The news took less than an hour to spread across the world.
Screens lit up in cities, train stations, airports, and homes. Seraphina’s face appeared again and again beneath urgent headlines.
“Nexum agent assassinated inside maximum-security prison.”
“Possible sniper involvement.”
“International investigation underway.”
Footage showed the exterior of the prison complex surrounded by police vehicles and helicopters.
News anchors spoke with grave expressions.
“The detainee, identified as Seraphina, was believed to be one of the key figures within the organization Nexum.”
“Authorities have not yet explained how a shot could penetrate the structure of the facility.”
“This event raises serious questions regarding the security of the installation.”
The world watched.
But some were not surprised.
Inside Unity Headquarters, Titan was in the training room.
The sound of his punches striking the heavy bag echoed through the chamber.
A small monitor on the wall played the breaking news.
The anchor spoke urgently.
“The death of the prisoner has generated concern among global security agencies…”
Titan threw another punch.
The bag swung violently.
“…especially due to the precision of the shot that ended her life…”
Titan stopped for a moment.
He glanced at the screen.
Then calmly grabbed a bottle of water and took a drink.
“Silencing.”
He muttered to himself.
He placed the bottle on the table.
“The favorite tactic of almost every criminal organization.”
He tightened the straps of his gloves again.
“The dead don’t talk.”
The heavy bag took another hit.
Meanwhile…
In another part of the world, a battle was unfolding.
A Nexum unit was attempting to secure one of the government’s neural-data transmission centers used to track advanced technological activity.
Explosions illuminated the building.
A team of special forces attempted to hold the line.
Gunfire.
Drones falling from the sky.
Sirens screaming into the night.
It was another sign of the same truth.
The war had not stopped.
It had only changed shape.
Back at Unity headquarters, in a quieter sector of the base…
Lumina was alone.
The lights were dim.
The table in front of her was covered with documents.
Physical files.
Classified reports.
Old photographs.
Every file carried the same name at the top.
ECLIPSE
Lumina turned the pages with trembling hands.
Reports of experiments.
Biological records.
Research notes.
Her breathing became uneven.
Her eyes began to fill with tears.
She tried wiping them away with the sleeve of her jacket.
But they kept falling.
One document displayed an old photograph.
Lumina stared at it for several seconds.
Her voice came out barely as a whisper.
“…Why?”
Her hands trembled harder.
More files.
More records.
More pieces of a puzzle that seemed impossible.
Or perhaps…
too clear.
And that was what was breaking her.
“No…”
Her breathing grew faster.
Desperate.
Her eyes moved across the pages again and again, as if expecting the words to change.
As if something might suddenly appear that would deny what she was reading.
But the words remained.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
A tear fell onto one of the documents.
Lumina closed her eyes for a moment.
Then she looked up.
And froze.
At the other side of the room…
In the darkness of the hallway…
Someone was standing there.
Blue.
She had made no sound entering.
She had not spoken a single word.
She was simply watching.
Her expression was serious.
Her eyes calm.
Lumina said nothing.
Blue said nothing.
The silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Deep.
As if both of them understood that something important had just shifted.
The files about Eclipse remained open on the table.
And in the dim light…
No one spoke.
Far away from there…
Inside a Nexum facility.
The sound of glass shattering echoed through an office.
Melissa hurled another object against the wall.
A display screen exploded into fragments.
Documents scattered across the floor.
Her breathing was violent.
Her hands shaking.
“No!”
Another crash.
Another object destroyed.
“NO!”
The door burst open.
The Architect stepped inside.
“Melissa, stop!”
But she wasn’t listening.
She threw a chair across the room.
Metal scraped violently across the floor.
“THEY KILLED HER!”
The Architect stepped forward.
His voice hardened.
“STOP!”
The command echoed through the room.
Melissa froze.
Breathing heavily.
The Architect looked at her coldly.
“That’s your problem.”
Silence fell.
“You grew up like a spoiled child.”
His words were sharp.
“You always had everything.”
“Protection.”
“Resources.”
“Power.”
Melissa clenched her fists.
The Architect continued.
“You grew up with abilities others would kill for.”
“And yet…”
His voice turned colder.
“You’re nothing more than a kamikaze weapon.”
Rage burned in Melissa’s eyes.
“Shut up.”
The Architect ignored the warning.
“Until someone eventually gives you the same fate.”
Melissa stared at him with hatred.
“If we wait too long…”
Her voice trembled with anger.
“We’ll end up joining Seraphina.”
The Architect tilted his head slightly.
“And what would be more prudent?”
he asked calmly.
“To buy time and see if there’s a way to avoid the worst outcome?”
A pause.
“Or to rush forward and make sure our deaths arrive sooner?”
Melissa said nothing.
The Architect studied her.
Then spoke again.
“I know about your meetings with Blue.”
The silence turned absolute.
Melissa looked up sharply.
The Architect continued.
“I haven’t told Eclipse.”
“Losing another member of the team would be inconvenient.”
Melissa gritted her teeth.
The Architect walked slowly through the destroyed office.
“If you believe you’re ready to stop Eclipse…”
His voice was cold.
“Prepare yourself.”
He stopped in front of her.
“Because if you don’t…”
His gaze remained completely emotionless.
“You’ll simply end up torn apart.”
Melissa glared at him.
The Architect showed no reaction.
“You’re not special.”
The words fell like iron.
“If Eclipse could destroy the life of a child because of his obsession…”
A pause.
“He can do the same to another.”
Then he added with chilling calm:
“He could even reuse your parts.”
“It would save time.”
The room fell silent.
Finally, The Architect sighed.
“Remember something, Melissa.”
His voice softened slightly.
“No one here is anyone’s friend.”
He looked directly at her.
“If Eclipse orders me to kill you…”
“I will.”
“Without hesitation.”
Melissa didn’t look away.
The Architect turned toward the door.
“Consider this a small act of empathy.”
He paused before leaving.
“I still have a heart.”
A brief silence.
“But there are those who prefer not to use it.”
He was speaking about himself.
The door closed.
And the silence returned to the ruined office.
Story by Gerard Leaf and Blue
