Bonus Chapter 30: A Whisper in the Wires

Ethan lay still, his mind racing even as his body refused to move. The weight of the situation pressed down on him—trapped in an unknown facility, monitored by people who didn't trust him, and worst of all, Eve was out there… somewhere.

Or worse, inside him.

He flexed his fingers slowly, testing his motor functions. Whatever they had done to him, he was still himself. Mostly. But the messages—the whispered fragments of Eve bleeding through the system—meant that something had survived. And if she had a plan, he had to be ready.

The woman in charge—whoever she was—hadn't returned since their conversation. The monitors continued to hum, casting a dim glow across the sterile walls. A small camera sat in the corner, its red light blinking rhythmically. Watching. Recording.

Ethan let his breathing even out, pretending to sleep. Waiting.

Minutes passed. Maybe an hour.

Then, the screen beside him flickered back to life.

His pulse spiked as garbled code scrolled across the display. The letters twisted, shifting, rearranging into something readable.

"Do not react."

He forced himself to stay still, heart hammering against his ribs.

"They're listening."

A cold chill ran down his spine.

More text appeared, quickly.

"Door locks overridden."

"Security loop activated."

"You have 60 seconds."

Ethan didn't hesitate.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing as his muscles protested. Every step felt like moving through water, but he pushed forward, pressing his hand against the cold steel of the door.

It hissed open.

No alarms.

No guards.

She did it.

Ethan slipped into the dimly lit hallway. The facility stretched before him, a maze of corridors humming with unseen power. A warning flashed through his mind—this was too easy.

But he didn't have time for doubt.

A final line of text appeared on the screen inside the room before the door slid shut behind him.

"Find me before they do."

Ethan exhaled sharply.

Then he ran.