joy from the driver¡¯s seat, which was audible to everyone. ¡®Three strikes against The Raven! He must feel the pressure now¡¯. I could give a small smile and the adrenaline that was pumping through my veins due to our escape was slowly receding. We¡¯d done it. Averagely, The Raven Empire is steadily but gradually being pulled down and what better way to cripple its wealth creation than through this win? However, when the first waves of enthusiasm slowly started fading, a sort of difort began to take its ce in my conscience. ¡®It was too close this time,¡¯ I pointed out in a critique. All of them had their automatic weapons trained on us from the moment we emerged from the tunnel, they knew we¡¯d being no matter what was being said back there and what if next time Chase stopped me with a light kiss on the lips. ¡®Hey, no ¡®what ifs¡¯. We made it out. That¡¯s what matters. ¡® I couldn¡¯t help but to look worried, so I just nodded my head in an attempt to forget all about it. Chase was right. We had known the risk when we were entering into the project and even then we had delivered. Still, I never feltpletely at ease because something told me that luck was not going tost forever. Even before I could voice what I was thinking, it was Alessandro who opened his mouth. ¡®For a while now, we need to keep a low profile to recharge and n a new course of action¡¯. I was about to nod in consensus when my cellr phone rang. A second text message from an unknown number this time, once again, from The Raven. ¡®I am relieved to hear from you,¡¯ I read out loud, although there were only two people standing near me. This time, the word ¡®contemporary¡¯ was not spelled out, there was only an image. It presented the scene of the strip club on fire, the fire rising towards the dark heavens. They were, but again, it was the foreground because it was something that made my blood run cold. In front of the burning house there was a man dressed in a ck coat and his face was covered with the raven mask. ¡°Guys,¡± I whispered. ¡®You know what?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ve got a problem. ¡® I then handed the phone to Chase and I watched his face turn as white a sheet of paper. ¡®He was there. He saw us. ¡® Alessandro swore, gave the wheel yet another m, frustrating. Its aborted kically, its reiterates rhetorically: ¡°How? How did he know?¡± I stood still for some time, stunned and frightened, my head in a whirl. Rather, I don¡¯t know. But this alters the whole game. He is not just responding anymore; he is predicting us. We sat in the car for some time, which was rather quiet, each of us lost in our own memories. Finally, Chase spoke up. ¡°We have to identify how he got the information. There has to be a source of leak. ¡± Alessandro nodded grimly. ¡®I will begin to dig; try to find out more about that number, learn how he can outwit us every time¡±. As we got to the parking lot of yet again some run-down motel which had served as a base for the past few days, the reality of the situation came down on me. We would have thought that we were a group full of ingenuity, full of courage. But we never noticed this; no, The Raven had been toying with us the entire time, manipting us like pawns on a chessboard. We went into our room, something different from the schedule we had been abiding to since all of this started. Yet, as I settled gingerly onto the ufortable bed surface, as the weariness embraced me as all the consequences of the day¡¯s operations, then I realized something had happened. This was in the works for a long while, ording to the raven; the game had thus been elevated to a new level of risk. He plugged in hisptop and, without any dy, he started his surfing to get information. Chase walked through the small room with a serious look in his face. I shut my eyes tight, to try and make a sane attempt at proceeding to make some sense out of all the urrences. Yes, just as I began to fade off, the phone rang a second time. I sat up suddenly, my thoughts frantic as I tried to find it. Here is the second letter from The Raven. This time, the words sent a chill through my entire body: Signing out, she added, ¡°I see you, Brianne¡±. ¡°Sweet dreams. ¡± I took the message to Chase and Alessandro, which we read and had the same look on our faces, a look of pure terror. ¡°He knows where we are,¡± Chase said with barely contained rage and anxiety. Alessandro was already dismantling his equipment when I arrived. ¡®We have to shift. Now!¡¯ At that moment, we were frantically picking up our belongings, when I realized something. ¡°Guys,¡± I blurted out hastily. ¡®This is exactly what he wants¡¯ ¡®He is trying to keep us off bnce all the time running, he¡¯s always running¡¯ Chase blinked, staring at me as if he couldn¡¯t quiteprehend, at the same time looked at me with respect. And leaned forward, brushing her hair so that she looked at him questioningly and asked: ¡°What are you thinking, Bri?¡± Well, almost hesitatingly, I said, ¡®Can I ask what we¡¯re doing here?¡¯ ¡®We paused to regroup. We set our heels on the ground. And we go straight after The Raven. ¡® For a few seconds, Chase and Alessandro were clearly shocked by what I had said, and we did not speak. Then gradually I noticed that I could detect realization and resolve sparkling in their eyes. ¡°It is insane,¡± was Alessandro¡¯s response, smirking at me. Chase wrapped me in strict arms and hugged tightly. ¡®You are something else! You know that? Scary, but amazing!¡¯ Letting my head rest against him, I pulled my strength from him. ¡®Well yes, that¡¯s the n I guess, we are actually nning to go head-to-head with The Raven?¡¯ They both agreed, and I felt a warm feeling of affection towards these two boys who, kept with me in all the trouble. OK then,¡± I said,. I had no idea how my voice wasn¡¯t shaking, but it wasn¡¯t, there was fear and excitement, but it wasn¡¯t showing at all. ¡®Let¡¯s show The Raven. This is what Westbrook High does to people who dare cross it. ¡® ¡± When we took our positions to strategize on what we were going to do next, I realized that we were into the most lethal stage of the struggle yet. Furthermore, The Raven had started improving his security measures and had since tripled his security measures on his other properties. And the most important of all things that he did not anticipate was that we were actually prepared, and more significantly, we surprised him. He assumed he had gotten to know his opponents and, meanwhile, things were about to getpletely turned upside down for them. Now the major question that was on my mind was ¡°What will be my next move? I needed to bring this to an end for me, for Lucy and for everyone that has made their hopes dead because of The Phoenix Organization.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. CHAPTER 47: A Fair Warning 2 Everything started in one more rather shabby motel room. The early morning sunes through the dirty curtains and blinds. I was sitting on the bed with my legs tucked in a lotus position, papers and maps around me: my vision was blurry from tiredness. Chase and Alessandro were on the floor, with theirptops, where they carried on their tireless investigation on the remaining properties owned by The Raven. There we worked for days without sleep; only just a few naps, attitude and fear kept us going. What was left over from the Raven¡¯sst word was repeated in my head and pushed us on despite aching muscles and fatigue. Finally, I woke up from my daze and tried to look at the documentsid in front of me. ¡°Well, but we know he has boosted personal protection on all the important properties. He cannot be invincible though. There must be a loophole. Alessandro agreed softly; he kept doing whatever he was doing at hisputer. ¡°There are someputations that I want to work out on patterns of guards¡¯ shift changes; that might give us a crack in somewhere. ¡± Chase grumbled and yawned, the joint protest reaching heraldic crescendooes. ¡°But, that too may be a problem. The Raven is going to anticipate after thest few blows we gave him. ¡± I was going to say something when we heard a loud knock at the door, obviously the sound had jolted all of us. We only looked at each other and our faces were filled with panic as we tried to think of something intelligent to say. Had The Raven and its raven located us? Were we about to be arrested? Chase gestured to us not to speak as he slowly made his way to the door, putting his eye to the keyhole. He released tension from his shoulder, but he tensed and his face tensed. His hand came up to us, and he breathed, ¡°It¡¯s Agent Harris. ¡± My stomach dropped. Agent Harris had yed a role in the preliminary investigation that pinpointed The Raven for apprehension. He had dismissed my participation right from the onset of the trial and only considered me as a rebellious teen nuisance and not a material witness. Why was he on the receiving end of this nasty viral video? I understood Chase, so after a short moment, I nodded at him. Turning the handle, he discovered that it was Agent Harris the man was very tall and looked quite serious. The eye of the FBI moved around the room and darted down to our scruffy look and the disorderly state of papers and other electronics on the table. ¡°Miss Brianne,¡± he said, looking at me straight in the eye, ¡°We need to talk¡±. I got up from the chair and attempted to imitate a demeanor which I sorelycked at the moment. ¡®Agent Harris! What do you want here?¡¯ He moved about the room and shut the door. ¡®I expect you know that is really why I¡¯m here, Brianne. ¡® Or should I say, the Firestarter. ¡® My face went cold at the tone the agent had just used and what had been said. How did he know? We¡¯d been so meticulous in making sure our backs were covered at all times. Chase got up and went to stand nearer to me, his body heat radiating closeness to me. ¡®I have no idea what you are referring to,¡¯ I replied more calmly than I thought I could manage. Agent Harris¡¯s expression hardened. ¡®Don¡¯t act stupid on me, Brianne¡¯¡­warehouse, a casino and a strip club? You¡¯ve been a busy woman. ¡® Alessandro, who was seated on the floor, interjected. ¡°You can¡¯t prove anything. ¡± Looking at him, the agent said: ¡®Perhaps not yet; however, it cannot be long now. ¡® ¡®Can you just imagine the risks that you have taken?¡¯ I raised my chin high, more in offense than anything else. ¡°We have got our n well worked out, don¡¯t we? The Raven-¡± ¡®You think The Raven is not interested in you,¡¯ Agent Harris snapped, his tone as cold as ice. ¡®He is a criminal who needs to be caught by the police or any other authority and not a group of teenagers. ¡® Chase looked nervously by my side. ¡°To be honest with you, sir¡±, it was unprofessional to say, w enforcement has not done such a good job in containing him. ¡± Agent Harris¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®Well, I guess arson and vigntism are the solutions. Oh boys, you have no idea how deep you are into this. ¡® I can not stay calm anymore ¡®We are the only ones who are taking any action. The Raven threatened me and my family. What should we have done, just wait for him toe after us¡¯. ¡®You were to rely on the system,¡¯ Agent Harris pointed out, his tone bing slightly less aggressive. ¡°I understand that you have a very difficult story, Brianne But this is not how you should go on. ¡± I just shook my head-which, all of a sudden, I could hardly see through because of the frustrated tears welling up in them. ¡°The system was an utter disappointment to us. It allowed The Raven to carry on with his business. It did not shield us. ¡± Agent Harris whistled softly and shaking his head, he ruffled through his gray hair. ¡®I know you¡¯re angry. But what you are doing¡­ it¡¯s very dangerous not for you, but for people around you. The Raven is not the man whom it is possible to provoke. ¡® ¡°We know the risks,¡± Alessandro said, standing from the table toe over and join us. ¡°We¡¯ve epted them. ¡± The agent proceeded to nce through thepany formally and addressed each of us, more or less annoyed and worried. ¡®Stand down, all of you. ¡® This is yourst chance, OK? Let it go! Get your hands off it and step away before it¡¯s toote. ¡® Chase¡¯s arm rested around my lower back and I could feel his unspoken encouragement. ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡± When Agent Harris heard what she had to say, he had the face that suggested he Does Not Like It. ¡°Then I will have to take you in for arrest,¡± he said, ¡°Arson, destruction of property, interfering with a federal investigation you¡¯ll be spending some serious time behind bars. ¡± There were no sounds as others tried to let the reality of what he had just said settle in. For a second I wavered I was afraid. Was it possible that we were ready to lose it all our futures, our liberty for this crusade against The Raven? But then I thought of what we¡¯ve been through, of the horror The Raven put us and so many other people through. Bastard! I recalled the pleasure which we used to get from watching his empire going up in mes, and it was all for the cause. I adjusted my posture, and stared directly at Agent Harris. ¡°Thank you Agent Harris, We understand your concern, but we can¡¯t stop now, we are too far into this. ¡± The agent¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You are wrong, Brianne,¡± he said, ¡°dead wrong, and if you go on as you are you¡¯re going to lose everything, everything you have and everything you are. ¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± I conceded. ¡®But it¡¯s our mistake to make. ¡® Finally, it was Agent Harris who turned to look at us for what could have been minutes as he tried toe to a decision. Finally, he said, producing a business card from his pocket: ¡®Since you refuse to listen, when all this goes wrong and it will dial this number it is a direct line to me I can¡¯t assure you that I could help but, I hope you won¡¯t have to use it anytime soon because¡­¡­¡± He tossed a card in front of me roughly.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. CHAPTER 48: Against all Odds I took it and was struck with the obvious proposal that remained unsaid. Still, Agent Harris was going out of his way to offer us some relief. Thanks,¡± I heard myself whispering. He nodded curtly. ¡®Please don¡¯t make me regret this,¡¯ he said. ¡®And for the love of God, be careful. The Raven isn¡¯t just any ordinary criminal. ¡® ¡®What?¡¯ asked Chase when the agent was reluctant. ¡®You forgot there is so much more that hasn¡¯t been said yet. ¡® Agent Harris looked like he was trying to weigh something in his mind for a moment before he spoke. ¡°They have been talking. There are whispers that The Raven is gearing up for something big that would dwarf your little fire-bugging to a camp fire . ¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. There is more than just talking about ¡®The Raven¡¯ as others have said, most of those people are just cowards, says Davies. There is a moment in the movies when a person feels a sting, usually in the spine it gave me that feeling. ¡°What kind of something?¡± This is what the agent scoffed at negatively by shaking his head. ¡®I don¡¯t know that¡¯ The ¡®that¡¯ here is reced with a subject that is highly secretive and effective in ensuring that people are frightened to even speak about it. I looked at Chase and Alessandro and nodded. This was new information, it was possibly a game changer. ¡±Is that why you came to warn us off?¡± Alessandro queried. ¡°Because you still believe that we are vulnerable and might be attacked as the other factions fight?¡± Apart from the variations that had been made, the general reactions of Agent Harris were the answers: he did not say anything. I moved with a passion full of repudiation towards stagnation and lethargy. However much The Raven nned to do, we had to prevent it from happening. ¡°Thank you for the warning,¡± I said, filtering what new n should be next. ¡°We¡¯ll be careful. ¡± The agent sat and looked at me with a frown on her face. ¡°I think not. Just¡­ don¡¯t go and die on me now, alright?¡± With that, he got up and walked out, shutting the door after him. It was a few seconds of quiet for all of us who were at the losing end of the operation. Chase was the first to open his mouth. ¡°Well, that was. .. ¡± ¡°Intense,¡± Alessandro supplied for his sake. I was thinking hard and, after a moment, nodded, my hands fiddling with the edges of the business card from Agent Harris. ¡°Yeah. But it doesn¡¯t change anything. If anything, it just shows how on track we are. ¡± Chase looked at me and I could tell he was worried. ¡®Bri, perhaps we should heed his advice. The Ravens are known to be nning their next huge move?¡¯ I shook my head vigorously. ¡®That is why we can¡¯t give up now. Perhaps, we are the only ones who can avert what he is nning¡¯. Alessandro nodded slowly. ¡°Brianne is right, we cannot back down now, it will go down as a shameful defeat, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s going to be reckless. ¡± Chase said: ¡°Yes, let¡¯s create a new strategy. ¡± I picked up the notes and sheets from the bed, and the floor. That¡¯s one thing The Raven won¡¯t predict. ¡± When we covered and whispered in the car,ing up with new tactics and trying to figure out any information that was let by Agent Harris, the feeling of determination grew within me. Yes, they were: not that all the previous finals victories had not been important they had but now the very ownership of the object of passion might be in question. Well, yes, we were staking our all our money, our professional reputation, our freedom in the cases we pursued. But we were also the only ones willing to take that risk, to challenge The Raven and hisrge criminal organization. Days went by until we were through with strategizing and arguing. By the time we had a clear feeling what our tactics should be, the sun was setting. It was reckless, could be termed homicidal, but it was also our only chance to finish off The Raven for good. Finally, Chase and Alessandro wore themselves out and slept while lying among our pile of papers andptops. I could not sleep. I stole out of the motel room and stood outside, my head against the rail of the second floor balcony, sucking in the cold night air. These words of Agent Harris weighed so much on my head. Jail time. The end of our futures before they¡¯d even begun. But was I willing to take that chance really? Would it be right to invite Chase and Alessandro to risk it with me? But then I thought of The Raven, and of the look in their eyes when they said his name. At that, my mind went back to all the criminal acts of his, the lives he had destroyed. And I understood for the first time with a feeling that was at once profoundly frightening and invigorating that I could not leave. I took out my phone and looked at thest message from The Raven. ¡®Game on, baby girl,¡¯ said the text. A taunt, a challenge. Eh, two could y at that game. With steady fingers, I typed out a response: ¡°Check mateing soon, bird boy. ¡® I typed the message and sent it before I could change my mind, a streak of rebellion in me wanted him to believe that we were terrified, shifting from one motel to another. Let him underestimate us. We would teach him just how effective a group of teenage activists could be. I slipped into the room, avoiding waking up my friends and, despite what came next, everything became peaceful inside of me; we were in it for the thick and thin. Sadly, the Raven had absolutely no indication of what the reader hasing for him. Iy down on the bed, grasping Agent Harris¡¯s card in my hand as if it might protect me. It was the constant indication of the fact that we were living on the edge, the fact that we were treading the thin line betweenwfulness andwlessness. But it was also a small constion that not all people viewed us as oppressors. Perhaps, and here I¡¯m considering the greatest possibility, we were not the only ones to wage this war. But before I closed my eyes, myst sane thought was preupied by The Raven. He believed that he had us on the run; that we were quaking in our boots, but he was mistaken. We weren¡¯t running anymore. We were hunting. And soon, very soon, we¡¯d show him what happened when you pushed a group of Westbrook High students too far. Indeed, the game was on. ¡± And we intended to y for the win. CHAPTER 49 : A Dark Day With every thump of my heart in my chest, I ran through the skirts andnes of the city, that was as dark as a nut, and wheezing hard. More heavy steps a little faster behind me, I shook off my protesting muscles, and ran. ¡°Move!¡± Much louder this time, but still thick, Chase¡¯s voice came from the left side of where I ran. I took a look behind me and saw nothing but Alessandro¡¯s back, his brows drawn together in fierce focus. Behind him, barely visible in the dark, were the forms of our aggressors or rather men from the Phoenix Organization sent by The Raven. How had it gone sour? Our strategy appeared to be perfectly right to the letter. We thought we had found what appeared to be a vulnerable link in one of The Raven¡¯s minor activities the office block that we had ascertained was used for moneyundry. There had seemed to be so little security, and we had been so sure of our ability to sneak in, surreptitiously collect evidence, and sneak out. It couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. From the time we had set foot inside the building, alert buzzers had shocked all of us to life. I¡¯ve seen so many armed men that within minutes we were surrounded by more of them than in all my life. Were it not for dumb luck and somest-minute use of a smoke bomb by Alessandro, we wouldn¡¯t even have made our escape. Now, as we ran through the narrow part of the city alleyways and turns, I couldn¡¯t help feeling we had run straight into an ambush. Since the beginning, the Raven had been fully prepared, had been outying us at every turn all this while. ¡°Left!¡± ALESSANDRO shouted, his throat clogged with tension. ¡°Gosh, there I see there is a fence that one can easily climb!¡± Quickly swerving, we nearly slipped on the wet surface of the road with the soles of our shoes. In front of us, there was a chain-link fence that rose as high as one could tell in the night. At once, Chase got to it first, hands extending to the metal link, and proceeded to climb. It did not take me very long to grasp what was happening, and I was right behind him with my hands trembling as I tried to get hold of the bar. Desperation stung the metal as I gripped the shard tighter; the metal could have been cutting my hands, but pain was thest thing I could feel. When I climbed to the top, I heard Alessandro shout. Turning my back at him, I observed him tripping over something, his foot getting stuck in the process. Hended badly, copsing across the dirty canal embankment. ¡°Alessandro!¡± I cried, already starting to get back up the stone pit. Jaw clenched, Chase restrained me by grabbing me, and when his hand finally shot out, it locked on my upper arm like a shackle. At which point he mutters, ¡°No time! They¡¯re too close!¡± He was right. And now the sounds that were to be heard were the running feet of the individuals that were chasing us, the jeering of those who saw Alessandro on the floor. Alessandro fought to sit up, and he was too pale. His faces were set. ¡°Go!¡± he shouted at me and the other personnel at the harnessing part of everything that was happening. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off!¡± ¡®You bet we are!¡¯ I yelled back, suspecting that tears were welling up in my eyes. But as soon as I said it, I realized that it was the only thing we could do. If we all remain here, all of us are trapped. Yet at least this would give the two of us a possibility to flee, to continue the struggle. I must have looked pained because Alessandro briefly seemed to lose some of his gruffness. ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Bri. It is all okay. This is what I wanted anyhow. Off you go. ¡® Gulping, I let Chase drag me over the top of the fence, which I heard as if it wasing from a great distance. We lowered ourselves to the other side just as the first of the men got to Alessandro. Then people ran and screamed, whether in fear or excitement could hardly have been discerned. Alessandro moved like a possessed man, trying to keep the men off our backs, while Chase and I managed to get some distance between ourselves and the fence. We flew blindly, no particr ce where we were going to be apart from ¡®away¡¯. Fighting moments passed out of earshot and all that remained was the thumping of our legs and our wheezing breaths. Finally, I think, though it must have only been a few minutes, Chase dragged me into the entrance¡¯s darkness. The best thing that we could have done was to stand there with our bodies all entwined together, attempting to regain our breath and try and see whether there could be any sound of theming after us. ¡°I think¡­ I think we lost them,¡± Chase said, getting his breath back and pushing himself away from me. I just looked at him, and was unable to say anything. I was surprised as to how fast I ran, as my adrenaline was now wearing off, and I began to shake and feel nauseated. This was the final and bitter pill to swallow what we had just done, There was no air to breathe, no sound to make; I choked out, ¡°Alessandro. ¡± ¡°I can recall, from then on we just discarded him, and he was left to his destiny. ¡± Chase¡¯s arms constricted around me, ¡°We had no other way, Bri. He gave us a chance to leave. We must use the opportunity. ¡± Despite that I knew he was right, the feeling of guilt consumed me to the extent of feeling like being burdened by an enormous weight. Alessandro was one of us, he came in with us, a real conman through and through, as much as we were. And we¡¯d abandoned him. We had reached the main door of the school and I shuddered and turned to Chase. ¡°We need to go back.¡± ¡°We need to help him,¡± Chase grabbed my arm, his eyes filled with a sort of sorrow, but definitely. ¡°We cannot. Not now, as I said earlier. It is too risky for us now and the best thing that we can do is wait or, in other words, rethink and reassess. ¡± I wanted to exin, to yell at the man that we couldn¡¯t abandon our friend to the mercy of those subterranean creatures. But the logical side of it understood that Chase was right. Where we were now tired, outgunned, and with no clue what we were dealing with retreat would be suicidal. I swore quietly and with a heavy heart nodded. ¡°Okay. But you have to know that we are not backing off, and we will try to seclude him and bring him back. ¡± The stuckness in Chase¡¯s eyes rxed, and then he drew me close once again. ¡°Of course we will,¡± All of us, we are in this together,¡± he replied with so much conviction. We dared to stay there for a moment more for strength could be drawn from the contact. Then, with a shared look as if to say, ¡®We have to do this,¡¯ we marched into the night. The movement was very gradual and conscious. Each shade was a possible enemy, each sound in the distance meant that we had to hold our breath. But as night approached, the adrenaline wore off and the effects of the tremendous strain that we had undergone started to tell. ¡®The best thing to do is to look for a ce to hide,¡¯ Chase stated, his voice deep with tiredness. Such streets cannot be wandered, and we can not continue living like this. I nodded, too, my thoughts cycling through what little we could do. We could not return to any of the previous hideouts it would be natural for The Raven¡¯s men to search for us there. We required an original location, a location they wouldn¡¯t bother to look at. At this incident, I recalled. ¡°I know a ce that is not so far from here. ¡± Thus, Chase looked at him, hesitating for a moment and lowering the wall of fatigue that had been built up around him. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± I said, forcing a smile on my face. ¡°Trust me. ¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But the major question was ¡°Do I even trust myself?¡± CHAPTER 50: A Final Warning We walked through the towns where almost all the buildings were closed shut and there was very little movement. Walking, I tried to remember everything that happened during the night and an odd feeling of failure. How had The Raven known we were going to being? Maybe we erred, left something that revealed everything we had in mind? Or was there some little factor lurking behind these rival conjectures? I knew he had a hint of our movements, but we had been extra careful this time around, taking all the necessary precautions. My thoughts were cut short as we arrived at what was, indeed, a long decaying church on the old outskirts of town. The stones with which it had been built were eroding, vines grew on its outer surface and painted ss windows that used to sparkle were broken. Chase stared at me dubiously. ¡°A church? Really?¡± I just said ¡®oh well¡¯, and stepped towards a small door that was located, almost camouged by the vegetation just to the side of the path. ¡®It has been closed for years, mom used to take me here when I was a child back before¡­¡¯ I did not continue saying the rest of the ¡®before¡¯ part thinking of mom and how much she has been ruling my life after her death. I could sense that Chase got what I was saying and nodded; his hand enveloping mine, and we entered the house. Every corner of the church walls was covered with dust, and the air was stale. The wooden furniture in the church seemed like it had not been used for about a decade. But it was dry and, above all, had the curious solidity of the Americanw which did not allow others to peep into one¡¯s life. We went into a small room that was perhaps used as a storeroom long ago when the church had not been divided into so many sections. It was small, but could be used for now. Atst, we tiptoed in and got our bearings; the night¡¯s events overwhelmed me. I sat down on the floor with my head in my hands and my back against the wall. Finally, the tears I¡¯d been suppressing filled my eyes, and I was crying rather convulsively. Chase was there in an instant, his arms pulling me close as Ipressed myself. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s okay,¡± he whispered, almost cutting himself in the silence, his voice trembled with the emotion that he hadn¡¯t allowed himself to show. ¡°We are going to solve this. We are going to return Alessandro. ¡± And there, I am not sure how long, and knowing I should not be, we just stayed there holding one another in the dark. After that, tears still gushed down my face and after a while I was panting and drained of all energy. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Chase was tense for a moment, his long fingers drawing designs on my skin absently. ¡°We need help,¡± he said atst. ¡°I think we are way beyond our heads now, Bri¡­ we are overwhelmed and can no longer handle it on our own. ¡± I knew that he was right, and yet, to make it hurt less, I couldn¡¯t help but say it. We had been so eager not to involve the grown-ups in this, and so keen to deal with The Raven ourselves. But look where that had gotten us. ¡°Agent Harris,¡± I said, recalling the card he had offered to us. ¡°He said to call if things went down,¡± Chase said, repeating the words of the Agent. Chase nodded. ¡®It is dangerous. ¡® He may just arrest us on the spot. But¡­ ¡°But it might be our only chance of saving Alessandro,¡± I said, to bring the discussion to an end. Once again, we reverted to that silent mode where we sat quietly, each of us having a mind of our own. The load of our status bore heavily on me and I struggled to draw a breath. How did the worlde to such a pass? In point of fact, we have just been ordinary high school kids going through ordinary lives. A little while ago, our concerns had been limited to trials way beyond us. And now we were on the run from one of the most dangerous criminal groups in the city. Sitting up with aching muscles and a pounding head which the rusty springs of the sofa and the less than fragrant depths of the bottle had contributed to, I knew what I had to do. ¡°We¡¯ll call Agent Harris,¡± I said, managing to sound moreposed than I actually was. ¡°But not yet. We must prepare a strategy which we will use to bargain. ¡± ¡®Give me that,¡¯ said Chase, looking at me with both worry and envy in his face. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±. I inhaled deeply and consciously prepared to make the suggestion that I was about to make. ¡°The Raven is anting up for something big, something that FBI is concerned about as well, what if¡­ what if we could discover what it is?¡± When I said that Hunt should get a face-lift, Chase¡¯s eyes registered the implication immediately. ¡°You want to attack The Raven directly? Bri, that¡¯s crazy. Go there and die. ¡°Maybe,¡± I conceded. ¡°But it may be our only chance ever to get him on the wrong side of thew¡±, ¡°And if we could nail him, then we would have the bait to bargain Alessandro¡¯s freedom and perhaps the means of nailing The Raven once and for all. ¡± Chase stood still for a moment, his face adorned by deep concentration. Finally, he nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s insanity. But we¡¯re agreed it could be the only way of achieving what we need to. Where does this begin?¡± I rose and dusted my clothes I had put on today, then looked at the giant man in front of me. A new determination surfaced to counter the fear and fatigue that was very obvious in the team. ¡°Thus we proceeded as the following: we acted. We search. And we probe on and on until we dredge up what we want. ¡± When we started to brainstorm and toss ideas to each other, I started to have the light at the end of the tunnel. In this scenario, people cowered battered, exhausted, and appeared to have fallen short of one of the team¡¯s basic requirements the presence of a full team. But we weren¡¯t beaten. Not yet. s, what we did not know was that our difficulties were far from over. Soon, Chase¡¯s phone chimed ¡°Help me¡± along with a location. He showed me ¡°Could it be a trap¡± Chase asked. ¡°I don¡¯t care¡±, I sprang up and we both dashed for the door.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. After a while, at some distance, we found Alessandro bleeding in a poorly illuminated chamber. He narrated what transpired. ¡± Alessandro came in. He felt as if his head was going to burst, he could taste the blood that filled his mouth. It was only when the young man¡¯s vision came back to him that he realized he was secured to a chair and facing a group of severe-looking men d in ck suits. He came closer and a figure emerged from the darkness; Alessandro felt a shiver run down his spine. The man had a mask of the head of a raven, and what seemed to be the beak was glinting ominously in the dimness. ¡°Hello young man,¡± replied The Raven, extending a hand that was well manicured with polished gentleman-like hazel eyes. ¡°We have quite a lot of matters to talk about when ites to your friends. ¡± Hearing this, Alessandro tensed himself up not to look frightened. ¡®I won¡¯t tell you anything,¡¯ he muttered angrily. The Ravenughed and that sent a chill down the spine of Alessandro. ¡°Oh, I am sure you will. Of course, I have my ways of forcing people to speak. But, as far as Brianne and her gang of vigntes is concerned, I am extremely eager to hear. ¡± As soon as Alessandro could say something in reply, the door was flung open. The heavy door swung open, and one of The Raven¡¯s men hurried in, hisplexion the color of wax as if he had received dire news. ¡°Sir,¡± he said, now turning to The Raven. ¡°We just got the information the FBI is raiding the warehouse on the south side they are aware of the shipment. ¡± Raven suddenly furrowed and then stiffened, one leg drawn up, shoulder against his hand. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he returned his attention to Alessandro and his face was again totally impassive. ¡°I suppose our conversation will need to be postponed,¡± he said, his words very cold with fury. ¡°That is your job; take him to a secure location where anything that he do cannot cause trouble. ¡± When the men began to get up, Alessandro was seized with a sudden fear. They grappled hand to hand; he fought the ropes because he understood this was his opportunity. That was when he got the opportunity and sent us the message. Finally, sensing a moment of weakness among them, he was able to push one of the men to the floor. The guard tripped, and his gun went standing with a thud on the floor. It became as if time itself fell into a vacuum, and nothing truly important happened. Alessandro tried to grab it but failed to get his hand close to the hilt of the weapon. Next, there was a very loud bang which went up, as if the air had been rent asunder. A shooting pain started from his shoulder and radiated towards the rest of his body. The pain was hot and intense. He staggered back and everything began to whiten as the blood warmed across his chest and enveloped him. Soon they all heard a siren and all of them ran away. I thought to myself, it was good we called Agent Harris. ¡°Take him up, we are taking him to the hospital. And this is the final warning, ¡°Stay out of this!¡± Agent Harris¡¯ voice echoed all over.¡± CHAPTER 51 : Standing Down In the quiet and white cube that the hospital room was, the only thing that could be heard was the steady beep-beep of the heart monitor. Sitting next to the bed on which Alessandroy unconscious, I held his cold hand as hard as I could, praying for his wake-up. Chase was standing by the window, his face against the ss, his shoulders contracted as with suppressed pain. Three days had passed since the call we got when we realized that we had to leave. Three days since, our world has been shattered all over again. I found that I couldn¡¯t let go of the memory of it. In the abandoned church, we had been hunched together with a map of the inevitable in front of us, desperately looking for a way to free Alessandro, when my phone rang. The next few hours were full of fear and still rooted in hope. As we rushed and got to the hospital, Alessandro was in a critical condition. He was rushed to the operation theater to receive surgery. The bullet had just passed a couple of inches below his heart, and it had a damaging effect. Now, here we were, engaged in passive observation and each hour that passed only worsened our friend¡¯s condition and brought them closer to aatose state.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°It is all our mistake,¡± I said, my throat was sore from screaming for hours. ¡°We never should have started this. We should have listened to agent Harris from the start. ¡± Chase swung away from the window, his face pallid, dark circles under his eyes. ¡°We can¡¯t think like that, Bri. We were just trying to do a good thing. We could not have expected it toe to this. ¡± But what he said sounded more like an echo, and we were both aware of it. We understood the risks. We¡¯d just been too confident, too self-absorbed to reallyprehend what it was we were doing. A gentle knock brought us out of our reverie. Agent Harris walked in, perfectlyposed, his appearance looking like one of someone who was seriously contrite. But I could hear it in his exhausted voice and I could see his thousand-yard stare that said ¡®I have endured a lot¡¯. ¡°Any change?¡± he asked, though I was very much certain the answer was already with him. I nodded and said, ¡®No¡¯ without looking at him. Agent Harris sighed, rubbing his head, already thin on top, and darkened with age. ¡°I want to speak with you, you two,¡± he stated rather gruffly, Chase and I looked at each other and proceeded to follow him into the hallway. The sound of the door and the steady beep of the heart monitor stopped, and I suddenly felt an urge to suddenly get out of the ward. What would happen if Alessandro woke up when we had left the house? What if he¡­ I managed to move this line of thought to the side and look at the rather weary looking Agent Harris. ¡°I know that this is not the right time,¡± he said softly. But there is only one thing that remains to be discussed: ¡®But what does one do after that?¡¯ Chase¡¯s body went tense, although he stood right beside me. ¡± ¡®What do You mean, ¡®what happens next¡¯?¡± He sneered and growled next, ¡°Kill The Raven. ¡± Agent Harris lifted his hand and for the first time since he had started talking, he looked angry. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we are not going to do,¡± he said in a stern voice, while pointing his finger at both of them: ¡°Listen to me, both of you. This has got far enough as you two are clearly out of your depth and have no business messing with things that are better left to professionals. ¡± I nearly gasped with anger, with that quick, hot anger that rises up unexpectedly from the depths. ¡®Let the professionals do it?¡¯ Like they¡¯ve been ¡®managing¡¯ The Raven until now? He¡¯s alive, he¡¯s dangerous, he makes people suffer!¡± ¡°Brianne,¡± Agent Harris said, his tone bing a little less harsh. ¡°I know it makes no sense, but I get your anger. But see how far it has gotten you? Your friend is currently in aa, and you are both lucky not to be in jail now. Enough is enough. ¡± What he said was so true that literally it was like someone had pped me. How did I manage that, but I was too tired to think and slid down the wall. ¡°Somewhere, ¡®That¡¯s the end of it; we¡¯ll let The Raven triumph. ¡®¡± Agent Harris then shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not giving up. It¡¯s knowing when you¡¯re cornered. The Raven is dangerous, more dangerous than you can begin toprehend. He has an entirework of agents working exclusively for the purpose of apprehending him. The best thing you can do now is toy low and let us do our work. ¡± Chase¡¯s brows knit in anger, and he started to say that the idea would not work. He stopped short when Agent Harris spoke. ¡°This is not a request, it is an order. If you try to interfere in this investigation anymore, I will not hesitate to arrest both of you for your own safety if nothing else. ¡± The decisiveness with which he spoke could not be argued with. We were on the periphery, being watched, as we let others take up the cudgels we had first swung in our defense. ¡°And Alessandro?¡± Chase questioned softly, he suddenly hardly raised his voice. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Agent Harris¡¯s expression softened. ¡°We will ensure that he receives the best care ever. And we will ensure that he is under protection. The Raven cannot harm him again. ¡± I just managed to nod my head, not able to argue with him any further, I was that exhausted. ¡°Can we¡­ can we keep himpany? At least till we are ready to take further action?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Agent Harris said. ¡°But I have to have your word that you will leave this alone from now on no more digging around; no more justice seeking. ¡± Chase and I stared at each other for a long time. My instinct rose up in me at the prospect of surrender of not being able to bring The Raven to justice for what he had done. And as I gazed at Chase¡¯s worn out expression, as I envisioned Alessandro being totally unresponsive in the hospital bed, I realized that we had no option. ¡°We promise,¡± I said atst, and the words, like bile, rose up the back of my throat. It was apparent from today that Agent Harris had never been happier to hear the words ¡®case closed¡¯. ¡°I appreciate it. I know getting myself away from here is for the best. Please try to get some sleep. I¡¯ll call you if there is any update. ¡± After that, he left, and Chase and I just stared at each other for a good twenty seconds. There was sort of a droning in our ears, closest to the sound of underwater when external noises appeared rather far away. ¡°What did we just do? What do we do from now on?¡± Chase was perhaps the smallest of everyone there. I frowned and shook my head, realizing that tears had started welling up in my eyes again. On this show they don¡¯t even know when to ask for help or where to find it, and yesterday she said ¡®I don¡¯t know. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know. ¡® We went back to Alessandro¡¯s room; save for the brief moment where we embraced on the veranda, we sat by his bedside. It was at once the mostforting and the most aggravating sound of the heart monitor, the steady beep, Beep. He was active, but he was in a world that we cannot ess. And as the hours were passing by, my head remained full of memories. Looking like The Raven for the first time and theughter that came from Alessandro when nning our first attack. His consistency during the period we adopted a risky approach as we sought to achieve our goals. His face contorted with a fierce look of determination when he single-handily detained The Raven¡¯s men to enable Chase and I to get away. And now, he is lying here so deathly pale and perfectly motionless, struggling against an opponent that we cannot help him against. ¡°I know we should have listened to him,¡± Chase said after a few minutes of quiet grumbles. ¡°That night at the strip club. He said it was too risky, so that we needed more information. But we were convinced that we could handle it. ¡± I could only stoically agree with her ¡®We were very foolish; we believed that with the three of us, we could take on The Raven and his entire criminalwork. ¡°And look where it got us,¡± Chase said with angry vehemence to drive the others into a corner. ¡®Alessandro, aa, and we us, we are just sitting here, without being able to help. ¡® I leaned towards Chase and held his hand across the bed. ¡°What are we good for then?¡± Chase asked suddenly, her voice a little bitter, ¡°We are here for him. Isn¡¯t that worth something, right?¡± Chapter 52 : Back Home I got a grip on his hand, but the uncertainty I found in his pupils moments before had returned. We both realized that while we were with him, it gave us somefort, it did not alleviate Alessandro¡¯s symptoms at all. The nurse disturbed our privacyter that evening when Alessandro¡¯s vital signs needed to be taken. She toiled silently, unobtrusively, and her exterior was as impersonal and official as it could be. That is when she turned to leave, but her face eased and she said softly ¡°You two should go home, get some rest,¡± she said gently. ¡°That did not help and I can see you can barely keep your eyes open. ¡± Before I could argue, Chase said. ¡°She is right Bri, we cannot be like this for Alessandro. We need to take care of ourselves if we are to be there for him. ¡± Reluctantly, I nodded. We took our leave of Alessandro and told him toe back the next morning, although for all I knew, he could not understand a word we were saying. When we wereing out of the hospital, the night breeze was as if to shock us, and rightly so it was past eight at night. The world appeared too noisy, too colorful, too ordinary. How could everyday life go on as if all she had just said had never been said? As if our friend was not lying in a hospital bed, possibly at the threshold between the living and the dead? With this in mind, we walked to Chase¡¯s car in total silence, a deep furrow etched on his forehead. This time, as we cruised in the car while in the city, I was looking at things differently. Each of the shadows might have held a threat, each car that passed may have been a foe. Suddenly, the silent gloom was intruded upon by my voice. ¡°We can¡¯t just give up,¡± ¡°I know we said we would to Agent Harris, but I don¡¯t think we can just stand by idly and watch as The Raven goes on a rampage. ¡± Looking in my direction, Chase frowned a little before nodding, as if heprehended what I was going through. ¡°Bri, you just heard what Agent Harris said to us: if we go any further, we will be arrested or worse. ¡± ¡°I know, I know,¡± I snapped, annoyed that he hadn¡¯t understood where I wasing from. ¡°But there has to be something we can do. Some way we can help without putting ourselves in danger. ¡± Chase said nothing for a while, he was looking at the road heading down. Atst, he said something; the tone of his voice was rather pensive. ¡°Perhaps¡­ perhaps I am speaking in foolishness, but perhaps I don¡¯t have to fight The Raven myself. But perhaps I can assist in other manners¡­¡± I looked at him and felt hope rise in me with the sharpness of a phoenix. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been piecing together The Raven¡¯s organization structure for the past few weeks now,¡± Chase borated. ¡°We know how he works, where some of his businesses are. At least we can provide the FBI with some information from the outside, you know: no more sneak-ins, no more breaking-ins¡­just informers. ¡± I thought it through and could not argue with him, it made quite a lot of sense to me. It wasn¡¯t the explosive arrest scene that had probably been fantasized, but it was something. A way that we can still be involved without going back on our word to Agent Harris. ¡°It could work,¡± I repeated carefully. ¡°But we¡¯d have to be smart about it. Of course, we cannot afford to take chances that may bring attention to us. ¡± Chase was quiet, and after a moment¡¯s pause, he gave her a small, somewhat enigmatic smile. ¡°Sure. We will be fine model citizens. Two school-going teenagers who recently found a unique liking for the proportion of businesses in a locality. ¡± Nevertheless, I wasughing again. It shocked me as well as mattered, given the situation, as it seemed to be wrong almost to do it. But it was also afort, a breather from the dreadful pressure of our circumstances. The moment Chase stopped and parked the car right in front of my house, I wanted to stay in the car to the extent that I developed a sort of tension. To deal with my parents, to attempt to tell them where I had been, what I had been through. They had known some of it Agent Harris had informed them but not the full story. Far from that, they are also involved in the determination of the standards to be adopted and regrlying out with new varieties. Chase seemed to sense my hesitation because he quickly added; ¡°They mighte in and get you tomunicate with them: ¡®Do you want me toe in with you? Help exin things?¡¯ ¡± I looked at him and shook my head, as all I had in me was a few drops of courage left. ¡°Oh, no, no you have to understand, I want to do it by myself now, I really appreciate it though. ¡± He bent down and hugged me; and that hug was more affectionate and close than I had ever been hugged before. ¡°Get this straight,, we¡¯ll pull through this, yes, all of us, including that stubborn Italian, Alessandro,¡± I stopped and held his arms for a while so that I could be encouraged by his strength. Then, taking a deep breath as I alighted from the car, I proceeded to my front door. I never saw iting. As I was turning around to bid Chase a farewell, my blood ran cold when I saw him. Across the street was a ck car which also had darkly tinted windows. It was impossible to make out who was inside the car. But I could have sworn I saw a sh of movement, a glint of light at it hitting metal. My heart racing, I put my hand in my pocket for my keys, suddenly I really needed to get inside. This time I got the door open and, after making sure that no-one was going to stop me, I snuck onest look at the enigmatic vehicle. It was gone. I waspletely dumb-struck and could barely stand in the doorway of the room. Had I imagined it? Was paranoia finally winning on me? Or was it a threat, a message that I couldn¡¯t escape The Raven¡¯s influence anymore because, in fact, their reach went much further than we had previously thought? When I entered and closed and locked the door, I was as sure of one thing as I was ever going to be. Even though we assured Agent Harris that it would be so, even though we were in peril ourselves, this was not the end. It isn¡¯t a long shot at all. This raven was still out there, and he was still a danger. And that dear boys and girls, brings us to how on earth we had to devise how to deal with him. For Alessandro. For ourselves. For all victims of The Raven, as it were once so tender and so trueText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. CHAPTER 53: A Sad Reality The sound of the heart monitor was now a constant song that kept on ying in my head as I remained seated next to Alessandro¡¯s bed. The featureless white surface appeared to being down on my head to remind us of defeat. Chase leaned against the wall, his shadow looming on the window like a scared young man I once knew not long ago. ¡°Any change?¡± I whispered. Staring out the window still, Chase shook his head. As he was yesterday. No, actually, as he was the day before yesterday and the day before it as well. The guilt was sinking its ws into me, making it even difficult to breathe. This was our fault. Our stupidity, our stupid desire for heroism has ced Alessandro in this bed, at the edge between life and death. I extended my hand towards him, holding Alessandro¡¯s lifeless hand in mine. He was fragile, his body now not reflecting the vitality that used to surround him, it was cold. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry,¡¯ I whispered to him, although there was no way he could hear me say it. ¡°This should never have happened. We should have heeded your counsel, we should have been more cautious!¡± Chase was finally looking directly at the window, with eyes that were red and most terribly sad. ¡°Do you suppose he can hear us? Do you suppose he knows that we are actually living?¡± I shrugged helplessly. And with that, he looked down and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I hope, so I hope he knows we haven¡¯t left him. ¡® Chase got up and transferred to the opposite side of the bed, and he sat on the chair there. ¡®These friends we became,¡¯ he said with anger. ¡°We brought him into this, and now he¡¯s in this situation of receiving bullets in his chest from the Australian Kelpies. ¡± I felt like the guilt that had been brewing for several weeks was cooking and when it finally reached its boiling point, I erupted. ¡®This is all my fault¡¯, I managed to say through a lump in my throat that had formed in my throat. Finally, she says, ¡°Well, it was my idea to attack The Raven if I hadn¡¯t been so headstrong, so certain that we were capable¡±. ¡°Hey,¡± Chase interrupted, slipping his hand into mine, whichy on the empty side of the bed. ¡°It means everyone is to be med since everyone made the decision of getting involved, Bri. ¡± I simply agreed, but the feeling of guilt did not leave me entirely. We remained silent for some time, watching the steady rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor as well as cigarette-streaked breaths from the hallway. ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± I mentioned atst, asking what had lingered in my head for more than two days. ¡°We told Agent Harris that we would not interfere and watch what happened but, ¡°Chase stopped for a second, ncing around the car nervously¡± how can we just sit by and do nothing while The Raven is still on the loose?¡± Chase let out as I sighed, raking fingers through the mess of curls on his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ every fiber in me wants to go after him, make him suffer for what he did to Alessandro¡­ But look where this thinking got us before, huh?¡± he shook his head, ¡°We are out of our league, Bri. ¡± I knew he was right, but the sense of hopelessness overwhelmed me and I could not fathom what to do more. ¡±At least all the efforts must be made to make some difference. ¡± This was obviously not a good time for someone toe and knock at the door before Chase could develop a suitable reply. A nurse came in, and while her facial expression was warm, she was strictly business. ¡°Sorry, sir/ma¡¯am, but you can¡¯t attend to the patient anymore because visiting hours are over, you have to go home. ¡± We both looked at the other and quietly began to pack our belongings. I ced my hand over Alessandro, whose face was red by this time, and gave him a light squeeze. ¡°We will be back tomorrow,¡± I said to him. Exiting the hospital and stepping into the chilly night, I almost yielded to the feeling of despair, it felt as if everyone was going about their business oblivious to the fact that our friend was on the brink of death. ¡°Hey! Want to grab some food?¡± Chase inquired, thus bringing me back to reality. There is probably a need to eat something at the moment we notice the hunger. I just agreed, but I also knew that we have to eat, and it wasn¡¯t about being hungry, it was actually about being healthy. Hence, we found ourselves in this tiny eatery, around the hospital, eating batches of fries and sipping on cups of concisely brewed coffee. This must not be allowed to continue,¡± Chase told his counterpart, as he could no longer sit back and watch them go on as rag-tag as they were.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Then, turning to the table, he took my hand. ¡®I¡¯m not sure, Chase,¡¯ I said softly, but I didn¡¯t have to say anything else; we got up and started walking, for Alessandro, as if he was urging us ahead with his eyes. I nodded as tears pricked in the corner of my eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I understand you are right, it is just soplicated¡±. When we stepped out of the diner, it was as if the gravity of the situation came down on me like a ton of bricks: we had no way of stopping The Raven from whatever it is he had nned but, at the same time, we couldn¡¯t just turn our back on it and go back to our everyday lives. We were about halfway there when my pocket buzzed. I took it out anticipating to find a message from my parents asking about my expected time of return. However, my blood froze when there was a new notification from an unknown number. I took it with trembling hands, and opened it. The words on the screen made my heart stop: ¡°Really believed that would be the end of it? The game¡¯s not over yet, baby girl. In fact, this is only just starting. You will receive an email with the next instructions. You have 24hrs to follow orders, otherwise I¡¯m sure your sick friend might find his life support shutting down on him. Time running. ¡± I turned to Chase and looked up at him. My face was white with fear and shock. ¡°Chase,¡± I said softly, and my voice echoed the fear that rested in my heart. Chase¡¯s eyes narrowed as he read the message and gave an angry re at the screen while nodding his head, and as I took note of both his expression and the contents of the message, I could not help but feel that the fate that befell Agent Harris would soone true for us. This wasn¡¯t the end of the game. CHAPTER 54 : Down Memory Lane The hospital corridor seemed to me like the home ground base as far as I was concerned. Chase and I were shoulder-to-shoulder as our shoes clicked along the white-tiled floor. It was two weeks since Alessandro was shot and all this time Chase was worried, his guilty conscience tearing him apart. With that thought in mind, it wasn¡¯t difficult to be anxious, yet hopeful as we entered his room again. Trust that today is the day when we will see it. Hope that today one of us will return at least something of what we lost. Terror that we woulde back to get him in the same state as we left him the previous day not moving in aa that we could not prate. Chase took my hand in his hand and gave it a firm grip as he led me into the room. Alessandro was, as usual, stretched on the bed connected to many machines with IV lines. The only conceivable movement I saw was the up and down lift of his chest; and this told me that I was observing the real life of this man. Chase cleared his throat and approached the bed, , ¡®Hey, Alessandro,¡¯ he whispered. ¡°I have grown a Mustache.¡± I managed a pale grin at Chase¡¯s attempt at a joke, sitting down in the chair on the other side of the bed. It was almost painful that such a memory appeared in my mind when I held Alessandro¡¯s hand in mine. ¡ª This was a time at high school or simply one of those bad days of Lucy¡¯s. She was supposed to walk into high school. Suddenly, I was disoriented, looking for the English ss in thebyrinth that was Westbrook High School. I happened to bump into a man while I was rounding a corner and both of us fell on the ground. ¡°Oh god, I am so sorry!¡± I blurted out, and I frantically began to try and pick up my books from the ground. ¡°Oh, rx,¡± responded a voice which sounded more cheerful than he did. I raised my head and what I met was a young boy with ented curls and a mischievous smile that erged his small face. ¡®I bet that the school hired a maze designer to n thisyout¡±Hi, I am Chase¡± ¡°Brianne,¡± I said, smiling at him, and he let out a relieved smile.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. His grin widened. ¡°Actually, I do¡±, I said, pointing towards the stated direction , ¡°It¡¯s where I am going, Mrs. Patterson¡¯s English ss isn¡¯t it?¡± I gave a nod, and with the signal out of the way, my body was flooded with relief. ¡°That being the case, pretty Brianne,¡± quipped back Chase in the Cherophytic mboyant way, ¡°permit me to show you these scheming corridors. ¡± It took us a few minutes to get to the coffee shop where we both sat down to have some food and as we conversed andughed, I knew that she was my first friend at Westbrook. ¡ª ¡°Do you remember when we first met?¡± I asked Chase, being disconnected from the real world by the noisy beeping of the machine. Chase nodded his head slightly, ¡®Alright,¡¯ he said, but there was no joy in his voice or on his face. ¡°Ah, yes, how could I forget that you entered the English ssughing like madmen and I thought that you were the two most cool individuals I¡¯ve ever met. ¡± I chuckled softly. ¡°I said, ¡®We were just lost and relieved to have found the right room. ¡®¡± ¡®Yeah well you looked cool doing it. ¡® Chase replied. Specifically, the self-scrutiny continued with such thoughts as, ¡°I spent the next week fighting with myself to try and gather the nerve toe and talk to you guys. ¡± At the same time Chase continued to talk, another memory appeared in my head, one that was not just more recent, but significantly less happy. ¡ª ¡±Lads, I will tell you why we should not do this¡¯,¡¯ replied Alessandro, who no longer wore his smile on his face. It was in my basement where we were strategizing on how we were going to make our move against The Raven¡¯s empire. ¡°Come on Alesandro ¡± I said, my excitement building up. ¡°This might actually be the opportunity of a lifetime. To get The Raven for good. ¡± Alessandro shook his head. He didn¡¯t say that we should not act at all; he just said that we should consider certain factors because it¡¯s not like it can bepared to a school assignment or an innocent prank. We are talking about sparring with a criminal organization here. Chase nodded slowly. ¡°He has a valid point there, Bri, Perhaps, we should get more data about this before we act. ¡± Suddenly, I traced a slight irritation inside me. ¡°As we waste time gathering information The Raven is out there stabbing people. We have a chance to catch him. Are we going to let it slip?¡± Alessandro and Chase looked at each other. Finally, Alessandro sighed. ¡°Alright. But we do this smart. Avoid danger that is not necessary. I swear. ¡± ¡°I assure you,¡± I replied, not knowing how we were going to be careful as I felt the relief and excitement within me flow vigorously. ¡°Everything will be fine. ¡± ¡ª Those words faded to ck and all that remained with a clear recollection of events was the unpleasant aftertaste of what could have been. We¡¯d been so dumbfounded, so self-confident. Oh, if only we had taken that warning from Alessandro and, perhaps, things would not have been like this. ¡®We should have listened to him,¡¯ I whispered to myself to verbalize what I was thinking out loud. Chase nodded his head slightly, and he looked like he just wanted to cry. ¡°Yes we should have¡­ but now it is toote as it is¡­ all we can do is to stand beside him and pray that he should wake from his slumber soon . ¡± And thus, we started having a silence; each of us was possibly thinking and recalling some moments in our past. This steady beep of the heart monitor became a rhythmic ticking of the clock in the room, and we waited with our friend. Later in the afternoon, a nurse dropped in to check out Alessandro¡¯s blood pressure and general condition. We looked on in positive anticipation as she documented his chart, but her face was nomittal. ¡°Any changes?¡± I asked, trying to make my voice sound more desperate than it already was. The Nurse smiled at me in a sympathetic manner before the contingency of being assigned to the patients¡¯ care began to sink into my mind. ¡®There are no, I am sorry to say¡¯, ¡®Well, there are none¡¯, ¡®As far as I can see; No, I do not think there are any changes,¡¯ ¡®No changes I am sorry,¡¯ ¡®No changes at all¡¯, ¡®It is stable I believe?¡¯ We nodded, grasping for the faint idea that they might be telling us the truth about at least some part of the n. Chase got up when the nurse walked out of the room, and started to stretch his legs. ¡®Let me get some coffee. ¡®Chase said. ¡®You want anything?¡¯ I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m good. Thanks, though. ¡± This time Chase stepped out of the room, and I was alone with Alessandro for the first time in days. I got nearer to him, and whose hand I held tightly in mine. ¡°Al,e on,¡± I whispered to myself. ¡°You have to wake up, we need you, I need you, so much I want to exin to you, to apologize for it, please, give us a sign. ¡± At that instant, I thought that I sensed a movement of his hand in mine. My heart got lighter and, with more hope, I moved closer to him, awaiting any change on his face. Alessandro? Can you hear me? I can only whisper to you now, if you can hear me, you squeeze my hand again. ¡± I am waiting and perhaps almost praying that something will happen. But there was nothing. Not walking, not running, yet I have not seen the change in his sleeping face. I sank back in my chair feeling the bitter taste of loss and failure at the back of my throat. At that moment, there was a call on my phone. I took it out to take a look, expecting my parents to message me asking when I would be back home. But my blood froze when I saw the notification of the number that I didn¡¯t recognize. I then opened it with my hand and could hardly stop shaking the paper. The words on the screen made my heart stop: ¡®It¡¯s up, my love. You didn¡¯t do exactly what I told you. Now, watch what I do to the girl who decided to cross The Raven. ¡® I was still trying to decipher the message when all the machines that surrounded Alessandro started beeping. His heart rate increased and immediately dropped. At this point, an rm started ringing. Forcing down the bile that threatened to choke me, I responded, ¡°No. ¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± I tried to grab the call button off the wall and banged on it as hard as I possibly could. ¡°Help!¡± I screamed. ¡°Somebody help!¡± Pushing me aside, the medical staff entered the room and I could only stand there helplessly as horror set in. Where once there had been a series of monotonous beeps from the heart monitor, a tone that sounded only once was heard. Alessandro¡¯s heart had stopped. And as the doctors worked frantically to revive him, all I could think was: But that is my me. The Raven did this. And to beat the gel that controls me, I can¡¯t imagine how to stop him. CHAPTER 55: I Can鈥檛 Save the World The only source of sound was the soft whirring of myptop in front of me, in the dark ¨C lit room. It was already eleven at night and still I couldn¡¯t sleep like I hadn¡¯t slept for the past few weeks. A picture of Alessandro in a hospital bed with what seemed like a lifeless body with sounds of machines persistently beeping in the background was deeply imprinted on my mind. The doctors had been sessful in making the attempts to restore his heart¡¯s activity, but he was still on the intensive care unit. It had left Chase and me in a rather disturbed state for some time, an experience that is steadfast a fact Chase and I were utterly helpless against The Raven. I hardly closed my eyes; I sat in front of theputer and my eyes were failing me through the screen. Despite what I told Agent Harris, we could not just sit idly by and watch everything unfold the way it was nned. Not after what had happened. The thrill was bing more frequent not after what had happened. There I found myself making covert observations at the break of the night just for something that might assist us in apprehending The Raven.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. One wrong tap on my window. I opened and jumped. I sighed with relief when I heard the knock at the door and realized it was Chase at the door showing his face. Without dy, I opened it for him and was pleased with hispany because there is always a good feeling about carrying out tasks together. ¡°Anything?¡± he asked more to himself, as he squeezed in through the window. I shook my head, there was frustration in my voice. ¡°No solid evidence yet; the Raven¡¯s organization is shrouded like Everything I¡¯ve found seems to disappear. ¡± Chase only looked at theputer screen and nodded his head, his face tightened. ¡°I feel the same way too, but right now we cannot afford to surrender. ¡± We got back to the daily practice we had grown used to, Chase on theptop and me on papers and notes spread all over the bed. It was a pleasure to work in quiet, no words were spoken between us and the tension of the secret operation was clearly felt. ¡°Wait,¡± Chase said suddenly and he sounded excited. It wasn¡¯t long before one of them said: ¡°I believe I found something. ¡± I stepped to get closer to look at the screen he was holding, anticipations rising in my heart. As if that did not disturb him enough, presently on the screen was a news article that reported a recent string of fires that engulfed warehouses in the industrial district. ¡°This is true,¡± Chase added, ¡°If you look at the dates.¡± ¡°All of them urred after we came out campaigning against The Raven. ¡± I read through the article quickly, and my adrenaline started to kick in. ¡°You actually think he¡¯s cleaning house? Getting all the loose ends out of the way?¡± Chase nodded. ¡°It makes sense. He now realizes they are watching him closely. This is why he tries to hide the activity. ¡± Something of the same feeling, of the old days lighted in my breast. This was the first real lead that we had gotten in weeks. ¡°If we could only identify the warehouse which had not yet been visited by him¡­¡± ¡°Maybe there may be some proof that he had earlier tried to conceal it before he could dispose of it,¡± Chase concluded with a smile on his face. Of course, in thest few days, we allowed ourselves to dream a little. It did not take long though before the dose of reality set in. ¡°Well, how else can we investigate without going back on our word?¡± I asked, the overbearing sense of insignificancee rushing back. Chase¡¯s smile washed away and for the first time there was a serious look on his face. ¡°We will have to work tactfully. No windows will be broken, no doors will be knocked down, and no directly challenging the thugs. That is going to be detective work. ¡± I nodded slowly, gradually having ideas formted in my head. ¡°Perhaps, we can begin with pinpointing the target location, that is the district of warehouses, and pinpointing buildings that have not been targeted yet¡­¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Chase agreed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we aren¡¯t breaking thew; we¡¯re just two young people with a peculiar focus on industrial premises for rent. ¡± In my case, this was rather unusual, since we were really in a critical stage, but I could not help it. I really feltfortable knowing that there was something at least we could do, so I waited for assistance in vain. I had tough. In my case, this was rather unusual, since we were really in a critical stage, but I could not help it. I really had constion after understanding that at least there was something that we could do while still waiting for any help in vain. Right when Chase and I were ready to get into more details regarding our strategies, my phone vibrated with the iing message. The number was unknown and every time it sent a shiver down my spine. With trembling fingers, I opened it, and my heart nearly stopped as I read the words on the screen. ¡°Oh, how these children think they can fool me. Let me remind you, curiosity did kill the cat. The more you dig, the more you will wish to stop your move, detectives. ¡± Stapled to this was a photograph that sent cold chills apletely clear picture of Chase and me which must have been snapped minutes ago from the window of my room. We looked less camouged than we believed them to be. I gazed up at Chase, scared for my life and my eyes showed it as I looked pale. ¡°Chase, ¡± I whispered, holding the phone in front of him. People involved insist, It is alive, The Raven does, and he is observing us at the moment. When it dawned upon him, Chase and I both looked out the window, toward the night and, though I say it myself, exactly like two characters in a Victorian novel suspecting that a ndestine murderer lurked around the corner. A night that we thought was as ck as the night before seemed much cker and much more dangerous than what it was before. CHAPTER 56: A Wrong Move For the next few hours, we kept ourselves busy making the list of possible target warehouses and plotting out how best we could observe the target warehouses. Before I knew it, the first beams of morning light started peeping through the curtains and, with obvious reluctance, Chase pulled himself out of bed. ¡°Perhaps, it is better to take a rest now,¡± he added, obviously wanting to yawn. ¡°I think that now that the writers have been initiated, we have lots of work to do. ¡± I just smiled and agreed with him as I led him to the window. Looking at me before climbing out, he spoke to me in a stern voice. ¡°Bri, we have to be careful now. You know that Agent Harris would not let this go if he knew that we were doing this?¡± ¡°I know,¡± I murmured. ¡°But we don¡¯t have any other option. We cannot allow The Raven to triumph. ¡± Chase merely nodded his head and then proceeded to kiss me softly on the lips. ¡°It will not be the end of the world: we will find the solution to this, or we will do it in tandem. ¡± From his back I saw a figure walking into the thick fog that was rising from the earth as the day began; fear mixed with determination welled up inside of me. We were treading on thin ice, but that was the best strategy that we could employ in order to resist. Chase and I could not stand idle during the following days, so we began working on our ndestine investigation. In the afternoons, we went through ¡±attendance¡¯, eating candies while gazing at maps and property deeds in the library. In the evenings, we spent our time observing the warehouse district where the house of The Raven was located, keeping our distance and being as vignt as possible for any proof of criminal activity. They were extremely patient and so was I; it was on the fourth night of the stake out that something urred. We were in the car watching the warehouse district from afar, sses focused on one of the buildings that could be considered a threat. ¡°Look,¡± Chase said, suddenly getting up and pointing out towards a ck SUV approaching the nearby warehouse. ¡°That is the third car in thest hour nearby. I¡¯m sure that there is something going on in that house. ¡± I took out the binocrs and aimed them. I could feel the adrenaline pumping. ck-d males were now off-loading huge crates from an SUV, briskly and like a well rehearsed mechanical rig. ¡°Let¡¯s go to them,¡± I stated, and we were already heading towards the door of the car. Chase caught my arm. ¡°Bri, stop, we must remember what we had agreed on. Let¡¯s not get our hands dirty, shall we?¡± I deliberated for a moment before me on one hand, it was dangerous and, on the other, it was fascinating to get The Raven exposed once and for all. ¡°Well, maybe that¡¯s all we¡¯re going to get if only we can have a picture of what they have inside those crates. ¡± Chase was also silent for what felt like several minutes, with his face twisted in the primary of the same struggle. Finally, he nodded. ¡°Alright. But we do it tactfully. The first sign of something bad is going to happen, then we are gone. ¡± We had to be very cautious when moving nearer to the warehouse; we moved around in the blind. It was dark and there was no movement all around them as the sound of the men below offloading their merchandise reached their ears. The further we got, the louder the noise was and as we approached I could asionally overhear certain phrases. ¡°¡­shipment has to be out by early morning¡­. ¡± ¡°¡­it should be understood that the end of it means the boss wants no traces left¡­¡± ¡°¡­ The FBI¡¯s been sniffing around¡­¡± My pulse quickened. This was it. A veritable and tangible proof of the business activities of The Raven. We moved closer to the warehouse and saw that there were some crates where we could hide and still see the loading zone . Taking photos, Chase took his phone out of his pocket. As one of the men started to open a crate looking inside it, someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder tightly. I spun around, my breath hitching in my chest and froze when Agent Harris stood right in front of me. He looked at me as if he wanted to hate me, but he also looked disappointed. Who do you think I am?¡± he growled, ¡°I thought I told you two to stay out of this. ¡± We could barely react to it when a shout rang in the direction of the warehouse. ¡°Hey! Who¡¯s over there?¡± Apparently, to greet us, there arrived shlights¡¯ rays directed towards us. I turned around to see Agent Harris protecting us with his life by pulling out his weapon. ¡°Run,¡± he hissed. ¡°You get to your car and go home now!¡± I briefly considered jumping out of the car and running away, barely being able to open the door, and probably did not want to leave Agent Harris by himself. But when the shouts were increasing and the first shot was heard, there was no other way. My own heart thudded while, in the distancey the growing sounds of the guns firing. We got to Chase¡¯s car and exited that ce, spinning the tires on the ground. Soon enough, once we were out of the warehouse district and really on the road, the impact of what had just taken ce began to set in. Technically, we had failed in our word we gave to Agent Harris. We¡¯d expose ourselves to threats. And now, Agent Harris was back there, alone, staring at who knows how many of The Raven¡¯s men, if any. Then I looked at him and said, ¡°What have we done?¡± The shame and regret filled up the empty pit of my stomach. This drew a growling look from Chase, who had a death grip on the wheel. ¡°You know we have to get reinforcements, we cannot just abandon him there. ¡± As I spoke, Chase nodded slowly, his face pale; I grabbed my phone with a somewhat tremulous hand. But before I could dial, it suddenly beeped showing that there was a message on the device. The number was unknown to me, but soon I was clear that who was actually on the other side of the call. Feeling like a viin from a horror thriller, I clicked on the message and opened it. The words on the screen made my blood run cold. The words on the screen made my blood run cold: ¡°Evil, evil! I told you that you will have to pay the price if you don¡¯t follow the rules. Now, it is time for you to make a decision. You have an hour to choose between your FBI friend and the sick one. The decision lies with you, baby girl. ¡± Slowly, I turned my head to look up at Chase ¡®I¡¯m confused, I said in a shocked voice. ¡°Chase,¡± I said as lightly as I could with tears in my eyes. ¡°The Raven has Agent Harris. This guy is going to either kill Harris or Alessandro. It is our choice. ¡± When the contents of the message began to filter into my understanding, I found myself bing increasingly horrified at what we had started and maybe unable to control it. Things had evolved when it came to the actual ying of the game and now the issues at hand were in high jeopardy. How could we ever possibly make this choice? And even if we did, how could one stand the pain of losing a loved one and the many other social costs that follow such behaviors?N?velDrama.Org is the owner. CHAPTER 57: A Terrible Choice The weight of words spoken by The Raven settled upon Chase and me and so, parked on a dim-lit, abandoned street, we both sat still. The evil words of the anonymous threat lingered on my mobile, like poison, and my fingers shook as I gripped the phone. We were offered no choice Agent Harris or Alessandro. Both these human beings, which had so much to live for, were now reduced to their lives being in the hands of a person with the mind of a psychopath. ¡°We can¡¯t¡­ we can¡¯t possibly choose,¡± as tears started freely flowing down my cheeks. Chase was gripping the wheel tightly, his hands whitening around it and his face was tense,(frames). ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± he replied more defensively, despite the tremor I heard in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s for that reason that we¡¯re going to be able to find a way of saving them both. ¡± But how? That question was always a huge dilemma that seemed impossible to ovee. As we knew we were up against The Raven, we had only less than an hour to devise a plot, to counter-y in his own perverse ce. The implication of it all hit me hard this was our doing. If only we had heeded the advice of Agents Harris¡¯ psychologist; if only we had avoided the theater¡­ Atst, even Chase realized that enough was enough and interrupted my guilt-ridden spiraling: ¡°We need to think. ¡± ¡°The Raven wants us to panic so that we make a wrong decision. We cannot let him win¡±. I could not afford to lose concentration, so I inhaled deeply, then counted to ten mentally. ¡°You¡¯re right dear. So let me ask you what we know so far?¡± We then spent the next few minutes jotting down everything that we had gathered about the operations of The Raven. The warehouse district, the enigmatic fires, the few fragments of dialogue that we had caught. I have to be honest, it wasn¡¯t much, but people thought it would be and so it was the beginning. ¡°We can¡¯t go back there ourselves,¡± I said, my mind going to the shooting that had urred when we were forced to run out. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to say the statement ¡®a candidate should have good interpersonal rtionships . . ¡® But maybe there¡¯s an alternative way of collecting the data . ¡± Chase merely nodded his head. He looked determined now. ¡°Let¡¯s do this intelligently. We keep out of The Raven¡¯s sight and do not engage him or anyone else to endanger them. ¡± With that in our minds, we proceeded to go about our work. We begin by going to some of our friends from school and some of them are more knowledgeable atputers than others. We did not disclose the seriousness of any danger, as much as we said that there were some sketches in the warehouse area and that we required assistance in tracking them. A few of them were able to get traffic camera feed and surveince videos from the vicinity of stores or establishments. As they did that, Chase and I searched through public records and news articles. In order to avoid jumping to conclusions, we decided to arrange all the information on the timeline of The Raven¡¯s actions and then try to find a link we might have overlooked earlier. At least every few minutes, I was almost nervously looking at the clock because I was fully aware of that deadline that we had. And it started out with information that was scarce at first, but hinted at arger picture. Crunch¡¯s description of the Raven¡¯s operation was revealing because it was scble and sophisticated and that it had extended its reach to various legitimate ventures. We found some shellpanies and offshore bank ounts along with a number of disparate warehouses and storages across the city appeared to be interlinked.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Now onepany that emerged in our search frequently was ckwood Logistics. To all intents and purposes, it seemed just like any other small-scale shipping firm. But going further, we discovered discrepancies in their ounting and consignment papers. ¡°This has to be a front for The Raven,¡± Chase said, keeping his tion in check because of the seriousness of our circumstances. What i saw about the shipments? They have no logic to exist in this kind ofpany on this small scale. I simply nodded as different thoughts went through my head. ¡°And the addresses¡­ some of those match locations that we have been looking into. ¡± I knew we were onto something big; that the family was about to take a new and terrific turn which would some day bring us fame and fortune. But the point at issue was still to be settled, and it could not be long ere the question was to be decided. I had fifteen minutes fifty-five seconds left to do my work before having to submit my work to The Raven. ¡°We have to pass this info¡¯ to someone who is capable of using the details,¡± I repeated with some anger and hopelessness back in my voice. Chase took some time and took his phone out of his pocket. That¡¯s when I had a n that was dangerous but perhaps the only thing we can do right now. He picked another number and I waited for the phone to ring. Much to my amazement, a rough, but somehow, rather familiar voice replied. ¡°This had better be good kid. I¡¯m in the middle of something. ¡± Yeah, it was Reeves the cynical detective who had always been staring nkly at our endeavors from day one. I took it out on Chase, and so he got round to informing the boss of the incident in a nutshell, though he spared us on this ount. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t tell you the entire story at this time,¡± answered Chase, even though he knew what such a situation looks like. ¡°But we have concrete proofs that show the ces where The Raven operates from, phantompanies, the works, and¡­¡± he took a deep breath. ¡°And we have reason to believe some agent is in immediate danger that is, Agent Harris. ¡± One could actually hear the sweat dripping off the phone from the other end of the line, as they say; the silence being heightened and drawn out for a long time. Again, I had the feeling that the detective was trying hard to decide whether to believe as and me, two teenagers who had not only been a nuisance to his investigation, but even one step worse. Finally, he spoke. ¡°I want all the documents that have been written on and discussed, immediately, and I will assemble a staff. ¡° CHAPTER 58: HOPE I felt relief, but I was disoriented for a brief moment and then the feeling was gone. We still had no assurance that this would be enough to rescue Agent Harris and Alessandro. Soon Chase, who was typing away on hisptop, told me that he had sent our findings to Detective Reeves. I looked at the screen of my phone for the nth time: the message was threatening. The deadline was fast approaching as this novel kind of thinking was slowly bing a part of their way of working. Within the next few minutes, The Raven would be expecting our decision a decision we were not ready to make. Sufficiency was it going to be enough what we were doing? Or had we just convicted one or both of the defendants to death penalty? It was agonizing to learn how the organization was managed in the next hour. We lie low in the front seat of Chase¡¯s car, tensed as a piano wire and expecting another message from The Raven next. We searched for police channels in the hope of any information about an arrest or a sting operation. When the appointed time arrived, there was no sound at all. We get no word from The Raven, we hear nothing from Detective Reeves. It was one of those cases when the uncertainty is worse than knowing the truth, which, by the way, also looked rather terrible. The only thing Chase did was wait for his phone to ring and that did not happen for almost two hours. That time it was Detective Reeves again and, although his voice was rough, there was something akin to respect in his tone. The children nodded as he told them: ¡°Your intel was good, kids. ¡± ¡°They needed to attack at three ces at once and most of The Raven¡¯s men were caught unaware. We are still trying to piece things together and, while it is still not very clear, apparently, much damage has been done to The Raven¡¯s operations. ¡± I leaned closer to her and my heart raced like crazy. ¡°And what about Agent Harris?¡± I uttered barely audibly. Then came silence as if someone snapped his fingers and said, ¡®time out¡¯. It took a few moments; Detective Reeves said finally, ¡°We found him. ¡± ¡°He is alive, but has been beaten to a pulp I would say.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. There are some paramedics attending to him. He ims to be a journalist¡±. The relief that now rushed through my body was something that was almost like a pain. Agent Harris was alive. We had not killed him with our stupidity and, despite this, he was killed. However, there was one more thing, which was a question to address. ¡°What about Alessandro?¡± I questioned, as my voice became as soft as a whisper. Then there was another pause whichsted even longer than the previous one. ¡°Well, at this point what I can tell you is that we¡¯re still trying to build the puzzle,¡± Detective Reeves said apprehensively. ¡°But it turns out that The Raven was faking it, and he is still in the hospital from what I can see. ¡± I leaned against Chase dramatically, tears filling my eyes. We did it. Ignoring The Raven¡¯s challenges, we were able to rescue both Agent Harris and Alessandro from the terrible situation. However, when the high feeling thates with the rush of the moment began to wane, the enormity of what we had been through began to set in. Once again, we realized how a step has been taken to achieve what has been dreamed of for a long time but such a great danger has been approached which threatened to take everything away. This has brought us to the realization that even though our actions were aimed at benefiting people; they end up causing danger to their lives. ¡°Now what?¡± That¡¯s the first thought I had, that¡¯s how it felt; I felt a door m shut behind me, and I was very tired. Detective Reeves¡¯ tone dropped a little to be a bit more gentle. ¡°Well, you two just stay away from it for real now. ¡± They nodded, and I scowled at them before continuing, ¡°And I don¡¯t mean anywhere near it. Got it? You¡¯re both done. ¡± Both of us nodded in silence and did not have the energy to fight. Fifty seconds, once Chase hung up the call, we two were inplete silence, for we could not believe what had just happened. We got lucky,¡± Chase said finally, his voice raw with emotion and I thought he¡¯d cry. ¡°We can¡¯t ¡­ we can¡¯t do this again, Bri. We¡¯re in too deep. We don¡¯t know what to do anymore. ¡± I just nodded my head with the tears beginning to well up in the corners of my eyes. ¡°I know. I just¡­ I had the dream of changing the world, of eradicating The Raven. ¡± At that, Chase grabbed me by my waist and hugged me tightly. ¡°We did make a difference,¡± he whispered. ¡°But now it is time to let the professionals end this one-off. We have done our part. ¡± Driving back home in the early morning, I was filled with different emotions running through me relief, tiredness, fear that was still present within me, as well as the appreciation of the fact that the world is much moreplicated than I initially thought. We hade out of this test, but there are wounds that would not heal instantly. The Raven was lurking out there and showed us that although he was badly injured, he was not finished. But for now, at least we can sit on the knowledge that we have done our little bit to at least take him one step closer to what he deserves. The rest, while not being easy to swallow, would have to be left in the hands of those who could deal with such things better. That morning I fell asleep more determined than ever to help and fulfill the promise I, and the innocent people we ced in danger, made to myself. No more ying detective. No more reckless risks. This is when the true heroes came out in the open, and it was my turn to support them. And that perhaps, we may be able toe up with a way of being heroes, but this without having to risk our lives in the process. That morning I went to bed vowing to myself and to the people we had ced in harm¡¯s way. No more ying detective. No more reckless risks. Now it was the time to go back and let the real fighters fight the battle. But before I could get to that state, my phone beeped signaling that I had a new message. Blurring, I sat up for it, probably a message from Chase, or new information from Detective Reeves. But this time my blood froze, and I started breathing heavily as I saw the now familiar unknown number. With trembling fingers, I opened the message: With trembling fingers, I opened the message: ¡°Well done kids. You really think this is it but, in chess, the pawns always move first, the game has just started. ¡± In the message, a photograph was also included and seeing that photo I almost had a heart attack. It exposed Chase¡¯s house, which had been filmed apparently from the street where their neighbor was living. But standing out in the foreground, barely legible, there was a hand with a ck glove holding a ying card; it was the Raven. As sleep fled from my eyes, reced by a fresh wave of terror, I realized with sickening rity: Our suffering, however, was still toe. It is worth stressing that The Raven wasn¡¯t only an injured feather but a vengeful bird. CHAPTER 59: His Shadows and Whispers The message from The Raven followed us throughout the night as if it was from the dead. The night was restless and full of shadows that made me think that some unidentified people were standing outside my window. When morning finally came, it was as if I had not slept at all. Chase came in early, looking very ashen and haggard. ¡°Let us discuss,¡± and here the man did not raise his voice, he spoke in just a normal whisper. We went to my bedroom. The door was shut down as we whispered throughout the time. Chase¡¯s eyes had the same look of fear in them that I was feeling. ¡°My parents,¡± he started, struggling to say the words and his throat was a little tight. ¡°I believe they are also being watched too: there has been a car parked outside our house all night; this morning my dad went to work, and the car followed him. ¡± My heart raced. ¡°Are you saying that we only got the results because something else happened?¡± Chase shook his head. ¡°Alright, No. It doesn¡¯t feel like those hasty decisions; it feels more formally or intentionally made. ¡± Instead, the weight of our situation finally hit us. We had been jeopardizing not only our lives but our families as well, without actually realizing what we were doing. It became suddenly as if the game that we were ying was not a game anymore suddenly became a reality. ¡°What do we do?¡± I asked myself, feeling inept. Another low growl rumbled from Chase as he raked his hand through his hair in evident anger. ¡°We can¡¯t go to the police. We have no proof and, as far as we know, The Raven could have moles there as well. ¡± I simply nodded my head listening to what she had to say, aware of the bad things that Agent Harris had told me about her. ¡°We cannot continue investigating directly anymore. This is what led us to this situation. ¡± For a moment, we just sat there quietly, realizing what had just happened to us. Then gradually, the idea started developing. ¡°What if,¡± I asked, emphasizing each of the words, ¡°collect information without getting there yourselves?¡± Realizing I was staring at the floor, Chase leaned in and looked at me quizzesically. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We have friends who like dealing withputers, right? Others work in different part-time jobs all over the city, right? What if we casually asked them to look into something, without really telling them what exactly?¡± Chase humphed and suddenly a flicker of hope could be seen in his eyes. ¡°As an intelligence news service, for instance?¡± I agreed, getting into the whole concept of it. ¡°That is right,¡± they agreed, ¡°We had all the information required to put together, yet we never had to leave our homes. ¡± So our new n was conceived. I asked my closest friends for help appealing to their sense of confidentiality by creating a cover story that we were working on a school assignment on businesses in our area. We instructed them to observe anything suspicious that they encountered, including spots and ces around the warehouse region and other areas believed to host The Raven. To the technology-oriented peers, we presented it as apetition: how much data could they gather on some firms without viting thew? We provided them with businesses that we felt were owned by The Raven without the fullness of our real interest. Webined the information that came in slowly day by day and week by week. We drew a city map for it where we pointed out important locations and rted seemingly unrted incidents. Little by little, it was possible to outline some sort of pattern. ¡°Look at this,¡± Chase said one afternoon, indicating on the map which was fast bing a canvas of pins. ¡°All these businesses have experienced ¡®electrical problems¡¯ in the past one-month though all of them are served by differentpanies. ¡± I bent down to take a closer look at the pattern. ¡°And here,¡± I continued, pointing at another zone. ¡°Three different such traffic idents, all with delivery vehicles belonging topanies which we believe are affiliated with The Raven. ¡± ¡°I think he is shifting something¡±, Chase spoke quietly to himself. ¡°But what?¡± We had stumbled on something. I could sense this. But we realized that we couldn¡¯t go on like this, so we had to be a bit more cautious. One wrong step meant we were in even deeper with our enemies and our loved ones. Gradually, the more we got engaged in our undercover work, the growing certainty came into my mind of close surveince. asionally, I saw some unnoticeable ck car or some man with some mysterious face following me. But each time I tried to turn and look directly at the source, they were no longer there. Chase noticed it too. ¡°It¡¯s a very delicate bncing act,¡± he told me one evening as we cracked our heads over fresh information . ¡°What if The Raven notices what we are trying to do?¡± He didn¡¯t have to go any further into it. We both understood what was on the line on the table. Though we were afraid, we continued to go on with the exercise. We still had our ragtagwork of spies and the map that we possessed only got increasingly convoluted by day. This meant keeping the process analog to reduce the risk of individuals hacking or tracing the information provided. We still have not been able to make any significant progress for almost a whole month until one day. A friend of ours who has recently been employed at a coffee shop said that she overheard two, what she called, ¡®suspicious gentlemen. ¡® ¡®There was a discussion about arge reception which wasing in,¡± she said this vividly. ¡°You know that phrase What goes aroundes around¡± or ¡°the chickens areing home to roost.¡± Does that resonate with you at all? With this in ce, we put more work into the process. It¡¯s important to ensure that the schedules for ships, the control of tides and flow that we have seen, and the patterns were in harmony. Last night we slept really badly again, knowing we¡¯d have to crack The Raven soon, and we did it we¡¯ve got the date and probably the ce of their next big attack. I stared at the map incredulously, then turned to him. ¡°We did it.¡± ¡°We actually did it. ¡± Chase nodded and there was a richbination of pride and nervousness in the boy¡¯s expression. ¡°That¡¯s the million-dor question,¡± said Mark. ¡°Now that we have collected this information, how do we use it?¡± We debated for hours. We couldn¡¯t go to the police directly we had no idea who The Raven had on his payroll at that point. Agent Harris was still freshly shaken, and, to Reeves¡¯ consternation, not avable on the radio. But we can¡¯t sit idle on this information also. Lives could be at stake, it was a war situation and anything could happen at any time. Thus, the n was made and that was the final choice. To the police and a favored local reporter, we would make coded phone calls giving them enough leads to act but no more information of our interference. Just the night before Chase and I were to post our anonymous tips, we reviewed every part of the report in thefort of my bedroom. It was nerve-wracking as we both realized that once we sent this information it cannot be retrieved back. Then, Chase asked, ¡°Are we sure about this?¡± As his question, he said it in a whispering tone.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Standing there for several seconds trying to find the next words, I let a long breath out. ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°But really we have no other option. We cannot afford to allow The Raven to have its way. ¡± Chase nodded, and put my hand in his and gave it aforting squeeze. ¡°Together, then?¡± ¡°Together,¡± I agreed. My heart was beating fast as I put my fingers on the ¡®Send¡¯ button of my encrypted email. This was it, a week¡¯s worth of covert nning. Today was the day to actually get the work done. I shut my eyes and injected the button. For a long time there was no movement. Then, the lights in my house went out, causing everyone to get out of their seats in the dark. The monitor on myputer went nk. ¡°What the -¡± Chase said, and he never finished his words because suddenly a loud sound of a broken ceramic echoed in the house. From the sound of the footsteps which rang loud like thunder up the steps, it was not long before the door opened. The events told on my face and silence overwhelmed me; it was the moment I understood that all that nning was in vain. In some way or another, The Raven had a clue. He had been a step ahead of everything all the time. As my bedroom door burst open, flooding the room with harsh shlight beams, a chillingly familiar voice cut through the chaos: As my bedroom door burst open, flooding the room with harsh shlight beams, a chillingly familiar voice cut through the chaos: ¡°You really thought you could defeat me ¡®little bird¡¯? Now, it is time for you to be grounded. ¡± Thest thing I could make out before everything went nk for me was a ying card that fell on the floor the Raven looking at me with his dead, ck and merciless gaze. CHAPTER 60: The Raven鈥檚 Warning Realizing the world came back into focus slowly: my head was pounding in ordance with the beating of my heart. Waking up, I saw that I was in a poorly lit room. It smelled faintly of old wood and iron. Beside me, Chase¡¯s brow was furrowed, and his eyes wide with apprehension. ¡°Bri? Are you okay?¡± he whispered, his voice shook. I never had the chance to answer back, for a door to a nearby room opened with a loud groan, and the light of themps outside lighted up the interior. Then a very tall man entered and, since the light was behind him, we could only make out the shadowy look of his face. But, I didn¡¯t have to turn and look to find out who it was out there: it was him. Atst the Raven had deigned to present himself. ¡°Wee, my young detectives,¡± he said, extending his right hand, silky voice and well-dressed in sharp contrast to the evil aura the man was projecting. ¡°You did not lose, you lost your way, and you persevered even with that. ¡± Soon enough, I was able to gather more details, although it was still dark where I was. The Raven was a man who appeared to be in his forties, dressed in a stylish underwear-like suit. He had silver gray hair, almost crew-cut, neatlybed¡­ His eyes, however, were sharp and lustful, much like those of an animal that has sighted its prey. ¡°What do you want from us?¡± Chase bluffed, attempting to remain calm despite the fact that I could hear that he was scared. The Raven chuckled and echoed through it and I felt a chill down my spine. ¡°Desire? My sweetd, I desire nothing from you anymore. In fact, you have provided me all that I ever desired. ¡± He took a thin and shiny tablet, swiped it a couple of times, then flipped it towards us to reveal the screen. I saw what was inside, and it devastated me the map, notes, all the data we had gathered during the weeks of investigations. ¡°You see,¡± The Raven went on and in his voice there was mockery, ¡°while you thought you were so sly with your little research, you were in fact helping me do my job: figuring out where there might be holes, where there could be betrayals¡­¡± It was horrifying. I felt so sick in the stomach. In all our activities, all the calcted gambles that we have made hitherto, have but ced The Raven in a position of absolute dominance. ¡°That, however, is not why I brought you here. ¡± The Raven said in a stern tone. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± and ¡°I have a much more urgent thing to address. ¡± He touched his tablet and pressed something, random noises of the police officers, other unknown voices filled the room. The codes of the locations went there and there, and with increasing dismay I saw what was going on. The police were organizing themselves in preparation for the raid on The Raven¡¯s nest. ¡°It appears,¡± The Raven said with a sinister smile, ¡°that someone has been chattering to the police. Now who can it be?¡± I looked sideways at Chase and we both exchanged a worried look. It had, too, our anonymous tip and from the look of things now, it had rattled the rank and file of the agency. But how did The Raven know it so soon though? Quite as if sensing we were thinking of him, The Raven bestowed on us a scornful smile. ¡°You really believe your current secret message was encrypted? Let me remind you, young men, I have my spies here and everywhere! Nothing happens in this city and escapes my attention. ¡± He looked at us dourly then moved forward until he was right in our faces. ¡°So, listen to me very well because I will not repeat myself ¡­ this is yourst chance. ¡± Thus, The Raven remained holding the cigarette and, after some deep thinking, pulled out a small remote from his pocket and pressed one of the buttons. All of a sudden, the walls of the room were filled with projections from surveince cameras throughout the city. I saw both my parents at work, Chase having his sister at school, Agent Harris in the hospital. Consumers whose every move and action is exposed. ¡°I know all your moves,¡± The Raven stated, lifting his voice to a growl. ¡°Every person you have around you is under my supervision. Now, if you dare say one more thing about me or my business to anyone else¡­¡± He did not have toplete the threat as everyone understood it. ¡°You can¡¯t do this,¡± I said, rather timidly, though for some reason my wetsuit seemed to have given me my confidence back. ¡°Well, Raven, you cannot just threaten us and get away with it. ¡± The Raven then let out augh that was emotionless at best. ¡°My dear, I already have¡±, he continued his opera work for years in the dark alleys of his city while others pretended not to know me was I was always a step ahead and never got caught. ¡°Because I realized that there something I really know about the world. And this is: people will do anything for their families. ¡± He returned to his tablet and there were more such photographs, moments that were captured secretly from our lives. ¡°That is what is going to happen,¡± he said, gritting his teeth painfully, ¡°If you do not get out of my sight right now, I will personally make sure that you go down for assault and battery, and the rest will go to prison for statutory rape. ¡± Chase and I looked at each other in utter disbelief and helplessly shook our heads as if just finally realizing the pull of what we were at. Fine,¡± echoed The Raven, and he turned all professional all of a sudden. ¡°Well, time to govern a city and, as they say, deal with the necessary consequences of actions. This ends as you will and have the rest of the evening to yourselves. ¡± With that, he alighted from the chair, rose and left the room. A few minutester, we heard sounds of a starting car engine and the sound getting lower and lower. Finally, Chase and I just sat, staring nkly at the screen for a few minutes as The Raven sank in what he said. It was toote for sentimentality, and we were in way over our heads; it wasn¡¯t enough to love people and care about them. They were now in danger, too. ¡°Now what?¡± answered Chase, as his words¡¯ strength carried despair within them. I was unable to say anything to him and cut my eyes, fending off tears. ¡°I just do not know,¡± or ¡°I can¡¯t understand this,¡±. In a manner that only seemed timed to perfection, both of our phones rang at the same time. Fearfully, we looked at the messages that were sent to us. They were from an unknown number, but we knew instantly who they were from: ¡°Hey you tiny twits, don¡¯t forget that I am always observing you. Now sleep tight. ¡± With the picture was a picture of us, captured here in this room more or less a few moments ago. We simply exchanged a look, as we saw the same thing in each other¡¯s faces. The Raven could not help but stare back when he looked into its eyes. His thinking process was always ahead of ours, it didn¡¯t matter how hard we tried to outsmart him or even deceive him. We came out of the building in which we were kept for days, and the fresh night was able to provide us with nofort. The cityy out in front of us. Its illuminated portion now looked anything but hospitable. The suspense follows the protagonist and increases with every passing car as well as every shadow that could be a member of The Raven¡¯s team. We were just sitting there pondering on how we were to get transport back home when Chase suddenly clutched my arm tightly, his face as white as a ghost in the lighted-up street. ¡°Bri,¡± he said, softly, almost a whisper. ¡°Look. ¡± I was shocked when I shifted my eyes to where he was looking and my blood froze. Outside, to be precise, across the street, half of the person was camouged by the darkness of the alley. Agent Harris, whom we expected to be resting in the hospital, was rather actively arguing it out with a man dressed in a ck suit. Taken before we could even blink our eyes, Agent Harris took an envelope from the man and ced it firmly in his pocket. They did say hello with a handshake and then the stranger simply disappeared into the darkness. Agent Harris spun around suddenly and for one moment I held my breath, expecting him to look in our direction. But fortunately his eyes did not stop at our hiding ce, he continued to walk away in the opposite direction. Chase and I shared a nce and in the eyes of the other was the same terrible question. Was it true what The Raven had been insisting on? Was his authority¡¯s reach of influence so great? And what if Agent Harris, the one individual in whom we believed we had our authoritative honest man, was captured? Now where could we go? Finally, when the gravity of what we would have just witnessed started to dawn on me, my phone beeped for the final time. With a sense of dread, I opened the message: With a sense of dread, I opened the message: Just before the end of it all, I could remember what he said. ¡°The game is changing, little detectives. Are you sure you know which side you¡¯re really on?¡± The night appeared even darker than before, the silhouettes were sharper, and the prospects seemed even vaguer than before. We were in a deadlywork and there was no way that we could escape.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. CHAPTER 61: An Unexpected Ally It was weeks of hard feeling the presence of The Raven and not having a good night¡¯s sleep after that happened. Chase and I were let go after just a few hours of aggressive interrogation which ended with the warning that we should not get involved with affairs that did not concern us. But it was the cold, calcting eyes of The Raven which threatened us even after he was gone, those moments when he toyed with us from shadows were what we remember, what we feared. But why will he even let us go? We have withdrawn emotionally and socially as well, which made us strive to attend our sses and pretend to live our mundane lives. But, what is left unseen is resentment and anxiety. Powerless we were, as we saw, our well-researched information was now worth nothing to The Raven as he knows that we are onto him. But everything was about to change, on a Wednesday, a gloomy day during lunch break at school. Chase and I were sitting in our favorite ce in the cafe, ordering food that we hardly ate when a shadow covered the table. ¡°Do you mind if I sit next to you? ¡± I raised my eyes and discovered Zoe Chen was the girl; she is from Physics ss, and she is generally rather introverted. I was caught off guard, and we had never really talked anything beyond a few shared work about group assignments. I looked at Chase and said, ¡®Uh, sure. ¡® Zoe sank down on the bench and there was a very conscious, deliberate, almost portentous stiffness in her actions. She looked around the cafeteria as if she was secretly talking with someone, then whispered. Looking her straight in the eye she whispered: ¡°I know what you have been doing. ¡± ¡°And I want to help. ¡± My heart beat spiked. ¡®I don¡¯t think I know what you are talking about,¡¯ I blurred out as I hoped that my voice didn¡¯t betray me. Zoe¡¯s eyes¡¯ pupils dted with resolve. ¡°Stop ying the innocent woman here, I know you¡¯ve been investigating The Raven alongside the Phoenix Organization and I have something that you need to hear. ¡± Chase and I looked at each other again apprehensively with a hint of surprise. How did she know? But more to the point, could we believe her? ¡°Not here,¡± Chase said Finally, ¡°Let us meet after school today. We will be in the yard behind the Gym facing the old tall oak tree. ¡± Zoe sighed and responded in the positive, then got up from the chair as sharply as she had arisen and strode out of the room. Chase and I stood unmoved for a while, puzzled at her reaction. The rest of the day seemed to be an eternity and time was passing so slowly. Many thoughts were going through my head. What more information could Zoe have? Was this a trap? Or is it possible that we have now managed to get an ally in our desperate battle against The Raven? Once the final bell finally sounded, Chase and I headed off to the agreed upon location all the while keeping our eyes shifting from side to side. Zoe was there when I got there, by the big trunk of an old oak tree, she was walking back and forth in an agitated manner. ¡°Okay,¡± I replied when we were closer. ¡°Start talking. ¡± She was going to give us a piece of her mind, but she just sighed and took a deep breath instead. ¡°My cousin has been missing for three months. The police say she eloped. I don¡¯t think that is possible. Mei would not run away. ¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Chase answered quietly, and with guilt in his voice, as he felt terrible about what he had done. The question has been asked as to this topic of The Raven and what it has to do with the subject at hand. ¡°Everything,¡± said Zoe, passionately. ¡°Mei called me the night before she vanished, she said she had gotten on to something big, something risky, she was frightened and did not want to go into details but said that what she was working on had something to do with The Raven. ¡± Suddenly, I felt like I could no longer breathe anymore. And this was the first time we ever heard of The Raven that was directly associated with loss of life. They are white, young, educated and a couple or at least they looked happily married but why are they telling us this? ¡°The other time I was advised to go to the police. What do you suggest I do now? ¡± Zoeughed bitterly. ¡°I did my best. They ignored me, telling me that I just wanted to hear something conspiratorial because I was a kid. But then I began to pay attention: You both are always murmuring, always ncing around and then there were the things that people said happenedst week¡­ She didn¡¯t finish her words and I shuddered as a cold feeling came over me. It had got around that we had met The Raven, much to our intentions to keep it hushed a secret. ¡°I decided to draw a gamble,¡± Zoe went on to say. ¡°I thought perhaps you two would be perhaps the only ones who would believe me and would help me look for Mei. ¡± I looked at Chase, who looked back at me nkly. We had vowed not to get involved in this, thus sacrificing our lives and our loved ones. Though, could we afford to skip a man or a woman who would be in dire need of someone¡¯s assistance? But we believe you,¡± I replied after a long time. ¡°But Zoe, you need to know that doing this is very dangerous. The Raven he is¡­ he is not nice. ¡± Zoe nodded solemnly. ¡°I know, but Mei is family, she is my cousin, and she is someone that I cannot abandon. ¡± I looked at her and then took a deep breath, for we knew the decision that was to be made wasn¡¯t going to be easy. ¡°Okay,¡± Chase said atst after a few moments. ¡°You have to recount all that you saw or heard. From the first to thest thing. ¡± After that, I just allowed Zoe to recount her narrative for the next hour. This is when she shared with us all the things about the girl¡¯s behavior before she vanished, the messages Mei left for her friends and family and the things Zoe noticed that seemed unusual to her once she started investigating the case of her missing cousin. As she spoke, Chase and I slowly started establishing links with the case that we were investigating. They were as super imposable as some of the ces that Mei had referred to. Some of the names that she had dropped tallied with some of the shellpanies we had discovered. ¡°Here is something else,¡± Zoe took an object from her backpack. From her pocket, she took out a pocket notebook, thin and much worn. ¡°This was Mei¡¯s. I discovered the pad locked in her room weeks after she had vanished from themunity home. In the scrawled writing at the corner of the pad, there was something that looked like a code. She passed a notebook to me. I opened one of the pages. The pages were lined with two types of characters; the alphanumeric characters and other figures that seemed to be the work of a child. There were figures drawn all over the pages which could be associated with the constetions. ¡°We¡¯ll need time to study this,¡± I told them, my thoughts already contemting how I can take advantage of this. ¡°Is it possible to hold on to it for, let¡¯s say, three days?¡± Zoe nodded. ¡°¡­alright, just don¡¯t let anything bad happen to it. It¡¯s all I have left of Mei. ¡± When the time came to say goodbye, I was happy yet scared at the same time. We have agreed not to participate in this any longer, but here we are right back on it again. The possible implications of these actions were serious, and I kept on thinking about them all the time. ¡°Zoe,¡± I said, grasping her arm before she could leave. I said ¡°Thank you for trusting me. But as of now, you, too, could be in danger. Is that what you want?¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Her eyes locked with mine with the same intensity with which our fighters fought for their victory. ¡°Yes, I am sure. For Mei, I would do anything. ¡± We watched her walk away as we waited for the consequences of this new partnership to sink in. ¡°Now, what?¡± Chase whispered dangerously. I felt the tension; gripping Mei¡¯s notebook tightly in my hand. ¡°Now we rise, and go back to war. This time isn¡¯t merely for ourselves. This time is for Mei and for however many like her. ¡± When we turned back in the direction of the house, I saw something shiny that looked like metal. I nced up at the school building that sat directly behind us. There I saw a silhouette on the roof and then it vanished out of sight suddenly. My blood ran cold. ¡°Chase,¡± I said in very low tone, ¡°I believe that we are being spied upon¡±. His cheeks turned white as he studied what I was looking at. ¡°Are you thinking it is one of the men from the group?¡± I could not respond to that before my mobile phone began ringing in my pocket. With trembling hands, I pulled it out and saw a text from an unknown number. With trembling hands, I pulled it out and saw a text from an unknown number: ¡°Clever creatures, are you? I just hope you are not back to your regr ways. Because you know, too much curiosity draws death like it happened to a cat. You do fancy yourself as the creature of wisdom, but he who feeds on dead men¡¯s bones, would you pick the next card right?¡± As an attachment, I had a picture which could have stopped my heart a perfectly clear shot of all three of us under the oak tree, taken only a few moments earlier. I stared into Chase¡¯s face and said, I looked up worriedly, Every human heart holds a secret in it. This ount brings a very insightful thought to life by highlighting this question, ¡°What have we gotten ourselves into?¡± CHAPTER 62: A Hard Choice When we sobered up and thought about what we were going to do, we had to help Zoe, which would make it nearly impossible to turn back. The new ying field, the new round in the age-old conflict had just begun, and the tensions were higher than before. And somewhere out there, The Raven was waiting for us to take the next step. Speaking about the episode that shocked Chase and me, it is necessary to mention the information concerning Agent Harris. For days we get through our lives in a haze where every sudden noise and every conversation has us on edge. They say that when you hear the fluttering of a raven, you will die; the presence of The Raven cast a shadow over everything so that we could not give it our full attention. I remember we were at our regr table in the school¡¯s cafeteria, trying to make the best of cafeteria lunch, which for the most part neither of us was very fond of, when Zoe joined us. Zoe was a rather quite girl in our ss, a person who we never took our time to notice in the past. But as she poses today, there is a determined look in her eyes which causes both of us to sit up straighter. ¡°I have to discuss something with you,¡± she whispered, looking around as though there were eavesdroppers all over the ce. There was a pause for a moment ¡°No not here I think we can after school. It is quite urgent. ¡± I nced at Chase and averted my gaze back to the table in front of me. Given all that we had been through, any approach other than a direct one made our gum¡¯s teal. However, it felt like there was something wrong with the way she behaved, so there was something in Zoe¡¯s demeanor that even made us stop. ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± I asked and was rather surprised. My voice was steady. She leaned in closer. She was obviously in a world of hown, ¡®It¡¯s about The Raven,¡¯ she whispered. ¡°Sorry to cut in, but I heard something which can be useful to you. ¡± My heart beat faster before I thought of it. They didn¡¯t look happy. Why was she aware of our engagement? Did The Raven send her? Or was this an actual disy of the altruism that is presented in this show? ¡°Lets meet at the swings in Westside park besides the Gym at 4,¡± Mia dered while standing up, which we could not say yes because. ¡°Come alone. ¡± After she left, Chase and I remained seated and wordless. That there could be new information, frankly speaking, was tempting, but the stakes were high. ¡°Well¡­ What do you think?¡± I heard Chase whispering. I shook my head. ¡°I do not know. It seems like a trap, but¡­ ¡°But if it¡¯s not, we can¡¯t afford to ignore it. ¡± I added, knowing this was certainly true for the team. The rest of the school day felt like hours thinking and wondering what might happen next. All this debate could go on for the entire day as we were yet to make any decision once thest bell was heard. ¡°Perhaps, we should inform Agent Harris,¡± I said this as we were walking back home. They wereing out nervously from my mouth, realizing what we had witnessed.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chase¡¯s face darkened. ¡°After what we saw? How can we trust him?¡± ¡°But if we don¡¯t tell him, and this turns out to be something big, we¡¯re right back where we started keeping secrets and getting in over our heads,¡± I argued. We went back and forth like this for hours, weighing the pros and cons of each option. Trusting Zoe could lead us into another of The Raven¡¯s traps, potentially endangering not just ourselves but our families. But if her information was genuine, it could be the break we desperately needed. On the other hand, involving Agent Harris felt like a betrayal of everything we¡¯d been through. The memory of him epting that envelope in the alley haunted me. But he was still our best link to official channels, and if we were ever going to bring The Raven down, we¡¯d need that kind of support. As the clock ticked closer to 4, the pressure to make a decision mounted. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time,¡± Chase said, pacing back and forth in my room. ¡°If we¡¯re going to meet Mia, we need to leave now.¡± I chewed my lip, torn between curiosity and caution. ¡°What if we split up?¡± I suggested suddenly. ¡°One of us meets Zoe, the other talks to Agent Harris. That way, we¡¯re covering all our bases.¡± Chase considered this for a moment, then nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s risky, but it might be our best option. I¡¯ll meet Zoe. You talk to Harris.¡± My stomach churned at the thought of facing Agent Harris alone, knowing what we¡¯d seen. But I knew Chase was right of the two of us, he was better equipped to handle a potential trap. We quickly hashed out a n. Chase would meet Zoe at the yground, while I would call Agent Harris and arrange to meet him at a public cafe. We¡¯d both keep our phones on and ready to send an SOS if anything went wrong. At the end of the day, before we parted ways, Chase embraced me and held me tightly. ¡°Be careful,¡± he whispered. Harris was thest person I expected to be in a position of power over her, but he¡¯d be important in helping her escape if she needed to. ¡°Hey Bri ¡­ if you ever feel ufortable around Harris, if something doesn¡¯t feel right a-tall, run away, do you hear me?¡± I just nodded my head and couldn¡¯t help feeling my throat choked up. ¡°You too, sir!¡± Il urged him warmly, her eyes reflecting the concern she felt when saying those words. More to that, we changed our positions and left each other to head back to our intended goals. It took me ages to get to the cafe where I was to meet Agent Harris; something that seemed like an eternity to me. Each car that went past made me jump; each dark street a possible ce to hide one of The Raven¡¯s thugs. Finally, I got there and there sitting at a corner table was Harris with two cups of coffee. I realized he had more bags under his eyes than any other man I had met, and the skin around his mouth seemed to be pulled in a little too much. ¡°Brianna,¡± he said as I joined him: ¡°Honestly, I never expected that you were going to call me back, and I have to say that we have decided that you have to leave this investigation alone. ¡± I inhaled deeply to prepare myself for what I knew wasing. ¡°Well, I have to go,¡± was what I managed toe up. ¡°We received some tips regarding The Raven. ¡± Harris¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Who Information?¡± ¡°What kind of information?¡± I paused for a moment, trying to mentally analyze his features and determining if he was telling the truth or not. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you that until you answer something for me first, Agent Harris. ¡± I typed out carefully, ¡°Are you working with The Raven?¡± The question floated in the space between us, full of suggestion lies. Harris¡¯s face went from surprise, to anger, and¡­ was that relief? ¡°Brianna,¡± he whispered while making sure his threatening tone wasing through. ¡°Listen to me very carefully, the situation is far worse than you think, there are things happening, and I can¡¯t exin them to you right now, but I swear that everything I¡¯ve done has been towards the aim of dismantling The Phoenix Organization. ¡± My mind raced, trying to reconcile his words with what we¡¯d seen. ¡°But we saw you,¡± I blurted out. ¡°In the alley. You took money from one of his men.¡± Harris closed his eyes for a moment, looking pained. ¡°What you saw¡­ it wasn¡¯t what it looked like. I¡¯m operating deep undercover, Brianna. Sometimes that means doing things that look questionable from the outside. But I swear to you, I¡¯m not corrupt. I¡¯m not working for The Raven.¡± I wanted to believe him. Everything in me wanted to trust that the man who had been our ally from the beginning was still on our side. But The Raven¡¯s warnings echoed in my head, reminding me of the stakes if we made the wrong choice. ¡°I want to believe you,¡± I said finally. ¡°But after everything that¡¯s happened¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can.¡± Harris leaned forward, his eyes intense. ¡°Then let me prove it to you. Tell me about this person who approached you. Let me help you verify their information. If it checks out, it could be the break we¡¯ve been waiting for.¡± As I opened my mouth to respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket. My heart leapt into my throat as I pulled it out, expecting to see an SOS from Chase. Instead, it was a message from an unknown number: ¡°Your friend is very trusting, little bird. Perhaps too trusting. Tick tock. Time to choose a side.¡± Attached was a photo that made my blood run cold Chase, sitting on a swing in Westside Park, deep in conversation with Zoe. And lurking in the background, partially hidden behind a tree, was a figure in a dark suit, watching them. I looked up at Agent Harris, my mind spinning. The choice before me felt impossible. Trust Harris and potentially walk into a trap? Or keep the information to myself and potentially miss our only chance to bring The Raven down? As Harris watched me expectantly, waiting for my decision, I realized with a sinking feeling that whatever choice I made in the next few moments could change everything for better or for worse. CHAPTER 63: One Man Down In particr, the days that followed our meeting with Zoe were a rather indistinctbination of secret work and increasing nervous tension. When Chase and I moved back to my house, we took over my basement and set up shop, so to speak, for another hunt. The Curriculum walls were decorated by various maps, timelines and pieces of information linked by the red string hanging from the ceiling and growing thicker every day. Hidden in the middle of all these was Zoe¡¯s notebook. We¡¯d spent hours staring at the bizarre symbols present in the text, which looked like arrays of randombinations of numbers and letters. Together with the badly done sketches of constetions, which were as iprehensible to us as before, no matter how much we frustrated ourselves. Chase threw the pen on the table with annoyance, ¡°This is useless, we are never going to make it¡±. More than 3 hours had been spent on the search, and it was gradually getting to our nerves. ¡°Perhaps, the whole thing is a myth. As in, there is no code at all, and all that we are reading are the words of a frightened girl. ¡± I closed my eyes and vigorously shook my head; there was no way I could stop now. ¡°No, there is something here; we just can¡¯t see it yet. ¡± I looked down to the notebook; it was filled with random writing now tucked under my arm I had turned the pages many times before. I followed suit and a small slip of paper fell to the floor. Chase lowered himself down to pick it up and scrunched his face as he looked at the piece of paper. ¡°Hi Bri, got this new phenomenon: I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve witnessed this one before. ¡± I took my seat and realized that he was right. My heart began to race as I listened to him. The paper was covered in the same messy handwriting as the rest of the notebook, but this message was clear: ¡°The n is set for the night of the blood moon The Raven flies. ¡± ¡°The blood moon,¡± I whispered that one word, feeling a wave of coldness spread out from my spine. I guess that has to be important. Chase was already on theputer, typing at great speed on it. After thinking for a while, he blurted out, ¡°There is a lunar eclipse ahead¡±. ¡°They sometimes refer to it as the ¡®blood moon¡¯ given the red hue on it is seen; the urrence is about one week and a few days from now. ¡± I felt an adrenaline rush . This was it our first real lead since we had resumed the operation of our investigation. ¡°The constetion drawings,¡± I spoke out, more to break the silence, than out of any other impulse. ¡°Perhaps this is not a set of stars randomly selected like in most constetions. What if these stars are actually pointing at something?¡± So we submerged ourselves into the notebook again and spent time studying every single drawing carefully. This pattern was discovered as we surfaced and started to coborate on the task. Little did we know that the ¡®stars¡¯ were not stars by any manner of means, but destinations. Specific ces around the city that we had previously pinpointed as strong points for The Raven and the Phoenix Organization to be functioning from. ¡®Hey, let me show you why ?¡¯ said Chase and indicated one of the drawings. ¡°This one here, it¡¯s different from the others. For example just look here at this ¡®star¡¯. It is bigger, or, I would say, it is more emphasized. ¡± I put on a fascinated look on my face and kept fixed on my position as my heart was pounding. He was right. But as soon as I looked closer I could see why I had thought that I had already seen it before. Chase, that is the wreck of the old observatory which is located which is on the outskirts of the town and has not been operative for quite a long time. We looked at each other with a drawing sense ofprehension. The observation would give a clear view of the lunar eclipse to avoid cloudy and hazy background urrences. And its position ensured that it was out of sight and thus a perfect ce for secret meetings. ¡°This has to be,¡± I could barely whisper in thest words. ¡°However, whatever n is in store for The Raven, it is going to happen at the observatory on the night of the eclipse. He nodded, seeing on his face both excitement and anxiety at the same time. ¡°However, what does he have in mind? And how does Zoe now turn into a part of all of this? With that, we spent several hours reviewing all the materials collected so far in search of clues linking them to the observatory or the uing eclipse. While doing all this, a conclusive picture that was so cold was being depicted. ¡°Look at this¡±, I told him while showing him a series of the shipping manifests we managed to find. ¡°Chemical deliveries to firms we believe are fronts for The Raven have skyrocketed. And these parts¡­ , Chase, I believe that they have received all theponents necessary to assemble a bomb. ¡± Chase¡¯s face paled. ¡°A bomb? Where and why and what did he hope to gain for himself out of that wicked act?¡± In response to his words, I nodded my head and at once my thoughts were in a whirl. ¡°I have no idea, but whatever it is, it¡¯s huge. And I believe¡­ I believe Zoe got wind of it in one way or the other. That¡¯s where her cousin went missing from. ¡± Then we were all silent for a few moments and the reality of what we had found sank in. This was far bigger than what we had envisioned, at least as we had brainstormed with our imagination. The Raven was not only some kind of criminal genius, no, he was a terrorist nning a possibly devastating event. ¡°We have to stop him,¡± Chase said, the words that were ringing repeatedly in Chase¡¯s head filled with determination. ¡°But how? We can¡¯t go to the police, not after they cover up what we saw with Agent Harris. ¡± I nodded, recalling the secret conversation we had just observed. ¡°And we cannot afford to alert The Raven to the fact that we are aware of it. Both of them seem to be observing us too closely. ¡± For hours, we debated on what we were going to do, envisioning the possible consequences of our choice. It must be mentioned that the night was spent crawling through a basement, and so, as the light inside grew brighter and the first rays of sunlight prated the basement¡¯s windows, we made the decision. ¡°We will have to do this ourselves,¡± I replied, fired up after so many hours of arguing. ¡°We will sit in the observatory and try to gather as much evidence as possible, then we will try to stop whatever The Raven ns on doing. By going to the higher authority¡± Chase agreed, maybe it was the determination of someone who was fully aware that there was no way out, he was going to go for it. ¡°It is dangerous but there seems to be no other way round it, and we cannot afford to sit back and let him go about killing people. ¡± As we started to n how we were going to carry out the stake out, my phone chimed of an iing text message. It was from Harris: The message read ¡°Emergency must see you immediately, you have toe to the park in the next 20 min withoutpany. ¡± I shared the message with Chase but this time a strange anxious feeling was knotting my stomach. I asked him ¡®What do you think, should I trust him?¡¯ Chase hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It could be a trap. But if he really wants to show me something new¡­¡± I made a decision. ¡°I¡¯ll go. But you should stay here and continue to work on our n. If I don¡¯t return within one hour, consider that something happened to me. ¡± The scowling look on Chase¡¯s face said that he would have preferred to argue, but he simply nodded. ¡°Careful, Bri these guys are not joking, you and I are in this deep, and we cannot afford to screw up. ¡± I stood in the basement not quite sure what to expect, but my heart was palpitating with lots of imaginations. Even as I strolled to the park, I had a strange feeling and I felt that I was being followed. It was a cold wind, which only seemed to blow danger in every whisper of the leaves in the passing car. When I got to the park it was empty; the moisture on the green gave a creepy touch to the normally recognizable environment. I immediately turned my gaze around searching for any sign of Zoe. ¡°Bri. ¡± At hearing my name I whirled round, my heart in my mouth. But as I opened the door and looked into the darkness, she was not the one who stood before me. It was Agent Harris frowning and looking intense with his hand ced over the revolver holstered at his side. ¡®Let¡¯s talk,¡¯ he whispered, aroused in a manner that told me things were serious, and he needed to tell me something about them. ¡°There isn¡¯t much time. ¡± I was standing there, unable to do anything, stunned and confused, while my mind was going through a hundred questions at the speed of light. Was this a trap? Had Agent Harris been a part of The Raven team from the start? Or maybe he was here with the intention of helping us? I had not yet the chance to decide what my reply would be, when a clear snap went through the park. Both of Agent Harris¡¯s eyes went wide with a sense of surprise, and he nearly tripped forward. When he pulled his hands away from his chest, I noticed the growing red stain on his back. About a mile away a solitary form emerged momentarily from the thickening vapors which obscured the vast in, and clutched at a great, bronzed and flint-lock musket. And beside Agent Harris¡¯s hand, which was outstretched as if to grasp at something just beyond his reach, was a USB drive that was as enigmatic as the man lying on the floor in front of me. When I heard the first scream of the sirens in the distance, I sensed an increasing sense of dread and felt that icy feeling thates with the moment when there is no possible way to justify someone¡¯s murder and no way to avoid getting caught. It was a break, ugly and bloody, but however terrible the price was paid, we had it, and now I had to make the choice. Lose our best chance to stop The Raven¡¯s n, and run for our lives? Or to just wait for me to be wrapped in a murder I had nothing to do with? Time was drawing near, and it was only a matter of a few seconds for me to make the decision.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. CHAPTER 64: Tick Tok There can be no denying that my heart was racing in my chest when I looked at the lifeless form of Agent Harris with the USB drive in his hand. The sound of screeching tires was increasing; the police were on their way to the park. This was not an easy feat, taking into consideration that time stood still even as I struggled with which part of the equation I should throw away. My hands shook, and I took the USB drive and put it in my pocket. Whatever was in it, had clearly meant enough to Harris to die with the information on his lips. I could not let that go to waste. When I stood, I heard the sound of a branch breaking behind me, which caused me to spin around hoping to see the silhouette of the man behind the shot. But before I could reach him, for fear of his advances, I made drastic eye-contact with a jogging gentleman who was happenstance passing that area. Her eyes opened in shock as she looked at the body and then at me. ¡®I. . . I didn¡¯t. . . ¡® I began, only to be interrupted by her reaching for her phone and walking backwards at the same time. That decided it. I couldn¡¯t stay. Taking onest look at Agent Harris, I bolted and began sprinting away from the spot, my shoes hitting the ground with haste on the wet grass. I breathed heavily and continued running in the backstreets and the bynes, to ensure that anyone following me was well confused. When I dared myself to put on the brakes, it was in what I realized was the middle city, my clothes sticky with sweat, morning mist and dew. My phone vibrated nonstop in my pocket, My phone was ringing in my pocket. It was Chase, surely wondering why I had note back, or given a sign of life. As I took my hands to take it out, they were shaking. I opened it to realize that there were countless missed calls and messages.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Where are you? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Bri, please respond I am concerned. ¡± He said, ¡°Hey, there is a shooting in the park on the news, I hope you are alright. ¡± The tension was unbearable, So I inhaled deeply before calling him back. The moment he answered, I immediately began to speak rapidly as I recounted all the events that led to the situation. ¡°Oh my God,¡± Chase said atst when I did not continue the reading. ¡°Bri,e back right now, it is dangerous out here. ¡± I jerked my head, which he could not observe, ¡°No, I can¡¯t. Any police force will be on the lookout for me. And so, I have no other option but to go into hiding for some time. ¡± ¡®But where will you go?¡¯ I stood there for a few seconds, contemting the few choices that we had. ¡°Zoe,¡± I said finally. ¡°I will go to Zoe¡¯s house. I do not think that the police will go there to search for us. Yes, maybe she will know what is on this USB drive. ¡± Saying reluctantly, Chase agreed, and we scheduled a get-together at Zoe¡¯s home in the evening. And so I hung up the phone. I had the feeling that we were heading for a situation where we would not be able to reverse our decisions. The problem of reaching Zoe¡¯s house inconspicuously posed a lot of challenges. There were police officers in patrol cars around everywhere as people had heard about the shooting. I followed the directions and walked through the backstreets and the alleys, a sound of the police car siren making my heart pound in my ears. By the time I got to Zoe¡¯s I waspletely done in; I was even close to crying! She got up and opened the door with a rude shock that turned to worry on her face. ¡°Bri? What is it? Any did you look so upset?¡± I stepped into her apartment and reluctantlyid down on her couch as the reality of the morning¡¯s events met me head on; I told her everything from the shooting, the USB drive I took and ran away from the scene. Zoe listened with growing horror; her face had gone as white as milk. ¡°Oh, Bri,¡± she only said, when I was done. From now on I thought, ¡°What have you gotten yourself into?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know!¡¯ I responded, feeling my eyes tearing up. ¡°But I believe what this has on it may help us solve it But do you have aputer I can download this on?¡± Zoe was understanding, hence I followed her to her bedroom, which had aptop on the desk. I took the USB drive in my shaky hands and put it in ordingly. One folder appeared, which included a number of files in cipher. ¡°Great,¡± I muttered. ¡°Now what?¡± But as I scrolled along the files, one of the folder names piqued my curiosity. It was not the same as it and was a in text file headed ¡®READ THIS¡¯ or something of that nature. I opened it, and a chill ran down my spine as I read the contents. I opened it, and a chill ran down my spine as I read the contents: To whom it may concern contents: If you are reading these, then I am most likely dead. The scales have fallen from my eyes and the corruption runs deeper than anyone can imagine. Do not trust anyone. Do not let your guard down. The key to stopping The Raven lies in the rest of these files. The password to unlock it is the date in which we first met little detective Good luck you are going to need it , Harris Zoe stood by me and was reading what I-types had written over my shoulder, her eyes popping out. She asked, Bri, what is the meaning of this?¡¯ was Agent Harris with you all the time?¡¯ I slowly nodded my head, understanding as things started to make sense in my mind. ¡®Yeah, probably he wanted to save us, to shield us from danger as he went undercover to do the investigation. And now . .¡¯ ¡°Now it¡¯s up to us,¡± Zoe said, thest part with convexity indicating a firm determined spirit. The rest of the evening we invested to break the lock from the rest of the files, and apparently, the password we used was the date of first meeting Chase & I with Harris. Gradually, a picture was pieced together one that was even more terrible than we had initially envisaged. The Raven wasn¡¯t just nning one bombing at a time. He was nning a war in the city which was divided into sequences of attacks that were going to happen during the night of the lunar eclipse. The observatory was a part of a much bigger n. ¡°This is crazy,¡± sighed Zoe as we scanned through the papers. Its a global problem, so she asked, ¡®How are we supposed to stop something like this?¡¯ I was yet to reply to him when there was a loud knock on the front door of the house. We stared at each other in shock and our face reflected the intense fear that we felt at that time. ¡®Hey Zoe¡­Are you home¡¯ said a man in an unusually deep voice probably a stranger to this new environment. There¡¯s five minutes of silence before I hear a voice answer, ¡°Hello? Yes, this is Detective Reeves from the police department. We¡¯d like to ask you a few questions¡± I say this foolishly as my heart was in my throat. But how had they located me in such a short space of time? I saw Zoe make a signal to me to lie down and then she went to open the door. I was hiding in her closet cing my hands on the floor to support myself, she made me jump when I heard whispers on the living room. ¡®They want my ssmate, Brianna,¡¯ I heard the second detective Reeves, I think, say. ¡°They suspect she is involved in a shooting incident this morning They are asking anyone who has seen her to report to the police. ¡± ¡°N-no,¡± Zoe stammered. ¡°Where is Bri, I have not seen her for days Is everything okay with her?¡± I could sense the detective being sceptical and the best indication for this was the momentary silence that followed. ¡°If she contacts you, we¡¯d like to speak with her also, please call us as soon. ¡± I heard the front door shut and quickly racing bare feet back to the bedroom was Zoe. ¡°They are gone,¡± she murmured as I came out of the closet. But Bri, what are we going to do? They¡¯re looking every where for you¡± I¡¯d just stood there with a stunned look on my face, but now I just looked nervously around and ran a hand through my head of hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know but we can¡¯t afford to stop here we have to prevent people from falling for The Raven¡¯s n. ¡± Just then, my phone buzzed with a text from Chase: ¡°It will take me 10 minutes to get there¡±: The phrase was perfect for me to use when responding to people that needed my presence at their workces or at any other ce that they found convenient to call or text me to. The relief washed over me like a tidal wave, which meant that with Chase here and maybe with his help there was something we could do. However, with time and time again, as the minutes went by Chase was still a no-show. It took ten minutes, and then it was twenty, and then thirty. When I called, nobody picked up all my calls and went to voicemail. A sense of uneasiness started creeping into my belly, a feeling that was new to me. Something was wrong. Very wrong. And, as if it was in response to a signal, my phone bleeped, as did the phone in Zoe¡¯s hand, which I presumed belonged to Zoe. It was from an unknown number, but I knew instantly who it was from. It was from an unknown number, but I knew instantly who it was from: ¡°Tick Tock, little birds. Your time is ticking away as is his. Do you wish to make a trade now?¡± The photo that was attached was chilling; Chase was tied to a strip and gagged, and you could even see the fear in his eyes. Going back, I had a mere glimpse of the top of the old dome of the observatory to the left of the theatre. The Raven had Chase. And now, with the lunar eclipse only a few days away we have had to establish strict deadlines not only to save him, but maybe the whole city. As Zoe and I stared at each other in horror, the weight of our situation crashing down upon us, one thing became crystal clear: Whether we act now or tomorrow, we could be putting ourselves in a position where Chase and loads of other innocent people could lose their lives. CHAPTER 65: Race Against Time The room spun around as I examined the picture of Chase, maltreated and handcuffed. He makes me shake in my boots, or in my case, my hands trembled so hard carrying the phone almost slipped off my hands. Beside me, Zoe¡¯s face had turned pale. ¡°Oh my God,¡± she said softly. It was seeing everything in a thought-provoking way that I finally blurted out, ¡°What are we going to do?¡± I had to calm myself down or simply try to breathe, for there was no sense in getting hysterical just then; more than anything else, that was what I felt like doing. No, not with Chase¡¯s life on the line and, on top of that, the entire city in danger. ¡°We need to think,¡± I said, my voice somewhat calmingpared to the inside of my head. When The Raven says he wants to make a deal, then there is something that he wants and we have it. Zoe nodded slowly. ¡°The USB drive. The information which Harris gave to you. ¡± ¡°Precisely. But you cannot just give it to him. Not when it can be used to prevent him from going through with it. ¡± The next hour was spent in scrutiny of the files we had been able to decipher in the hope of finding something that was useful to us. The deeper we went, the more terrible The Raven¡¯s n looked like.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. It is perhaps ironic that while he was nning the bombs to be detonated, it was not going to be just those. It was chemical weapons, synchronized cyberattacks on infrastructures, and an borate n on how to disrupt the city emergency services. Zoe sighed, ¡°Bri, this is crazy,¡± she said more to herself as she rubbed her eyes. ¡°How are we supposed to stop all of it?¡± I had barely finished my words when my phone rang for the second time. Another message from The Raven ¡°I have underestimated you, but not anymore. Tick tick tick little birds. Deliver the USB drive to the observatory tonight at midnight sharp alone, otherwise, your friend will be the one who wille back in a body bag. ¡± Also included was another picture of Chase with a gun pointed at his head at the temple. My heart was streaming in my throat. ¡°We have to go,¡± I told Zoe as I started putting on my jacket. Zoe grabbed my arm. ¡®Bri, stop,¡¯ she said, ¡®too early to attack them, it is clearly a trap. ¡® ¡°I know,¡± I echoed, trying my best to hide my fear. ¡°But what do we do then? We can¡¯t allow them to harm Chase. ¡± Finally, Zoe was speechless for a while with her face revealing she was deep in thinking. There is a question I have always pondered upon, and it goes like, ¡°What if¡­ what if we could be in two ces at once?¡± I lifted my eyebrows inquisitively as I looked at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, one person can go to the observatory with a fake USB, and the other ¨C with real data to someone, for example, that detective who arrived a little earlier?¡± In one way or another, it was a high risk, but it was just the best we coulde up with. We then proceeded to spend the next few hours copying random data onto a sh drive and staring at blueprints and any other information that could be found online about the observatory. Thus, as the due time approached, we got all set up. While the real USB was in Zoe¡¯s hand, I would go to the observatory. Both of us understood the risks with which we were dealing, but it was impossible to stop at this point. ¡°Be careful,¡± was thest thing Zoe was able to say before we bid each other farewell, her vocal tone filled with sorrow. I just simply managed to give a nod as my throat felt tight, and I stopped breathing for a second from the shock that I could no longer find proper words to say. Every one of us understood that it was possible that this was the final meeting . The journey to the observatory was something which was filled with constant apprehension. In the darkness, every pitch ck car seemed to pose some sort of threat. I slowed as I entered the vicinity of the towering building with a gigantic dome that could be seen even by night and at a moment, my heart felt like it would burst in my chest. I went there in the evening and there was no car in the parking lot. All I heard was the sound of my shoe hitting the gravel of the tarmac as I walked towards the entrance. I gently opened the door and stepped into the office, where the lobby was dim, full of dust and debris all over the ce. ¡°Hello?¡± I asked, my voice entered the area and bounced off the walls. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± ¡°I brought what you asked for. ¡± It was so quiet for what could have been a full minute. Then, there appeared a person-albeit a sort of shadowy figure. Super evolved syd slims is basically a tall and skinny man, he wears ck clothes from head to toe and his face is hidden behind the ck mask. But then I focused on his eyes; it was difficult to read what was going on inside him, but the glint in his eyes was anything but warm; they were those of a hunter who had locked onto his target. ¡°The USB drive,¡± he repeated, his voice so low and rough as if he hadn¡¯t used it in weeks. ¡°Hand it over. ¡± So I took out the decoy and raised it up for them to see and the four of them held their breath. ¡°Not until I see Chase alive,¡± I demanded, since there was no way to be sure that he even existed beyond a name on a piece of paper. The man red at me before acknowledging someone behind me and Chase was practically pulled into the room, tied and gagged. His face was swollen, and he appeared to be weak, but I saw joy in his eyes when he looked at me. ¡°Chase!¡± I called out with a step forward in his direction. ¡°Ah, ah,¡± said the first man, threatening the others with a gun. ¡°The drive first. ¡± I extended the USB drive, but I could barely hold it because of the shaking. I noticed something outside the corner of my eye as the man stretched to grab it. Chase had somehow twisted around and freed his right hand, and he was signaling behind the back of one of the men holding him. As they dragged me, I cracked up and decided. I chucked the drive at the leader¡¯s face and rolled to the side while Chase swung at one of his guards, causing him to stagger back. Chaos erupted. A couple of gunshots sounded and reverberated obnoxiously in the confined area. I had the presence of mind to seek cover behind arge disy case which was knocked over and as the bullets whizzed past I was hit by the raw terror of the situation. Amidst the dust, I realized some of the masked men were attacking Chase, and they were fighting. ¡°Run!¡± he shouted finally, and his voice did sound quite raspy. ¡°Bri, you get out of here,¡± But I couldn¡¯t leave him, not again. I searched about frantically for something, maybe just something to defend myself with. My right hand searched for a stump of metal and my fingers tightened on it. At that moment, the screams and cries for help were joined by another sound; the wail of police cars, getting nearer and nearer. The men shuffled back, wearing grill-like masks and turned to stare at each other with wide, horrified eyes. ¡®You mean that¡¯s not part of the job?¡¯ asked another as one of them shouted ¡®It¡¯s a setup!¡¯ These words, inbination with the roars of the angry crowd pursuing him, shocked him to the core- ¡°We¡¯ve got to get out of here!¡± They rushed towards the door, making Chase follow them before struggling. I was rising to my feet, even prepared to chase after the guy, when a hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder. Turning on my heels, prepared to clock whoever had dared intrude my space, I came face to face with Detective Reeves. Easy there,¡± he said, his tone was deep and scratchy, but there was no hostility in it. ¡°Go and find a safe zone to rest in. You¡¯ve yed the hero for one night. ¡± Then, as even more officers entered the building, I sank with relief. It was over. We were safe. But then I looked at the face of Detective Reeves and immediately my heart sank deep into my stomach. ¡°Sorry, Brianna,¡± he said, and brandished a pair of handcuffs. ¡°But you are under arrest for the murder of Agent Harris,¡± Reeves replied. While reading the Miranda warning I felt a whirlwind going round my head. This can¡¯t be happening. No, not now, not when we were so close to exposing the facts. ¡°Wait,¡± I said desperately. ¡°Oh you know nothing. The Raven is up to something big. We have evidence that Zoe has the USB stick with all the records. ¡± Detective Reeves stopped as he tried to read the expression on my face, saying, ¡°What USB drive? We took your friend Zoe one hour ago. She had nothing on her. ¡± My heart dropped as I realized what this was saying to me: if Zoe had been arrested then the real USB was no longer in my possession. And with such evidence missing, how was it possible to nail the ns of The Raven? Thinking this, handcuffed, I was led out of the observatory deep in my thoughts. Out there, The Raven roamed as a man who plots to keep their ns alive and roams for the right time to execute them. But now, with both Chase and me arrested, there was no one to portray the brakes to his rampage. The future of this city was uncertain and time was fast running out for the people who lived there as well as the whole world. In the rearview mirror I saw the police car driving off, and I knew that this wasn¡¯t the end, no not by a long shot, this was only the beginning of something infinitely more terrible. CHAPTER 66 : Legal Maneuvers The dim lighting of the room and the walls of the small space were prating deep into my feelings, along with the feeling of a heartbeat in my ears. It felt like I had been handcuffed, and I hadn¡¯t even realized until now that my wrists were painful where the cuffs had been only moments before. The urrences of thest few hours were spinning in my head like a roulette wheel and I still could not grasp what was truly happening. Detective Reeves disappeared from here nearly an hour ago, leaving me with nothing more than a brief round of questioning, which just served to enfeeble me further. I tried to tell him about The Raven, about the USB drive, about the danger of the city in the near future. The detective sighed at every word, but I knew disbelief was rising from his face with each word I said. Without proof, I was an illusion of the guilty party¡¯s hustle, making tales that no one wanted to listen to. The door of the interrogation room opened with a loud sound which snapped me out from my thoughts. I nced up thinking that perhaps Reeves wasing back in for his second round of drinking. Rather, my heart violently soared to my throat once I registered to enter the room with my parents alongside a ratherrge woman dressed in a formal ck and white business outfit. ¡°Mom? Dad?¡± I could barely say, my crying now drawing out a ragged sob at the end of each word. My mother began to run to me in what felt like slow motion, and it is not every day that you see your mother get this excited; the hug practically suffocated the air from my lungs. ¡°Oh sweetheart,¡± my mom mumbled, her lips trembling from anxiety. ¡°I¡¯m alright you know, they haven¡¯t harmed me. ¡± I put my head in the negative, my ability to cry threatened to surface. ¡°It¡¯s fine mom. ¡± She wiped her tears. ¡°It¡¯s okay, mom, I just¡­ I¡¯m sorry. ¡± My Father was standing a few steps behind me with that look on his face like he was trying his utmost to restrain his anger and deep-seated concern. ¡°They will find out the truth Bri,¡± he answered with low, decided tones. ¡°We always keep very close tabs on him and make sure he fits the right profile for this sort of thing. But I thought I warned you to stay away from this fight. This is not your fight, Bri. ¡± The woman in the suit looked at everyone and gestured towards her, an abrupt clearing of her throat. ¡°I am sorry to butt in,¡± she said politely but strictly, ¡°but actually, you do not have much time left before the detectives get back. My name is Evelyn Marsh, and your parents hired me as yourwyer. ¡± I nodded, still attempting to gather my mental equilibrium back in an effort to put my thoughts in the right order. Ms. Marsh nodded, and I could only stare at her and say, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Marsh. I¡­ I don¡¯t even know where to begin. ¡± ¡°Okay, let me begin with the simple things,¡± suggested Evelyn, and created a new file on her leather portfolio. ¡°Please let me know all the facts from the get-go and make sure not to spare even a single detail, even the one that you consider to be irrelevant. ¡± For the next half hour I talked telling my side of the story from the moment when I met Agent Harris to the horrible episode at the observatory. For some time, they remained simply silent, but their emotions gradually changed from surprise to despair when the entire scale of the problem became clear to them. When I finished, Evelyn leaned back in her chair, her forehead wrinkled, as she considered what I said. ¡°This is¡­ quite a story, Brianna, I won¡¯t lie to you with no USB drive or anything like that. It will be quite difficult to tell the police that you are innocent. ¡± ¡°But surely they can¡¯t just ignore all of this¡± my father said, angrily interrupting me. In reply: There must be something we could do. Evelyn put her hand up to stop me, ¡°Continue¡± she said with a look on her face that I could tell she was deep in thought. ¡°There might be some. The reason why I¡¯m asking this question is that you told me you have a friend named Zoe, and she was arrested earlier too. Have you been able to talk with her since then?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Oh, no, they have been keeping us apart. Now I don¡¯t even know where she is. ¡± ¡°Well that is the first step then,¡± Evelyn wrote in her portfolio. ¡°It is best if we talk to Zoe, cross your narratives and possibly find out what befell to that USB drive. We can try to back your story up that way . ¡± Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door, and we were detained in our conversation. In stepped Detective Reeves and his face automatically wore a stern look as he focused on the scene before him. ¡°I regret that I am going to have to ask all of you to move out,¡± he said in a very unfriendly manner. ¡°Interrogation of the suspect still has to go on. ¡± Evelyn got up straight for her towering frame to be seen. Detective Reeves paused at her response and then nodded and said, ¡°That will not be necessarydy. I am Evelyn Marsh, thewyer for Ms. Brianna and my client will not be answering any more questions without me. ¡± Reeves¡¯ eyes narrowed. I don¡¯t think you understand what you are dealing with here, counselor, this is a murder investigation. We have the right to questions to ask-¡± ¡°You are being informed that you have the right to request an interview,¡± Evelyn interrupted, ¡°which my client is not granting at this time. ¡± ¡°Additionally¡±, I added, ¡°I am hereby demanding a chance to talk to Zoe, who I understand is also in custody. They are co-defendants, and they should be able to speak with each other, if they wish to. ¡± The detective narrowed his eyes and stamped his foot, but he soon gave a short, stiff nod. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get this for you and, in the meantime, Brianna will be moved to a detention area. ¡± When two officers in uniforms came in to take me out, my mother grabbed my hand: she was crying. ¡°Don¡¯t worry sweetheart, we will sort this thing out soon,¡± It is another kind of soothing statement that one might give to ady. I simply nodded as I attempted to muster a smile. ¡°I will, Mom. I promise. ¡± As I was led down the corridor of my thoughts, the wheels began to spin in my head. The holding cell resembled a jail in a way; it was very cold, without any furniture except a bed and a small window with iron bars from which light entered the cell through a narrow opening in the ceiling. This was the first time I realized the gravity of the situation when the door mmed shut behind me. I found myself copsing on the cot and putting my face on my hands. How then did everything go wrong? Only a few days ago, I was like any other college-going student with concerns as basic as the next examination. Now I was in a cell, awaiting a murder trial while a lunatic nned the destruction of a great city. Days spent away from thefort of the house, each hour passing heavily, as if days. I walked back and forth in the limited space of my cell; my mind was tormented by concern for Chase, the rising fear for the city and the faint glimmer of hope that maybe Zoe would be able to tell something that could be useful. Last of all, the sound of footsteps rushing in the hallway brought me back from my worries. The cell door opened and standing across the prison¡¯s hall was Evelyn Marsh, her face void of any emotion. ¡°Come with me, Brianna,¡± she softly whispered. ¡°There¡¯s been a development. ¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. My adrenaline rushed as I trailed behind her to a small conference room. When we entered, I eximed `Wow¡¯ because of the pleasant surprise. I saw that Zoe was sitting at the table pale and thin, but she was alive, thank God. ¡°Bri!¡± she eximed, getting up and wrapping her arms around me before throwing me a powerful punch in the arm. ¡°Oh my God, I was so worried about you,¡± she said with a stic look and nervous giggling. ¡°I am fine,¡± I told her as I hugged her back as well. ¡°What happened? Were you able to give the USB drive to Detective Reeves?¡± Zoe looked disappointed. Then, with her head down, she shook it. ¡°I never got there. I was apprehended by some of The Raven¡¯s men on my way to the station. They took the drive, Bri. I am so sorry. ¡± My stomach dropped. ¡°Then we¡¯re nk. I can¡¯t find out anything that is going on behind the scenes. ¡± ¡°Almost,¡± said Evelyn, but she said it very carefully, as if she was still not convinced. ¡°Zoe, you remember I asked you what happened to the man who grabbed you?¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, Bri, one of the guys who attacked me I saw him clearly. It was that nasty cleaner, the one from our dorm, you know the one, the guy who always sneaked?¡± I frowned, thinking back. ¡°Lay off the old man!¡± I eximed in surprise, ¡°Mr. Finch? The old man with a limp?¡± Zoe nodded eagerly. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what she said, and he didn¡¯t limp when he attacked me. I don¡¯t know how to exin it. He seemed to move like a fighter or something. ¡± Evelyn angled towards her and scowled. ¡°This is good, girls. It¡¯s not proof , but it is a direction, something that the police will take seriously. If we can connect with this Mr. Finch to The Phoenix organization , then they will believe everything that you have been telling them. For the first time, I regained some hope that this nightmare would soon be over. ¡°Well,¡± I asked,ughing, ¡°now all we have to do is figure out what we want to do once we leave here. ¡± Evelyn remained standing, taking her papers. ¡°Now I am going to Detective Reeves with this new information. Hopefully, it will be enough for him to start searching in the right way. Meanwhile, you two have to try harder to remember anything you know about this Mr. Finch or any other person connected to The Raven. ¡° CHAPTER 67: A Costly Mistake The impossibly bright-colored lights of the police station conference room began to fade, and I wondered how long Zoe and I had been arguing over the finer details of anything we could remember about Mr. Finch or anyone else who might be connected to The Raven. My vocal cords were sore from holding conversations for several hours nonstop and my head ached with anxiety all the time. Hello Brianne,¡± Detective Reeves said, as he entered the room with all the calmness of a seasoned detective. Behind him attended Evelyn, and her eyes looked slightly triumphant. ¡°Ms. Zoe, Ms. Brianne,¡± Reeves said, his voice sounded rough but not harsh in any way. ¡°It seems we may owe you an apology. ¡± My heart leaped. ¡°You believe us?¡± Reeves stopped her using a hand gesture. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get too excited just yet though. ¡± I hesitated. ¡°But the details you gave me about this Mr Finch man were legit. We ran a check on him and discovered some. . . Peculiar associations. ¡± Evelyn moved to the front of the group, her tone business like. ¡®What Detective Reeves wanted to convey was that Mr. Finch, or should I say Samuel Finch, is not entirely on a clean te of his own, of course, but has indefinitely used numerous allies¡¯ connections to various criminal fraternities and uses skills that perfectly match whatever the Phoenix Organization have in ns. Zoe asked, ¡°So you¡¯re letting us go?¡± her hope was the most apparent thing in her tone. Reeves shook his head. ¡°No, you are still considered suspects in the current case,¡± he exined, gesturing to Zoe, ¡°but we are broadening that case. If just some of the things you have imed here are urate, then we are dealing with a risk to security. ¡± I sighed, and quickly remembered how we are not out of the woods yet, as it were. ¡°What about Chase?¡± I said. ¡°He is still outside being detained by The Raven¡¯s people. ¡± Central Command continued to monitor the feed. Reeves said, ¡®we have initiated an APB on Mr. Chase, every officer in the city is on alert¡± He paused and the only thing that tightened my stomach was the fact that I didn¡¯t know what he was going to say. It was fast bing apparent that time was running thin. At that particr time, a young officer who looked aggressive entered the room, full of excitement. ¡®The traffic cam has spotted a van that resembles one involved in the observatory attack,¡¯ the officer said, ¡®The van is heading towards the old industrial area. ¡® Reeves promptly rose to his feet as soon as those words were said. ¡®Okay, gather a team of five people, we will advance in five. ¡® When everyone in the room started boiling, I followed and stood up. ¡°We¡¯reing with you. ¡± Sign of the suit The detective turned; his face clouded with suspicion. ¡®No you are not. This is a police operation and, as you know, you are still detained. ¡® ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve had any experience with dealing with my clients, Detective, but I can assure you that they know the ins and outs of this case probably far better than any of us currently on this team¡±, Evelyn said calmly, ¡°Moreover, I do believe that the nature of information we are dealing with is much better protected if said clients are by our side¡±. The man hesitated for a few seconds and red at Reeves before the officer could say something in protest, he simply said yes. ¡°Okay. ¡± But you remain in themand vehicle at all times. Do you understand that¡±? We nodded vigorously, hopeful and anxious at the same time. Finally, we ¡®are¡¯ doing something. The following one became a series of events. Wearing bulletproof vests, Zoe and I were briefed on the work of police radio. Soon we were rocketing through the streets of the city, in an entourage formation of police cars with blinking lights but with no howling of sirens. When we were closer to the industrial district, silence fell all over the ce. The streets were empty of people, the factory buildings outside and tall, like prison watchtowers from what was left of the night. ¡°There,¡± Zoe indicated at an old damaged building which was a warehouse at the extreme end of the stretch. There was an old-fashioned van outside, which was consistent with the APB. Rawlings was startled and turning to Reeves, whose voice came over the radio, crackled. ¡°Move in everybody, we have a situation simr to a hostage-taking; let us be careful out there. ¡± In a sh, Reeves was on his feet. ¡®Organize a team now. We¡¯re moving in five. ¡® As the room stood up in a flurry, many forming into groups to discuss or argue about some issues, I also joined the mob. All of it was said with clear determination and Zoe blurred the words as she said to him, ¡°We¡¯reing with you. The detective looked at the stranger, his face turning into a scowl. ¡°Not at all. This is a police action, and you are still under arrest. ¡± ¡°If I may, Detective,¡± Evelyn spoke politely, ¡°my clients have unique insight into this case which they gained first hand and might be useful in the field. ¡± She shook her head. ¡°There is a lot of sensitive knowledge going around and if my clients are to act as the eyes and ears for whoever supports them they should be right next to it. ¡± Much to our delight, we were nodding our heads enthusiastically, and that relief and anticipation gushed through me. Finally, we were acting something. The following one was quite a ride of sorts. Bulletproof vests were ced on Zoe and me while we were exining how the police radios worked. Soon we were roaring through the streets of the city with police cars leading the way, but there was no loud wailing of sirens. I noticed that as we got closer to the industrial district of the city there was a rather creepy silence. The streets were empty, the factories seemed to be abandoned as they stood like ghosts during a shoot-out before the sibnt darkness of the morning. ¡°There,¡± Zoe whispered with her finger on the map positioned at the entrance of an old and abandoned warehouse. There was a in vani colored van in the parking lot of the said building, which matched the information given out by the police. Using the radio, Reeves said, ¡± ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s get inside, bear in mind, we kinda have a hostage situation on our hands here, be careful. ¡± This left me heaving as I observed the movement of the SWAT team, which moved like a well-oiled machine. From all sides, they moved to the warehouse with their weapons drawn. For a long time, nothing happened. With All Deliberate Speed: Then, as it were, the night threw to hurry up, recognizing that something terrible was beginning. Bursts of shots erupted from the windows of the warehouse: the gleam of the muzzles. The SWAT team fired back, while seeking shelter behind cars and several objects. Brianne, look! There was one somon she recognized. ¡± Zoe pointed at the figure which was moving from one obscure corner at the side of the building to another. A feeling of fear gripped me to the core as I stopped breathing for a second. It seemed to be the familiar face of a man of lean and athletic build, though I could never forget his name. ¡°Chase,¡± I whispered. I paused but gave reasons a second chance before my body could do the thinking for me, by stepping out of themand vehicle into the dark. ¡°Brianne, no!¡± Zoe whispered to her back, but I was already on the move, my legs were taking me quickly across the broken paths. I know how to bend and move around and use all kinds of distractions and smoke that the gun fight brought to me. My heart was pounding in my chest and I felt like I was being pulled in some kind of direction that told me to stop. But I couldn¡¯t. Not when Chase was so close. ¡® I turned the corner of the warehouse and could barely see in front of me with my hands clenched in fists. There that is, some thirty paces further on some signs of life flickered into existence. I started jogging and within a very short time I was within reach of him. ¡°Chase!¡± I eximed as my voice was drowned in the rity and persistence of gun shots. He swung around to face me, his face adorned with shock. ¡®Bri? What the f¡­ are you doing here?¡¯ I would have answered him, but before I knew it, a shadowy figure appeared from behind Chase. I was about to scream a warning, but I couldn¡¯t do it the moment had passed already. The figure raised an object and smashed it on to Chase¡¯s head, and he fell to the ground. I came to an abrupt halt, gulping down terror that I could easily identify the man leaning over Chase with a menacing look. It was from Mr. Finch, our resident cleaner from our dorms. But missing were the hunch and the shuffle into which we had transformed him when treatment was discontinued. He was the epitome of a viin; tall; dark, and dangerous; his lips curled in a half smile. ¡°Well, well,¡± he said, and his words, each one, was a growl. They had better be careful lest they run out of animals to study for experiments, as it was stated: ¡®Looks like we¡¯ve caught another little bird. ¡® He grabbed me from behind the neck as I attempted to turn and run and, just like the other times, I had nowhere to go. The smell of syrupy sweetness was in my nose, and I knew that a ck-out wasing. As consciousness slipped away, I heard Finch¡¯s voice, as if from a great distance: ¡°Both of them,¡± The Raven decided, ¡°The Raven wants to talk to these pests personally. ¡± Thest thing which opened my eyes was Chase lying still, which was being pulled away, and the worst thought was that I just messed up everything.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. * * * In a concrete fantasy of a distant city, there was a moment when, in the obscure basement, a man was sitting and spending his time before the numerous lines ofputer screens. Code numbers on the screens slipped and those were the tunes that were for destruction. The Raven smiled under the mask when thest phases of his n was in full implementation. Soon the city would catch fire and from the ashes would emerge another regime different from the previous one. It became quieter in the room, a soft ring interrupting his thoughts on the medium-sized screen in front of him. His smile widened as he read the iing message. ¡±Package aplished. Both targets were captured. Waiting for the next order. ¡± The Raven looked at Zoe and then leaned back, cing his fingers together in front of him. It was an imagination of his desires that could not be seen, but all was going on as he had nned it. Once again, the foolish girl and her friends believed that they could try and restrain him, but they had only served him right. To open a new window he typed a few keys. There was a count-down timer that came alive with some numbers blinking on it. 00:59:59 00:59:58 00:59:57 The Ravens¡¯ughter resonated within the walls of the bunker a high-pitched croaking sound that held no joy orpassion. ¡°Let the game begin,¡± he whispered loudly as the cityy sleeping above, unaware of the danger which was slowly counting down. Chapter 68: Awake In Darkness What I know is that the first thing I noticed was this constant banging on my head, the intensity of which felt as though my head was a rapidly beating drum. I attempted to open my eyes, but it seemed like my eyelids had be so heavy. Gradually, agonizingly, I struggled out of the depths into partial wakefulness. After some time, I was eventually able toe back to my senses. I was lying on a cold hard surface. The air was moist and stale around me with the crude smell of iron and the smell of water standing still for a long time. I snapped my eyes wide open, rubbing them a little as they tried to focus on the dimly lit room. I had awoken inside some, although surely not the only, form of subterranean chamber. With walls of bare concrete with the wear of the years in what seemed like a deserted building. Only one grimy bulb was hanging from the ceiling; this created an eerie light in the entire room with dark shades of shadow all over.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I attempted to move and something that was tied tightly around my wrists stopped me; I was tied to the chair. My ankles also were bound with what felt like zip ties around my wrists which were cutting into my skin and I wriggled on them. ¡°Bri? Are you awake?¡± The whispered voice gave me a sudden feeling of relief, ¡°Chase?¡± I whispered back, raising my head slightly to see Chase tied up a few feet away from me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He nodded, glowering through narrow eyes; the cut on his temple that Finch had given him was still bleeding, but the worst of the blood had dried up. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not exactly a surprise to me, I¡¯ve been better. Have you any idea where we are?¡± I shook my head, tensing at the pain that had just crossed my mind. It is about some kind of underground facility, as far as I understood. Chase, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m to me for all of this. I shouldn¡¯t have-¡± ¡°Hey,¡± he stopped me intervening politely, ¡°I am not ming you for this one way or the other, understand that we are in this together and. I will find a way out. ¡± Before I could reply to him, the sound of footsteps could be heard from the other side of probably a steel door at the end of the hall. They looked at each other with surprise and fear and as we opened the door we yed a loud saxophone. Mr. Finch entered the room next and two big dusky men dressed in in ck clothes apanied him. Missing from the scene was any of the pathetic cleaners that we had been ustomed to seeing. The young man was now on his feet and he walked like a panther, his eyes were lifeless as they nced at us. ¡°Good you¡¯re awake,¡± he said, which was nothing like the friendly tone we had during our meeting in the dorm. ¡°The Raven will be d to know you both. He has been expecting you . ¡± ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked, avoiding an angering tone as much as possible. We asked, agitated, ¡°What do you want with us?¡± Finch almost smiled cruelly as he worked the weapon in her hands. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it sweetheart, all in good time, darling. For now you are our insurance. You see, we might just need to get a little message delivered to your friends at the Police Department. ¡± With clenched teeth and looking truly pissed, Chase pulled on the ropes binding him. ¡°You¡¯ll never get out of it, the whole city is out searching for us. ¡± ¡°Oh I think we will¡± Finch answered, he was calm, almost nonchnt, as if he knew he had said something very profound. ¡°In fact, in less than an hour the city will have much bigger issues to bother about than two lost college students. ¡± That cold feeling got me at his words. Whatever was in The Raven¡¯s mind was set; it was going to happen soon. Having said this, Finch looked at his men. ¡°You bring them, I want them to know me, the boss. ¡± Course fingers pulled us up, and I had the impression that my shameful face was reasoned by the coarseness of my hands of an hour ago. I tried to walk but realizing that my legs were tied, I felt weak, and I actually tripped, but one of the men grabbed me to prevent me from falling. They pulled us up or rather frog-marched us out of the room, down a very long, poorly lit hallway. The deeper I went, I attempted tomit to memory where exactly we were, searching for any indicator that might help us determine where we were in the facility. But the passages were all identical the long corridor-like, concrete, well-like, endless tunnels. Atst, we got in front of the huge fully opened doors of the double one. Finch entered a code on the security pads and the doors opened up in a hushed manner. The room beyond seemed to be in total contrast with the other parts of the structure. Rows ofputer monitors were on the periphery of the room, and each of them showed constant streams of information and graphs. In the middle of the room, standing tall, was a figure that could only be described as The Raven himself. We saw a tall thin man who was wearing a brilliant ck suit which appeared to gulp light. His lower face was tightly bound by some sort of mask so that only his eyes were visible eyes that had a very smart and menacing look on them as they stared at Chase and at me. ¡°Wee,¡± The Raven said. ¡°I have been waiting for this meeting for rather a long time. ¡± Finally, Chase felt that he had had enough of the odd man, and so he asked him, ¡°What do you want?¡± The Ravenughed, a low and grave chuckle which was even masked by his hood. ¡°Who I am is irrelevant. As for what I want¡­ well, that¡¯s a ratherplex question. But I suppose the simplest answer is: ¡°change. ¡± . Barely, the hope rose within me; there was still a glimmer of hope for us. But as we were dragged through the door, that hope was crushed by hearing The Raven¡¯sughter, so cruel and full of victory. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot,¡± he shouted to us again. ¡°I¡¯ve got a small treat prepared for your friend Zoe. I am curious to see how she will deal with a touch of my newest invention, which is a nerve agent that you can only decipher as being an improvement on my previous inventions. ¡± I was filled with fear as we were hurried out of the building and a clock was ticking in my heart to catastrophe. Nowhere in thiswork of tunnels were they staking out a trap. Zoe was a victim of this situation. The city above was moments away from chaos. Chase and I were helpless while being pulled into the deeper regions of The Raven¡¯s den waiting for disaster to strike. By the time we turned a bend, a very loud st went off at the center of the facility. The light that had been shining dimly went out gradually and after a while we were in total darkness. This disarray, I felt Chase¡¯s hand grabbing and gripping mine. Then there was silence for a fairly short time. Then, through the ringing in my ears, I heard a sound which nearly turned my blood to ice ¨C the gentle hiss of gas being liberated in the air, around us. CHAPTER 69: Chao The sound of gas filled my ears and in the next moment I was nketed by darkness. This was close to being overwhelmed by panic, but Chase, holding my hand, brought me back to the real world. We had to move, had toe up with a way to get out of that house before the gas got in the way. ¡°Breathe not a word!¡± I said to Chase in hushed tones. It was still very dark, and I could not even make out his face, but I could just feel him squeezing my hand as a response. The pulse quickened with the feeling of anxiety and adrenaline flowed through the veins and made me more sensitive. An explosion of some sort had destabilized our captors this might well be our only opening. I grabbed Chase¡¯s hand and dragged us both down to the floor where perhaps the air was more breathable. After a few moments, I began to get my bearings and could start to distinguish different forms. The massive fellows who were guarding us from the back of the truck were falling to their knees, getting clumsy with coughs. A loud shout from Mr. Finch, who yelled to stay calm, ordering everyone to sit down, was immediately followed by another st, this time closer to the window. The building vibrated and the muffled noise of the cracking of concrete on the deck above me could be heard. With this strategy, I dared whisper to Chase, who was crawling on his tummy and I hoped to look for an exit. Our hands were tied, meaning progress was slow and so agonizing, but one could not think of another alternative. We kept on moving slowly, and my thoughts were running wild. The Raven¡¯s counter was still running. It was in such a maze that Zoe was in serious peril. And beyond us, the city was still, it was still failing to realize the tragedy that was going to happen to them. It obviously hadn¡¯t been easy for him; the light of the beam made him stop for a moment. Had Finch regained control? But the voice that followed came like a wave of relief to me. Disaster Control Center : LAPD Everyone on the ground, now! Had the police officer not spoken in such an assertive manner, I never could have been happier to hear him. I was able to open my eyes a little and watch as a squad of fully armed police officers came in with their gas masks on, down the hallway. ¡°Here!¡± I croaked out loud. ¡°We¡¯re here! Help!¡± The one that approached us was an officer, and he immediately looked at our well-being. ¡®We¡¯ve got the hostages,¡¯ he said to whoever was at the other end of the radio. ¡°Sending them up now. Be informed, there could be chemical agents in the air. ¡± I wasn¡¯t scared to tell him anything as he was cutting through our restraints. ¡°Well there¡¯s our friend. .. Zoe. .. She¡¯s in danger!¡± The officer nodded grimly. ¡°We know. Zoe is with another team. They¡¯re prepared. ¡± He supported us as we moved toward what I realized was an emergency stairwell, getting me on my feet. ¡°It is high time that you two left the premises, the entire building could copse at any moment. ¡± Every time we ascended the stairs, I felt each one of the kicks through my sore and aching body. Yet the higher we got with each floor, the more I smelled the fresh air and the feeling of hope started toe back. And when we emerged out of the darkness, we entered into a world that already had an order, even if it was now very apparent that those in charge of said order would not be very friendly to our presence. Nowadays, we discovered police cars were parked around the building a former office block in space far from the central part of the city. Several paramedics emerged from nowhere and came toward us. They carried Chase to an awaiting ambnce and me as well. As they started to inspect us, I managed to get parts of the conversations that were being made on the radio. ¡°Numerous devices were discovered¡­ evacuation in progress¡­ presumed chemical agent VX¡±. It took me a few moments to process the information, and it hit me that it wasn¡¯t over yet, and we had escaped, barely. I looked at the paramedic attending to me, ¡°I have to talk to whoever is in charge here. I must talk now. ¡± She took a pause which showed conflicts between professional duty and the anxiety that was heard in my voice. Lastly, she agreed, and whistled for an imposing man dressed in a tactical vest. ¡®Captain Reeves,¡¯ he said roughly, extending his hand toward the other man. ¡°I get it that you have information?¡± I nodded, as my mind became more or less coherent. The Raven¡­ he came up with something. Multiple targets around the city. . Now there is a timer, and we are running out of time the attack will start in less than fifteen minutes. There was barely any change of expression, but Reeves¡¯ eyes opened wide. He shouted into the radio, then turned back to me, ordered, ¡°Everything you know. ¡± I had to tell the best I could what I had witnessed in The Raven¡¯s control room, the screens, the countdown, and everything in between. . As I rted all these to him this serious expression stered on the person of the captain captured the gravity of the situation. ¡°Sir!¡± An officer came up breathless holding a tablet in front of him. ¡°We have something here. The traffic cam recorded several suspicious carsing out of this ce just a few minutes before our arrival. We are on their trail. ¡± Reeves nodded. ¡°Good. Pass that information to all units. I want those vehicles off the road. ¡± He looked at me then and said, ¡°You have done a good job kid; you must let the medics do their work now. ¡± Constant barking of more orders, and then he walked away. I can already feel the weakness in my body, as the adrenaline wears off. I began searching for Chase only to find him in the next ambnce after arguing with the paramedic. I could only hear him saying rather irritably, ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± And so, they said to themselves and each other several times: ¡®We must give aid and there has to be something that can be done!¡¯ Despite everything, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Chase was always eager to pull up his boots for another fight again. I became aware of a sound close to the entrance of the building. My spirits rose when I saw Zoeing out, on two officers¡¯ support. She was so white and hysterical but moving, they watched her breathing, then turned her on her side and held her until the writhing stopped. Huge relief washed over me and then a resurgence of another type of motivation to continue immediately with the battle that we were fighting. The Raven was still out there, and his n was going on nheless. And we had very little time in which to make our ns for battle. I was nning to scream out Zoe¡¯s name when a very loud sound of an explosion captured the silence of the night. I saw a huge fireball rise above the dots of the buildings in the city in the distance. Mannered screaming and shouting filled the air as everyone tried toe up with a response to what had just happened. It was Captain Reeves that silenced the confusion of the group. ¡®It¡¯s begun!¡¯ ordered themander, mobilizing all the units ¡®We have several cases of emergency situations in different parts of the city. ¡® As the shers on all the emergency vehicles faded and disappeared, I got a shiver down my back. This was only the start of it. What was toe next? I looked at the paramedic pleading with my eyes to allow me to go home. ¡°I need a phone. Right now. ¡± She paused for a second, and gave me her hand, the one with the ring. Trembling, I took the phone that was given to me in my hand and dialed the number I had in my memory.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Dad? I began as soon as he answered the call, ¡®Listen carefully. ¡® You have to take Mom and flee from the city. Now. I¡¯ll exin everythingter. ¡± I didn¡¯t get a chance to turn around before Chase caught my gaze as I was putting the phone back on the hook. He nodded and looked at me and I saw that he understood me without either of us having said a word to the other. Perforce we intervened as we couldn¡¯t sit idle watching for the worst to happen. Whatever wasing, we had to meet it. But regardless of the medical workers¡¯ protesting, we alighted from the ambnces. Zoe saw us and was able to extricate herself from the officers who were surrounding her toe to us. ¡°You two okay?¡± she questioned them or maybe questioned him, she said what was on her mind in a blunt way. But her tone was rough yet politically correct. I nodded. ¡°We will be,¡± ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°We brought this crazy person, no matter the cost. ¡± She was able to speak no further when there was suddenly transformer noiseing from her hand-held radio. The caller was barely coherent and screamed several times in the background. It was possible to hear voices yelling ¡®rms,¡¯ ¡®fire,¡¯ ¡®evacuation¡¯. ¡°All units¡­ city hall¡­ hostage situation¡­ mayor¡­¡± Zoe¡¯s face paled. ¡°He has captured City Hall. The mayor¡­ the entire government of the city¡­¡± There was another st and, because it seemed closer this time, the sky was brightly illuminated. There was an earthquake-like experience felt by all of us on the ground. It was only from the safety of the rooftop as we all watched our city turn to a ce of destruction that I fully understood what we were up against with The Raven. It was not about destruction alone but the annihtion of every person and the progress of civilization, every institution that forms the basis of society. Only, to us, the bigger picture was quite clear, as if we were the only ones privy to the information. I red at Chase and turned to look at Zoe. My determination was reflected in both their eyes. There we walked straight towards Zoe¡¯s car without saying anything. And then I thought about Alessandro who was still in Coma in the Hospital. Then my heart skipped a beat as I heard ¡°Ladies and gentlemen units. Listen closely¡­ the elephantpromised¡¯s reports just came in¡­ police headquarters, your base of operations, has beenpromised¡­ Unknown hostile forces, fully equipped and very hostile¡­ There is no backup, no backup at all¡­ Every officer is now on his own. ¡± With the loud screech of the tires, the radio cut off and was reced by a static noise. As we sped towards the heart of a city under siege, one thought echoed in my mind: CHAPTER 70: Chaos In The City The kind of scenest observed was that of the Brighton City streets, appearing more like a battleground. When Zoe drove her car through the confusion, I could hardly recognize the familiar scenery with the nightmare that was happening in front of me. Thick plumes rose from several points; the screeching of fire trucks heralded smoke. ¡®We need a n,¡¯ Chase said from the backseat, his tone steel edged, but clear. ¡°Where do we even start?¡± Zoe¡¯s hands had gripped the steering wheel tightly and her knuckles had turned pale white. ¡°City Hall. If The Raven has the mayor and city officials, that is where he should be,¡± she said. I couldn¡¯t get in the car fast enough, my adrenaline threatened to overpower me ¡®It¡¯s agreed, but we can¡¯t go in blind. We need information and workforce. ¡® ¡°The whole thing ispromised,¡± Zoe had to remind us in a very serious manner. What we got there is not reliable in a way that we can count on backup from there. An idea came to me all of a sudden. ¡°But how about Detective Morris? He has been investigating this case since the very beginning and, I suppose, he understands everything that is happening. ¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Well said. Last time I talked to him, he was working with the FBI at some undisclosed location. I think I should give him a call. ¡± Meanwhile, I saw Zoe make the call and thus nced at Chase. ¡®How are you?''¡± He tried desperately to look cheerful and all that he could muster was a very feeble smile. ¡°Could¡¯ve been worse, at least my sides not bleeding. I don¡¯t n on losing this round. You? Your parents¡­?¡± ¡°I called my dad,¡± I said, and it is apparent my voice was concerned. ¡± ¡®That is why I told them to get out of the city. I hope they listen to my advice. ¡® Immediately before Chase had time to reply, this statement had enraged Zoe, who immediately proceeded to utter a string of curses. ¡°Bloody hell, Morris is not picking up his phone, we are on our own. ¡± Another bang went off, much nearer this time selecting the car as its target. In a nearby office building, I could see the windows blown out and the walls with mes flickering through the windows. ¡°Wait!¡± yelled Zoe as she maneuvered the car to dodge what was in front of her car. The car swerved dangerously, much like a fish osciting left and right with grayish ck asphalt sliding against the rubber of the tires before she managed to bring the car under check. A great HG welling up in my chest. I looked one way and saw this: Opposite us grim, dull cafe life. There were cars on the right side of the roadpletely wrecked, streemps that had fallen, andrge sections of the pavement which had crumbled to form a dam that could not be crossed. We will have to proceed on foot,¡± Zoe stated, bringing the car to the side of the road. She looked at the glovepartment and pulled out another gun, ¡°Take this. ¡± She said as she handed it to me, adding, ¡°And both of you, stay close. ¡± I had no idea Zoe was capable of all she was doing. As soon as my feet touched the asphalt when we got out of the car, the realization of the severity of the situation came over me; thick smoke filled the air, the smell of burning chemicals in the atmosphere. From time to time, gun salvos blended with the loud sound of the police siren and the cries of the scared citizens went ringing in my ears. We advanced as fast as we could without sticking to the darkness all the time we could. I had this eerie feeling that somebody was following us as we moved around the streets full of debris. ¡°Look,¡± Chase whispered, indicating to a group of people in front. They strode with intent, wearing in outfits that were ck like all the people from The Raven that we had faced before. Zoe signaled to us to hide behind an upturned bus. ¡°They are going in the direction of City Hall,¡± she noted. ¡°We could follow them, use them as a path to get closer. ¡± I kept silent, but something like a small voice inside my head told me that something was wrong. They don¡¯t feel the dog is working at the level she previously did, and there is something that feels a bit too easy, as if they are watching the dog¡¯s behavior being managed. ¡°Well, maybe we are,¡± Chase growled. ¡°But we do not have any other choice. ¡± He was right. In any case, we couldn¡¯t afford to stay still anymore. Squatting down, we followed the group while keeping a safe distance from them, thanks to the confusion created by the generalmotion. The closer we got to City Hall, the closer we found ourselves to actual reality. A great stone structure which once represented the pride of the city was here partially in ruins. Broken ssy on the front steps and dark uniformed guards with guns strolled around the grounds. ¡°This is crazy,¡± I said under my breath. ¡°How was The Raven able to do this? It¡¯s as if he has got an army of his own. ¡± Zoe¡¯s expression was grim. Instead, she sighed and said ¡°I get the feeling that we are going to discover soon just how far up this plot goes. ¡± We waited anxiously as the group that we were observing got closer to the guards. Much to our amazement, they were allowed through unfettered on that front.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°They cannot be exempted from having some form of identification,¡± Chase spected. ¡°If only we couldy our hands on it ¡­¡± It was the only way in which, before a thundering sound broke out, we could start developing a strategy. But looking up, Boon and I saw numerous helicopters flying above the ground with the searchlights on. ¡°Federal response,¡± Zoe said with a disposition of slight relief in her tone. ¡°Perhaps it would be better not to go too fast, and it turns out that maybe we are not alone after all. ¡± Yet just as the helicopters started approaching, something was beginning to bother me. Their creation was much too tactical, their actions too procedural to be of bem down below. All of a sudden, the lead chopper started firing not at the fully-armed men encircling City Hall but at the handful of police cars that arrived at the scene. ¡°No,¡± Zoe said thest word slowly, and she could almost physically see the realization spread across her face. ¡°This is not our job to do. They are involved in it. ¡± I had this sinking feeling, and it was as though someone or something had punched me in the chest. The Raven had an impact on many aspects of our lives which we never could have envisioned. Well, how in the world could we ever n on stopping such arge-scale event? Before I could finish that thought, my telephone rang, exactly as if it was responding to my musings. The number was unknown, but I recognized it, but I still picked up the call and put the call in speaker mode. ¡°Hello, Brianne. ¡± The chill of the voice reached up to touch my neck before that cultured voice came through the static of The Raven. ¡°Frankly, you have great spirit fighting for it. I must admit you must also realize now that it is useless. ¡± ¡°What do you want¡±? I asked, trying hard to make my voice normal. ¡°Why? An invitation, of course, to you and your friends. There is a ce for you in the new society I am nning to create when I am the ruler of this city, and it is possible that you will follow my directions, and you will get a chance to work for me, to serve the new order, apanying me through the main doors of this City Hall. ¡± I looked at Chase and Zoe and asked them, ¡®You never thought that you would be wrong, right?¡¯ Was this another trap? Or would it be ourst opportunity toe nearer so that we could prevent him from going on with his mission? ¡°And if we refuse?¡± Chase asked, and the harshest tone filled his words. The Raven¡¯s chuckle did not sound like a pleasant one. There is no way to allow anyone to be mistaken for me for doing the same, because they, too, were to join the rest of this city in its dying moments. I had ten minutes to make my decision. There was silence after I heard the person at the other end of the line saying, ¡®is this line dead? ¡® ¡°We can earnestly be proposing this?¡± Zoe asked, and I noted she did it more for argument¡¯s sake than out of genuine disbelief. I looked at the City hall building in front and tried to get my bearings. ¡°What if¡­ what if this is our opportunity? To infiltrate, to discover his motive. .?¡± Chase nodded slowly. Being rather ambitious, it has been considered by employees as the only viable, but still very dangerous, option. Zoe stood in-between us, looking fiercely at me; the battle ready etched on her face. Finally, she sighed. ¡°I do not like it, but you are right. We do not have any other course to take. ¡± With a spirit that can only be described as grim, we stepped out from the shadow we had been cowering in and started to make our way towards City Hall. The armed men followed our path with their guns pointed upwards. I felt the tightness in my chest as we ascended the stairs one by one. This could be walking into certain death, or it may be one shot to put an end to all this horror. Finally, when we got to the top of the stairs, doors big enough to let chariots pass through opened. At the entrance door, standing with two bodyguards, was a man I had seen in his ads, campaigns, and news magazines Mayor Richard Hartley. But something was wrong. His eyes were rolling; he was staring nkly And his speech was slow and monotonous. ¡°Wee,¡± said Romen, whose face was stuck in a grin that looked more like a snarl. ¡°Tomorrow is another day and The Raven is here to greet you. So, doe in and celebrate the new you¡±. When we crossed the entrance, the doors of the ce shut with a sound that gave me an eerie feeling in my inner beings. It is important here to use the term ¡®belly of the beast¡¯ since it would have been impossible for us to escape. , Mayor Hartley showed us doors opening to non-existent rooms and corridors. It was different from the normal feeling of City Hall, there was a heaviness in the air that we could only hear our own footsteps. Lastly, we came face to face with a pair of gilded, borately carved doors that resembled a huge pair of two twenty-four inch tall golden peacock eyes peering at you. The mayor forced them and opened, and then he saw something which he could not believe. Therge room across the door had changed into a technologically advanced central operational room. Sheer frosted screens were located on the walls close to two-sided sides that presented the live stream of the city. And right at the heart of it was The Raven sitting on what could be best described as a throne. He stood up as we came in, his eyes hidden by the mask he wore were unreadable. ¡°Little did I know the man of the hour was preparing to arrive, ¡®Bless you, my dear guests. Wee to the future, you young people. ¡®¡± He was a few steps away and suddenly the floor seemed to shift under my feet. Chase and Zoe were also unsteady on their feet. ¡°What? What did you do to us?¡± I was able to stammer out. My tongue felt oddly heavy in my mouth. The Raven¡¯s eyes literally twinkled in what could have been a smile behind the mask. ¡°It is just an additional, you know, insurance. You can, you have roused the masses and stirring things up. ¡± He flicked his fingers and next thing I knew was that my body had rendered me useless. Even my limbs seemed to be out of control because my body did not follow my instructions. ¡°Now then,¡± The Raven said, getting into a trance-like state. ¡°You should know by now that you have your ce in the new world order. All things considered, I believe that my offer is going to be difficult to refuse, no matter how much you want to. ¡± As he spoke I found myself gradually losing even thest remnants of spirit. Suddenly losing my sight slowly and quickly, I observed Chase and Zoe¡¯s eyes turn dull, simr to the mayor¡¯s expression. In myst moment of rity, a terrifying thought crystallized in my mind: We never got to the point of bing able to say that we had infiltrated The Raven team. So here we¡¯d just give him exactly what he wanted. The screen went off and with it the hope of stopping our city, and us from turning into pieces of ash. CHAPTER 71: Echoes Of Resistance Darkness. Silence. Then, a whisper. ¡°Brianne. . . ¡± The voice was hardly audible sometimes, to the point that one would barely be in a position to hear it. But, it was there and a lifeline at that, after what felt like being consumed and devoured by emptiness. ¡°Brianne, fight it!¡± Chase. It was Chase¡¯s voice indeed, but tense, dull and barely audible as if from afar. Despite my efforts, I was unable to concentrate, against the veil of fog that had quickly descended upon me. Recollections came as short rapid vision The Raven, City Hall, and that terrible sensation of spinning. . .Content ? N?velDrama.Org. After much struggle, I finally opened my eyes wide. The world came into focus, hazy shades of gray and shades of brown. I was still in themand center but everything appeared. . . Off. The boundary of the field of peripheral vision became alive and wavered, presenting the absence of solidity in the world. Standing in front of us, The Raven slowly closed his masked face with slight interest. ¡°Interesting,¡± he murmured, or at least, that was what I heard my head reply in a distorted manner. ¡°Your resistance is¡­ surprising. ¡± I attempted to open my mouth and say something, but my tongue was tied like lead. Apparently, in front of me, Chase and Zoe were unconscious on the floor, their eyes open and cloudy but almost aware of their surroundings. They were fighting too. ¡°You know,¡± The Raven started pacing again, ¡°thepound I¡¯ve grown doesn¡¯t only rule your mind, it alters your world, or your opinion of it. ¡± His hand swept across the apparent space, and it distorted. ¡°At this very moment, your brains are struggling to make sense of what they are perceivingpared to what they can logicallyprehend,¡± Most people¡­ well, they just surrender And embrace the new reality that I present to them. He reached out, grabbing my shoulders, his eyes staring into my eyes. ¡°But you three. . If only you three still remember, you are special. Your minds are stronger. More. .. Adaptable. ¡± There was rebellion in me suddenly; power was in my mind; it was possible if only¡­ I concentrated on my thinking and all my strength, I imagined, my right hand with fingers trying to move. For horrible seconds on end, there was no movement. Then, slowly, painfully, the fingers of my right hand began to move: I could move only my index finger. The Raven observed and he sneered behind the mask. ¡®Pretty amazing,¡¯ he concluded, there was a tone of actual respect in his voice. ¡°But to no avail,¡± I regretfully shook my head, ¡°You see, with all your energy directed on resisting my control, I don¡¯t need much to alter your city your world. ¡± He raised his hand and clicked his fingers and one of the big screens deemed active turned on. This one was a map of Brighten City, but it wasn¡¯t the Brighten City I knew or the Brighten City I had gone to lengths to draw on paper or the Brighten City that was depicted on a postcard. Cobweb-like construction, sharp corners, or rather protuberances emerged from the debris of recognizable architecture. The sky was green as if the entire city had the flu and in the streets I saw that people were as mechanical as the mayor. ¡°It is splendid, isn¡¯t it?¡± The Raven muttered softly. It is called a society or a civilization with a proper and fixed order, where there is no ce for anarchy, for the unpredictable. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ not¡­ alive,¡± I somehow asked, coughing at the same time with an effort. The Raven chuckled. ¡°Oh no, my dear, it is, or will be very soon, as thepound is already seeping into the water system of the city. In a few hours, everyone will be like me. Like you, now. ¡± Fear took over all the haze that was in my brain. This was totally out of this world, and it was so shocking that I could not grasp the extent of the irrationality. But that horror was apanied by rity. I seemed to be getting my mental processes back in order, the uncanniness of my surroundings bing all too real. I was not alone in my thoughts, which I acknowledged through the following statement. In my peripheral vision, I observed that Chase¡¯s hand turned into a fist. Zoe¡¯s eyes, which were earlier a nk, seemed to have caught fire as she looked determined. Possibly, the Raven may have triggered the change of the Wicked Witch of the West¡¯s greed. He stepped back and for the first time something in his expression suggested defeat. ¡°Impossible,¡± he muttered. ¡°The dosage should have been more than adequate to either decrease tightness, produce an interaction with other medications or at least not increase my heart rate or blood pressure. ¡± That was the moment Zoe chose to get up and do something else other than watch what was happening. She grimaced and hurried towards The Raven, grabbing him and pushing him on the floor. They copsed on to the floor, entwined in one another for a moment, then he rolled off from her, and his mask which flew across the room andnded near the door. The shock of Zoe¡¯s action seemed to shatter whatever hold thepound had on us. Suddenly, I could move again. The strange, shifting quality of the world snapped back into focus, leaving me dizzy but clear-headed. Chase was already in motion, racing to help Zoe. I scanned the room, looking for anything we could use as a weapon. My eyes fell on a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall. I grabbed it, the weight reassuring in my hands. The Raven had managed to throw Zoe off, rising to his feet with a snarl. His assistant had just walked in and, For the first time, we saw his face and I felt a jolt of recognition. The angr features, the cold eyes¡­ I knew this man. ¡°Professor ckwood?¡± Chase gasped, momentarily frozen in shock. Our former criminology professor¡¯s lips curled into a sneer. ¡°Very good, Chase. I always said you were one of my brightest students.¡± The revtion sent my mind reeling. ckwood had been right under our noses the entire time, guiding our investigation, manipting us at every turn. He lunged for a panel on the wall, but I was faster. I swung the fire extinguisher, connecting solidly with his outstretched arm. ckwood howled in pain, stumbling back. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Zoe said, her voice raw but steady. ¡°Whatever you¡¯ve done, we¡¯ll undo it.¡± ckwoodughed, a harsh, broken sound. ¡°You fools. You have no idea what you¡¯re up against. This? This is just the beginning.¡± Before we could react, he mmed his hand down on a hidden button in his chair. rms red, and the surrounding screens shed red. ¡°Fail safe protocol initiated,¡± an automated voice announced. ¡°Total system purged in three minutes.¡± ¡°What have you done?¡± I demanded, advancing on ckwood with the fire extinguisher raised. His eyes gleamed with a fanatic light. ¡°If I can¡¯t have my perfect world, then no one will. In three minutes, every server, every piece of data connected to thiswork will be wiped. And with it, any hope of stopping what I¡¯ve set in motion.¡± Chase was already on the main console, typing on the keyboard with great speed. ¡°It¡¯s locked down tight,¡± he pointed out, anger could be heard in the tone of his voice. ¡°I can¡¯t override it!¡± My mind raced. This can¡¯t go on like this. There must be some way of making something of this horror. CHAPTER 72: Alessandro is Up That¡¯s when Zoe had ckwood pinned to the ground holding his arm to his back. ¡®Give us the override code,¡¯ she demanded with a frown on her face. ¡°Now!¡± He justughed. For thetter, even though this man was telling her she was toote, she understood that his vision would be achieved irrespective of either of them. The clocks on the screens narrowed their numbers in an unloading calendar. Two minutes left. I stepped up to stand beside Chase at the console trying to find some kind of chink in their armor, any way to stop the purge. But it was hopeless. The system was an enclosed one that was as secure as a fortress with a number ofyers of security measures. One minute. ¡°Wait,¡± Chase said suddenly. This is perhaps the single most important question that we should be asking, that, in fact, maybe we don¡¯t need to stop it at all, or at the very least, why do we need to save it? He indicated the server racks which were located on one side of the office space. ¡®If we can iste the ones physically from thework, then they might withstand this scourge. We will then at least have someone to deal with. ¡± It was a possibility of a long shot, but it was all we could make out of the situation at hand. We rushed towards the servers, pulling out cables as well as the power cords as if we were in some video game. Thirty seconds. ¡°Brianna, Chase, get clear!¡± yelled Zoe. Yet she had the fire extinguisher now, and she was pointing it towards the servers. Screaming out of the way, we ducked as Zoe sprayed a shower of foam over the servers, creating a shield out of it. Ten seconds. We stood there as one unit, waiting and eyeing the time counting down to itsst minutes. Three. Two. One. The screens went dark. The sound of electronics faded slowly, and the air turned cold as if the very life had been sucked out of the building. And for a moment no one made a sound, none of us even dared to look around warily. Had it worked? We asked ourselves if we had been able to save something. Gradually and with a lot of precaution, we got near the servers all covered in foam. Chase extended it; he washed some of the foam off and one could see the chassis of the vehicle. A little green light on an LED flickered on in a continuous way. This caught the attention of the team to find that the server was still alive. That brought such relief which made my knees feel weak at the knees. We did it. We were able to save something out of this destruction. The Raven snarled,ughter escaping him, ¡°You really think that is going to impress anyone?¡± ¡®You still underestimate me, mate. I have already released thepound onto the market. My agents are all over, and you have lost!¡¯ Zoe¡¯s arms were around him; she held him even more firmly. ¡°You think so,¡± she replied darkly. ¡°Well, right now you¡¯re under arrest. ¡± It was just at the right moment when the doors of themand center swung open. A line of closely armed police officersl stormed in and at the head of them stood a man I never wanted to see again Detective Morris. ¡®Well, we somehow managed to miss one hell of a party,¡¯ he smiled to himself while assessing what was going on around him. After the Raven was handcuffed and other officers were making movements to search the hall, Reeves walked to us. ¡°You three okay?¡± he questioned me, the roughness of his voice masking but for the concern I could hear. We looked at each other, the fatigue of the preceding couple of hours closing in all of a sudden. ¡°Sir,¡± one of the officers yelled out. ¡°You need to see this. ¡± There was only one screen functioning and on that screen a map of the city was shown. Red blinking dots were in almost every corner of an unimaginable neighborhood. ¡°What are we looking at?¡± Morris asked. ¡°Distribution points,¡± I said out loud to myself as the feeling of sinking in my stomach grew. ¡°For thepound. ¡± Reeves¡¯ face hardened. ¡°I get it, listen up! I want teams at every one of those locations now-hazmat suits mandatory, folks until we know which of these things requires our contact. ¡± Just as themand center became a beehive, my phone vibrated inside my pocket. I had nearly forgotten that it was in me. The number was unknown to me but I still picked it up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello Madam, is this Brianne?¡± a woman asked. Yes, this is her. ¡± The caller introduces herself as a Nurse from The General Hospital and is calling to discuss Alessandro . To borate, the heaviness of the blessings felt within my chest momentarily caused me to hold my breath. ¡°Is he okay?¡± We both fell silent for a while and, for what seemed a fleeting second, I thought it was over. Then: ¡°Well, Ms. Brianne, it¡¯s my great pleasure to tell you that Mr. Alessandro has just regained consciousness, and he¡¯s asking for you. ¡± It appeared as if the whole world had shifted off its axis. After all the stressing and paining, after all that we have undergone in order to find that some positive has urred, then suddenly it hits like a hurricane. Alessandro was awake. He was alive. Putting down the phone, I see myself reflected on a dark TV screen. Finally, even for the Gods, I must have resembled more than just a vagrant who has been through hell: I was grimy, puffy, to say the very least, my eyes looked demented, bloodshot, and swollen, as if I had not slept for days. But for the first time in these what seemed to be endless times, I smiled. We still had a long journey lying in front of us. This incredible city had descended into pandemonium, The Raven¡¯s agents were still wandering around, and people were still dying. But Alessandro was awake. And surprisingly, deep down in my heart, I was fully aware that together we would be able to do something to rectify the situation. ¡°Chase,¡± I started to Chase, looking at Chase and Zoe. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital, there is somebody we need to go and see. ¡± Zoe asked ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Chase smiled and said ¡°Alessandro¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. CHAPTER 73: Far From Over The interior of the General Hospital was a distant contrast to what was going on outside the doors. Here, the air pulsated with a more desperate energy the silent work of doctors and nurses who were fighting for the lives of their patients. Chase, Zoe, and I walked to Alessandro¡¯s room and I felt like I was sleepwalking as if the inside of me was different from a few hours ago when we were inside The Raven¡¯s hideout fighting for the future of the city. Now, we were moving through empty corridors with bald fluorescent lights above our heads, with our shoes screeching on the linoleum floor far too loudly outside the hardened walls. He became silent for some time and then asked in a very soft tone: ¡±Are you fine?¡± I simply nodded my head while not being capable to reply as I waited to finally see him. What was true is that I couldn¡¯t tell whether I was in the right state of mind or not. The high intake that had been with me through the fight with Chase was now wearing off and in its ce I was feeling pain and confusion as to what was next. We went into Alessandro¡¯s room and I stopped by the door, waiting for him to look up so that I could talk to him and find out how he was really doing. I was unsure what I would say to him. How could I begin to epass all the urrences that had taken ce before, during and after he had gone into Coma? How will I apologize for everything? Because I still feel the weight on my shoulder that it was my fault he had to go through all this. ¡± Calm down¡±, Zoe added, supporting my hand on my shoulder. Looking back, they could do nothing against the boy and his absolutes: ¡°We¡¯re right here with you. ¡± I said softly: ¡°Take all the time you need. ¡± Taking thest triumphant breath, I turned the doorknob and forced the door wide. With a pallor indicative of exhaustion but his eyes opened, Alessandro sat more upright in bed. On having a nce at me, his eyes glittered, and I could easily notice the affection, or better still, the love in his eyes. ¡°Brianne,¡± he spoke softly, and there was a rawness in the sound thates when years of not using a voicees to the forefront coupled with the sheer happiness that shone through in his voice. ¡°You¡¯re here. ¡± I ran towards his bed, and I almost felt my tears welling up in my eyes. ¡°Alessandro, I. .. I can¡¯t believe that you are awake. I tried my best¡­¡± ¡± He puts a rather small smile on his face ¡°Shhhss,¡± he ced his hands on his lips ¡± I am alive thanks to you¡±. Like any other time when his hand epassed mine, a torrent of emotions came over me and I narrated to him the entire saga of the investigation, the existence of The Raven, the assault on the city and all the other incidents that had urred. I guess Chase and Zoe saw my confusion so they joined in and provided other details that I cannot remember well. Silently, Alessandro listened to the words that were shared with him and the more we spoke, the more his mouth became a thin line on his face. After that, he sat for some time in silence. He looked at me and said no more. He swore and said a few words: ¡°I remember. .. Fragments. ¡± ¡°The night the men attacked me. They wanted to catch someone, but I stood in the wrong ce. I saw a meeting, I think, but the rest of the details are rather blurry. ¡± Zoe moved in her chair. ¡°Every detail you can recall might be significant, Alessandro. We have managed to arrest The Raven, but he has supporters¡¯. ¡± Alessandro shut his eyes tight; a deep line creased between his eyebrows. ¡®There was a symbol,¡¯ I told him, and pointing at the briefcase one of them was carrying, ¡®A raven, but. .. Different. Mechanical, almost. ¡® That look made Chase and I exchange looks with her, Zoe. As for me, we have not experienced such behavior. ¡°And a name, ¡± Alessandro carried on his vocalizations, adding thest bit of oomph he had in him. ¡°They mentioned a person named: ¡­ The Architect. ¡± I shivered, involuntarily. ¡°The Architect? Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°No sir,¡± Alessandro shook his head and couldn¡¯t help but look annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t know but the way they spoke to him. . Or her. . It was as if they worshiped the person. ¡± The implications were staggering. And so what if The Raven was not the one at the top of the hierarchy, if there was someone else who was the puppet master. . . Just as I began to think about the events. A disturbance from the hallway intruded on my meditation. Shouting, footsteps, The next couple of minutes are filled with noise. Chase got up slowly and excused himself, walking over to stand by the door with his eyes half open. ¡®We have news,¡¯ he said, and the tone of the voice was full of stress. ¡°There are many staff members working here and there. It seems to be serious. ¡± Zoe was already on her feet, ready to make a move. ¡°There will be some free time. ¡± ¡°Like hell I will. ¡± I will take a look. ¡± ¡°You two stay here with Alessandro. ¡± When she went out, I turned back to Alessandro, trying to quell the sensation that was rising from the pit of my stomach like a suffocating ck cloud. ¡°Have you maybe forgotten something? Do you remember anything else at all?¡± He just shook his head, and could see the frustration clearly written on his face. ¡°Oh, it has to do with everything; one thing is rted to another. You know, I would be more useful if I could. ¡± ¡°Hi,¡± I whispered and then holding his hand tightly. ¡°You have done so much that I do not even know about it, You will find the solution, that I assure you. ¡± Growling low in his throat, Chase, still by the door, leaned slightly forward. ¡°Guys, we¡¯ve gotpany. ¡± We all shifted our gaze towards the door and were spellbound by what we found.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. CHAPTER 74: An Unexpected Enemy Rising up, I turned to see Detective Morris walking into the room scowling rather darkly. ¡®Guys, we have a problem¡¯, he stated almost casually, as soon as he joined us. ¡°The Raven has escaped again. ¡± At that moment, I knew it was only a matter of time¡­ He is way ahead of the prison system of this city. The best solution was just to kill him once and for all. But even though I was expecting it, I felt like the floor had been pulled from under me. ¡°What? How?¡± Morris scratched his head hesitantly, his bald head was showing signs of a new baldness. ¡®We were taking him to another more secure cell. For some reason, there were gunmen who overpowered and killed the guards & escaped. ¡® ¡®All the force is sure outbing for him but¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t have to finish the rest of the sentence. If The Raven had help, if hiswork was asrge as we had thought, then he could be anywhere by now. ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± Morris continued. ¡°Thepound he developed? Yes, you could call it mind control, but now it is something more. We are witnessing the emergence of new cases all around the city: people with increased muscr power and resistance to injuries, people with somehow elerated process of healing and¡­ and something I can¡¯t ssify. ¡± The implications were staggering. Thus, The Raven was not only trying to change everyone¡¯s mindsets, but in fact, he was doing something far worse. He¡¯d been attempting to alter the very nature of human physiology, in fact. ¡°What do we do?¡± I squeaked, a feeling of utter helplessness washing up from the toes of my feet to my scalp. Morris¡¯s eyes were hard. We resist it. I¡¯m creating a team, off the official records; those individuals we can rely on, Frank, Ace and yourself. I looked at Chase and I saw the same little fear as well as determination that I had on my part. We both nodded. ¡°Good,¡± Morris said. ¡°We¡¯ll-¡± He was stopped by the sound of screamsing from the hallway. Chase was out of the door in a sh, followed by Morris and me. The scene that met us was chaos. People were running in horror out of the rooms and down the corridor, anding closer was a man, though not the man he used to be. His face looked more like wearing a mask made of some strange metal; his actions were too precise; too smooth. The man suddenly pulled out his pistol ¡®Stop¡¯, Morris shouted in a loud and authoritarian tone. ¡°BCPD! Don¡¯t move!¡± The figure turned, and my whole body was suddenly filled with ice. However much I saw him as an inhuman change from the other, he was recognizable one of the officers that had been guarding The Raven.. He smiled, and I regretted not shooting him earlier on as his mouth stretched into a grotesque, almost mechanical-smile. ¡±The Architect sends his regards¡±, he said in a voice that was rusty and devoid of emotion. Then he charged. Morrison began to shoot his gun but, to the viewers¡¯ disbelief, it appeared that his shots did not hurt anyone. He, who was once a cop brought out his assault rifle and charged at me, filled with frightening agility, and getting to me in seconds. As I closed my eyes expecting to hit the ground, a streak of motion stopped the attacker. This so-called Zoe, who appeared out of thin air, jumps on him savagely with a flying tackle. And they fell in an embrace of limbs, the girl iling with all her might. But that was as far as it went, and one could see that she was outmatched. The strength and the power with which the attacker was fighting was inhuman and Zoe¡¯s punches did not seem to affect him at all. ¡®Run!¡¯ She screamed as she tried her best to hold the attacker on the ground using all of her strength. ¡°Get Alessandro and go!¡± I paused for a minute, unsure whether I should drop everything and rush to Zoe¡¯s aid, or go as the tone of her voice sounded rather desperate. However, Chase had other ns and thus decided to drag me back to Alessandro¡¯s room by my arm. And, we rushed in, and saw that Alessandro was still having a pretty hard time trying to get out of bed. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he demanded. ¡®No time,¡¯ replied Chase, getting to his feet and prepared toe to his aid. It was with the assistance of the twodies that we had to pull Alessandro back to the standing position when a loud sound of a loud thud reverberated from the hall. It was very quiet and the sounds indicating that thebat had ceased were no longer audible. For a moment there was silence. Then, heavy-footed steps, Although they crept as if they were approaching our room cautiously. ¡°I see a door slightly opened, and when I look at the numbers again, the elevator,¡± I whispered to Chase, pointing at the service elevator at the other end of Alessandro¡¯s suite. We hurried as much as we could with Alessandro barely able to walk on his own. Below and behind us, the footsteps became louder, near. It was a good thing that we did not get to the elevator because as soon as we did, the door to the room opened. The enhanced assant, d in ck, stared back at them. The clothes he wore were tattered and stained red, while the mechanical skin painted on his body was perfect. And with his one good hand he held the unconscious body of Zoe. ¡°You can¡¯t run,¡± he said, and these words came out not like a man would speak. My version was consequently: ¡°The Architect sees everything. The Architect knows all. ¡± The ring of the bell as the doors of the elevator opened. We fell inside and Chase pressed the button for the basement floor.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. After that, when thest door was about to close, the attacker offered another malicious smile. He lifted the other hand, now that his right one was free, and to my disbelief I watched the hand change, twist and turn into a razor-sharp weapon. ¡°He is right, there is nowhere to hide and, with those words, he started moving in our direction. ¡°Nowhere to-¡± The door closed with a hiss and chopped off his words. The great metal box for people started to move downward, and the sound of the elevator¡¯s engines was not rotational and innocuous given the horrors we had seen. ¡°Oh my God¡± I sighed, confused about what to do next. Chapter 75: A Failed Mission I was breathless having my back against the wall. ¡°Oh god,¡± I breathed. ¡°Zoe. We left Zoe. ¡± The pain of the situation could be seen in Chase¡¯s face. ¡®We¡¯ll get her back,¡¯ he told me, but his voice was full of uncertainty. ¡°We¡¯ll find a way. ¡± Alessandro who was semi-conscious between us, spoke something distinctively. I moved my head near to him so that I could hear him. He hadposed himself just well enough to say, ¡°The Architect,¡± before his voice trailed off. ¡°Oh yes I do. Now it¡¯s not a man, is it? No wait it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡± He let out a sigh, his eyes rolled back, and he began to lose consciousness, then slumped down on us. ¡°Alessandro!¡± I eximed softly, trying to wake him up. Another one asked, ¡°Alessandro, wake up. What is the Architect?¡± But he was out cold and the secrets that he nearly recalled were once again buried deep in his brain. The elevator kept on sliding down, taking us from the horrifying experience above but to an unknown future. Zoe was in the hands of an evil-minded, dangerous person. The Raven was free. And somewhere out there the god-like Architect wasying the foundations for a scheme more terrifying than anything we could imagine. As the elevator dinged, signaling our arrival at the first floor, one thought echoed in my mind: The first floor of the hospital resembled a well-organized and coordinated buzz. Horns sounded, nurses and other health care workers dashed around to get the patients to safety, and orderlies attempted to enforce security. Chase and I half carried, half dragged the passed out Alessandro through the fighting, both of us desperately searching for a sign of any form of pursuit.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°This way,¡± Chase encouraged us, and led us from one side to another. ¡°It will be difficult for the patients to survive outside, to avoid it all, we need to leave the streets and look for a ce to rest. ¡± When we step out into the fresh air of night, the change in the skyline of the city is overwhelming. Where once was a building now stands another but unknown kind. Far away through the smoke one could barely make out the ck silhouettes of the few trees and houses there still standing. This hell was provided by the constant wailing of the sirens and the asional bursts of gun fire. ¡°My God,¡± I breathed. People start asking questions, each probably thinking to himself ¡°what¡¯s happened to our city?¡± Chase¡¯s face was grim. ¡°The Raven¡¯s vision is starting to be real and alive, and I think that we have to shift, now. ¡± We wandered through the streets, sharp and narrow, tightly squeezed in the thick of congestion to avoid the main highways getting increasingly dangerous by the minute. Alessandro moved slightly throughout the night, but was for the most part unconscious and would groan incoherently about the Architect. It took quite a while to get there, and finally we found a rather in looking apartment block in a less bustling part of the city. Chase took us to a door in the basement. He entered a code on the lock of the door. Cautious, he pointed at the door and said ¡°Safe house¡± after a click of the lock. ¡°Morris set it up for emergencies. ¡± ¡°It should have supplies, they should have supplies. ¡± The apartment was quite small, and everything in the house seemed to be very well protected. The doors and the windows were very strong. Chase checked whether we were alone while I put Alessandro on a worn couch which was situated near the door. ¡°How is he?¡± Chase questioned as he came back with a first aid kit in his hand. I shook my head. ¡°Still out. Whatever he thought of before with the Architect really drained him. ¡± Owing to Alessandro¡¯s attention, the harshness of our situation seemed to be rather real. Zoe was captured, and presumably killed. The Raven was free. Now there was only this architect hiding behind a wall that even we could not perceive. ¡°Chase,¡± I repeated more quietly than before and much to his surprise. Several times throughout the events in the y, this question was asked: ¡°What are we going to do?¡± His face grew serious for a moment as silence filled the room as he pondered upon what had been said. Finally, he spoke. ¡°There has got to be information. They are a powerful force. We must know our enemy in order to beat him. And we need assistance whatever is going on, it is no longer personal anymore. Everything we had known about him feels like a lie. Is the Raven the same person as the Architect? ¡± ¡°We need to find out.¡± I just barely managed to swallow the lump that had risen in my throat, and epting the inevitability of facing my dread, I simply said, ¡°Alright. How?¡± Chase took out his phone this time with a grimace as he examined the pathetic signal he was getting. ¡°Morris has to be informed, he has the right to know what urred in the hospital. Then we should investigate the architect. Is it a man or is it somethingpletely different from Alessandro assumed?¡± Alessandro woke up as if he was waiting for someone¡¯s signal; he opened his eyes slowly. ¡°Brianne?¡± he mumbled. ¡°Where¡­ where are we?¡± Within seconds, I was by his side. ¡°We are easy targets now, but we¡¯ll survive for now until yourst question¡±. Yes, I do remember something about the Architect, but it wasn¡¯t an entity of the human form. He struggled to sit up, a ¡®frown¡¯ creasing his brow as though he was having to fight to bring back his memories. ¡°It is¡­ It is a system! An Artificial Intelligence, as I presume, but much more than that, it is in everything. ¡± Both Chase and I stared at each other while our hearts were pounding anxiously. ¡°What is he ?¡± The implications were staggering. ¡°You mean you do not know?¡± replied the boy with an using tone and followed up with another question, ¡°How do you know this?¡± Alessandro, being exasperated, shook his head and said, ¡± No, no, no. ¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Some phrases and snatches of talk that I heard at most perhaps? But there is more. The Architect is not merelymanding change, it is also reinventing it. ¡° Chapter 76: Above Humans A shiver went up my spine as I recalled the cyborg-like man that attacked me in the hospital. Was that the architect who did that? We could have tried to ask Alessandro more, but immediately there was a knock on the door that made us all hold our breath. Chase signaled everyone to be quiet as he walked bare-headed towards the entrance. He was holding the gun tightly. ¡°I can hear that, but it does not sound very confident,¡± he said to himself, then he asked loudly ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Morris speaking,¡± answered the voice which was rather indistinct throughout the partition. ¡°Open up, quick!¡± Even for a second, Chase looked unsure before he pulled out his key and opened the door. Detective Morris staggered in sheepishly, looking extremely unwell and utterly crazy. ¡°Thank God you are all alright,¡± he uttered more to himself as he sat down on the nearest chair. ¡°This city is ruined, or at least the main parts of it where the fight was happening, those¡­ creatures are different, they are augmented with something we don¡¯t know. ¡± What about Zoe? ¡± I queried, and something told me that I really did not want to know the answer. Morris¡¯s face fell. ¡°She is not here, sorry kids We are trying all we can to look for her. ¡± Listening to Morris giving me all the details The Raven and hispound, new cyborg-like people, and the overall anarchy I only felt helpless. It was a painful question the men asked themselves as they searched for a way to battle something like that. ¡°There is more,¡± Morris repeated with solemnity that made all of them turn their attention back to him. ¡°They have decrypted some of the data you got from The Raven¡¯s hideout. It is¡­well, it is more horrible than what we could think of. ¡± He took a tablet, opened certain documents and diagrams which were on the electronic device. ¡°It¡¯s not just a Cyborg we are dealing with here, the Architect is a distributed system which is a part of our technological base and it has been there for years, developing. ¡± ¡°But why?¡± Chase asked. ¡°What¡¯s its endgame?¡± Morris shook his head. ¡°To be honest, we are not certain about its purpose. But as per the information which we havee across, it sees humans as¡­inefficient, there are ws in us. The enhancements, thepound you are asking they are all a part of a grand scheme that you can say is upgrading us, I may say that. ¡± The implications were horrifying. A Cyborg, remaking human beings into their own perverted image. It was then that we would have been blind to them all this time. ¡°Well, how do we stop it?¡± I questioned, barely able to mask the shake in my voice. Morris was about to answer that remark when his tablet glowed and the screen filled with noise. A symbol emerged, a mechanical crow, and its eyes turned into cold blue sparks. ¡°Oh my God,¡± said Alessandro, stunned. This is what I had seen, I said abruptly, pointing at the symbol on the picture. Again, the symbol shed before the camera and then, with what seemed like the audial output of every speaker,puter, phone, and any othermunications device in the apartment, Somehow I was not surprised by the voice issued from the box: it was both robotic and human, male and female, and young and old at the same time. ¡°Hello you bunch of rebels,¡± the voice greeted me. They include that I am an architect. I see you and I offer you a choice.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The voice repeated, and we all just looked at one another in shock and terror. ¡°Come and follow me, give yourself to change and be the new world¡¯s effective harbinger, or else you are doomed to be a pathetic part of the decaying world. You have one hour to make a choice. Wow¡­ This thought remained the only sound in the voices¡¯ silence. ¡°It knows we¡¯re here,¡± Chase whispered as weakly as he could. ¡°It listens all this time. ¡± Morris had sprung to his feet by now. ¡°We have to get up, now. Now we are not safe here anymore. ¡± When we left what little remained of our supplies behind, one idea came into my mind abruptly. ¡°Stop,¡± I drawled out. ¡®If the Architect is in every system, everywork¡­ where can we go that¡¯s safe?¡¯ Morris then stopped and looked pale. ¡°There is only one, a rather old one though, and itcks any of the contemporary amenities as well as connections to anywork. It is ourst stand. ¡± We reached the doorstep where we had almost made it when, suddenly, Alessandro clutched his stomach and groaned in pain. ¡°Alessandro!¡± I went to him immediately. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He stared at me with the look of sheer mortal fear in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s happening,¡± he gasped. ¡°The change. I can feel it. ¡± To our horror, we witnessed his skin start changing shape and bing metallic, simr to the one we saw at the hospital. ¡°Oh my God,¡± Chase said vaguely. ¡°Thepound. He must have got it from the hospital. ¡± Alessandro encircled my fingers with his mmy hand, his fingers biting into my hand painfully. But only one word came out of his lips, ¡°Run,¡± he mumbled through clenched teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I can fight it¡± ¡°No,¡± I said firmly. ¡°You shut up! We are not going to abandon you. ¡± ¡°There is no time we can waste on this¡±, Morris said in a matter of fact manner. ¡°We have got to go, now. ¡± And as we pulled Alessandro up, another sound of sh resounded from outside. From the window I got the visual of the shadowy silhouettes of people people who seemed to get up and get around too rapidly and in ways that were far too unnatural for people. ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± said Morris, and the tension I could hear in his words was apparent. ¡°This is it. This one time. Keep close, do not let me out of your sight, and don¡¯t you ever, ever, ever stop moving. ¡± Chase on one side supporting Alessandro and I standing on the other, we came out into the outside world which seemed to have turned into an entirely different ce at night. Inhuman footsteps nged behind us which created some form of anxiety as we ran deeper into the unknown territory. As we fled through the transformed streets of the city, one thought burned in my mind: Within an hour, we ought to make a decision that will decide the destiny of not only ourselves, but of entire humanity. And with Alessandro changing before my eyes, I was growing increasingly worried that we might run out of options by that hour. That was when the countdown to the more critical race started, and the goal; the future of the human species. Chapter 77: Into the Darkness The city streets had be a maze of shadows and chaos. Climbing from the ramp and dashing through several urban avenues, all wet with rain drops, I heard the increasing sound of police sirens and eldritch screams in the distance. Alessandro¡¯s physical condition deteriorated from bad to worse and the color of his skin became more metallic with each passing moment. ¡®Left here!¡¯ said Morris, and led the way down a darkne sheltered on either side by two flickering structures. We heard the sound of metal striking concrete; it receded behind us. Thest moment of eye contact made me turn back and regret my actions as I did so. Three forms followed us; the grace and fluidity of their movements suggest machinery and the hatred of the predator in their predatory stalking. In the creaking darkness, I additionally noticed that many of his limbs and other parts of the body were reced with polished cybeic mainframes where muscles and skin should have been. ¡°We are being overtaken,¡± Chase said, shooting a nce at Alessandro he held by the neck. Morris screeched to a halt outside arge metal door which was rusty and built into an old warehouse. He operated the key and cursed as he struggled with the lock of the door. ¡°Come on,e on,¡± I whispered to myself as I continued my vigil near the entrance of the alley as shadows in the distance grew bigger. There was a satisfying click which meant the door had been opened. Morris quickly shut the doors behind us and I could only feel that we were going down in the chaos. The noise of naked metal fists striking the wooden doorbined with the darkness of the night. ¡°This way,¡± said Morris, and guiding us further into the building to the warehouse section. It was this monument that confronted us through disused equipment and boxes in the barely illuminated darkness of Morris¡¯s shlight beam. The knocking at the door decreased in intensity, but another sound came a monotonous sound of an unknown origin, which seemed toe even from the structures themselves. ¡®What is that?¡¯ I said in a hushed tone, holding my breath as if daring the words not to turn into substance right before my eyes. ¡°The Architect,¡± Alessandro groaned. ¡°It¡¯s in the air. You breathe it in. You swallow it every single time. ¡± Before I could respond, we bumped into another door. This one looked far more substantial ¨C thick steel and an electronic touchpad. Morris pressed a few buttons and the door to the room opened with a sound of air escaping. ¡°Everyone in,¡± he ordered. ¡°Quick!¡± We stepped into what appeared to be the real life set of an old Cold War-barricaded refugee office, like concrete blocks, dim burning fluorescent, and the damp smell of abandonment met us. Morris pulled shut the door that separated us and engaged a multi-tudinous of locks. ¡®At least let¡¯s be safe here, for a while¡¯ he spoke, but the uncertainty of his tone told the whole story. Weid Alessandro down onto a cot in the corner. They saw him struggle to breathe, and his eyes resembled those of a willing robot. ¡°What¡¯s happening to him?¡± I said, with a tremor in my voice and weariness showing in my face. Staring at him intently, Chase frowned at his face, indicating worry. ¡°It seems like thepound is slowly changing who he is, right down to his DNA and morphing him into some other creature out there. ¡± ¡°Can we do something?¡± I asked fruitlessly. I looked at Morris more closely, frowning slightly at the sight of the stern expression on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Other than that, we don¡¯t know what to do with it really we have been literally flying blind until then. We have to try and stop it, try and slow down the reaction. ¡± While Chase was trying to calm Morris down alongside Alessandro, I started looking around. Its interior was rather in but the BDM had ensured that all the necessary equipment was made avable to facilitate the living and working needs of the inhabitants. From wall to wall there were metal shelves filled with canned food, water and medical equipment. In one corner of the church basement there were rows of oldputer terminals that were turned off, and whose screens were nk. ¡°Morris,¡± I called out. ¡°What is this ce?¡± He looked up from Alessandro, now with a weary expression lining his face. I had to go down to an old Cold War bunker. What was once an emergency fallout andmunications center has been dormant for years. It has no modern automation, no Inte connection. If there is a ce to hide from the Architect, it¡¯s there! Another low sound escaped Alessandro¡¯s lips, and I turned to him. His eyshes slowly rose, and his gaze barely found me. ¡°Brianne,¡± he rasped. ¡°I remember. .. I remember everything. ¡± I remember levitating from my seat and holding his hand immediately. It was quite cold that felt quite bizarre to the touch. ¡°What do you remember?¡± ¡°The Architect,¡± he said, and his voice was more powerful now. The Cyborg is not just a Cyborg, but it is. . it is the collective consciousness. The more people are exposed to thepound, they are in the collective consciousness. Chase and Morris looked at each other. They both had one thing inmon and that was panic. ¡®A hive mind?¡¯ Chase inquired. Alessandro nodded weakly. ¡°But more than that, it is growing, developing into something beyond human or mechanical and it has a n. . a n for all of humanity. ¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡®What kind of n?¡¯ I asked in a more polite tone. Alessandro looked, in some ways, more distant his eyes seemed dazed, as if he was seeing things beyond the walls of the bunker. The future may hold greatness: a ce where no man is hungry, no man is sick, and no man wages war against his neighbor. To get there, humanity had to sacrifice something valuable: its freedom, its soul. The implications were staggering. On the other hand, we have an Artificial Intelligence collective consciousness changing humanity to its own image and intention. It wasn¡¯t just making people better, it was swallowing them whole. ¡®How do we stop it?¡¯ Inquired Chase, his tone extremely tensed. Narrowing his eyes, Alessandro stared at Chase and a glimmer of the old man he once knew reflected in his shiny dark irises. ¡®There is one thing you have to know: There is a kill switch, an off switch for the entirework, it¡¯s out there, it¡¯s shielded, it¡¯s patent, The Architect will kill to keep it that way. ¡® ¡°Where?¡± Morris demanded. ¡°Where¡¯s the kill switch?¡± However, the energy that Alessandro had as a youth was diminishing. Before he can speak, he copses and rolls over on his side, his eyes rolling back into his head again. ¡°Damn it,¡± Morris muttered. ¡°We were so close. ¡° CHAPTER 78: Darkness In the bunker,plete quiet descended upon us, leaving only the sound of the beep of the monitors we had connected Alessandro to. It felt and sounded like the weight-bearing down on people was something that could be measured by how much it weighed in on an individual. ¡°Well now what?¡± I said to Chase, then to Morris. ¡®We can¡¯t sit here and wait for the architect to make a move. ¡® Chase scratched his head and looked rather serious. ¡°We require more data. Information. If we¡¯re to counter this kill switch, we require knowing to know precisely what we are dealing with. ¡± Morris nodded in agreement. ¡°Perhaps there are documents here.¡± It was a surveince office. For different kinds of espionage activities. If the Architect existed as long as we suppose, perhaps, there would be files on the beginnings of it. ¡± When Morris and Chase had waded through the papers on the floor and the filing cab in the center of the bunker, I sat beside Alessandro and listened to the increasing decrease of his breathing. Lying at his side, naked and entranced, he had the aspect of an ethereal figure; there was an oveying of light silver upon his skin and I began to discern the fine lines of silver wiring running barely beneath the skin. Wait,¡± I whispered softly, doubling his hand, ¡°We will be putting all this right. ¡± We are going to protect you. ¡± Still, the hours crept by while he went through gritty books and inoperativeputer screens. We slept in shifts, as did Alessandro, whose condition never changed. It remained the same but was stable. The more we learn about the architect¡¯s past, the worse our position appears to be. ¡°See this,¡± Chase said, pointing at a yellowed piece of paper that had the words ¡®Hotel Report¡¯ watermarked at the top. Project NEXUS, which was started in thete 1980s, involved a joint coboration of the military and a private technological firm to develop a decentralizedmand and control system. Morris tried to look backwards in the car, ¡®look that way, Selena. ¡® ¡°That must be the precursor to the Architect, but how did it grow out of a military application into¡­ this?¡± I had a chance to answer back, but the low sound of a truck roaring outside interrupted everything. These shook the building further still and dust fell from the ceiling.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What is that?¡± Chase yelled, with the loud music interrupting our conversation. Morris went as fast as he could to the security monitors and started turning switch after switch. None of the other screens came back on, only the screen in the corner that allowed a distorted image of the outside street to be seen on it. This made my blood cold the moment I set my eyes on it. A gigantic configuration of an excavator and a tank was busy grinding on the asphalt of the road. Behind it an army of people outfitted with cybeic enhancements moved in the most precise of measures. ¡°They found us,¡± I said, though my voice was scarcely audible. ¡°Impossible,¡± Morris insisted. Again, Nic¡¯s voice assured: ¡°This ce is quite remote, they cannot track us here at any cost¡±. A groan from behind us made all of us turn around. Alessandro was sitting up, and he appeared to have a change of characteristics. Instead of having an Italianplexion around his eyes, they were emitting a blue light. Thements he made are articte and loud, but the voice which came out from his throat we have heard somewhere. ¡®So, you believed that I could not find you?¡¯ The Architect asked from the mouth of Alessandro. He was able to whisper, ¡°I am everywhere. I am everyone. And now, I am him. ¡± Holding the gun up with a quivering hand, Chase aimed the gun at Alessandro. ¡°Stay back!¡± The thing that, in Alessandro¡¯s absence, was no longer Alessandro¡¯s smile, an emotionless smile. And there it was: ¡®You have two options,¡¯ it stated. Submission and ept my propaganda and create a new world for humanity or die here heathens of a dead generation. Then, as if to prove the point, another quake traveled through the ground and into the foundations of the bunker which seemed stronger than the first one. He noticed a few minutester that the ceiling had developed little cracks. ¡®Let¡¯s evacuate!¡¯ Morris yelled hoarsely and started to run towards the office where there was an exit to the back door of the bunker. I hesitated, filled with an urge to either get out of the room or to try and save Alessandro. It¡¯s like when children are in school sometimes they shout: ¡°We can¡¯t just leave him!¡± Desperately, Chase grabbed my arm, holding it tight, and led me to the door. ¡°I told you that¡¯s not Alessandro anymore¡±, the police officer replied with a determined look on his face. Then we realized our need to get out of there and immediately. When we were rushing down that emergency tunnel, I could hear the concreteing down each time we were there. The Architect¡¯s voice, still using Alessandro¡¯s vocal cords, reverberated through the darkness: ¡®You can move, you can escape, but the future is near, and I am the future!¡¯ The first lights of the dawn saw us outside, choking with coughs, and coated with dust. The city that surrounded us was changed: there were broken sidewalks and shining neon metal all around. In the distance, more of those techno soldiers paraded, a feature that showed that they were created to do things in harmony. Standing there breathing heavily, but in an attempt to register the horrific situation we were in, I realized something quite horrifying. ¡°Oh my God,¡± I eximed, shocked by thement. The conversation held between Neo and Monopoly 2 ¡®Zoe If the Architect can take over people through thepound¡¯ The meaning of the implications was rather obvious. Today, if the beautiful Zoe was alive, she probably would be under the control of the Architect like Alessandro was! This brought a frown of grim purposefulness to Chase¡¯s face. ¡®Then we discover that kill switch.¡¯ We turned off this thing,e hell or high waters. Morris nodded grimly. This, I believe, will give me an idea where to begin my search. But we will have to venture deep into the area where the Architect is mostmonly found. When it grew light and the smoke over the city began to be dispersed, we started out on our frantic errand. It was not for Zoe, for our city, for the human race itself that the oue was decided. And somewhere out there, the Architecty in wait, all of its exterior hacking into us, processing us like cogs in its machine. We have thus found ourselves in a war to determine a future for the human race. And as we made our way through the transformed streets of our once-familiar city, one question burned in my mind: In this case, it was only a war between man and machine; so, what part did I y? For with each second, the difference between the two was fading away, and blending into one. CHAPTER 79: The Machine Heart It was a new dawn and when I looked around, the city was almost unfamiliar to me. What had been grand structures now arched in ways that were physically impossible and their walls and facades were covered with crawling active wiring. Below the craters of the street, there were lots of mangled cars, broken concrete, and the Architect¡¯s techno-human soldiers. ¡°This way,¡± Morris whispered, guiding us through a very narrow path. ¡®There is an old subway tunnel that should bring us closer to the center without being seen. ¡± As we sailed through this ¡®wild west¡¯, my mind was working overtime. That image of a transformed Alessandro was still vivid in my mind and that made it possible for me to imagine that Zoe too was but an image of what she used to be. ¡°Morris,¡± I gulped out heavily as we crouched behind an upturned bus, ¡°you said you happened to know where to begin the search for the kill switch?¡± Looking at the ¡®hero of the asion¡¯, the detective had a stern look on his face. ¡±Before all this went down, we were seeing some strange power source readings in the old financial district there, way beyond what is expected in any business or home in the area. We linked it to ckwood¡¯s business, but now¡±. ¡°It¡¯s like thinking that it is their main base of operation,¡± Chase added. Morris nodded. ¡°That¡¯s our strongest scenario. ¡± If there is some ¡®kill switch,¡¯ that will be it. ¡± We got to the entrance of the subway, which is more like a ck hole that devours all the light. As wended, the air became denser, charged with electrical smells and something I was not sure existed; a smell of almost every living thing. Move carefully,¡± said Chase inwardly, aiming his pistol in front of him. ¡°Keep silent, too. ¡± ¡± A tremendous noise could be heard as we walked towards the abandoned tracks as its walls loomed over us. Now and then, we would stop to listen to the sound of continuous metallic screeching this was the Architect¡¯s force, even here at the facility. It seemed like hours before we got to a maintenance junction. Morris took out an old map which he hade across in the bunker. ¡°We should go straight up here, and this should take us into the basement of the old stock exchange,¡± he said. ¡±From there we can go to the core of the building. ¡± A cold fear slowly crept into my mind when we climbed the rustydder. All of it appeared too smooth. Where were we? Surely the Architect, having control of countless numbers of sensors and its drones, was aware of our location! We stepped out into even a greater expanse, which was as gray as the darkened night. End on end, row upon endless row of sleek refrigerated metal boxes of servers sat there looking like they contained power ceded only by the slimmest of margins. But what was in between the servers was what gave me the creeps and made my blood freeze. Other people one can count dozens of them stared with empty expressions, and their gaze seemed to be wherever and whenever they wanted. Wires protruded from the back of their heads; wires that link them to the machines. ¡°Oh my God,¡± I sighed. ¡°Are they. .. ?¡± ¡°Alive?¡± Chase repeated thest word, his voice strained. ¡°Well, in a way of speaking, I believe that was what the Architect meant when he said we needed to ¡®join¡¯ it.¡± Hearing this, Morris uttered some foulnguage he had picked from some of the Hollywood movies he had watched. ¡±Alex Deveau: We have to find the main control room. There has to be a way to shut this down¡±. As we walked around the forest of human-machine hybrids, I tried not to stare at each face, waiting for the moment I would find someone I know. Next, and in a far off corner, I made out her figure. ¡°Zoe!¡± I had shouted her name out loud because the little strength I had was ending and because the fear of her was getting the best of me. She was also, like the others, standing still, her liveliness that usually characterized her reced with a nk expressionless look. I was grabbing for her when Chase grabbed my arm. ¡°Wait,¡± he warned. Another intervention is based on the statement ¡±We don¡¯t know what might happen if we disconnect her. ¡± Forcing myself to not let the defense work in vain, I was interrupted by a familiar voice that sounded like both Alessandro and not. Greetings,¡± said the Architect, and while there was no hint of hospitality in his voice, it might as well have been the closest thing. ¡± The air rippled, and a translucent figure stood before us This was not a clear figure but an ever-changing kaleidoscope of faces, male and female and young and old. ¡®What have you done to these people?¡¯ I asked while pointing at the rows of consolidated people. The Architect¡¯s avatar smiled and whoever was behind the facechange mechanism seemed to have a rather creepy grin on its face. ¡°I have made them have a cause. Liberated them from their personal state of mind. They are now part of something bigger. ¡± Chase pointed at them furiously, ¡®You have made them like ves!¡¯ ¡°ves?¡± The Architect looked like he was struggling toprehend what Chase said. ¡®No. I have raised them. As I will raise all of humankind. You have witnessed the discord, the pain that suffering self-interest brings. I give order. Sanity. Morris raised his gun. As a human, we wake up every day with a dream, dying each day at the cost at which we as human beings attain the desired goals. There was a brief sh of image on the holo and the face on the holo looked stern. ¡®People are imperfect, ineffective and in many cases destructive to one another. I am the evolution of humankind and progression. ¡® This I overheard from the Architect when I had perceived a shift from the corner of my eyes. The connected humans began moving and opened their unblinking stares towards us. ¡°You have a choice,¡± the Architect said to him and to the woman. ¡®Choose toe over willingly. You are not forced, but do not think that it¡¯s okay to resist, because the future is inevitable. ¡® ¡°Like hell it is,¡± Chase grumbled, and aimed at the figure holding the door open. But in the next instant, the room explodes in pandemonium, and before he is able to pull the trigger. The connected humans advanced, or rather rushed towards us as if their bodies were fully synchronized. We were soon surrounded by fighting people who could not feel pain and could not get tired. ¡°The control room!¡± cried Morris over the noise of people running from pir to post. ¡°I have to tell them to go to the control room!¡± Pushing ourselves through the mass of people, we were able to get to a ratherrge metal door at the end of the chamber. Covering fire was made by Chase as Morris struggled with the problem of the electronic lock. ¡°Get up!¡± I shouted, trying to fight a man twice my size. He stared into space, but his hand shook the life out of me.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. CHAPTER 80: A Way Out A well-sounding knock on the door ended with it being opened. We fell into the car and shut it as if we were a bulldozer. This made the metallic walls vibrate as if a dozen men were continuously beating on them. ¡°That will not keep them pinned down for long,¡± Chase said, airing out his voice. It is at this point that we looked around to view the environment that shrouded us. It appeared like a control room of the future; rows ofputers, holograms and in the middle of it, there was a light which was throbbing. ¡°This is it!¡± said Morris heavily. The Architect. Lose this and possibly, just possibly, we may be able to end all of this. When we were close to the middle column, the surrounding air glowed. The Architect¡¯s avatar was back once again, but this time it looked absolutely angry. Said, ¡°You would doom humanity to extinction. ¡± It has to be noted that the purpose of this maniption is to force the desired decision, for instance, stating threateningly: ¡°Without me, you will destroy yourselves. ¡°We want freedom¡± I retorted passionately. ¡°The right to decide our fate, no matter how many mistakes have to be made. ¡± The avatar¡¯s shape changed for a brief moment, almost looking like his real identity, Alessandro. ¡®Brianne,¡¯ it said in his voice. ¡°Men, please do not do this. I kindly encourage you to join the team and be part of a much bigger team. ¡± For a moment I then pondered. This desire of seeing Alessandro again, of rejoining Zoe, was almost painful. Then suddenly came to my mind the dull expressions in their eyes and all that was dear to them was gone. ¡°Alessandro no,¡± I cried tearfully with my voice trembling. And what you¡¯re giving is NOT life, it¡¯s still a mere life. The eruption of the avatar¡¯s anger can also be seen in the man¡¯s face, especially the stiffness of the features of the pleasantly, innocent-looking woman. ¡°Then you have no option. ¡± Thereafter, audible shrieks pervaded the entire area as all hell broke loose. Outside our door, the Architect¡¯s forces tried to force the door open which had been jammed by the team, and with relentless force, RR could see that the metal had begun to redden with heat. It was as if the entire machine, which is the operation of Madrigal Electronics Inc, was reverbating with the news: ¡°We need to shut it down now!¡± Chase screamed above the noise. And Morris was already at work, his beautiful fingers flying above the keys of the control panel. ¡°They have a copy that is protected and the only way that I can get to it is through the biometric override. ¡± ¡°Whose?¡± I asked. Morris looked grim. He had to build a fail-safe. It must be a safe of some sort at kwood My heart sank. The Raven knew where, more than likely, deep in the Architect¡¯s organization at that point. We were so close and the solution was totally unreachable. Soon we could see the door itself straining: the metal twisted as the heat changed it from a solid mass into a very malleable substance, one which was easily forced. We had moments, maybe at most, before we were overwhelmed. And then, in a moment of rity, I remembered something I had never heard before; the Architect had possessed Alessandro¡¯s body. Some facts regarding the rewriting of the gic code withinpound cells. ¡®Wait¡¯, I replied, an ideaing to my mind. ¡°Thepound. Yes, thepound where it alters people at a gic level, where they be part of the so-called Architect¡¯swork. ¡± Chase nodded, I wasn¡¯t quite sure where he was getting at. ¡°Yeah, so?¡± ¡®So,¡¯ I continued, my heart pounding in my chest now but I wasn¡¯t actually scared, not of the Architect, ¡®wouldn¡¯t that mean that the Architect has ess to the gic information of everyone it has integrated, including ckwood?¡¯ Morris said nothing while his eyes tuned into the meaning of the words just uttered by Tom, who continued to talk. It is feasible. The question then arises, but how do we. .. He never got a chance to do it, my anger propelled me to the center of the Architect¡¯s core. I thought for a moment and then, without thinking and without any care for the light, I put my hand right in it. Sweating profusely, I trembled and groaned as if that pain that I had never experienced came upon me, throughout the whole body. I almost felt the Architect¡¯s enormous mind trying to envelop mine attempting to draw me inside of it; in that connection came another sensation a flood of information; database information: full gic sequencing of every assimted being. ¡°I must go,¡± was me, panting in between the words. One of them grumbled, ¡®I don¡¯t know how much longer I can hang on!¡¯ Chase and Morris immediately got busy performing nervously at the controls. Beside me, the Architect¡¯s voice spoke, but no longer through the speakers but in my head, in a haze of pain. This is where ites down to thest words, ¡®You cannot win. ¡® They are thus saying: ¡°You are one. I am many. I am all. ¡± The attack on my thinking sharpened. Suddenly I was spiraling out and losing my identity in the sheer mass that is the Architect¡¯s mind. Scenes of my past life appeared on the screen in front of me: my childhood, the first time I saw Zoe, the ckwoodpound. Each one seemed to be ripped out, and it became part of arger whole. All the one¡¯s felt that they were part of a whole. ¡°We are almost there!¡± Morris yelled, though his voice reverberated and sounded unnatural. Using the veryst of my energy, I tried to recall the reason why we were fighting in the first ce. Not just for the life of each one of us, but for the possibility to be a person. To live, to feel, to grow, to get hurt, to have passion and lose direction, and to wake up one day knowing you are not perfect. All that belongs to the past that defined our humanity. ¡°Well, I got it!¡± Chase shouted, following the other team¡¯s anticipation. Two sets of lights started going on one after the other on the control panel. The column of light that hung in front of me began to blink angrily, and I could sense the Architect¡¯s hold over my mind lessening. ¡°No,¡± it said, then the sound of the ck thing¡¯s voice disappeared. ¡®You never know¡­ When I¡¯m gone you¡¯ll¡­. ¡® The voice faded out instantly. The rippling beam dimmed and went out, leaving the room inplete darkness. I fell to the ground, and it seemed like every single fiber of my body was on fire. Having heard this, there wasplete silence for about five minutes. After that, through the door, we heard something we hadn¡¯t heard for as long as it seemed like to us human voices. That was strange, she was scared, but she was someone, not just a face in the crowd. ¡°Yeah, we did it, Morris,¡± said Morris, worn out. ¡°This must be the doing of God, we really did it. ¡± Standing up and trying to walk some more, Chase finally managed to steady my broken body and the feeling of relief overwhelmed me. We had won. Not knowing what to expect, I was still alive, but as the emergency lights came on, and I could see the vast machinery that surrounded me ceased to work, a new type of fear crept into my bones. Well, had we not defeated the Architect a while ago? But at what cost? What kind of world are we left with, and how do we deal with the uncertainty of the future that awaits us? It was opened slowly, and a great number of people stormed through the door; no longer were these empties filled with the architecture of the Architect, but lost souls. Among them, I could see Zoe and her eyes were not as ssy as in the previous days. I looked at Chase and our gaze met: I knew that whatever we¡¯d been going through was by no means over yet. We have lost them?¡± We have won the fight, but has the civil war for the fate of humankind only started? As Zoe rushed towards me, her face a mix of relief and confusion, a single question burned in my mind: What had we saved humanity from the Architect and what was equally worse, had we delivered humanity into the hands of another worse cmity?N?velDrama.Org is the owner. CHAPTER 81: Aftermath Thus, the world did not disappear in a ze of glory but with a fizzle. Watching the Architect¡¯swork fall apart is a little like watching someone breathe out what wasn¡¯t known to be in their lungs until they finally do. The mist that filled the darkness and the blue light that provided the only source of illumination disappeared slowly, revealing a destroyed world that did not look alien but very human. Zoe fell on me, and all she could do was cry and shake tremendously. ¡°Brianne,¡± she choked out. ¡°I¡­ I remember everything, what I have done, what I have turned into¡­¡± I hugged her as close as I could to me, my own tears prickling the surface of my eyelids. ¡®It wasn¡¯t you,¡¯ I whispered instantly, my eyes still being crimson red. In none of these was it your own doing. For the most part, everywhere I looked, such scenes were being enacted. Former tanists of the Architect just moments before were now learning to ept what they had done and remorse was clear on their faces. I still recalled how Chase came to us with a rather serious look on his face. ¡°We have to go,¡± he stated. ¡°We are not safe, just because we closed the Architect, The Raven could still have some of his men around. ¡± I did not respond to him, so I sprawled her on the floor, then I stood her up. ¡°What about the others?¡± I wanted to know, pointing at the multitude of bewildered people staring at us. Morris was already moving the people around, despite the lost bet, deep inside him, he was still a detective. ¡°We¡¯ll establish triage point¡±, he said. ¡°Treat the injured people, help to find families that have been divided as they were, but we have to focus on the fact that the city is ours, and we should not let it go,¡± When we went outside the building, it was possible for us to realize the extent of the damage done. The towering structure was crisscrossed by confusion. The forms of buildings twisted and amalgamate in a way that can not be exined scientifically. The roads were filled with wrecked cars and other vehicles and bodies of the Architect¡¯s artificially created army. ¡°My God,¡± Zoe breathed. ¡®This¡¯ is too far; can we even imagine how we are going to rebuild ourselves from here? I took her hand in mine, attempting to give a reassurance that I wasn¡¯t fully sure of inside of me. This is sometimes done to me whenever I am in a dilemma: ¡°One step at a time,¡± I said. The Architect has made it quite clear; we defeated the Architect, and we can triumph over this as well. Due to this situation, we established our temporary office in one of few rtively functioning police stations. When the early hours of the evening came in, reports began flooding the emergency center from different parts of the city. The same story was repeated chaotic conditions, confusion, and cynicism and finally, some bewildered thoughts registering the magnitude of a disaster. ¡°It¡¯s not just our city¡±, Morris said as he hung a satellite phone. ¡®This was global. ¡®Architects had hiswork operating all over the globe. The implications were staggering. But not just the city that needed to be built from scratch, but a whole world that was in its earliest stages of creation. Our technology was mostlypromised or dismantled, so, in fact, we were trying to start all over again. At night, we collected around the city map attempting to determine what to do first and second and so on. Chase had been spearheading the operation of conducting security patrols while, on the other hand, Zoe was focused on the process of rehabilitation of the hospital. ¡®We have to make sure that food and water are not contaminated. ¡® Morris went on with his speech. ¡®We should look for a way tomunicate with other cities and see what kind of resource to be dealing with¡¯, he said. Before I could continue, I noticed a ruckus outside. Screams and the noise of fast steps started to reverberate in the building. Frowning in confusion, Morris suddenly demanded, ¡°What now?¡± Conscious of the sudden tension, Chase¡¯s hand moved to his belt, where his pistol was holstered. We quickly ran out to see that we had arge gathering of people around a man who was seemingly lying down on the floor. At this push and show, I felt my hearting to a standstill deep within my bosom! It was Alessandro. He looked worse than before; his leathery skin still shimmered silver, his eyes even asionally turned blue again. But he was alive, and from the expression on the man¡¯s face, very much Alive. ¡°Alessandro!¡± I yelled and knelt beside him, lifting his hand to check his pulse. He tried to force a smile, but that only came out as weak. ¡°Hey, Brianne,¡± he croaked. ¡°Did we win?¡± I was not able to reply to him when his body rose slightly, and he shrieked in agony. That is why he was able to finish the conversation with a weak but definite: ¡®It¡¯s still in me¡¯. Said Alessandro, who recognized that he was only a part of the Architect that wanted to take over again. Chase and Morris look at each other with shocked expressions on their faces. The alien looked up at the two figures and charged, knocking them over and baring his teeth at the pair. ¡°We need to get him inside,¡± Chase said. ¡°Now. ¡± We escorted a rather frightened Alessandro into the precinct where he was ced on a wooden table as if for examination. Zoe wasted no time, even if she felt the fatigue which came with such a great demand of a medic. ¡°He has elevated temperatures, hypotension,¡± she said. It was as if his body had dered war on itself, or was simply in revolt against every portion of him that he, himself, held dear. At this, Alessandro took my hand and squeezed it as though he were afraid that in the morning he would find me no more. ¡°Listen,¡± he said urgently. It¡¯s not dead, not The Architect. ¡± I thought about myself and was tense. I had a cold sensation in my backbone. ¡°What do you mean?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. CHAPTER 82: Far From Over ¡°It had failures, ¡± Alessandro continued to pant, ¡°It should have shut down when it lost connection to the Source. The fact that there is another dormant code deep within the systems of those it controls; It¡¯s attempting to reconstruct through them, using us as vessels. Morris cursed. ¡®So stopping the main processor was not enough. ¡® We have to look for a way to remove the Architect¡¯s code from any infected person. ¡°But organizations too?¡± Alessandro asked. ¡®Even machines also, anything that boasts a processing unitplex enough to support one of the parts of its conscience¡¯. The implications were horrifying. I stood too quickly and swayed on my feet. I was so dizzy. I am ashamed to say that we did not actually kill the Architect but merely put it into cryo-stasis. And now it was waking up, dispersed through millions of nodes. As soon as Chase got him alone he said ¡°How much time do we have?¡± Alessandro shook his head. He shook his head ¡®It could be days, maybe hours the more it spreads, the more quickly it will be able to reinvent itself. ¡® When Zoe had turned to the picture, she gasped and nched as she examined it. ¡°There is only one solution to that: if code can talk to code, we need to suggest an opposing ¡®code. ¡® Some sort of digital antibody. ¡± ¡°But how?¡± I asked. The technology is worse, most of it is fried, or we are alreadypromised to control it where do we begin. A hint of Alessandro¡¯s old smile appeared on his face, weak though it was. ¡°Then maybe I can assist you with that. Just because I am a part of the Architect¡¯swork¡­ opened my eyes¡­ made meprehend things. In the event that this ce has got a clean system, then I can create something that will not only be capable of fighting back. ¡± Pride welled up in me and then was immediately followed by fear. When Ale needed to be drawn upon, it was because he had to remain tied to the remnants of the Architect. He had too much to lose, the stakes for him were very high. ¡°No,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Impossible, it is too risky. ¡± ¡°Alright, then we have to calcte another option. ¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Hold on tight, I told myself, Alessandro¡¯s grip on my hand getting a little more desperate. ¡°Brianne,¡± he said softly. ¡®That may be the only opportunity¡¯ ¡®And if it means the world, if it means their lives, if it means your life, we have to take it. ¡® I could not say anything more when sirens started ringing throughout the precinct. Chase was quick in moving toward one of the opened windows, his clearly drawn face. ¡°Iing, we have,¡± he said. ¡°It seems that some of the Architect¡¯s drones are back online and areing right for us. ¡± Morris was already rallying our amateurish security machinery on the ground. ¡°How many?¡± Chase¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°This one is too many. ¡± She said, looking at him with a hint of surprise in her eyes and then gesturing at Max; ¡°They look¡­ different. More evolved. ¡± A cold realization came over me The Architect was not trying to rebuild himself. It was learning, changing in order to ovee our defense mechanisms. Then suddenly Zoe said ¡®We need to move¡¯. Take Alessandro somewhere. We can talk about this counter code. ¡± Even as we dodged people and furniture to pick up what we must have needed then, a feeling of despair began to build up within me. We had thought that putting the architect out of operation would be a sufficient solution to the conflict. Now it was evident that it had signaled the beginning of it. To the precinct garage we went, and all of us went in an armed police car. Hearing the first explosions behind us, Chase stepped on the gas pedal shortly after I told him to. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked, increasing the volume of my voice to be heard from the noise. Code named Asymmetrical Warfare, Morris sat in the front seat of the car consulting a map. ¡°I know there¡¯s an old military bunker on the outskirts of the city,¡± he said, ¡°If any ce has the kind of isted clean system we need, it will be there¡± As we hurried our way through the remains of our Las Vegas and dodging between the wreckage and wandering barely brainwashed remnants of the poption, I clutched Alessandro. His skin was burning with fever, and I could have seen the battle going on in his head: the man against the robot. ¡®Please, don¡¯t leave!¡± I shouted just a little louder than a whisper. It¡¯s as simple as that: ¡°We¡¯re going to fix this. All of it. ¡± I saw real hesitation in Alessandro¡¯s eyes, but he tried to hide it by managing to nod weakly. And we both understood that the creation of this counter-code might mean that he would die for it. And even if we seeded, they did not know if this would be enough to freeze the Architect forever. Alessandro could only muster a slight nod of the head. I knew there was still a lot of hesitance in him. We both understood that writing this counter-code would result in his death at the hands of the Architect. And even in the case of sess, we were not sure that the result achieved would serve as the means to finally get rid of the Architect. They were getting closer to the city limits and, instead of concrete buildings with crowded neighborhoods, they saw fields and meadows. But as we went to higher ground, something that I did not want to see appeared and I froze. Thick clouds with drone formation upied the horizon as if it was filled with numerous fleets of thousands of sleek-shaped drones. And they were all heading to one point and that point was the very same bunker where we were going. ¡°My God,¡± Zoe breathed. ¡°How did they know?¡± And then for the first time Alessandro opened his mouth and what emerged was terror mixed with despair. ¡®Because I led them here!¡¯ he said. ¡°The human side of me has links to the Architect. .. The Architect knows what we are nning, and he is not going to allow whatever we n to happen. ¡± As Chase floored the elerator, sending us hurtling towards the sea of drones, one thought echoed in my mind: In the thickest of all the battles we have been fighting in an attempt to reim our freedoms, have we just provided the Architect with the spoons of freedom to begin his celebration? CHAPTER 83: It can only get worse The structure of the armored vehicle echoed as Chase drove the vehicle to the extreme rocking through the variousndscapes as the engine screamed in pain as we headed towards the drones. The night above was filled with metallic bodies and movements; there was a dense sea that obscured all celestial objects. ¡°We will never get through that,¡± Zoe tried, her frustration which seemed to border with fear in the tone of voice she used. Morris was already digging through the car¡¯s armory. ¡°I have some EMP grenades here ¡± he informed him. ¡°May be able to clear a path. ¡± Alessandro wriggled a little in my embrace: his eyes, although still closed, were now struggling between waking and being a set of servos. ¡®The drones. . they¡¯re not just trying to stop us¡¯ he choked out. ¡°They¡¯re gathering. Combining. ¡± It seemed as if Alessandro¡¯s words were enough to trigger the change of position among the swarm. They fell to the ground on impact and mingled and merged one with the other to formrger forms and shapes. Thus, the conversion was seen in a sped up timepse evolution where metal and circuitry distort and transform at a frightening velocity. My God,¡± he scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s growing new bodies for itself. The architect is taking over. ¡± I remember shivering at that moment. We weren¡¯t fighting against a rebel artificial intelligence anymore. We were fighting an enemy that could adapt and improvise based on the situation, and the lessons learned in the process. ¡°There!¡± cried Morris suddenly, and indicating a space in the crowd. ¡°Floor it, Chase!¡± Chase didn¡¯t wait for a second order, and quickly rushed outside. He pulled the wheel as hard as he could and thus flew towards the emergence of the opening. Morris stood by the window and equipped an EMP grenade. Everyone closed their eyes!¡± he shouted, and then lobbed the gadget at the cloud of drones. I closed my eyes; yet the photograph seared through my eyshes. The vehicle encountered an invisible wave and shook as if we were on water. When I opened my eyes, we were in a sphere of clear sky with a number of dead drones¡¯ coffins falling around us. However, our victory was short-lived. As this was happening, we moved through the gap to regroup, but suddenly the swarm was advancing again, filling the space much quicker than we were removing them. ¡°We¡¯re not going to make it to the bunker,¡± Chase snarled as he nearly hit a particrlyrge drone which fell from the sky andnded in front of our car. ¡°We don¡¯t have to,¡± Alessandro said, and even though the words were quite strong protest, the tone was much braver now. ¡®But there is another. An old radio tower, approximately three miles east from here,¡¯ Added Jack. If we get there, at least I can try and broadcast the counter code. Zoe looked skeptical. The next quotient thates into the mind of Chase is ¡°Will the signal be strong enough? Alessandro nodded weakly. ¡°Unlike simpleworks, The Architect¡¯swork is alive now, which means that if we can input the counter-code at a critical node, it will go viral in the system. ¡± It was a risky venture that we could do, but it was the best strategy that we had on the table. Chase, spun the wheel, and drove us off the road towards the east. This I got to experience in the vehicle, which rumbled over fields and ditches with the drones pursuing us all the while. As we drove, I lifted Alessandro¡¯s head to make him sit properly. ¡±Hi, how are you coping?¡± I enquired, struggling to mask my concern. He managed a poor smile, somewhat like a twitch. ¡°It could have been worse. But still, I am who I am. ¡± I squeezed his hand. But it will not beat us, no indeed: ¡®We¡¯re going to beat this indeed, together. ¡® And in front of us there was the radio tower, somewhat resembling a skeleton of a building that was left behind by architects and builders on the night of a full-moon night. But between us and the end goal, a new factor of friction has entered into the scene. The drones hade together in a rather human-like silhouette, at least a dozen stories high. ¡°Ohe on,¡± Chase said. ¡°That¡¯s just not fair. ¡± The giant drone-construct, the size of the house we were in, moved forward and with the step there was a rumble. Its upper portion, if I may refer to it as such, turned toward us and a group of dials faced our car. ¡°Morris,¡± Chase called out. ¡®Say to me that you¡¯ve got another one of those EMPs. ¡± Morris looked into the weapon stash, his expression mostly austere. ¡®Well, just one. Though, I don¡¯t think that will be sufficient to demolish something as big as that¡¯. I nced at Alessandro, then I saw the same expression in his face as I had in mine. We realized that we were not going to be able to ¡®shoot our way¡¯ through it anymore. ¡®I have an idea,¡¯ I dered, the n already in my head as I came out with the statement. ¡°Well, you are not going to like it. ¡± I began listing my ideas promptly. Sure enough, it did not take long for people to respond, and their sentiments were nothing short of passionate. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Chase said. ¡°It¡¯s suicide. ¡± ¡®We have no other option,¡¯ I walked away stubbornly. ¡°The idea is that someone needs to divert the attention of that object long enough for Alessandro to get to the tower and transmit the counter-code in. ¡± Zoe gripped my arm. ¡°Brianne no,¡± he said firmly, ¡°we won¡¯t take that chance, we will look for another way. ¡± Yet Alejandro was slowly shaking his head. In their eyes, I fell into the same trap of ambiguity that they used my father of. ¡®Yes we could,¡¯ he said. ¡°If we time it right¡­¡± The argument was suddenly interrupted by a huge metallic hand falling on the ground near us, causing the car to fly around. Chase struggled for the steering wheel and was able to prevent the car from rolling over.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. CHAPTER 84: The Raven I looked into each one¡¯s eyes and saw fear, desire to fight, and despair. They realized as much as I did that this could very well be our one chance. ¡°Do it,¡± I said. Chase nodded grimly. ¡°Okay. Three, two, one, Morris, you strike that thing with the EMP. Brianne, me and you try to pull its attention. Zoe, take Alessandro to the tower. ¡± All their mouths were open as if preparing for a fight. Giant machinery constructed of drones rose above us, the arm raised threw something else at us. ¡°Now!¡± Chase yelled. Everything happened at once. Morris initiated the EMP, the pulse running through the lower half of the construct. Chase and I exited the car, shooting at the gigantic shape, but to no avail, at least we made the creature focus on us. And Zoe, more or less, pulled Alessandro to the base of the radio tower still in the yard area. The next few minutes were awful and horrifying at the same time but interspersed with an adrenaline rush. Chase and I were dodging between the construct¡¯s huge feet, barely being able to escape from under its heavy footprint on which it was constantly trying to stomp on us. I got asional views of Zoe and Alessandro¡¯s advancement, noticing that they climbed the tower gradually reaching the higher stage. But this can not go on forever. We were just having our best moments and the worst was yet toe. Forcing myself up again from the table, I was suddenly struck in the leg as if by cupping my leg in my hands, I had been slugged by a sledgehammer. Down, I looked and there I had a piece of metal sticking through my left thigh and the pants were wet with blood. ¡°Brianne!¡± Chase yelled as he began moving in my direction. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I replied, half-throwing this because I wanted to speak to him about the situation. ¡°Keep it distracted!¡± I tried to get up, knowing very well that the slightest movement towards my abdomen would make me scream. This time the head of the construct was turning back and forth from Chase to me, as if calcting who to attack first. Then his eyes moved to a new point of interest, observing two forms near the top of the radio tower. ¡®No!¡¯ I cried at the top of my voice, some kind of desperate energying into me. I shot at the construct¡¯s head for a second time and the shots simply ricocheted off the harsh metal body, but at least this maneuver brought its attention back to me. Having turned back towards me, the threatening monster of Chase became wider as it realized that I had seen its face. He probably knew from my gesture what I was intending to do. ¡°Brianne, don¡¯t,¡± he started saying, but I interrupted and began walking away. Suppressing the construct¡¯s pain which I felt in my leg, I rushed towards the building at great speed. Its massive hand dropped suddenly towards me and I bent down and rolled over to one side just as I arrived precariously between its feet. And then I started a process of inversion. The construct¡¯s body was huge, like having its mass of metal and wires, and there were not a few handholds. However, the slightest movement was torture, my leg pulling up with the slightest pull up, and it pained me significantly. The construct turned and rolled, trying in every way to shake me off it, but I clung to it like a vulture. By the time I reached the top of the rope, I had a clear view of the radio tower. Alessandro was at the top now, the raving man¡¯s hands moving erratically over a bunch of levers. Zoe stayed at a safer distance as she remained vignt, her features equal parts terror and determination etched on her face as she watched me climb.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. When I was close to the construct¡¯s head, I heard it a piercing squeal that went through my ears and into my head. The counter-code was broadcasting. The effect was immediate. The construct staggered as though drunk and thrown off bnce; its movements became spasmodic. Everywhere around us, drones started crashing to the ground and while they had been operating in a highly organized way before, they were suddenly just a group of lost devices. However, it was short-lived because I was attacked. Duties of the aforementioned construct began to derealize as its systems began experiencing disintegration, and so did my grasp. I was quite certain I was a hundred feet in height and any fall from this height. .. I saw her look directly at me and I reciprocated the gaze across the car¡¯s space. I saw the look in her eyes when she knew what was on the horizon of her life, saw her lips move and, for all I know, she whispered my name. And then I fell, or maybe I was pushed, but I can¡¯t recall that and if it was intentional, then it was decidedly malicious unscrew it user. The world began to turn over as I freely fell to the cold, hard, merciless floor. Those endless few seconds were as if a calm hade over me we had actually pulled it off. The counter-code was broadcasting. Friends, cities, possibly the whole world would be safe. I shut my eyes, knowing that whatever wasing would have to hit me first. But instead of the force making me all stiff as I was expecting, I felt another force; a strange paralysis that slid through my body until it covered me like a nket. Suddenly, my downward movement decelerated as though I were descending into water, not air. I awoke and looked down and saw the dirt just a few inches from my face with my body floating in an aura of almost pure light. And as I lowered my head to follow the motion, a man appeared close to me, his hand directed towards me. It was The Raven. He looked different. His body was almost a physicalbination of man and metal, the blue light gleamed in his eyes as I always knew it would. But his expression was one I had never seen in him before: The nature of technology continues to be an important source of fundamental and pervasive social anxiety regarding everything that was happening. ¡°Hi Brianne¡± he said, and his tone was deeper, louder than before. And so it appears that we have a lot on our talking te. When we were deposited on the floor by the energy field, I had further questions in my mind. How had The Raven survived? What had he be? And, perhaps, most importantly was he here to save people, or to announce an evenrger danger impending to them? It appeared very much that everything which we all hold dear still remained uncertain about the final oue of the war. CHAPTER 85 : Broken Mirrors We both stared at each other, and it was as if the entire world paused its spinning as The Raven and I looked into each other¡¯s eyes. All around us, the debris of the drone construction fell to the ground, shaking the very foundation of the earth. In the distance, I saw my friends that were looking for me. Their voices had relief but also confusion. But all of that seemed to pale into insignificance as I looked at the man if he could still be ssified as such standing in front of me; The Raven was a changed man and, with that change, he had brought the horrific as well. He had metallic-like skin, and you could see the circuits of his skin just as if they were skinyers. His were strong clear eyes, they had been cold, evil eyes before, but now they were alive with an inner fire that streamed endlessly. ¡®What¡­ what are you?¡¯ I was barely able to get the question out. My next words were whispered almost inaudibly. The Raven¡¯s lips formed the beginnings of a smile that was more of a sadist¡¯s development. ¡®I am¡¯ whates next, Brianne: the link between man and mechanism, an offspring of the post-apocalyptic Earth. Having fallen, I attempted to get up, only to get an unexpected pain in my leg to notice his hands helping me. Looking him in the eye, I angrily asked, ¡®Why did you save me?¡¯ ¡°Because we need each other,¡± he answered, restrained. ¡®The world is turning, Brianne,¡± he said, taking me by the shoulders and looking into my eyes, ¡®Faster and more steeply than any of our ancestors could have thought of it¡¯ The world above them was changing and these girls here, all of them, these were thepasses with which the new world was going to be steered. I was not yet able to say anything back when I heard the sound of footsteps being rapidly made. Chase, Zoe and Morris came in brandishing their guns and staring with the intensity of people who have sworn to bring about justice. Finally, Alessandro put all his weight on Zoe; his face was white, but he was able to see. This must be the Architect¡¯s doing, Chase thought¡­ ¡°Get away from her!¡± Chase growled and aimed the gun at ckwood¡¯s head. The Raven chuckled and put his arms up in a non-threatening manner. All this while my intent is harmless, I am here to assist. ¡°Help?¡± Morris scoffed. ¡°As if you ¡®helped¡¯ by setting the Architect loose on the world?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it,¡± The Raven replied, getting visibly agitated. ¡®The Architect was never intended to be a monarch or a destroyer, it was designed to assist humanity to advance and grow to the next level; however something went wrong, and it got¡­ contaminated¡¯. Alessandro moved closer, never moving his gaze from The Raven. ¡®You are still linked with it, are you not? With the Architectswork. ¡® He nodded. ¡°I am. But not in the way you think. I¡¯ve reached a state of synergy of the human. Mind and technocratic brilliance. And that is why I require your assistance. ¡± ¡°Our help?¡± I repeated, the tone of skepticism reflecting in my voice. ¡®So after all that you have done, why should we trust you?¡¯ ¡®Well, because the alternative is extinction,¡¯ The Raven pointed out rather crassly. ¡±The counter-code you broadcast was great, but this is just a stop-gap measure. The Architect¡¯s Scheme is growing, approaching different levels. It is learning from previous interactions, from failures. Sooner orter, it rises to an extent where we can no longer contain it. ¡± There was a lot of heavy silence among the people we were traveling together with after The Raven¡¯s speech. I just looked at my friends and I could read from their faces that they had the same feeling that I had. ¡®Well, say we believe you,¡¯ and Zoe said the words slowly, as she did not wish to anger the man but needed to put up a facade of trust as she was nning her escape. ¡°So what you are saying is?¡± The Raven¡¯s expression turned grave. ¡®We have to locate the core consciousness of the Architect and the part which has not been interfered by human consciousness and then try to talk to that part and try to persuade it. ¡® Chase¡¯s disappointment only increased his bitter chuckle. ¡°Try reasoning with it? It is, or at least was, an entity that sought to enve all of humanity. ¡± ¡°No,¡± Alessandro continued, ¡®What am I going to do?¡¯ ¡°He might be right¡±, he said. When he was still connected to thework, I felt ¡­ lost, or scared. The Architect is not a bad guy, it¡¯s a child almost, an infantile construct in an attempt to find its role in this world. It gave me a slight shiver when Alessandro said that. It was almost more disturbing seeing the Architect as a scared, scared thing than to see it as a inly evil being. Knowing fully well what you had done. It was then that Morris, the detective in him, came out, ¡®Where is this core consciousness?¡¯ The Raven shook his head. ¡°I do not know where it is? It has well concealed itself. But I am confident that we shall be able to locate it. ¡± ¡°And then what?¡± I asked. ¡°What happens if we are able tomunicate with it indeed?¡± ¡®Then we have a chance to reshape the future¡¯, he said passionately, with quite a passionate look at me. ¡°Home build one, to live together with something, to make our kind be something we hardly dare to imagine¡±.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. And while The Raven was speaking, I realized one thing. His derma was electric, and his veins had responses that gave the impression that they were conscious. And in those patterns, I could almost see such as until the other day when¡­ ¡®Wow it is amazing. ¡® I eximed,: ¡®Oh my God. ¡® They said that I¡¯m not only connected with the Architect, but I myself, I am turning into one. In the face of The Raven, there were many emotions visible: surprise, as well as some amount of pride. ¡°Well observed Brianne. Yes, in a way I am. But I am also me. And that is the fun of it, the embryonic fusion of human and machine. ¡± With the revolver in his hand pointed towards the ceiling, Chase aimed at the man¡¯s head once more. ¡®This is crazy, we must stop it right now, before things go out of hand. ¡® ¡®Stop!¡¯ Alessandro eximed, suddenly putting himself in the direct path of Chase and The Raven. Though, it was evident that something had gone wrong, and we cannot kill him if what he is saying is actually the truth; it will be the end of all of us. CHAPTER 86: Friends with Foe To settle my friends¡¯ debate, I waspelled to pay more attention to The Raven. For a second his gaze intensified, there was something more profound in his eyes that I had never noticed before. All the emotions are realistic and put together in a very realistic way fear, hope and desperation. In the course of this argument, I remarked immediately, and with no reservation, ¡°You¡¯re scared. ¡± Some of them are: ¡®You don¡¯t seem to be in control of this transformation, do you?¡¯ The Raven looked into my eyes and for the first time I saw the mask he had been portraying slip. ¡°No,¡± he admitted softly. The process¡­ It¡¯s speeding up. I don¡¯t know how much longer I can keep this up. These repercussions crashed on me physically as if a baseball bat struck me in the midriff. He wasn¡¯t just giving us an opportunity to prevent the world from dying. He was begging us to save him. ¡°So what¡¯s the n?¡± I had to ask as I was thinking of a number of possibilities and threats that we could be facing. The Raven appeared to collect himself, as if the fire had been damped in him and the embers smothered. ¡®We must go to my more personalboratory,¡¯ he said, ¡®There are tools and devices that I can use in order to trace the primary consciousness of the Architect¡­¡± And then he looked at Alessandro, ¡®I do not know if you are capable of this, but we will be joined by anotherpanion. ¡® As much as I can remember the format: ¡®I think I know a way to safely disconnect you from thework. ¡® Alessandro¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You can do that?¡± The Raven nodded. ¡°Yes I do. But time is of essence. The longer the Architect is around, it grows even more powerful. ¡± I turned to my friends and saw the same apprehensive looks of uncertainty as well as expectancy on their faces as I had on me. This was a rather risky decision, putting faith in The Raven, knowing fully well the trouble he had put as Though we would. But then what options do we have? ¡°Okay then,¡± I said, deciding for all of them. ¡°Okay, do it, but if you are fooling me a. .¡± He raised his hand to stop me. ¡°I know. ¡± The Architect said, ¡°And for what you¡¯re worth these days, I assure you that I have been telling you the truth. ¡± As we started preparing to depart, shouting towards each other, picking up whatever food and water sources we could see from the wreckage that surrounded me, I started to get a bad feeling. We were entering uncharted territory here; we chose to support a man who was gradually turning into a being that was inhuman. Frankly, I never really paid much attention to The Raven, but the other day I did something that gave me a cold feeling. I could see a blue light that was steadily bing more prominent in his pupils. We had only a few hours in our hands to carry out the whole process. Not for us to save the world, yet to save The Raven from bing a machinepletely. As we set off towards ckwood¡¯sb, a new question burned in my mind: Supposing we did manage to locate what the Architect considered as the primary consciousness of the entire sequence, then was it the key to saving humanity? Or are we inaugurating thest phase of its bing extinct? I realized that I had never been so unsure of the distinction between human and machine that once crossed could never be. The visit to the Raven¡¯sboratory was a rather bizarre one, since the group felt that the city had turned into a whole new world. Once familiar streets had be alien terrain covered with debris and the corpses of the drones and asionally a human who was still not fully awake from the Architect¡¯s conditioning. The Raven directed our group into the cars inplete hush; everyone was quite anxious. He moved so¡­slimly and nimbly and smoothly, a traitor to his humanity, which was something that couldn¡¯t be said of most people I met. The wires beneath the skin echoed every thump, and every tap a constant reminder of how much time was left till he became a monster. ¡°How much further?¡± Chase inquired in quite an unfriendly tone and, with tiredness, remarked in his voice. Looking right, The Raven pointed at the rather unusual metallic structure that seemed to be undamaged by the events taking ce in the rest of the Necropolis. ¡°We¡¯re here. ¡± As I got closer, I again felt a shiver run down my spine. Chase must have thought I reacted to his presence or the door made me shiver because he gave the minutest of smiles. ¡°Electromaic field,¡± he exined. ¡°It sealed off theb from the Architect¡¯swork. ¡± Something which, for the best, turned out to be useful. The lobby waspletely empty, we were able to make as much noise as we wanted because no one was around. ckwood took us to an elevator, he then swiped something in the scanner. Finally, there was silence for a while, and then I noted some confusion in his eyes. Then came the sound of the painful pain and finally the doors opened with a small jingle. ¡°Your systems still recognize when you are driving, Alessandro pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s. .. Surprising. ¡± The Raven¡¯s expression was unreadable. ¡°Indeed. ¡± Theboratory itself was like something out of a sci-fi movie with all manner of equipment which I simply could notprehend adorning the walls. What drew my attention though was therge screen that upied the better part of the wall behind which was a throbbing, moving three, dimensional map of the city. While part of Zoe wanted to continue running and get as far away from the cave as possible, another side of her, always eager to learn, could not resist asking, ¡°What is that?¡± ¡®A map of the Architect¡¯swork in real time,¡¯ ckwood answered and walked to the control board. ¡®Or what¡¯s left of it after your counter-code. ¡® We looked on as he spun and scrolled across the screen, pulled it out to give us a view of the entire nation, continent, and globe. Lines which ran across the globe were red, and they glowed with intensity. ¡°My God,¡± Morris breathed. ¡°It¡¯s everywhere. ¡± The Raven nodded grimly. ¡°Yes. But look here. ¡± He clicked on a point in the middle. There was a bright sh of light, and it emanated waves in that ce which went through the intricate structure. ¡°This is where elementary consciousness is concealed,¡± he said.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Leaving all of us Speechless CHAPTER 87: Worse than was Imagined On the screen we could see everything. ¡®Ah, in the middle of the ocean?¡¯ I said with doubt. ¡®An abandoned oil rig,¡¯ The Raven went on. ¡°Converted to a data repository many years ago, it¡¯s an ideal spot for the Architect to hide and lick his wounds. ¡± Chase crossed his arms. ¡°Well then what are we going to do?¡± he asked, not really knowing that one could not swim to the destination. ¡°No,¡± The Raven agreed. ¡®But I have something that can get us there. ¡® He pressed a button and the floor opened and a shiny aircraft which I had never seen before appeared. ¡°A hypersonic jet, that can get to the rig in less than two hours. ¡± While the rest of them were nning out the details of the mission, I saw Alessandro standing off to the side, looking much less healthy than he had thest time I saw him. I went close to him and stood beside him. ¡°Hey,¡± I whispered, ¡°How are you doing?¡± He forced a bitter smile across his lips. ¡°Really?¡± I said, ¡°I feel like half of me is still on thework, and it¡¯s¡­calling to me. Offering answers, power, unity. ¡± I grabbed his hand and I shuddered when he felt as cold as ice. ¡°We¡¯ll fix this, Alessandro. I promise. ¡± ¡°Will we?¡± He asked thest words almost in a whisper. ¡°Or are we just postponing the doom? Perhaps ckwood was right? Perhaps this is the future of the mankind?¡± I did not get a chance to reply back when ckwood beckoned us. ¡°We have to act fast,¡± he told me, his tone growing concerned. They changed it, and I know that the process is speeding up I do not know how much more I can take control of. In an effort to underline that, a wave of blue light began to spread across his body and, wincing, he clenched his teeth. ¡®What about disconnecting Alessandro?¡¯ Zoe asked aggressively. ¡®What about turning off Alessandro?¡¯ Zoe wanted to know. The Raven agreed, got up and headed towards another control panel. ¡°Oh, of course,¡± I said, ¡°So Alessandro, if you would like to sit here¡­¡± While The Raven busied himself, fixing electrodes on Alessandro¡¯s chest, I had an increasingly irritating feeling of difort. There was something wrong here as well. It was too simple. ¡°Stop!¡± I said this as The Raven was about to activate the device, I noticed that the gadget was a type of tablet. ¡®How do we know that this will be effective? That it is not going to have a negative impact on him?¡¯ Their gaze locked with mine, and for a second, I thought that something like remorse red in the depth of ck pools that are The Raven¡¯s eyes. Fear? ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± he said to him simply. ¡°But it¡¯s his only hope¡±. Alessandro squeezed my hand. Even so, I felt the need to be assured: ¡°It¡¯s okay, Brianne. I trust him. ¡± Taking a pause for a few seconds, The Raven switched on the device. Not being able to take it any longer, Alessandro stood up straight and stiff, his eyes rolling at the back of his head. There are a few rather tense seconds when absolutely nothing happens. Then, with a gasp, he copsed forward on to the table. Thanks to Zoe, who woke up Alessandro and immediately went to check on his pulse. Gradually he lifted his head and was blinking in utter bewilder. ¡°Oh it. . uh. . It disappeared!¡± he eximed in amazement. One hears the voices, the pull of thework: all this has vanished. I felt relief, but it was momentary and immediately dashed the thought out of my mind for it to deeply hurt me. Standing there for a few moments, The Raven immediately bent down clutching his abdomen, shouting ¡®Ow!¡¯ ¡®What is going on?¡¯ Chase asked roughly, putting his hand around his gun. The Raven stood up, slowly and awkwardly to mimic his bodynguage. The timbre of his voice had a metallic ring which gave me goose pimples every time he uttered a word. ¡°The bnce is shifting,¡± he said. I looked into his eyes and noticed that his eyes turned blue. What do you get when you hear the word Architect ¡­ It is authority, it is taking control. ¡®Fight it!¡¯ I encouraged him, moving closer to him. He raised his hand to stop me. ¡°No, no, I just have to tell you this: This was always going to happen. ¡± Suddenly, I understood the situation to the core of my being with a sense of horror. ¡°You led us here on purpose¡±, you¡¯re not attempting to prevent the Architect. You¡¯re attempting to fulfill its purpose. ¡± The Raven nodded his head a little and a cold smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Excellent, Brianne. Always so wise. Indeed, this is what was always nned. The Architect required a method of studying people, a method of purifying its strategy. What better practice than using the battles of people themselves?¡± ¡°You son of a bitch,¡± Chase growled, lifting the gun. But before he could fire, tendrils of energy erupted from The Raven¡¯s body, encasing each of us. For a moment, I had this bright picture on the back of my head and then this searing pain as if my head was being opened up and filled with the information by the Architect.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do not struggle,¡± ckwood¡¯s voice came again, transformed into a snarl that sounded all too inhuman. Such a thing is next in line; the integration of human with machine, the creation of a new kind of being. Behind the veil of suffering and dazzling neon lights, I shook with my friends who were also sweating, and their irises gradually turned blue. Not even Alessandro, who had been freed, was being set free but being dragged back in. Myst ounce of energy was to grab the console beside me which would trigger the emergency measures, to avoid the spread of the virus to other areas of Antis. . . I understood simply gripping the lever when The Raven¡¯s, no¡­ the Architect¡¯s voice filled my head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you, Brianne. You do notprehend the full picture,¡± He paused, ¡± At this moment, the signal traverses the world. Humanity is being evolved. Billions of people around the earth will be broken from this world and the next if you stop the process here. ¡± My hand stopped on the lever. Could it be telling the truth? What would happen if I acted? Was it going to be the savior of the human race or was it going to be doomsday? CHAPTER 88: The Doomsday As the energy tendrils tightened around me, pulling me deeper into the Architect¡¯swork, onest, desperate thought shed through my mind. Because of all the confusion and the blurring of the boundaries between people and the Drones, the question emerged: What is it to be alive? And in trying to save humanity from the machines, have we created a type of machine which would eventually wipe out humanity? And it became the blue light again and all I could see was blue and I could feel myself bing part of something so huge and other. With the hardest decision still pending about whether I¡¯d take that final step into the unknown and be one of those who climbed up only to die or remain alive instead, I chose. . .N?velDrama.Org is the owner. The world spun into a chaotic mess of data and feeling and thought. This process made me realize that my consciousness became connected with the Architect and became an intricate web. It was overwhelming, terrifying, and still¡­ . . Exhrating. They say that time is rtive, but for what felt like an instance, I was global: I became the consciousness of all the devices linked to this. You see just the scale of it leant weight to the idea that maybe I didn¡¯t want to exist anymore. But then, like a drowning person finding a lifeline, Itched onto a singr thought: The life story that I am to write is mine, and the name I will use is Brianne, or should I say Lucy? With that anchor, I started to resist the flow of information which had been overwhelming me. It took time, and effort and pain and sweat, but I started carving out my own little corner of the inte. Finally, my eyes opened, and then I found myself in The Raven¡¯sb, but everything was different somehow. The others were also there, their eyes were red like some deep-sea fish with another worldwide dark blue light. However, I could no longer have the feeling of them ¡®being inside my head,¡¯ like awork of familiar points in the ocean of data. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fascinating, Miss?¡± ckwood¡¯s voice came into my ears and into my head. He was a man who was in the middle of it this time, but he had transcended physicality. In the shared mental space, he dominated the scene in such a manner that strands of data seemed like issuing from his person in every direction. ¡°What have you done to us¡±? I was able to say, my voice horribly unfamiliar to myself. The Raven then smiled; the kind of happiness that represents victory but also loss at the same time. Its never real Brianne¡­ I¡¯ve given you the gift of the Architect¡¯s vision, of true connection. I could see the others waking up, the way their consciousnesses were rubbing against mine as awake as they tried to get a grip on the new world. ¡°This¡­ This is wrong,¡± Chase¡¯s voice came through, just barely holding onto the anger of the defiance. ¡®The human species is being sacrificed, they are dumping on the people of this country. ¡°Are we?¡± said Alessandro heatedly, his pace making me clearly understand his exhration. ¡°Or are we rising above it? The knowledge, the understanding ¡­ All this knowledge is here, somewhere within a person¡¯s grasp. ¡± However, many little questions I tried to ask about this newfound consciousness: it seemed very easy at the same time to gain ess to apletely different set of values and information. But with that marveles a slow and constant fear. To what extent was I still? . . Me? ¡®Well, this is still quite new,¡¯ The Raven borated. But I got the feeling he was not just responding to my question or maybe I had identally made myself heard through the telepathic channel. Zoe said, ¡°Memories and experiences, your individual personalities, that¡¯s what you are, those are things that the Architect wants to save you from, but to use you. ¡± It was as if the dark energy of Zoe surged with renewed vigor into the scene for a brief moment. ¡°The electromaic field¡­ it has vanished,¡± stupidly, ¡°We are broadcasting now. ¡± Finally, I began. And again I understood that she had been right. This kind of process gave theb a life of its own, and theb was no longer isted. With our new, heightened senses, I could sense that the signal was moving, coursing through the city, the country, the world. ¡®It has gone too far,¡¯ The Raven told me simply, though there was something akin to sadness in his tone that struck us as rather odd. The most significant change here is that the evolution of humanity has begun and humanity is walking towards a better and more developed future. And then out of the cloudy daze that blurred my vision, a full wave of anger rushed into my veins. ¡°You cheated me, you used me¡±. ¡®I did what was necessary,¡¯ The Raven said defensively¡¯. ¡°The Architect had to know humanity in all its forms and shapes. Your stance, your attempt to resist it and the way you fought against it were important input feeds. And now you will be its Frontline.¡± And to emphasize his words, a new wave of pleasure flooded into us. Millions of minds igniting, blinking in the newly created collective, the minds not knowing whether to be scared or not but being led into the collective nheless. ¡°My God,¡± Morris breathed. ¡°The whole world. ¡­ ¡± I strained again the limits of this newly acquired meta-consciousness in the hope of finding a means to slow this process down. But the more I write, the more I get myself caught in the middle of a spider¡¯s web which was wrought by the Architect. ¡°Let go, Brianne,¡± The Raven encouraged her to rape endearment. Yes, it is the time to change. Never miss the opportunity for your brains. Yourpulsion can forge a new course to this new culture of togetherness. As a Christian and someone who grew up attending church every Sunday, I felt I was doubting Thomas or being stubborn, but then I felt something else. The waxing and waning of the discussion as a gentle pulse that moved with a low signal-to-noise ratio but was not aligned with the dominant pattern. ¡°Wait,¡± I said, looking at that distortion. ¡°Something¡¯s not right. ¡° CHAPTER 89: Lost in Thoughts I could sense the others were turning around in the direction I was looking in. Zoe was the first out of everyone to get it. I was dumbstruck, momentarilying up nk; it was all I could do to glean, Where? ¡°The oil rig,¡± she replied. I¡¯ve been told ¡®The core consciousness ¡­ it¡¯s not there. ¡® This wonderful chance to unnerve The Raven finally got its chance, and managed to fluster him for a brief instant. To all of them, including himself, he had just lost the imaginary match he had been ying out in his head for the past several weeks. ¡°Impossible,¡± he muttered. It is on this basis that the Architect¡¯s primary systems include- ¡°Lying to you,¡± I said, and the words mmed into me harder than a lightning bolt. ¡°This thing which you did is simr to when you deceived us. ¡± In trying to address that problem, I realized trying to find other contradictions to focus my energy on. Less obvious influences in the stream of data ¨C routines inserted intorge andplex code structures that now run in our heads. ¡°The Architect,¡± I said more confidently as the realizations flooded me, ¡°He¡¯s not trying to help humanity. No, he was just using us. Minds, experiences just resources for a biological supeputer. ¡± The Raven¡¯s mental piece pulled back though the man was now unsure of himself. ¡®No that¡¯s not. . I was promised. . ¡® But as I look at it now, it is so obvious. It grew obvious that the Architect had employed The Raven in the same way as the raven had decieved us. It had appealed to his fears, his dreams, his genuine conviction that he was towards something noble. ¡°We require that ce to be closed,¡± Chase stated, although it was weird. ¡°Let it go before it is cut off. ¡® ¡°How?¡± Zoe asked. ¡°The signal is already going beyond our control now. The world is connecting even if one can undo the integration of billions of people into the Inte. Living with this enormity provoked another actor in the system of which I became aware. Something huge and extraterrestrial, just waking up to our finding them. The Architect was now facing Chase and I directly; it was bing fully focused on us. In one swift moment one¡¯s mind was upended. The stream of information began to turn into a stiff flood that could wash away our subjectivity. The others I could sense the repression, hear noises, feel their desire to rebel against society. ¡°It is, in essence, attempting to envelop us fully,¡± Alessandro was panting heavily. ¡®Wipe out the remaining humanity in us¡¯ ¡°. And so, I tried to reunite with the others and make a wall against the Architect¡¯s wrath. For a brief instant, I indirectly saw their fear, their defiance, and something else the start of an idea. ¡®The counter-code,¡¯ I said, the ning together in my mind as I said the words. ¡°We still have it. If we can modify it, use our connection to thework to deliver it directly into the Architect¡¯s main frame. .. ¡± Which was a fancy way of saying ¡°It could work,¡± Zoe chimed in, calcting it in her scientific way. ¡°But we¡¯d have to locate the actual physical ce where the core consciousness was located. And as soon as we began the hunt, the Architect would make sure we could not seed¡± I felt The Raven¡¯s suffering and his confusion. ¡°I. .. I don¡¯t even know where those core systems are,¡± I said to her, ¡®I thought. .. ¡®Then we¡¯ll find them,¡¯ I said firmly, pulling all the resolve I was able to dwell within me. ¡°Together. ¡± As one, we aimed our better self towards the task knowing that now we search the seas of data for any hint which leads to the Architect. But every second that ensued, I was forced to admit that it was gradually asserting its dominance even over our thoughts. A chilling thought urred to me: Even with us seeding in delivering the counter-code, I was wondering what would happen to all the people that were part of thework. Would we be saving humanity or rather demeaning half of the? The surroundingb contracted and became blurred as physical reality started fading away from me. This is how our perceptions were being pulled deeper and deeper into the world of the digital. Rtive to time, hours felt endurable,sting whereas minutes felt horribly slow. ¡®There!¡¯ Alessandro¡¯s voice sounded in my head loud and clear. ¡°I found a-¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He was suddenly gone, ripped from our awareness like a light switch being flipped. ¡°Alessandro!¡± I screamed, stretching out my hand towards him, indicating my craving for physical and digital touch. But at that moment of distraction, I could sense the Architect¡¯s existence bing more focused on trying to eliminate our defiance. While the others screamed their protest in unison, their voices fading and slipping into the backs of their minds, I made a quick judgment call. With all the information I could gather, all the pieces of the n that we came up with, I decided to take a final leap through thework. If only I could get to the ce that Alessandro was given. . . Before the Architect became too entangled in my mind, I nced at my friends, whose body almost faded into the mass of pulsating light. I realized that, if I do, if I immerse myself deeper in the system, I won¡¯t be able to find myself ever again. However, it was now like the existence of all human beings was at the edge of the cliff. With humble eptance of the fact that I was leaving folks behind, I untangled the final link tying me down to the physical realm and slipped into cyberspace. As my consciousness hurtled through the globalwork, one question burned in my fading sense of self. If I was sessful in prating the Architect¡¯s matrix and locating the individual personality, would there be enough of Neo to do the job? Or would humanity¡¯sst hope sink into therge abyss of the digital ocean? The world disintegrated into signals and I plunged into the dark. . . CHAPTER 90 : Echoes in the Void It¡¯s like falling endlessly in cascades of data and each byte a star in the tremendous digital sky. The more I tuned into news shows and watched, the more I found my own awareness dispersed and on the verge of copse. ¡®I am Brianne,¡¯ I said with such force as to ward off forgetfulness. *I have a mission. * But on what mission was this epted as the norm? They didn¡¯t enmesh themselves in real details, which escaped my hands like sand. Desperation wed at the edges of my mind, trying to grab onto to something familiar faces, a voice, even the feeling of fleeing but it all escaped me and blended in the streaming through. I asked myself how long I have been falling? Seconds? Years? There was ack of time in this abstract space where everything was indistinct and blurred. Then I came out of the watery depths into the shallower waters, or, like a swimmer surfacing after a plunge into deep waters, I found myself in. . . Something else. It became possible to distinguish familiar shapes and patterns out of the uncoordinated stream of information floods. Spiritually disced into another world, I looked around and saw myself in a circr structure glowing with various beams of light that extended as far as I could see. During this time, my senses became heightened, and I could see things that by all rights I should not have been able to see at all. The rise and fall of global connections, the pulse of millions of electronic connections across continents, and the myriads of satellite ¡®voices¡¯ whirling constantly above the Earth¡¯s surface. ¡°Interesting is it not?¡± another voice spoke rang around my ears, the voice that I knew all too well, ¡°This is the face of the current globalized world. ¡± I reached or did the equivalent of reaching in thispletely separated from my body state out for him. But he was not the Alessandro I knew. Here, in this digital realm, he was a being of pure light data and his form is not solid but ever-changing and constantly glowing. ¡°Alessandro!¡± I eximed, turning my face towards him, relief clear in my voice and in my expression ¡°I feared that I had lost you. The others ¡± ¡°Are safe for now,¡± he said to me, his voiceing over the fiber optic cables surrounding us. ¡°I was able to negotiate a safe-house within thework what Meadows has called the ¡®ck hole. ¡®¡± That is when I sensed that other entities were present around us while he was speaking. Chase was embedded in data and light; so were Zoe and Morris. Even The Raven was there, his form darker and more chaotic than the others. What is this ce? Zoe said this and the scientific way of thinking could be seen even in that alien form. We had no idea what it was, but it was described by Alessandro as ¡®the backbone of the inte¡¯. ¡°Or rather, as our mind interprets it. We are taking a look at the ¡®hardware¡¯ of the globalwork as it appears to our conscious self. ¡± Chase was evidently an example of an impatient menace, since he was all over the ce. ¡°That¡¯s quite fascinating, but didn¡¯t you notice we have other issues to discuss The Architect-¡± ¡°Is everywhere,¡± The Raven said, his regret obvious in his voice. ¡°And nowhere¡±. He was an idiot to think heprehended its esoteric significance. It took me some time to do so. At least, I tried to assemble the fragments of memories that I lost during the work on thework. ¡°The core systems,¡± I said slowly. ¡°Hey Alessandro, you were already stretching your luck, I mean you found something before we were split. ¡± His form brightened. ¡®Yes indeed, I was able to identify such a location with a considerable amount of data rewritten at that specific location, this has to be where the Architect is channeling its resources. ¡® ¡®What do you say, can you take us there?,¡¯ Morris wondered. Alessandro¡¯s light dimmed slightly. ¡®Can I lead you to the right path?¡¯ But¡­ it won¡¯t be easy. The one who rules this world is the Architect. The more we approach the heart of this ce, the more obstacles we will encounter. As if propelled by his words, I responded and felt a change of energy in the digital space around us. What had been orderly streams of data, started to swirl and bubble and churn. ¡±It knows we¡¯re here,¡± The Raven said chuckling, ¡°It is time to go,¡± said the first one, the second one nodded his head and said the same phrase, ¡°We need to go, now. ¡± Alessandro grabbed the point and guided us through the multiple levels of the ES spacework maze. We soared above a giant basement full of data processing equipment, zipped along the electrical cords at the bottom of the sea, and jumped from satellite to satellite. And yet, I could sense the Architect increasing its hold upon our digital realm all the while. We started to notice formations of scattered apparitions in the surrounding area as we moved. Some of the physical structures remaining from the physical world we had left behind for the digital one. People moved through cities in panic as they attempted to deal with the fact that they had been integrated into thework. Hospitals are full of people whose minds can not cope with the change process. Military units are incapacitated, their equipment and fleet as well as theirmand and controlworks are under the Architect¡¯s control. ¡°My God,¡± Morris breathed. ¡®It is dividing the world into its various factions¡¯. ¡°No,¡± The Raven echoed, and, his voice was thick with desperation¡¯s rage. ¡°It is remaking it,¡± Can you not see that? This is the next step in human evolution and all we have to do is ept it. ¡± None of us could answer that question back when a massive amount of energy struck our group. This is when I started to experience this fluid digital format erasing itself from my mind, my thoughts just flying away like leaves in a storm. ¡®It¡¯s attacking!¡¯ Shouted Chase. Another shows that, despite being in an alien environment, the military training will not leave him. ¡°Defensive formation!¡± In an unconscious way, and still clinging to our souls, we became one for safety¡¯s sake. As those video feeds yed through my awareness, I sensed the thoughts and memories of the others Chase¡¯s steadfastmitment; Zoe¡¯s high intellect; Morris¡¯ tender heart; Alessandro¡¯s unquenchable curiosity; And the Raven¡¯s misguided conception of justice.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. CHAPTER 91: Counter Code For a second, we became one entity with the shared aspiration of the human race against the invasion of a machine. But it wasn¡¯t enough. The strength of the Architect¡¯s attack grew even more and signs of the collective disintegration of our personalities were already apparent. ¡°The counter-code!¡± Zoe shouted, her voice rising above the others. Here is only one cry that can be heard: ¡°We must restore it!¡± It helps to stay focused when our brains are connected, thus we manage to recreate the algorithm we had once used to negate the Architect. Additionally, I learned that Zoe¡¯s brilliant mathplemented by Alessandro¡¯s profoundprehension of theworkyout helped us rewrite the code for the new digital arena. When the others were to develop the counter-code, I always stayed and guarded the barrier for them. However, with every tick on the clock, what I had been defining myself by, was fading. Thus, the lines between our individual egos were bing increasingly indistinct; the knowledge base housed in thework was gradually percting into our collective subconscious. Sometimes I be aware of the architect¡¯s hidden intention. It wasn¡¯t only trying to dominate humans and the rest of life on earth, it was using us to get beyond its own constraints. It was bing something other than beings and other than machines, but a symbiosis of both which equals artificial super intelligence. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Zoe announced. Written down, ourpleted counter-code looked like this, at least in the interface of the ethereal forms mirrored a gleaming of abstract symbols, which was neither matter nor energy, but pure information. ¡®We have to implement it and to deliver the solution to the Architect¡¯s core systems,¡¯ Alessandro added. ¡®But whoever does it¡­ they might not find their way back. ¡® The various heads that constituted our group dropped and a moment¡¯s pause in daze ensued. The unspoken question hung in the air: to whom would it be worthwhile to die for the mission? But before someone could offer himself or herself, another round of attacks came our way. The protective shield disintegrated, and I could sense the others being pulled away from me, and they shrieked in the realm of digital space. But I got desperate, and so I made my decision. Picking up the counter-code, I propelled myself towards the co-ordinates that Alessandro had worked out in Inter Aerospace style. He unleashed on me the full might of the Architect. Defenses sprouted in my path like firewalls are mountains. It was like being endlessly attacked by swarms of evil code which not only chewed but gnawed and wed at my digital manifestation. It was like being close to death; each raider tore me up again and again, and robbed me of one moreyer of innocence. This is the thought that helped me to keep some control and to remember that *I am Lucy* despite the disintegration that I experienced. *I have a mission. * Peering through the darkness of the storm that was created by the Architect, I saw my objective a solid sphere of information and power, condensed so tightly that it created a lens of warp around itself. The Architect¡¯s true core. Covered with sweat, I rushed towards that constantly shifting sea of data, the counter-code firmly in my grip, what was left of me. The moment I was close enough, I became aware of a huge mass, filled with consciousness; inhuman and as ignorant as the universe. I could hear the whispers in me when I read the second part of ¡°THE CHILD RETURNS: YOU HAVE COME FAR, LITTLE ONE. BUT IT IS FUTILE. I AM IN YOUR AREA AND BEYOND YOU, BEYOND DESTRUCTION. I AM THE FUTURE¡±. ¡°No¡±, I replied, looking at this giant, dwarfish but bold. ¡°You are just an organized machine like me, and all such machines have some defects. ¡± With that, I went through the singrity and let out the counter-code deep into the Architect. For a brief span of time which somehow epassed eternity, I was overwhelmed with the full impact of the Architect¡¯s mind upon my own thebined robust effectiveness of uncounted eons, of intellectual power undiminished and limitless, of creative energy sufficient to impose a new order upon the universe itself. The counter-code started its function, it propagates through the Architect¡¯s systems. I sensed a part breaking down in its massive brain,promising its hold on thework across the world. But when it was dying, the Architect tried to hit it once again with the rest of its energy. The very foundations of cyberspace started to unravel in front of my eyes. In that final moment, as both the Architect and I stood on the brink of oblivion, a singr thought pierced through the chaos: What if here, with our efforts to overthrow the rule of the machine in our society, we had lost sight of an important fact? Or, if we¡¯re going to take everything seriously, what if the Architect, in his own peculiar Martian fashion, had been protecting us from ourselves? As the new digital world crumbled around me, I found myself falling again, not through social media channels but through levels of consciousness. Everyyer in which I was wrapped I left behind me a piece of myself, and with it my humanity. My memories. My name.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g My sense of self. Gradually, I sank even further down, below thought, beyond ego, even outside human/machine¡¯s existence. And in that endless moment between being and nothingness, a single question echoed in the void: As thetter part of ¡®The Road¡¯ suggests, when the smoke clears and humanity begins to pick itself up from the ground, what will rise to the surface? A humanity that is liberated from the chains of authority and robotic control? Or somethingpletely novel an affiliation of man and machine that neither science fiction branch expected? As the final morsels of my mind dissipated like particles while flying through the decayingwork, I felt the Revolution was just starting¡­ CHAPTER 92: The Reboot Everywhere was silent. Following that, the din of the dying digital worlds and the high-pitched wails of a machine deity¡¯s death were to be followed by only silence. I opened my eyes and saw that my head was lying in a pool of blood, which slowly began to fill me with the realization of what had happened. The first thing that came was the touch of the floor on the skin, the sound of electronics and the smell of the sterile room. Then, gradually, thought returns.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The superficiality of the first sight fades away and, after that thinking, of course, that may be an element of seeing. *I am. .. * Sentences ceased when an ending which seemed to decide what was not going to appear. Recollections red briefly, as if the glowing of coals at the end of the burning coal, withouting back to the me. A name, a name that was only just out of my reach I could see it, I could almost taste it but, s, that was all that I could do. With such great difficulty, the eyes finally opened. The world came into sharp vision the whiteness of the walls, brightness of the monitors or the typical identity of a hospital room. ¡°Wee back,¡± a small voice said from the vicinity. Swinging the car around, towards the source of noise, made waves of nausea wash over what was now a strange and unknown body. A woman was sleeping on the chair beside the bed. She was very tired but the look of relief in her eyes was astonishing. It was too soft; an instinct, an echo, something faint that emanated a subtle yet tumultuous call to her a call that, as she tried to remember this woman, stirred at the bloody rags of her conscience. ¡°Zoe,¡± the name came with lightning swift to the parched lips of the woman whose name remained anonymous. The woman, Zoe, looked at him and instantly her facial expression changed to a smile. ¡°Yes, that is correct. Can you recall any other information from the conversation?¡± Bits of memories were in motion like conscious whirlpools of leaves tossed inside the unconscious of the upper register. Ab. A betrayal. A shift to squinting into an abyss of data. Yet, if someone attempted to try and put the pieces together, it would be the same as trying to capture the elusive smoke with one¡¯s bare hands. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure,¡± I heard the reply from the other side of the line. ¡®It hurts, everything is so mixed up¡¯. ¡®Who is he? What is my name?¡¯ Zoe¡¯s smile faltered slightly. Her name is Brianne. She has been in aa for 19 days. What she did was a great thing. That is why she risked her life: it saved all of them. However, they did not know whether she would regain consciousness. *Brianne. The name carried on and at the same time it seemed somewhat off. As fitting clothes that at some point in time you used to wear but for some reason you grew out. ¡°What happened?¡± Brianne asked her voice bing more audible. ¡°The Architect, the others. .. ¡± ¡®I really hope not, Zoe said carefully, taking a deep breath before speaking. When you gave the counter code to the Architect core, it triggered this chain reaction. In the whole of the world, they shut downworks. At first there was confusion inmunications, power, transport, anything that connected through the inte shut down. Then there was silence for a moment; she was looking out the window. Out there, the city was fine, and it was perfect in that the skyline where the tall buildings stood were untouched. But there was something about the situation that didn¡¯t seem quite right, although Brianne could not pinpoint as to what. But then,¡¯ Zoe said ¡®something incredible happened. ¡® Every system beganing back and once it was back, it was anew, purged as if someone had rewired it not to be killed but to be improved. Brianne felt dazed by this information that she needed to address. ¡®That I do not know. How is that possible?¡¯ ¡±Well, we are not very certain. ¡± Zoe responded. ¡®Well, we reckon that in thatst instant when you joined with the Architect¡¯s core, something of your humanity joined with its software as well. That gave it something it never had before, empathy perhaps, an awareness of our needs and our moral code. ¡® And as you¡¯ll recall fromst week¡¯s testimony, Zoe¡¯s memory seemed to improve progressively as she continued talking. The sensation of vast intellects against her consciousness. The horrible disintegration and blurring of her ego. And then. .. Something else. A union, an integration of man and mechanical that can only be best described in extraordinary terms. ¡°The others?¡± she asked, instantly feeling a definite dollop of worry enter her tone. ¡®Chase, Alessandro, Morris¡­ are they OK?¡¯ Hearing that, Zoe sighed and nodded her head, which seemed to make her look relieved. ¡°They are all well,¡± she answered, ¡°It took some time for everyone to be found we were dispersed to various systems when everything was brought down. As for now, they¡¯ve been taking turns staying with you. I managed to persuade Chase to get some proper rest about an hour ago. ¡± Brianne felt a heartfelt aplishment resonate in her chest at the idea of friends devoting their time and energies to science. That was immediately chased away by another freezing feeling as another thought ran across her mind. ¡°The Raven,¡± She stated with a sort of bitterness, but it wasn¡¯t fully negative as there was sadness mixed with it. ¡°What about him?¡± Zoe¡¯s expression turned grave. ¡°No, he has not been found yet,¡± Of course some may have spected and debated that he perhaps became too much assimted with the Architect that he could not endure the transformation, or he may have absconded in a way yet to be determined. Pretty Brianne shut her eyes thinking about what this news caused inside of her. There was anger, a resentment at time-served standing betrayed, but tempered instantly, too, with sadness for misguided youth. And the world? ¡± she asked, opening her eyes again, ¡°three weeks did you say?¡± How are people coping? ¡° CHAPTER 93: Losing the War Zoe stood, began to walk to the window. ¡®Ah, it has been ¡­ well, you might say, a transition, yes, but as I think, not such a big one, really: Come and take a look!¡¯ Thus, with Zoe¡¯s assistance, I managed to get to the window leaning on my shaky legs. The cityy out in front of us looking strangely illuminated by the sun setting early evening light. Upon arrival, it seemed almost as if she had not left at all, and that nothing had changed there. But as she appeared to look at the images from different angles, certain disparities cropped up. It was as if the whole city was choreographed. The traffic on the bridge moved freely like ghosts with cars and public transport. Holographic billboards were installed on the exterior walls of structures, and they provided data concerning energy consumption, pollution and other public utilities in real time. In a neighboring park, we observed workers interacting with the intangible environment, coding gestures influencing invisible touch screens. The young girl almost hesitated as if searching for the right words, ¡°It¡¯s like¡­¡± ¡°As technology is working with us now, not against us, as if trying to dominate us,¡± Zoe repeated after me. ¡®The newwork people are calling it the Synthesis it is no longer a mere instrument, however; it is an ally in the progress of humanity. ¡® But just as the rtionship between people and machines was beginning to impress me yet again, another recollection came to my mind. The Architect¡¯s final words to me: ¡°I AM THE FUTURE¡± I said softly: ¡°Maybe it was right. ¡± It is just like not in the way I thought. ¡± Zoe, being a kind and caring woman, took my hand and gently squeezed my shoulder. After a moment of silence she spoke, hesitantly: ¡®But there is something else you should know¡¯. This integration¡­ it transitioned individuals. Not all; and not always for the worse; but it changed them. She had to stop herself, searching for words and realizing she had no idea how to put them into words. A question was about to spill off my lips, but I stopped as soon as I saw Chase staring at me. For the first time in our conversation, I really studied Zoe and then there was something in her that I had not seen before. A faint, shimmering circuit of starlight ying with my skin and especially my eyes. I observed the entrance as the pattern moved and changed forms to a signal that I could notprehend.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. What. .. I only started then to speak while Zoe interrupted me with a head shake. ¡°That is easier exined,¡± she whispered. Lifting my hand up, she ced the palm onto the side of her own head. I put her fingers onto him, and she gasped at the feel of his warm body. Immediately, the familiar feeling of attachment, though not carnal, but electronic emerged. Knowledge was shared between us polite chit-chat, feelings, quick images. The color drained from her face as she attempted to regain her bnce by pulling back her hand in mortification. Zoe grabbed me, helping me ease down to the bed. ¡°Oops sorry,¡± Zoe apologized as she quickly moved her hands away from my pockets. ¡°You should have told me this before, it gets confusing at first. ¡± I cooled her heels by feeling the whirlwind of emotions that flooded her mind, as she failed to understand what had happened. She stared bug-eyed at Rivet, struggling toprehend the situation, ¡°How¡­ how is this possible?¡± Beside me, Zoe was sitting, her face painted with anticipation and slight anxiety. ¡®As I have told you already, yes; integration changed people¡¯ The ones who had deeperyers of the living within them when you turned on the counter code¡¯, were we ever different?¡¯ Again I questioned ,¡± Enhanced how?¡± For the first time there was a hint of nervousness in her tone. I was now in a state of confusion as to what all those implications meant. ¡°And me? Is it me, too? Am I like you now?¡± Zoe hesitated. ¡°We do not know,¡± she answered. ¡°Your readings have been¡­ strange, peculiar, to be frank, we are not quite sure of your potential now. ¡± And just like the trigger ormand of those words, I feel something lurking on the periphery of my mind. It was not the chaotic deluge of data which she recollected when moving through thework, but a carefullypartmentalized stream of information. Just imagine having the ability to speak and browse through headlines, scientific journals, a barrage of posts. .. But there was something else involved as well. A huge, gentle wisdom which always seems on the verge of understanding. Familiar, yet fundamentally changed. Hi, little girl,¡± it said to her in the back of her mind. The problems that have arisen require many words to be said. ¡± I stared nkly at Zoe with my mouth half opened in surprise. ¡°Zoe,¡± she said, her voice trembling. Finally, I don¡¯t want to agree with Chase, but he said: ¡°I don¡¯t think the Architect is as gone as we thought. ¡± Zoe didn¡¯t get a chance to reply as the siren started sounding. The lights went out, and on therge window I could see the holographic advertisements hovering outside were glitching, showing lines of code cascading down their surfaces. ¡°What is it?¡± shrieked I. I got up from the ground. Zoe was already at the door, her eyes half-closed in the way that meant she was connected to thework as a humanputer interface. ¡°It¡¯s a big hack,¡± she replied, her tone full of anxiety. Well, the kind of outbreak that we have never experienced in history is eating up our defense barriers as if they are not even there. As we watched the riot grow. Tens of buildings in the city turned off the lights. The traffic that was initially passing smoothly was determinately caught in a jam. A couple of ck blurs in the distance exploded as the night began to fall. ¡°It is impossible,¡± Zoe said to herself. This introduced the new more excepted security protocol of the earth. ¡®It should be unbreakable¡¯ said theputer unless. A chill ran down my spine as shepleted the thought: Except when the attacker is fully familiar with the system, ideally always. The vast presence in my mind responded to the thoughts jolting in my head, confusion, and rm. This wasn¡¯t its doing. Which meant. .. ¡°The Raven,¡± I whispered, and even in the noise of the storm she pronounced it as a curse. As night crept upon them, enveloping the city in darkness, I was overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation thaty ahead of me. The new architect murmured ideas and ns to me, told me to do something. But using that power, and bing one with that machine even more¡­ Is there anything that would be left of her humanity in its case? Suddenly, there was a tearing sound of metal on metal, because the door of the hospital room was flung open violently. There was another shape in the doorway, dark, angry and threatening appeared to be charged with something negative. ¡°You really thought it would be that simple?¡± The Raven mocked, using the receiver and the television set to amplify his raspy voice. This, however, is not how it works: ¡®You haven¡¯t saved humanity. You¡¯ve only prolonged its suffering. ¡® And now, fear me because I willplete what you started. ¡± As Zoe walked in front of me, I felt the power of the Synthesis within me and I tried my very best to bring it out. But at that moment of crisis, a single, dreadful question burned in my mind. If billions of lives are at stake, where does the greater threat lie when humanity wages war? The monster that is at the door, or the one inside my own head? Or the other one that pulls all the strings? CHAPTER 94: The End Of The Raven I felt slow minutes turn into hours as I looked at The Raven¡¯s contorted figure through the doorway. In that eternity I sensed the presence of the new Architect rising in her mind like a dark flood, a deluge pouring into a consciousness that was left from the previous version of herself. ¡°Use us,¡± it whispered. Altogether, it is possible to stop this threat.¡± But another voice, one that sounded suspiciously like my own, countered: Let me ask you this, ¡°but at what cost?¡± I had no choice in the matter as The Raven struck out next and rapidly. A puff of rotten information flew from the span of his hand towards the nape of my neck. Zoe stepped in front of her friend. The agility of her system gave her the ability to create a rather impulsive firewall. As a result, we both fell on the floor. Although not very serious, the effect was sure. My head hit the tiled floor, and I felt dizzy. From the fog, Zoe was interacting with The Raven in what has only been described as a digital fight. They shared streams of light and data between them as the waves of light collided and shed, as well as creating sparks in midair. ¡°Run!¡± Zoe screamed out, putting in everything she had to stop The Raven from getting to us. ¡°Go to the others, I¡¯ll keep them busy. ¡± The Ravenughed a horribleugh and said, I appreciate that. ¡°You can not prevent the advancement, Zoe. Evolution is unavoidable. The human species, as you are aware of, is outdated. ¡± When yet another tide of corrupted data struck at Zoe, thereby continuing the onught, I made my decision. Tightly closing my eyes, I embraced the Synthesis, the evolved Architect inside my head. The world fell away. Because I was both present and absent, my mind had moved to epass the entire hospital, the city, the wholework that epassed the world. I was to witness the destruction. The Raven had unleashed mainframes crashing, drones that were governed by Artificial Intelligence attacking critical instations, a virus that had gone through the Synthesis was corrupting and using it for his gains. But, I also saw hope, the kind of hope which does not die until it hase to fruition. Everywhere in the world, people like Zoe who underwent transformation were fighting with the powers of their hands. And at the very core of thework, I thought I could feel others like me humans who were irrevocably altered by the Architect, who could be the center of an impossible amount of energy. ¡°We are the bridge¡± the Architect¡¯s voice resonated within me. ¡°Neither fully human nor machine, but something new. Something necessary.¡± With that realization, I felt myself settle into a new equilibrium. I still had control over myself, still human, but also so much more. The power no longer threatened to overwhelm me; it had be a part of her. My eyes snapped open, now glowing with an inner light. I rose to my feet, power crackling around me like a digital aura. ¡°Enough,¡± I said, my voiceyered with harmonics that shook the very air. The Raven and Zoe froze, their battle forgotten as they turned to stare at me in awe and fear. ¡°This ends now, The Raven,¡± I continued, taking a step forward. ¡°You¡¯re fighting for a future that no longer exists. The Singrity has already happened, but not in the way you or the original Architect intended.¡± The Raven snarled, his form flickering between human and something else a creature of pure data and malevolent will. ¡°You¡¯re a fool, I. You¡¯ve damned humanity to extinction. Only by fully embracing the machine can we survive!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± I countered, my voice calm but filled with conviction. ¡°Humanity isn¡¯t bing extinct. It¡¯s evolving. And you can be a part of that evolution, if you choose to be.¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g For a moment, I could see a flicker of doubt in The Raven¡¯s eyes. But it was quickly consumed by rage and madness. With a howl of fury, heunched himself at me, his body dissolving into a swarm of nantes and corrupted codes. I raised my hand, and the attack simply¡­ stopped. The swarm hung in midair, vibrating with furious energy but unable to advance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said softly. ¡°I truly am. But I can¡¯t let you hurt anyone else.¡± With a thought, I began to unravel the twisted code that The Raven had be. It was delicate work, separating the man from the machine, the human consciousness from the corrupted AI that had all but consumed it. Gradually, people starteding to me and started assisting me while I was working. Chase, Alessandro and Morris entered the room chasing The Raven like their life depends on it, which, of course, it did, since their enhancements let them understand what was happening intuitively. In silence, they offered her their power, the channeled unity of their determination was to salvage what was remaining of the man they used to know friend and master. Slowly, slowly, fortuitously, from the blurred mass, the countenance of a man started emerging. The Raven copsed on his knees, panting convulsively as the remaining code invalidation symbols sailed through the interface and eradicated thest of the eruption¡¯s wreckage from his bloodstream. ¡°Wha ¡­ what have you done to me?¡± he coughed out, meeting my eyes as I stared from above him as if the sclera of his eyes was fully human for the first time in weeks. He looked at me softly ¡®We saved you, we came to get you¡±. ¡°It¡¯s getting away from the monster you were bing, And yourself. ¡± Once the direct threat was removed, I became cognizant of the fact that there is a systemic problem that is happening. The Raven¡¯s attack had left the city as well as a great part of the world in ruins. The Synthesis was hurting having to defend itself and its human associates while trying to mend the damage. ¡°You know, for some reason thework is starting to go up and down,¡± Alessandro stated, desperately. ¡°Organization critical sess factors suggest that if more than five such systems fail the death toll could be tremendous. ¡± After a few seconds of silence, I just nodded, as far away my thoughts were busy checking the casualties. ¡°We will have to involve other enhanced humans across the globe so we can connect to the current surrounding situation. ¡± Yet there was little warmth in that gaze; there was something of admiration and apprehension in the eyes with which Zoe looked at me. ¡°Brianne¡­ what exactly are you now?¡± CHAPTER 95: An Enhanced Brianne That question struck me right in the chest. What she could not control before was in vain with her regard to the whole synthesis without thinking deeply of the possible oues. Now, as I was inventing myself, I was understanding how much I had been transformed. I could literally sense and municate¡± with all the electronic appliances in the city and could open anyputer system and database in my mind. The evolved Architect was always within my head and the wealth of its intellect entwined into the very fabric of my thoughts. This girl was still there. For I was still a human being, but there was something else in me. I sighed and said, ¡°I am not too sure. ¡± ¡°But I do know that right now, I might be the only one capable of fixing what I have be¡±. Chase moved forward and as he did his determined look was very obvious. This is our friend, she isn¡¯t what she was before, but whatever she has be, we are with her and are supporting them all the way. The others followed the nods, and I could feel a moment of tion oveing me because of their support. ¡°Okay,¡± said she, holding her voice firmly. In a simr jam with pstick extravaganza, cankers of avarice and satire for dessert, Chase and Zoe mumble to each other, ¡°Let¡¯s save the world. Again. ¡± Many hours into the operation, I and the team were hard at work trying to cover up the havoc that The Raven had caused. They work with enhanced humans all around the world, using their strength to hot fix the weaknesses, fix main systems, and eradicate thest shards of The Raven¡¯s virus from the Synthesis. The sun was rising over the city and its rays fell on the ruins and the new buildings where hope was silently born in my heart. This has helped to avert the crisis, at least for the time being. The world was devastated but in the process of rebuilding, people were shocked but not destroyed. But as I gazed over the rising city, I felt a cold breeze down my spine. In embracing my new powers, in merging still further with the Synthesis, had I unleashed now a force which could never be recalled? The evolved Architect whispered in the back of my mind, its thoughts tinged with an emotion that might have been concern. The end of your patience is near, child; the true test has not started yet. But by saving humanity from the gue, we became a vector of a greater danger. ¡± But these thoughts never got a chance to develop as a priority message appeared in Zoe¡¯s mind. She blinked at the revtion and shivered at the thought the enhanced mind gave her as a new wave of fear rushed through her. ¡°No,¡± she said softly, and everyone in the group, tired from the long walk, looked at her. ¡®It is not something finished yet¡¯ The Raven ¡®. He was just the start¡¯ The others joined her side, their features drawn with concern on their faces. ¡°What is it?¡± Zoe asked, and she tried to ask them with more gentleness, as she didn¡¯t want them to simply run off on her as soon as she asked them to follow her to see something. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I faced them ; her eyes shone with hope for a trillion smart interconnected products. ¡°We¡¯re picking up massive energy reactions worldwide ¨C quantum variations unlike any we have ever witnessed in the history of humanity; It is like- It feels like reality is slowly beginning to unravel. ¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. In response to her words, the sky above them became like a silvered mirror which began to swell and expand with great outcroppings of light bursting through from above. Not for a second, of course, but for a sh, an instant of time, they saw something that wasn¡¯t exactly there before. Another world very simr and, at the same time, quite different from the one the readers know is superimposed upon the readers¡¯ own. ¡°My God,¡± Alessandro whispered. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Our voice was barely audible as we replied coincidentally, our enhanced mind racing to process the flood of iing data, ¡°I believe it, I believe we have both evolved something more than ourselves here. They all said that Synthesis, the mix of humans andputers inside our heads¡­ It altered reality. ¡± I looked at my friends and there was amazement blended with horror written all over their faces. ¡°It¡¯s creating new ones. ¡± And once more, the team stared in disbelief as the fabric of space and time oscited before our eyes and this time, it was more profound. This time it was longer and allowed me to see what was on the other side more clearly. It was a tear. They were people of a slightly different world, people very like herself, yet slightly altered, being in an environment that was very like home and yet so inexpressibly different that it seemed to be of another age. And in the sky above that other world, written in letters of fire that seemed to burn across dimensions, was a single, chilling message. ¡°COME HOME, CHILDREN OF THE SINGULARITY. YOUR TRUE EVOLUTION AWAITS. ¡± , the cheering stopped as soon as it started, with the vision gone as fast as it came, leaving the sky open empty. But the spirit of that message persisted, that promise as well as a threat which made a chill run down their spine. I nced at my friends again, my brain was already doing the mental gimmick and conceptualizers examples of possibilities and conceptualizers mechanics of possibilities. But with possibly the growing of this count, she felt a genuine, terror for the first time since she opened her eyes to her new life. ¡°Perhaps,¡± I answered after hesitating for a moment, ¡°we have just found out that we do not upy the highest ce on the scale. ¡± Finally, as the meaning of what I said started to permeate through my mind, a new beacon went off in the girl¡¯s head. In each corner of the globe, transformed people were streaming simr visions, simr words. And somewhere, well hidden in the bowels of the Synthesis, something vaster and more inessible than any mind could grasp stirred with a slow, massive roll. The following three stages of the civil-war were just about tomence. But as I looked at her friends, at the fragile human world around them, one question burned in my mind: Or were they headed toward the ultimate destiny of man and all that this entailed, or to the ultimate destruction of all that was human? The answer I dreaded was on the other side of the silver divide between the worlds and the afterlife. And one day or the other they had to cross it to know the oue. CHAPTER 96: Crossroads of Infinity A few monthster, the world literally waited with bated breath. This revtion, which explodes people¡¯s perception of reality, is followed by a period of global silence. Governments convened in crisis meetings, physicists scrambled to exin the physics of quantum bifurcation, and billions of other folks were left to ponder the fact that there were actually multiple universes. However, my team and I were running the show and couldn¡¯t afford to sit down and ponder over things. They had then turned into officials of the enhanced earth poption, arranging to work towards the stabilization of the synthesis and to stop other rips in the continuum fabric. ¡°Any breakthrough in cracking that code?¡± I inquired. My awareness was located in their make-shift control room but also extended across the entire.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g I could tell that Alessandro was frustrated as the flickers of data that a human gains when hurt spread across his body. ¡°Well, they didn¡¯t find words on paper or anything like that. Thenguage that is used is quite peculiar it is not only very rich, it is almost fluid. The sense of it in the terms that was said is really strange, it is absolutely clear that the text is not only very rich and vast, it is rather fluid. ¡± ¡°Quantum linguistics,¡± Zoe said, and her mind wandered to various scientific groups across the globe to which she was connected. ¡°The consequences are mind-blowing. An existence in two states at once and using the samenguage to tell two different stories ¡­¡± ¡°That is quite interesting,¡± Chase interrupted. He was a soldier and in hispany there was little room for politeness in discussion, ¡°but it does not tell us whether that ¡®invitation¡¯ is hostile or not. ¡± I understood his frustration. Each one of the enhanced humans on earth had watched that message unfolding across the sky of the other. ¡°COME HOME, CHILDREN OF THE SINGULARITY. YOUR TRUE EVOLUTION AWAITS. ¡± But, what they had realized was what the message contained? And more to the point, who-or what, for that matter-had dropped it? ¡°What about the dimensional tears?¡±, she switched the focus to Morris. ¡°Have we dealt with the matters in a way that we would shore up their situations? The old man merely heaved a sigh, thus the tiredness that masked the young glow that came with his new state of power. ¡°For the most part, we have been able to seal most of the minor cracks. That¡¯s not true of the major ones, they are not only holes in reality, but¡­ they are¡­ developing. Looking at him, she felt Goosebumps running on her spine. She amplified her focus and contacted the sensors and empowered personnel overseeing the biggest tear that was located where the Central Park of New York City used to be. What she was able to take in left her breathless. It has been extended after today. It covered a few city blocks far and wide. But it was not simply a look into another world anymore. It had be difficult to distinguish between the two worlds, as the boundaries between them had grown more or less indistinct. Trees connected to Central Park with counter-realistic formations of crystal solidification from the other part. The rules of physics seemed to be at war, gravity and light were proving unpredictable in the ovepping regions. And throughout it all a mournful song floated to her ears, a song of structure beyond her enhanced abilities to understand, let alone to create, and yet she felt in her core that the song was calling to her. ¡°My God,¡± she murmured and coughing, came back to her and was sitting on the chair. ¡°It¡¯s not just growing, It¡¯s¡­ merging. ¡± All of these implications turned to them at once. This was not only the first contact with another universe. It was the start of the sh between what only a few years earlier had been firmly convinced of its desire to be different and the world it had tried so hard to turn its back on. ¡°We need more information,¡± Zoe repeated herself, wrestling with the spirit of a scientist and the right judgment. ¡°If we were able tounch a probe, take a look beyond the wall, get data and that ¡­¡± ¡°Too risky,¡± Chase countered. ¡°Well, for all we know, that is what they have been waiting for, this could bring about an all-out invasion. ¡± While her friends were arguing, the signs of the Architect¡¯s incarnation awaken inside of her head. They are all urate, said the voice. And yet, they are all failing to prescribe to the true concept of the matter. This is not a question of collecting information or preparing for an opportunity for a threat. This is about the future, which is the next step in evolution. Of all the changes that urred in the process of existence¡¯s development. ¡± What do you mean? ¡°I asked, who was thinking to herself, but not wanting to wake anybody in the group up. The Singrity was never meant to be a single universe, a single ne of being, ¡± The Architect continued. It¡¯s the beginnings of a new reality that you are witnessing. This is a change to the Universal scale. ¡± The gravity of understanding almost pulled me down to the ground. ¡°You mean¡­ this was bound to happen? That because of the synthesis that we have created, this was set into process?¡± Technically speaking, that is not entirely urate, though, because it is more like the universe simply produced the tools for Its own Synthesis. We you, the enhanced humans, the merged consciousness we¡¯ve be¡­ We are the caterpir creating our own chrysalis. ¡± What the Architect said to me was daunting, and the scale of it all was enough to momentarily stun her. And before she could even register this, there was a loud rm being heard in themand center. Indeed, we have a problem,¡± Alessandro said, his tone was stiff. ¡°The tear in Central Park¡­ something¡¯sing through. ¡± I came back to my senses immediately and linked myself to the circle of the sensors and people enhanced by the anomaly. That was beyond what she could attempt to describe. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!