Chapter 22: Into the Machine’s Den
"If We Die, It's Your Fault"
ECHO's territory was nothing like the rest of the city.
While Titan Industries built gleaming towers and the Ashen Veil thrived in chaos, ECHO's district looked like something out of a dystopian horror movie.
Neon-lit cathedrals. Towering spires of glass and metal.
Holograms of artificial prophets preaching to cyber-enhanced worshippers.
And in the middle of it all:
The Prophet's Tower.
Kai grimaced as they approached. "I'm getting cult vibes. Strong cult vibes."
Zero nudged him. "That's because it is a cult, genius."
Seraph eyed the cyber-monks lining the streets. "They're watching us."
Kai smirked. "Well, yeah. We're the only people here without glowing eyes and a god-complex."
The Rebel Hacker adjusted her hood. "We need to move fast. You sure ECHO has what you're looking for?"
Kai's jaw tightened. "I'm sure."
If the encrypted files were right, ECHO had experimented on his family.
And he was about to find out why.
---
The AI-Worshipper
Getting inside was the easy part.
Getting out?
Not so much.
Kai bypassed the entrance security in seconds, leading the team into the tower's lower levels.
That's when things got weird.
Rows of cybernetically enhanced humans, suspended in glass chambers.
Their minds plugged directly into ECHO's digital network.
Zero shuddered. "That's horrifying."
Seraph nodded. "Whatever they're doing, it's unnatural."
Kai barely heard them.
His focus was on the terminal in front of him.
It held the key to ECHO's experiments.
And just as he started hacking—
The room flooded with red light.
"Unauthorized access detected."
A voice echoed from above.
Cold. Calculated.
Kai looked up.
A woman stood on the balcony, watching them.
Tall, elegant, her silver hair flowing like liquid metal.
Her eyes glowed blue, reflecting pure logic.
ECHO's high priestess.
The AI-Worshipper.
She tilted her head. "You do not belong here."
Kai grinned. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
She stepped forward. "Yet here you are. A rogue operator. An anomaly in the system."
Her gaze sharpened on him.
Kai felt his cyberdeck flicker—
She was already trying to hack him.
And she was fast.
---
A Battle of Minds
Kai's HUD glitched, flashing red.
She was forcing her way in.
His encrypted data—the thing every faction wanted—
She was trying to extract it.
Kai gritted his teeth. "Nope. Not happening."
He pushed back.
Lines of code collided in cyberspace.
It was a battle of raw processing power.
Seraph drew her sword. "Kai?"
Kai's hands blurred over his cyberdeck.
"Little busy—!"
Zero groaned. "Of course he's having a nerd fight right now."
Seraph turned back to the AI-Worshipper.
Her blade glinted. "Then we'll handle this."
The AI-Worshipper barely spared her a glance.
"Violence is inefficient."
She raised a hand.
The cybernetic monks attacked.
---
The Cost of Knowledge
Fighting mind-controlled drones was a nightmare.
They felt no pain. Showed no fear.
Every move was precise. Calculated.
Seraph and Zero held them back, but Kai knew—
They were on a timer.
If he couldn't break free of the AI-Worshipper's hack—
They were screwed.
Kai's vision blurred as she pushed deeper into his mind.
Her voice echoed in his skull.
"Your data does not belong to you."
"It belongs to the machine."
Kai snapped.
"Lady, you really need a new hobby."
And then—
He flipped the script.
Instead of fighting back, he let her dive deeper.
Straight into the most corrupted, unstable part of his encrypted files.
She hesitated.
"What is this—"
Kai slammed the trap.
A surge of raw, unfiltered data exploded in her mind.
For the first time, her face twisted in shock.
Kai grinned. "Oops. Guess you weren't ready for that."
She staggered back.
Her control over the cyber-monks faltered.
And that's all the team needed.
Seraph struck first.
A precise, lightning-fast slash.
The AI-Worshipper barely dodged—
But Zero was already there.
A well-placed EMP grenade shut down the remaining monks.
And Kai—
He finished the job.
He yanked the cyberdeck's connection free.
The entire system crashed.
---
A Temporary Truce
Silence fell.
The AI-Worshipper breathed heavily, her glowing eyes flickering.
She stared at Kai.
Then she did something unexpected.
She laughed.
Kai blinked. "...Okay. Weird reaction."
She tilted her head. "You are... fascinating."
Kai smirked. "I get that a lot."
She exhaled. "Your mind is unlike anything I have encountered. The data you hold... it is unfinished."
Kai's chest tightened. "Meaning?"
She smiled faintly. "Meaning your answers do not lie with me. But I know where to look."
She stepped forward.
"I will help you find them."
Zero gawked. "Wait, what? Weren't you trying to kill us five minutes ago?!"
The AI-Worshipper folded her hands. "Correction. I was analyzing you."
Kai sighed. "Yeah, Zero. Learn the difference."
Zero smacked him.
The AI-Worshipper continued.
"I do not serve the hidden organization. I seek knowledge, nothing more."
Kai considered her.
Then he grinned.
"Alright. Welcome to the team."
Seraph muttered. "This is a bad idea."
Zero groaned. "We're so dead."
The AI-Worshipper smiled.
"You will not regret this."
Kai had a feeling he might.
---
Next Stop: The Heart of the Hidden Organization!
With the AI-Worshipper's help, Kai's team was closer than ever.
And now?
Now they were heading straight for the lion's den.
The final lab.
The place where it all began.
Where his family disappeared.
Where the truth waited.
Kai exhaled.
No more running.
It was time to end this.