CHAPTER 48: Geneva Protocol

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Chapter 48: Geneva Protocol

Three hours later, the storm was behind them.

Eliot and Rina sat side by side in the back of a private jet, secured by one of Savannah's hidden allies. The hum of the engines was steady, but their hearts weren't.

Rina stared out the window, snow-capped mountains sprawling beneath them. Somewhere in that range, answers waited.

Eliot handed her a file Savannah had uploaded.

A map. Coordinates. Old surveillance photos marked "S12 – Discontinued."

Geneva, Switzerland.

Sector Twelve.

The birthplace of HeartSync.

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As the plane touched down on a private airstrip, Rina's stomach tightened. She hadn't felt this kind of fear since the first time she'd opened her eyes and couldn't remember her name.

Now she remembered too much.

They drove in silence through icy streets. Eliot kept one hand on the wheel, the other near his concealed sidearm. Just in case.

At the edge of the city, they stopped.

A rusted gate loomed before them.

Beyond it: a crumbling research facility. Nature had clawed at its walls. Time had tried to erase it.

But something still lived inside.

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The building creaked as they entered.

Dim emergency lights flickered on, sensing motion for the first time in years.

Everything was as it was left—desks half-packed, machines humming softly in standby. Monitors blinked with ancient data.

"Creepy," Eliot muttered.

But Rina walked with a strange sense of belonging.

She paused at a thick metal door marked SUBLEVEL 1 – CORE ACCESS.

Her fingers brushed the keypad.

It beeped.

Accepted.

The door slid open.

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Inside was a room of glass and steel, almost untouched. Screens covered the walls. A circular platform stood at the center, surrounded by cables and memory ports.

And in the middle—

A chair.

Not just any chair.

Her chair.

The one from her dreams.

The one from before.

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Eliot stepped back.

"What is this?"

Rina touched the armrest.

"It's where they tested me. Connected me. Broke me."

A voice rang out.

> "Welcome back, Subject Alpha-R."

Rina spun. The AI interface had recognized her.

> "Would you like to resume final sync protocol?"

She stared at the console. Her hand hovered.

"Final sync...?"

Eliot moved beside her.

"Rina. Wait."

But something in her eyes was already locked in.

She turned to him.

"If this unlocks everything... I need to know."

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Author's Note:

Some truths lie buried for a reason. But when you dig deep enough, the core always burns. If you're ready for what's beneath, don't forget to collect this chapter. Every collection strengthens their resolve—and yours.

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