Chapter 13: Resistance Unleashed.

Chapter 13: Resistance Unleashed.

The hum of the bunker grew louder, vibrating through the walls and into Sierra's bones. It was as if the very air had changed, thickened, and the pulse of the Protocol was creeping into her mind, twisting her thoughts like wires around her skull.

"No," Sierra whispered, shaking her head. "No, this can't be happening."

But the man only smiled wider, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling calm. "You feel it, don't you? The pull. It's just the beginning."

Her legs felt unsteady beneath her, and for a moment, Sierra feared she might collapse. She pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to fight it off, to push back the wave of coldness sweeping over her.

Knox moved quickly, his voice cutting through the air. "Sierra! You have to focus! The suppressor won't hold long."

She could barely hear him through the roar in her head, the fragmented pieces of her own consciousness threatening to slip away. The man's words, his cold smile—they were all part of it. The Protocol was here, inside her, waiting to activate.

Sierra looked at the man—the one who had built this hell. "Why? Why make me the key? Why me?"

His gaze softened, as if he pitied her. "You were always the one. You were chosen. You were designed for this." He stepped closer, his voice lowering, almost affectionate. "But don't worry. You're not alone. The Protocol isn't just in you—it's in all of us. You'll see. Soon, it'll be... beautiful."

Knox stepped between them, drawing his weapon. "Enough. We're ending this now."

The man didn't flinch, didn't even seem to care. He held up his hands, palms open. "You can try, but you won't be able to stop it. It's already in motion."

Sierra's mind was racing. She couldn't let him win. She couldn't let this take over her—again.

"Knox..." she said, her voice trembling. "The wristband—it's not enough. We need to stop him, stop this."

Knox hesitated, eyes darting between her and the man. The man's smug expression seemed to grow even more taunting as he watched them struggle.

"It's already too late," the man said, his voice soft but filled with finality. "The signal's activated. Your mind's already syncing with the Protocol. You won't remember this, Sierra, but I will."

Sierra gasped, her hand clutching her head as a sudden wave of pain crashed into her. It was like ice pouring into her veins, her thoughts scrambling, her body going cold.

She staggered backward, clutching the suppressor around her wrist, but it was only a flicker of protection—a bandage on a wound that ran too deep.

"No...!" she gasped, her voice strained.

The man took another step forward. "You can fight it all you want, but this is who you are. This is what you were born to do."

Sierra's vision blurred, her knees giving out as the weight of the Protocol pressed down on her mind. She couldn't remember how to breathe, couldn't focus on anything except the cold, suffocating feeling that was slowly taking over her thoughts.

But then, through the fog, something in her snapped. A fragment of clarity. No. I'm not this. I won't be this.

With every ounce of strength she had left, Sierra pushed through the pain, forcing herself to stand. She was not a weapon. She was not a tool to be used.

Knox's voice cut through the haze. "Sierra! You have to fight it! Focus!"

She reached for the suppressor, activating it with trembling fingers. A brief, electric pulse shot through her wrist, giving her a moment of clarity—a sliver of control.

And in that moment, she saw it: the man, standing there in the shadows, waiting for her to break.

But Sierra wasn't going to break.

With a deep breath, she focused all her will into one thought—one goal.

Stop the Protocol. Stop him.

She felt the pulse of the Protocol trying to override her, but this time, she fought back. She would not let it take her. Not again.

The man's eyes narrowed. "You think you can fight it? You think you have the power to stop what you've become?"

Sierra lifted her head, her voice steady despite the chaos swirling in her mind. "I'm not who you think I am."

The man's expression faltered, just for a moment. But it was enough.

Sierra's hand shot out, grabbing Knox's weapon from his side in one swift motion. The suppressor on her wrist flared brightly, and for the first time, she felt the weight of her own power.

"I'll stop you," she said, her voice filled with resolve.

The man's smile faltered as he realized the shift. He had underestimated her. And now, it was too late.

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