The List

The cursor blinked on the screen, the words "Cipher Voss – Processing…" flickering in and out like a dying signal.

Cipher's breath hitched. "What the hell does that mean?"

Nova's fingers flew over the keyboard. "It means they know you're here."

Cipher clenched his fists. "Who?"

Nova didn't answer immediately. The screen shifted, flashing error messages before stabilizing into something new—lines of fragmented code, coordinates, and a list of names.

Some were crossed out. Others were marked Pending.

At the very bottom: Cipher Voss – Processing.

Cipher took a step back. The air in the room felt colder.

"Tell me what I'm looking at," he said, voice low.

Nova hesitated. "It's a deletion queue."

Cipher's stomach dropped.

Nova continued, her voice tight. "Everyone on this list has been flagged for erasure. The ones marked 'Pending'… they're still here, but not for long. The ones marked 'Processing'..." She glanced at him. "That means it's already started."

Cipher swore under his breath. His mind raced, searching for an escape hatch that wasn't there.

"How do we stop it?"

Nova's fingers danced across the keyboard, the screen flooding with scrolling data. "I don't know yet. But if they've flagged you, it means they're watching. And if they're watching—"

The monitors flickered. The room's overhead lights dimmed, then cut out completely.

Cipher barely had time to react before a sharp whine filled the space, like a high-pitched signal drilling straight into his skull.

Nova cursed, slamming her hand against the desk. "They're cutting the power. We need to go."

Cipher didn't argue. He grabbed his bag and turned to the door.

Then he froze.

A shadow moved at the far end of the hallway.

Tall. Unmoving. Watching.

Cipher's pulse spiked. "Nova—"

"I see it," she muttered.

The figure took a step forward.

The emergency lights flickered, bathing the room in an eerie red glow.

Cipher swallowed hard. "Is that—?"

Nova grabbed his arm. "Move."

They bolted.

The door burst open, the cold night air hitting Cipher like a slap. They sprinted down the alley, boots slamming against the pavement. Behind them, the shadow followed, its movements slow but deliberate.

Cipher didn't dare look back.

They cut through a side street, Nova pulling him toward an abandoned subway entrance. She jumped over the rusted turnstile. Cipher followed, nearly tripping in the process.

The underground station was dead silent. No trains. No people. Just dust and decay.

Nova ran straight to a maintenance hatch, wrenching it open.

"In," she hissed.

Cipher hesitated for half a second before diving in after her.

The tunnel was narrow, lined with old cables and forgotten machinery. The only sound was their breathing, sharp and uneven.

Nova slammed the hatch shut.

Darkness swallowed them.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Cipher whispered, "What was that?"

Nova's voice was quiet but steady. "Not human."

Cipher's throat went dry.

He pressed his back against the cold metal wall. His mind replayed the moment—how the figure had moved, how the lights had dimmed just before it appeared. It wasn't normal.

He exhaled slowly. "Okay. Okay." He ran a hand through his hair. "We're in some serious shit."

Nova smirked. "You're just now figuring that out?"

Cipher shot her a look, but there was no heat behind it. "So what now?"

Nova's expression darkened. "We get off the list."

Cipher raised an eyebrow. "And how do we do that?"

Nova didn't answer immediately. She reached into her bag, pulling out a small black device. It looked like a drive, but sleeker, almost organic in its design.

"This," she said, holding it up. "It's our only chance."

Cipher frowned. "What is it?"

Nova hesitated. Then, in a rare moment of honesty, she said, "I don't know. But I stole it from the people running this whole thing."

Cipher's eyes widened. "You—what?"

Nova shrugged. "I needed leverage."

Cipher stared at her, then let out a breathless laugh. "You're insane."

Nova grinned. "Probably."

Cipher rubbed his temples. "So, let me get this straight. The people who can rewrite reality want us dead. You stole something from them. And now, I'm on a list for deletion."

Nova nodded. "That about sums it up."

Cipher sighed. "Fantastic."

He looked down at the pulsing device in his palm—the one Nova had given him earlier. It was the same material as the drive she held.

Something about it felt… wrong. Like it wasn't supposed to exist.

He met Nova's gaze. "So, do we use it?"

Nova tilted her head. "You afraid?"

Cipher thought about the shadow in the alley. The list. His name flickering on the screen.

He swallowed hard. "Terrified."

Nova smirked. "Good. That means you're still alive."

Cipher shook his head. "Remind me why I'm trusting you?"

Nova's smirk faded. "Because I haven't erased you yet."

Cipher frowned. "Yet?"

Nova winked. "Kidding."

He didn't believe her.

Outside, above ground, the city continued its restless hum. But something had changed.

The cameras were watching.

The lights flickered.

And somewhere, deep within the system, a new message appeared.

Cipher Voss – Priority Target.

Terminate.