Chapter 13: Shadows of Loyalty

🕯️ Verdale City – Industrial District, 2:17 AM

The rain hit the broken rooftops like bullets. Neon lights flickered in the distance, reflecting off puddles stained with oil and something darker—something red. Somewhere beyond the city's heartbeat, shadows moved... and one of those shadows was her.

Liana pressed her back against the cold steel wall of an abandoned warehouse, gun drawn, breaths shallow but steady. Beside her, Daniel scanned the perimeter, his jaw tight, eyes scanning every corner.

— "This isn't right," he muttered. "We were careful. No way they tracked us here."

But before she could answer—

A voice. Smooth. Calm. Laced with danger.

— "Hello... Echo."

Liana's blood froze. Only one person ever called her that. Slowly, she turned.

From the shadows stepped a figure. Tall. Broad shoulders. A scar running from his temple to his jawline. Dark hair. Cold eyes that once looked at her with warmth... now unreadable.

— "Aiden..." Her voice was barely a whisper.

Daniel's eyes widened.

— "Wait... Aiden Carter? No. That's impossible. You're dead."

Aiden smirked, stepping closer, hands raised in mock surrender.

— "Rumors of my death were... greatly exaggerated."

Liana tightened her grip on her gun. Her heart thundered—not from fear... but from the storm of memories. Of him. Of them. Before everything burned.

— "Why are you here?" she asked, voice sharper than steel. "To finish the job? Or to finally explain why you vanished the night everything fell apart?"

Aiden's eyes softened. For just a second. Then hardened again.

— "Not here to fight you, Liana. Not unless you give me a reason." His gaze flicked to Daniel. "Relax. If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have seen me coming."

Daniel scoffed.

— "Comforting."

Liana's voice was ice.

— "Then talk. Fast."

Aiden exhaled, pulling something from his jacket. A small drive. He tossed it to her.

— "Because you're running out of time. The Syndicate activated more than just Specter. There's another project. Codenamed Obsidian Protocol. You're not ready for what's coming."

Daniel grabbed the drive, plugging it into his portable decryptor. His face turned pale as data loaded. Schematics. Names. Photos. One file caught his eye—and his breath hitched.

— "This... this is a hit list." His voice cracked. "Liana... you... me... but look at this..."

Her eyes narrowed. She leaned in.

At the bottom of the list was a new name.

"Aiden Carter – Status: Rogue – Terminate on sight."

Liana blinked.

— "You betrayed them..."

Aiden met her gaze.

— "No... they betrayed me first. You think you were the only one they burned, Liana? Welcome to the graveyard of their mistakes."

A distant hum. A mechanical whir. Her instincts screamed.

— "MOVE!" she shouted.

A missile ripped through the wall—exploding in a wave of fire and debris.

Daniel dove left. Aiden grabbed Liana, pulling her behind a steel beam as the warehouse collapsed in flames.

From the smoke—metal footsteps. Heavy. Deliberate.

A tall figure emerged. Matte-black armor. Red glowing visor. No emotion. No mercy.

Specter.

A robotic voice echoed, distorted, inhuman:

— "Targets acquired. Execute."

Specter raised his rifle—firing without hesitation.

Liana rolled, bullets missing by inches. She fired back, but the rounds bounced off his armor.

— "Damn it. Nothing penetrates!"

Aiden pulled a magnetic grenade, hurling it. It stuck to Specter's shoulder—BOOM!—but the assassin staggered only briefly.

Daniel shouted from the wreckage.

— "EMP! Hit him with an EMP!"

— "I'm fresh out!" Liana yelled.

Specter lunged—inhumanly fast. His blade flashed—slashing. Liana blocked with her forearm guard, sparks flying.

Aiden tackled him from behind, locking him in a chokehold—

— "GO! MOVE!" he roared at Liana.

But Specter flung him like a ragdoll against the wall—CRACK!—the sound of bones hitting metal.

Daniel tossed something—a cylindrical device—rolling between Specter's feet.

— FWOOOOOM—BOOM!

A sonic pulse exploded, sending Specter staggering. His visor glitched. Systems scrambled.

— "He's blind! For now!" Daniel yelled.

Liana didn't hesitate. She grabbed Aiden—half-conscious—and sprinted for the exit. Daniel covered, unloading round after round.

Just as they burst through the back door—Specter's systems rebooted. His head snapped toward them. A red targeting laser locked onto Liana's back.

BEEP-BEEP—

Aiden spun, one last grenade in hand.

— "NOT TODAY!"

BOOOOM—

The alley exploded in flames, dust swallowing everything.

---

💀 Aftermath – Safehouse, 4:23 AM

Aiden sat against the wall, bandaging his ribs. Daniel paced. Liana stared at the screen, watching the decrypted files scroll.

The room was thick with tension.

Aiden finally broke the silence.

— "You wanted answers, Liana? Fine. Here's the truth." His eyes darkened.

— "The Zero Syndicate... didn't just train Specter. They created him. And he's not the only one. There are others. Worse."

Liana's breath caught.

— "You mean..."

Aiden nodded grimly.

— "Obsidian Protocol... is a cloning program. Bio-engineered assassins. Faster. Smarter. Stronger. Specter was just the prototype."

Daniel cursed under his breath.

— "This just keeps getting worse."

Liana's fists clenched.

— "Then we burn it all. Every last piece of it."

Aiden's lips curved into a tired smile.

— "That's why I came back, Echo. I never stopped fighting... I just had to disappear to survive. But now... now we finish it together."

Her eyes met his. For the first time in years... she wasn't sure if the fire in her chest was fury... or something far more dangerous.

---

✔️ End of Chapter 13

🩸 Next Chapter Preview:

As Specter regroups and the full force of the Syndicate closes in, Liana, Aiden, and Daniel must infiltrate the most dangerous facility on the planet. But when betrayal strikes from within... not everyone will make it out alive.