Chapter 29: Echoes of the Pas

Chapter 29: Echoes of the Past

That night, Pragya sat alone in the war room, his mind heavy with the events of the day. The victory had been sweet, but the victory had come at a cost. The government had been humiliated, but they weren't defeated. Pragya could feel the wheels of retaliation already turning.

The Chips of Earth Consciousness had unlocked unimaginable power, but they were also unlocking something else—something darker. He could feel it in his bones. The chips weren't just connecting him to the collective consciousness of Earth—they were revealing things that shouldn't be known. Ancient knowledge. Forgotten technologies. Secrets long buried.

"Pragya," Oracle's voice whispered in his mind, "you are beginning to see the truth, aren't you?"

Pragya clenched his fists, trying to shake off the unease that was creeping into his thoughts. "What truth?" he asked, his voice tight.

"The chips… they were never just tools of war. They were the key to something much larger. The future of Earth is tied to them. But so is the past. The memories they unlock… they hold the power to change everything."

Pragya's heart raced as he felt the weight of those words. "What do you mean by 'change everything'?"

"What you are doing… it's already written in the Earth's memory. The future, the war, even the resistance… it's all part of a cycle. You're about to break that cycle, Pragya. But be careful. Some cycles aren't meant to be broken."

Suddenly, the room seemed to grow darker, the air colder. Pragya stood up, but something stopped him. In the corner of his vision, a shadow moved—a figure cloaked in darkness.

He turned to face it, and his heart stopped.

It was him. Or rather, it was his reflection. A version of himself, but one twisted and dark. His eyes gleamed with malice.

"You've awakened more than you bargained for," the figure said, its voice echoing in the silence.