The cell was cold.
The gray concrete swallowed every sound, as if the place had been designed to erase the voices of those who entered it.
Seraphina sat in the corner, her hands restrained in front of her. A harsh white light from the ceiling fell directly on her face, leaving the rest of the cell in shadow.
Two guards and an interrogator stood around the metal table.
One of them sighed.
“This can end quickly if you cooperate.”
Seraphina slowly raised her head.
And smiled.
A crooked smile.
“Cooperate?”
She let out a small laugh.
“You people are idiots.”
One of the guards slammed his hand on the table.
“Watch your mouth.”
Seraphina tilted her head.
“Or what?”
Her eyes shone with a mixture of amusement and contempt.
“You’re going to stop the end of the world with an interrogation?”
The interrogator tried to remain calm.
“We just want to understand what Nexum is planning.”
Seraphina began laughing again.
But there was no joy in it.
Only bitterness.
“Understand?”
She shook her head slowly.
“You don’t understand anything.”
She leaned forward.
“Human beings are selfish.”
“Always have been.”
“Always will be.”
The guards remained silent.
Seraphina continued, her voice growing sharper.
“You talk about morality.”
“You talk about laws.”
“You talk about justice.”
Then she struck the metal table.
“But when the moment comes…”
Her eyes burned.
“You always choose your own benefit.”
Her gaze moved across the room.
“And do you know the worst part?”
Her voice dropped.
“You think you’re different.”
She leaned back in her chair.
“You’re not.”
One of the guards muttered:
“You’re insane.”
Seraphina laughed.
“Insane?”
She slowly shook her head.
“No.”
Her expression hardened.
“I simply accepted the truth.”
Her voice lowered.
“Humanity will never change.”
“It will never stop competing.”
“It will never stop destroying itself.”
Then she whispered:
“That’s why Nexum is necessary.”
The interrogator frowned.
“Necessary for what?”
Seraphina stared directly at him.
“To end the cycle.”
Silence.
“Instability has always been part of human history.”
“Wars.”
“Conflict.”
“Chaos.”
She leaned forward again.
“But we are going to stop it.”
One of the guards scoffed.
“How?”
Seraphina smiled slowly.
“Control.”
The silence in the cell grew heavier.
“Order does not always come from freedom.”
“Sometimes it comes from authority.”
“From rules.”
“From limits.”
Her eyes gleamed with conviction.
“We will create an era of peace.”
She paused.
“Even if it has to be imposed.”
The interrogator spoke coldly.
“The end does not justify the means.”
Seraphina looked straight into his eyes.
“It always has.”
For several seconds no one spoke.
Then she started laughing.
Loud.
Maniacal.
The sound echoed through the concrete room.
The guards exchanged uneasy looks.
Then suddenly—
The laughter stopped.
Seraphina’s eyes filled with tears.
She began to cry.
Her face became completely serious.
Her expression changed.
Now there was anger.
Deep anger.
“There are things in this life…”
she said slowly,
“…that are inevitable.”
She lowered her head.
Silence.
Then it happened.
A sharp crack.
CRACK
A bullet passed through a tiny, almost invisible opening in the ceiling.
The shot struck her directly in the heart.
For a moment nobody understood what had happened.
Then her body fell forward.
Blood slowly spread across the cold floor.
One of the guards shouted.
“SNIPER!”
The alarms began screaming.
But it was already too late.
Seraphina was dead.
Several kilometers away.
High on a snow-covered mountain.
A figure lay quietly against the ground.
A sniper rifle rested in front of him.
The Marionette.
His breathing was calm.
He watched through the scope for a moment.
Then lowered the weapon.
He said nothing.
He simply looked up toward the sky.
And let out a long sigh.
Hours later.
Every screen across the world displayed a broadcast.
Soft music.
Bright images.
Smiling faces.
A warm voice began speaking.
“Welcome to the future.”
The NEXUM logo slowly appeared.
“For centuries, humanity has searched for ways to improve the quality of life.”
Images of modern cities appeared.
Children playing.
Advanced hospitals.
“Today we present the next step in human evolution.”
A small metallic capsule appeared on the screen.
“The Nexus Neural Chip.”
Animations showed the chip being gently inserted into the human brain.
“A revolutionary technology designed to enhance communication between individuals.”
“To eliminate neurological limitations.”
“And to open the door to unprecedented human evolution.”
Images showed happy people walking together.
Working together.
Connected.
“Imagine a world where disabilities disappear.”
“Where information flows instantly between minds.”
“Where humanity evolves beyond its current limits.”
The narrator’s voice softened.
“That future begins today.”
At Unity Headquarters, the broadcast ended.
Silence filled the room.
Titan spoke first.
“This is insane.”
Echo was already analyzing the data.
“A global neural chip…”
Chrono frowned.
“That means direct access to the human brain.”
Specter crossed his arms.
“Control.”
Astra nodded slowly.
“Exactly.”
Gerard stared at the Nexum logo on the screen.
“They’re not trying to improve humanity.”
His voice was quiet.
“They’re trying to own it.”
Meanwhile…
In parliaments and government chambers across the world…
Politicians applauded.
Cameras captured smiling faces.
Excited statements.
Optimistic speeches.
“A historic advancement.”
“A revolution in medicine.”
“The beginning of a new era.”
Nexum had revealed its vision.
And the world…
was embracing it.
Story by Gerard Leaf and Blue
