Chapter 6: Fragments of the Forgotten

The safehouse was as nondescript as any other in The Verge—just another forgotten corner of the sprawling city. Anya had led them to an underground bunker, shielded from Vexis's surveillance and hidden from prying eyes. The hum of distant machines echoed through the dimly lit chamber as Kael, Seraphine, Niko, and Anya gathered around a worn metal table.

Kael glanced at Seraphine, who looked more distant than ever, her mind likely racing through fragments of her stolen memories. He had seen that haunted look before—the confusion, the despair of someone who wasn't sure where their reality ended and the illusion began. He felt a pang of guilt knowing that he had once been responsible for creating similar illusions for others.

"This place will keep us off the grid for now," Anya said, breaking the silence. "But Voss won't stop. He's relentless, especially if he knows you have information that can expose him."

Kael nodded. "We've been playing defense for too long. It's time we take the fight to Vexis."

Anya leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "I can help with that. But we need more than just a few fragments of memory if we're going to bring down Voss. What exactly are we looking for in Seraphine's head?"

Kael looked at Seraphine, uncertain. They had learned that her memories held the key to stopping Voss, but they were still missing critical pieces. If they were to go after Voss, they needed to fully unlock whatever Seraphine had hidden inside her mind.

Seraphine hesitated before speaking. "I don't know how much is left. They wiped me clean… almost. But there's something—something I can feel, just out of reach. It's like an itch in the back of my mind. It's there, but I can't get to it."

Anya's sharp eyes focused on her. "Memories are like a puzzle. The pieces are still inside you, even if someone's tried to scramble them. But we need the right tools to put them back together."

"Tools?" Niko asked, leaning forward.

Anya nodded. "We're going to need a deep-dive memory extraction rig. Something that can bypass the corruption and pull out the original memories that were erased. If Voss's people used their tech to bury something in Seraphine's head, we'll have to use the same kind of technology to get it back."

Kael frowned. "That kind of tech is tightly controlled by Vexis. It's not something we can just steal off the street."

Anya smirked. "I know someone who has access to it. A dealer. But he's not the kind of person who gives away favors."

"Let me guess," Kael said, rubbing his temples. "We'll need to do something for him first."

Anya shrugged. "That's how it works in The Verge. Everyone's got a price. But if you want to unlock the rest of Seraphine's mind, he's our best shot."

Kael exchanged a glance with Seraphine. They were running out of options, and the clock was ticking. Voss's hive mind experiment was in motion, and they needed all the information they could get if they were going to stop it. Whatever was hidden in Seraphine's memories was the key to unraveling Voss's plan—and maybe even toppling Vexis once and for all.

"Fine," Kael said. "We'll do it. Who's the contact?"

"His name's Ferris," Anya replied. "He runs an underground market in the industrial sector, trafficking in black-market tech. You're not going to like him—he's paranoid, ruthless, and he's probably going to make this as difficult as possible."

Niko chuckled. "Sounds like every other person in this city."

Kael wasn't so sure. Ferris was a name he had heard in his old circles, whispered among those who dealt in illicit tech and corporate secrets. If they were going to get this memory extraction rig, it wouldn't be easy, but it was a risk they had to take.

The industrial district was alive with activity, even in the dead of night. The air was thick with smoke, and the glow of neon signs flickered through the haze like ghostly specters. Kael, Seraphine, and Niko made their way through the labyrinth of warehouses and factories, guided by Anya's directions.

Ferris's lair was hidden beneath an old textile factory, accessible only through a series of back alleys that twisted like the threads of a forgotten tapestry. They reached a heavy steel door, unmarked but guarded by two men with cybernetic enhancements, their eyes glowing faintly in the gloom.

"This is it," Kael said, glancing at Seraphine and Niko. "Stay sharp."

One of the guards stepped forward, his mechanical hand resting on a pistol strapped to his hip. "State your business."

"We're here to see Ferris," Kael said calmly. "Anya sent us."

The guard's glowing eyes narrowed, scanning Kael's face. There was a long pause, and Kael could feel the tension building. Then, without a word, the guard stepped aside, pressing a button on the door. It slid open with a hiss, revealing a dark, narrow staircase leading down into the depths of the factory.

Kael led the way, his heart pounding. Every step felt like descending deeper into a forgotten underworld. At the bottom of the stairs, they entered a dimly lit chamber, filled with the hum of machinery and the stench of oil and rust. In the center of the room sat a figure, surrounded by flickering holographic screens—Ferris.

He was smaller than Kael had imagined, his body thin and wiry, with pale skin and deep-set eyes that gleamed with intelligence and suspicion. His fingers, long and spindly, danced across the holographic interfaces as he turned to greet them.

"Kael Ryder," Ferris said, his voice soft and oily. "I've heard about you. Anya said you'd be coming, but I didn't believe her. You've been off the grid for a long time."

"Not long enough, apparently," Kael replied. "We need your help."

Ferris raised an eyebrow, a crooked smile playing at the corner of his lips. "Everyone does. But what can you offer me in return?"

Kael braced himself for whatever insane request Ferris would make. This was the part he had dreaded—the price for their salvation.

Ferris leaned back, his eyes narrowing. "There's something I need from you. A piece of data that's been eluding me for a long time. It's locked deep in the Vexis archives, buried beneath layers of encryption. If you can get it for me, I'll give you the extraction rig you need."

Kael exchanged a glance with Seraphine and Niko. Breaking into the Vexis archives was suicide, but they didn't have a choice.

"What's the data?" Kael asked.

Ferris's smile widened, predatory. "It's a memory fragment. One that belongs to someone very important. And once I have it, we'll both get what we want."

Kael's stomach churned. Whatever this memory fragment was, it was clearly something that held power—enough to make even Ferris desperate for it. But there was no turning back now.

"Deal," Kael said, his voice firm.

Ferris's grin turned cold. "Then we have an agreement."

As Kael, Seraphine, and Niko left the lair, a cold realization settled over him. They were heading straight into the lion's den, with only fragments of truth to guide them. But one thing was certain—if they succeeded, they would finally have the key to unlocking Seraphine's past and stopping Voss.

The shadows of The Verge seemed to close in around them as they prepared for the most dangerous mission yet.